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MLitt Curatorial Practice (Contemporary Art). All GSA degree programmes are validated by the University of Glasgow. Established in 1451, the University of Glasgow is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK research universities and a founder member of Universitas 21, an international grouping of universities dedicated to setting worldwide standards for higher education.
Peer and staff review, formative and summative assessment, with continuous feedback from tutorials. Courses are assessed by essay, critical review, project proposal and practice-based coursework.
Contact
Contact For further information contact Programme Leader Karen Di Franco at k.difranco@gsa.ac.uk
Indicative Additional Costs
Individual departments levy material fees as indicated on this page. You should budget for each year of your programme of study and should allow for costs over and above your fees and maintenance, particularly if expensive materials or projects are chosen.
Programme Leads
Karen Di Franco (GSA)
Alexandra Ross (UoG)
Alexandra.Ross
@glasgow.ac.uk
Associated Faculty
James Bell
Katrina Brown
Jenny Brownrigg
Francis McKee
Dominic Paterson
Recent and current visiting tutors include:
Patrick Jameson (Queen’s Park Railway Club)
Gordon Douglas (University of Glasgow)
Yvonne Billimore (Artist and Independent Curator, Stockholm)
Jason Bowman (Artist, London)
Alfredo Cramerotti (Director, Mostyn, Llandudno)
Ruth Ewan (Artist, Glasgow)
Ashanti Harris (Artist, Glasgow)
Annette Krauss (Artist, Utrecht)
Lisa Le Feuvre (Executive Director, Nancy Holt and Robert Smithson Foundation, Santa Fe)
Mason Leaver-Yap (Independent Curator and Writer, Glasgow and Berlin)
Sarah Munro (Director, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle)
João Ribas (Steven D. Lavine Executive Director, REDCAT, Los Angeles)
Ainslie Roddick (Artistic Director/CEO, ATLAS Arts, Portree)
Manuel Segade (Director, Centro de Arte 2 de Mayo, Móstoles)
Kathryn Smith (Artist, Cape Town)
Sarah Tripp (Artist, Glasgow)
The-Wa (Artist, Berlin)
This programme, established in 2014 and jointly run by The Glasgow School of Art and the University of Glasgow, offers students the opportunity to study curatorial practice in Glasgow, a city with a vibrant and distinctive international art scene. Throughout the year students are supported to identify and undertake individually motivated curatorial projects and research as the basis for the development of a self-sustaining practice, making this programme distinctive in its delivery.
During this intensive one-year programme, students work closely with artists and a range of organisations, as they consolidate and articulate their practice within an international context of theory and practice. There is a balance between theoretical exploration and critique, where writing and concept-formation are challenged and developed by practical application and experimentation.
There is the opportunity to work both individually and collaboratively at different stages in the year on projects that extend beyond exhibition-as-form, to include performance-based work, publications, digital platforms and other discursive modes of curation.
The curriculum is designed to support the development of students’ curatorial practice throughout the year:
The programme proposes an exchange between curating as a process, connected to visual arts theory and practice, and its inter-disciplinary expansion through curatorial discourse. Teaching is a constellation of lectures, tutorials, practical workshops, and focused study days. There is an emphasis on independent work and peer-critique, where the discussion of projects allows students to find their curatorial voice and have the opportunity to develop a methodology of working that they can take forward post-Masters.
It is appreciated that there will be multiple interests in the programme, and as such the programme fosters diverse ways of working curatorially and responds to the interests emerging from the cohort. In previous years this has included residencies and support structures, writing-as-practice, feminist and queer projects, self-organised and collaborative work, and events operating. outwith the conventional area of presentation. Equally, the programme offers students the chance to extend their practical and academic skills, with support to refine work for PhD pathways – including practice-based.
It is expected that applicants have a strong understanding of contemporary art, art history and theory gained through study and/or professional experience, upon which to build their curatorial projects and writing during the programme. During the year, students can expect visiting tutors/ lecturers who will lend an international and insightful understanding of the curatorial field and their practice, as well as on-going opportunities to participate in local networks.
The programme is offered jointly between The Glasgow School of Art and the University of Glasgow, and offers links with external institutions in Glasgow and Scotland, including ARIKA, ATLAS Arts, the Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow International, Glasgow Women's Library, GoMA, Hospitalfield, Rumpus Room, Tramway, The Common Guild, LUX Scotland, The Alasdair Gray Archive, WAVEparticle, Counterflows Festival, Queens Park Railway Club, Glasgow Sculpture Studios and The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery.
Quick facts
Students on this programme have the opportunity to:
Entry requirements
A good Undergraduate Degree in a relevant subject (normally 2:1 or higher - although a lower classification may be considered where other areas of the application are strong) or equivalent professional or life experience. A good level of understanding of contemporary art, relevant to the applicant's own cultural context. Candidates will undertake an interview before selection.
International students
International students will need to have an IELTS 6.5 (min 5.5) or equivalent qualification in English language in addition to the other entry requirements listed above.