Case studies: Beyond the Campus
BA (Hons) Criticism, Communication and Curation at Central Saint Martins, and 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning: A collaborative project
BA Critism, Communication and Curation (BA CCC) is an interdisciplinary program offered by Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London) which sufficiently prepares students for a career in curation and art organisation as well as training students to become cultural commentators or art critics. The course is unique in regards to its wide content span covering subjects such as the theory and history of art and design, architecture, fashion, performance, media and literature. Besides delivering field specific knowledge, the program aims to interrelate critical thinking, research and intellectual rigour with creative problem solving. These skills are a requirement for developing projects proposal and visualisations of large bodies of research at a professional stage. The course builds on the great reputations of CSM as world-famous art school where the development of each student’s identity and independence is the focal point of all the teaching and learning.
"In 2011 Central St Martins moved to the Granary Building in King’s Cross, where it is at the heart of one of the most radical and rapid transformations that London has seen in the last 100 years. This has brought the course into closer proximity with a wide range of other disciplines, any one of which may play a collaborative role within BA CCC. Versatility and adaptability are vital for careers in the arts; they are qualities that the course nurtures and encourages.” (BACCC website) To expand on the relationship between theory and professional practice, the course is not just delivered by historians and theoreticians but also by journalists, film makers, curators, art market professionals, photographers and designers. As part of this, the program has established active links with key cultural institutions and venues: current collaborations include projects with 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, Leighton House Museum and staff of The Evening Standard and The Guardian. If students wish to further their academic career in the field of arts curation, they can since January 2013 enrol onto the new course MA Culture, Criticism and Curation which provides students with a continuing intellectual landscape that builds on the investigations from BA CCC. |
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Presentation & PodcastListen to Andrew Marsh, Associate Lecturer on BA Criticism, Communication and Curation at Central Saint Martins London, who presented at our Third Workshop in Birmingham – or download his presentation: BA (Hons) Criticism, Communication and Curation (CCC) at Central Saint Martins, and 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning: a collaborative project
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Andrew Marsh (Twitter) teaches as an associate lecturer and currently 3rd year tutor on the BA CCC programme. At our Third Workshop at Birmingham City University he presented a series of collaborative projects that showcase student’s engagement with professional curatorial practice. Andrew has experience as a Technical Director for major contemporary art commissions. His input to the course includes critical writing, issues surrounding curating and commissioning contemporary art, and managing off-site projects.
His presentation specifically focused on a 1st year module on the BA CCC programme that is jointly delivered by CSM staff and curators at 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, a South London art space located at Herne Hill (near Brixton). '198' was founded in 1988 initially as a platform of representation for Afro-Caribbean artists as part of the Black Arts Movement. The organisation works with artists from culturally diverse backgrounds, advocating for diversity in the visual arts and providing opportunities for those wishing to develop careers in the CCI’s. As a gallery space with an additional educational arm which works with the local community, 198 supports a variety of projects by artists whose work investigates cultural identity and community.
His presentation specifically focused on a 1st year module on the BA CCC programme that is jointly delivered by CSM staff and curators at 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, a South London art space located at Herne Hill (near Brixton). '198' was founded in 1988 initially as a platform of representation for Afro-Caribbean artists as part of the Black Arts Movement. The organisation works with artists from culturally diverse backgrounds, advocating for diversity in the visual arts and providing opportunities for those wishing to develop careers in the CCI’s. As a gallery space with an additional educational arm which works with the local community, 198 supports a variety of projects by artists whose work investigates cultural identity and community.
Interview with Andrew Marsh, Associate Lecturer
How is the collaborative module structured to insure that it meets both academic and professional requirements?
For this module students are given a brief usually taking a word or a phrase as a starting point from which in groups (usually of five) they need to develop hypothetical exhibitions for 198 space. The key emphasis with this is to engage students with the historical and geographic implications of a specific site, which is also reflected in the teaching on this module that focuses heavily on contexts and its relevance on presenting art works in specific places. We look at historic examples at lectures and at workshops. So it is really introducing that notion of context into an idea of curatorial practice – this isn’t just a white cube. It has a lot of other things going on and the exhibitions they propose have to reflect that. At the start students visit the space and they get given a presentation of the gallery and its works by the gallery director. The associate curator Barbara Asante from the gallery conducts workshops with the students at Central Saint Martins.
There is very much a cross-over between students going to the gallery and members of the gallery coming into the university. The unit culminates in group presentations of exhibition proposals and students are then assessed by the academic team and two members of 198 who also sit in on these presentations. This is a great opportunity for '198' to select one of those proposals to go forward – to actually have the opportunity to realise the project as an exhibition. Usually the exhibition takes place the following year at the same point in time when the next unit starts for the 1st years. So the next cohort will have the opportunity to see an exhibition that had been carried out by another group who are now in their 2nd year.
What were some of the key issues you encountered in the collaboration of your students with the '198'?
We’ve been running this unit for 4 years now and it is moving into its 5th year now. It’s a good time to come and reflect back on what’s worked and what hasn’t. And is not always a straight forward relationship when you work within the confines of a structured unit at a university. Most of these exhibitions that our student curate include talks and engagement events with the local community. The actual project however is assessed on the proposals only. What is interesting is that sometimes the most academically successful proposals aren’t the ones that are selected. I think that raises a very interesting issue between the notions of the academic and the remit of a work/cultural space.
Managing the expectations of students in the process of working with 198 is definitely a challenge. Some groups had some prior experience of putting on exhibitions: they were relatively independent and there was less input required from staff and 198 representatives. Other groups, however, were the complete opposite: there was a far more labour intense process involved between 198 and CSM staff. This mostly culminated into providing additional help and guidance on the basis of good will. Further obstacles are obtaining funding for collaborative projects as well as maintaining the relationship between those spaces and us over a long term.
What were some of the learning benefits of the collaboration between HE and industry professionals?
For students the project introduces issues of context into curatorial group work, which was considered as a highly productive force and adding a professional creative focus to the course. It gives students that sense of external opinion from professionals working in the field. In feedback this is one of the most positive things we heard from students on the program.
For 198, it offers them new perspectives in terms of mentoring and working with emerging curators. This helps the organisation to expand their own educational remit and programme. It also introducing their user groups to higher education such as through opportunities and courses like ours.
(edited by Silvie Jacobi)
For this module students are given a brief usually taking a word or a phrase as a starting point from which in groups (usually of five) they need to develop hypothetical exhibitions for 198 space. The key emphasis with this is to engage students with the historical and geographic implications of a specific site, which is also reflected in the teaching on this module that focuses heavily on contexts and its relevance on presenting art works in specific places. We look at historic examples at lectures and at workshops. So it is really introducing that notion of context into an idea of curatorial practice – this isn’t just a white cube. It has a lot of other things going on and the exhibitions they propose have to reflect that. At the start students visit the space and they get given a presentation of the gallery and its works by the gallery director. The associate curator Barbara Asante from the gallery conducts workshops with the students at Central Saint Martins.
There is very much a cross-over between students going to the gallery and members of the gallery coming into the university. The unit culminates in group presentations of exhibition proposals and students are then assessed by the academic team and two members of 198 who also sit in on these presentations. This is a great opportunity for '198' to select one of those proposals to go forward – to actually have the opportunity to realise the project as an exhibition. Usually the exhibition takes place the following year at the same point in time when the next unit starts for the 1st years. So the next cohort will have the opportunity to see an exhibition that had been carried out by another group who are now in their 2nd year.
What were some of the key issues you encountered in the collaboration of your students with the '198'?
We’ve been running this unit for 4 years now and it is moving into its 5th year now. It’s a good time to come and reflect back on what’s worked and what hasn’t. And is not always a straight forward relationship when you work within the confines of a structured unit at a university. Most of these exhibitions that our student curate include talks and engagement events with the local community. The actual project however is assessed on the proposals only. What is interesting is that sometimes the most academically successful proposals aren’t the ones that are selected. I think that raises a very interesting issue between the notions of the academic and the remit of a work/cultural space.
Managing the expectations of students in the process of working with 198 is definitely a challenge. Some groups had some prior experience of putting on exhibitions: they were relatively independent and there was less input required from staff and 198 representatives. Other groups, however, were the complete opposite: there was a far more labour intense process involved between 198 and CSM staff. This mostly culminated into providing additional help and guidance on the basis of good will. Further obstacles are obtaining funding for collaborative projects as well as maintaining the relationship between those spaces and us over a long term.
What were some of the learning benefits of the collaboration between HE and industry professionals?
For students the project introduces issues of context into curatorial group work, which was considered as a highly productive force and adding a professional creative focus to the course. It gives students that sense of external opinion from professionals working in the field. In feedback this is one of the most positive things we heard from students on the program.
For 198, it offers them new perspectives in terms of mentoring and working with emerging curators. This helps the organisation to expand their own educational remit and programme. It also introducing their user groups to higher education such as through opportunities and courses like ours.
(edited by Silvie Jacobi)