At the School of Traditional Arts, based in London, UK, our MA degree is a full-time, two-year, taught course.
Our MA degree in Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts is unique – there is nothing like it anywhere else. We emphasize improving practice in skills and techniques in a range of traditional arts and crafts as much as theoretical and philosophical learning.
In the first year students take taught modules in geometry, ceramics, stained glass, woodwork, Indian and Persian miniature painting, icons, methods and materials. There is also a residential field study trip. (120 units)
In the second year teaching continues while students work on their own practical and research projects under supervision. (60 units)
At the end of the course, students select examples of their best art to exhibit in our Degree Show.
Our MA students tell us they especially appreciate
· Expert tuition and attentive supervision
· Good student:teacher ratio
· Small groups; close, supportive community
· International perspectives - teachers and students from varied backgrounds and from all over the world
· Our apprenticeship model - practising artists and experts guide students' development and deepen knowledge of techniques, materials and philosophical principles
· Varied learning - formal presentations, seminars, critical studio-based sessions, residential field study trip, staff and student meetings; informal visits to galleries, museums and other institutions
· Free access to our School's programme of short courses, in addition to the MA course
· Individual work space for each MA student
· Good technical facilities and support
Find out more about our Masters degree course here.
Applying
Applications for MA course beginning in September 2018 are now closed. Applications for the MA course beginning in September 2019 will be open from 24 September 2018 until 28 February 2019.
If you would like to register your interest and receive updates about the MA course beginning in September 2019, please complete this form here
https://psta.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=318450ca42a631910e91a9689&id=51819e2180
Further information about applying can be found here.
Validation
Our MA in Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts is validated by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
MA Fine Art is an opportunity to look at the familiar with a fresh, perhaps oblique perspective in order to explore how “detour” permits “access”(Jullien 2004) to more subtle yet more complex interpretations. What constitutes a meaningful and useful research methodology in one culture may be considered unknown, unnecessary or redundant in another. These differences are at the very fabric of the Fine Art course; establishing deliberate cross-cultural dialogues with students from International and UK backgrounds and providing a vehicle for highlighting differences in working practices and methodologies.
Recognising the individual and their aspirations, and celebrating ideas and risk-taking, our approach and experience of encouraging inter-disciplinary and collaborative activity lies with the provision of a meaningful journey for our students beyond the obvious.
They meet the fresh, often unpredictable and certainly challenging possibilities that are offered as they test, develop, progress, interrogate, ‘make’ and confidently reflect on their practice.
Our guiding principle is to offer distinctive and exciting opportunities for students to engage in their respective subject discipline in order to redefine their particular individual approach to their practice and position it within their chosen external creative economic and cultural environment.
Crucial to the course is that each student demonstrates a passion for their practice within their chosen medium and subject discipline.
See our online student gallery for examples of our student's work.
The MA Fine Art is a broad, studio-based programme with an open and inclusive approach to fine art practice. The programme encourages both specialist and cross-disciplinary approaches enabling students to extend and deepen their knowledge and application of fine art practice.
The curriculum is structured on Practice as Research, through which specialist studio disciplines are developed within cultural, aesthetic and socio-political contexts supporting the creative exploration of ideas through practical skills, research methodologies, theoretical and analytical frameworks. This places individual practice at the centre of the programme. Studio-based modules run throughout the programme and maintain the dynamic interrelation between visual research, concepts and theory. Studio research can be developed within: painting, textiles, sculpture (including ceramics), printmaking and digital media.
Over the past few years, we’ve redeveloped both of our campuses so that you have the best facilities available for your degree. We pride ourselves on the quality of the learning environment we can offer our students.
The Art department are situated in the dedicated artOne building comprising outstanding studio and workshop facilities. It is an exciting place to study, providing a dynamic and supportive learning environment for the production of original new art work.
The well-equipped workshops and studios provide environments for you to create experimental, inventive and ambitious work. The main studio space in the purpose built artOne building provides individual studio spaces for all students as well as bookable spaces for installation, performance and projection work. If you are doing studio practice modules, you will be allocated a personal studio base in which you can carry out your self-directed projects and art work.
All students also have access to workshop areas and technical support in the key disciplines of the Fine Art programmes. The workshops reflect the range of options across the various degree programmes. A distinctive aspect of the department is that of individualized working areas in the studio space.
You will become part of a network of artists that will offer support and a challenging context in which to develop your work. Key to this community are fine art staff who, as practising artists, bring their knowledge and experience of a range of professional arts environments to the programme.
The staff team are linked to local, regional and national networks including galleries, museums, regional funding agencies and community based projects. Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes have strong connections with Pallant House Gallery, Chichester Festival Theatre, Goodwood Sculpture Park and galleries in Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton and London.
The wider arts community at the University of Chichester includes postgraduate and research students in MA Dance, Performance and Music and you will be able to experience the breadth of these practice based disciplines, and other academic research through research seminar programmes, presentations, theatre events and visiting speakers.
The course provides the opportunity to concentrate on a specific area of research.
Potential Careers
Recent students have worked on site-specific commissions, community arts projects, and work placements with local galleries and museums, residencies in schools, and even creating their own virtual gallery. The experience is invaluable in terms of working to time and budgetary constraints, and in dealing with the public.
Distinctive features of the course:
Optional modules:
To gain an MA students need to complete four out of five modules plus the Independent Exhibition. This is an independent research project, and is largely practical, culminating in a professional context exhibition.
All sessions are held at the University of Chichester’s Bishop Otter Campus. Full time students are given a studio space, and full and part time students have access to workshop facilities. All students benefit from access to large studio spaces during the summer months. Study contact sessions take place on Wednesday’s and Thursday’s across Semester 1 and 2 and the summer period.
Full time – 12 months (September to September).
Part time – 24 months (September to September)
The Course aims to:
This course draws on the School’s considerable research reputation and professional expertise in the areas of painting, photography, performance, film and video, sculpture, installations, public art and print-making. This fascinating programme provides highly focused teaching, alongside a critical lecture series within an intellectually supportive environment.
You will be supported by some of the most dynamic artists and researchers in the School. You get the chance to benefit from field trips and gallery visits. Alongside the development of your creative studio work you will gain an understanding of key aspects of art history and theory, as well as an awareness of the social and institutional context within which artworks exist. On completion of the course, your practical work will be exhibited and publicised in a group MA exhibition.
Take a look at some examples of work produced by students for MA Fine Art.
Typical modules include:
The Fine Art Course provides a studio intensive programme supported through theoretical and contextual lecture series, studio based seminar critique and individual tutorials. The ethos of the course is to provide students with the time and space to develop ideas and practice towards the final off-site MA exhibition; this includes the structure of personal research and the development of the critical and/or theoretical emphasis behind your work in order to understand the methodological framework of your working practice.
You will have time to reappraise and analyse previous work, develop new ideas in relation to your practice and it’s theoretical underpinning then consolidate those ideas practically. Finally you will bring those ideas and your work to resolution and focus towards the MA exhibition. The course provides students with the knowledge, ambition and structure in order to proceed towards their future career ambitions. Within the programme you will have the opportunity to develop your awareness of exhibition and the display of your work as well as the audiences for that work. The MA Fine Art course will support you in structuring an advanced independent practice, underpinned by sustained critical engagement.
Matthew Evans MA Fine Art
Matthew Evans completed his MA Fine Art with distinction and has since received several commissions for his innovative new approach; creating bespoke modern-day coat of arms, including a £10k commission for the The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham. He has also been selectedfor the New Art West Midlands 2013 Exhibition at Birmingham Art Gallery Museum which showcases the best of West Midland’s graduates.
"As a result of studying the MA course I have grown professionally as an artist. By adopting a ‘take a risk’ attitude I have been able to further refine my artistic practice and anchor it within the most critically interesting areas. By embracing the challenge of diversification, and enjoying the critical dialogue embedded within the course, I have resolved a number of sticking points, and identified areas for future development.
I chose to study my MA at the University of Wolverhampton as I felt I needed to breathe new life into my practise and relished the challenge of experiencing a new exciting creative environment. The artistic facilities on offer to students and the glowing reputations of the SAD staff and support technicians also played a key role in my decision.
What particularly impressed me about the course was not only the availability and approachability of the lecturers but the general sense of cohesion felt as a student. As well as extensive access to lecturers, and the intensively taught aspects of the course, there are many MA excursions that are incredibly beneficial.
As a positive side note, my affinity with the University has continued this September, with me becoming the Fine Art Artist in Residence for this year."
Other student comments:
“The MA has greatly expanded my knowledge of Fine Art.”
“I feel that I’m being supported in my work and that the best of my talent is being encouraged.”
“The lecturers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and I’m grateful for both their input and the input of the other students”.
“I’m confident it’s setting me up with the right skills and knowledge to succeed in a career within the arts”.
“I’m glad that I made the decision to do the MA; it’s been a positive turning point in my life”.
The Master of Fine Art in Fine Art (MFA) provides postgraduate studio-based arts practice, critical theory in fine arts and access to the professional skills and knowledge to succeed in a career in the fine arts. The programme will appeal to independent artists wanting to extend their practice within a critical research framework supported by practicing tutors. Artists looking to extend their career path into curatorial practice in the contemporary arts, collaborative projects with arts organisations, arts in socially engaged practices and/or further research will find support for this trajectory in this broad-based programme. Teaching involves lectures, seminars, and group and individual tutorials from active artists with research profiles. The programme will equip you with creative, interpretive, critical and analytical skills to develop an advanced understanding of contemporary art and its social, cultural and historical contexts.
The image above shows a close up of the work Nova by Saad Querishi, a former student of Fine Art at Oxford Brookes. Saad has been commissioned to produce a piece of work for the new areas of the campus and will be acting as a resource for the students on the programme.
Your artistic practice – An independent studio environment enables you to further your work within a supported critical framework. Through group and individual tutorials, staff/peer critique and presentations, an incremental approach is applied whereby you will confidently develop your work towards public exhibition/dissemination. There are two formal exhibitions during the MFA programme.
Flexible studio options – Students may select to locate their studio either at Oxford Brookes or elsewhere. Students working from their own studios will be eligible for a reduced tuition fee.
Technical resources – The School of Arts’ workshops offer supported working environments in a range of specialist areas including: sculpture, photography, video, sound, printmaking and book-works. All our workshops are staffed by highly skilled and creative Technical Specialists.
Extra-curricular activities – You will gain exposure to a range of contemporary artistic practice through the thriving creative student community in the School of Arts at Oxford Brookes. You will participate in the lectures and film screenings set up by the Fine Art Research (FAR) Group. These include visiting contemporary artists, critics, curators and notable alumni. Free life drawing classes extend your drawing skills and optional local, regional and international field trips provide further stimulus.
Theoretical framework – Your ability to articulate your own creative position is enabled through a critical engagement with a range of scholarship informed by diverse practices by nationally and internationally recognised artists, collectives and movements. An early theoretical module explores contemporary art discourse through seminars informed by selected readings and in a later module you develop a more intense involvement with theory related to your individual research interests.
Professional development – The programme enables you to identify a professional focus which is likely to inform your subsequent career trajectory. This might involve research preparation, a placement, a collaborative project or exhibition management/curatorial practice. With the guided experience in this module our graduates are better prepared for a successful career as a professional artist.
Careers and professional development
In addition to the support, teaching and development opportunities afforded by the curriculum, as a student you will be immersed in the active arts environment of the School. During your studies with us you will have access to the visiting speakers arranged for this and for other arts programmes, for the seminars and conferences in diverse fields, including publishing, film, music and digital production in the School. The field trips, visiting artists, PhD students and opportunities in the programme’s Professional Experience module offer a rich network of individuals and organisations that enable you to make useful contacts for your future career.
Careers
Graduates from this programme will be well equipped to pursue their practice as independent artists who have a well-developed understanding of the theoretical and professional contexts of the current and contemporary landscape of the arts and creative industries.
This programme is delivered within the School of Arts, which offers a vibrant environment for the creative industries including film, photography, music and publishing. Through the modules, which address practice, theory and professional experience, students are provided with links to engage with employment and further study opportunities, either as independent practitioners, facilitators or participants within a range of group and collaborative practices and contexts.
Free language courses for students - the Open Module
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
