MA Fine Art (Curatorial Practice)

I chose this course as it had lots of practical curating opportunities and useful links with contemporary organisations such as the Arnolfini and Spike Island in Bristol. I especially liked the field trips we undertook to art museums and art centres to speak with their curators, as this provided a really interesting and valuable insight into how different curators operate within varying institutions. I also found my tutor, Jo Dahn, very supportive and well informed on traditional, but also contemporary practices. In our regular tutorials Jo was always keen to push my ideas and thought processes, which enabled my practice to continually evolve. I particularly liked the campuses at the University; Sion Hill is vibrant and inspiring and Corsham Court is beautiful, and the bowling alley is a great potential exhibition space.

This course will hopefully broaden my career opportunities. It has given me more confidence and focus in my curatorial practice, which in turn has become more specialised. For anyone considering this course I would recommend finding work experience in a relevant institution alongside your studies. This can provide an outlet for the practical application of theoretical/academic knowledge, and also potentially challenge learned concepts. While I was completing my Master’s Project I undertook a paid internship at Spike Island.

As an art curator and mediator from Italy, and having moved to Bristol, this year has been challenging: new life, new friends, new language and a new educational approach. I have developed as a person and thanks to everything on the course combined, I now feel like a more complete curator.