Overview
The programme places a strong emphasis on student-centred and directed learning, where teaching sessions and personal tutorials draw on the critical reflection and development of your artist-educator practices: including artistic, theoretical, political and learning and teaching concerns.
The modules of the programme are all underpinned with practice and explore theories of contemporary art, learning and critical and dialectical pedagogical theories and philosophies.
You'll attend lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials where you'll question the politics, ideas, practices, theory, and philosophy related to the specific topics of contemporary art practice, teaching and learning, identity and place/space construction, dialectical pedagogical theories and practice, social engagement, and research-led practices where you'll be encouraged and expected to critically discuss and debate the issues raised.
But this is just a small proportion of what we expect you to do on the degree. Independent learning/research (practice with theory) is expected throughout the programme, this typically involves critical reflection and development of your practices as artist-educator including additional readings, preparing topics for discussion/presentations, working with fellow students, producing essays, artist-positioning statements, research, planning, organising and producing practice-based work and/or projects, curating exhibitions and presentations, both individually and collaboratively.
This emphasis on independent learning is very important at Goldsmiths. We don't just want you to accept what we tell you without question. We want you to be deeply engaged with theory and practice to develop and sustain your ideas and practices as artist-educators.
Structure
To enable greater flexibility for you and more equitable experience for full-time and part-time students, the MA Arts and Learning programme has a modular structure, with the majority of teaching sessions usually conducted in the evenings.
This also enables part-time and full-time students to attend the same evening teaching sessions and therefore form a collaborative and supportive learning environment.
For you to obtain the postgraduate degree of MA Arts and Leaning you will need to complete 180 credits at Masters level.
This MA consists of four compulsory modules (150 credits) and one option module (30 credits).
Compulsory modules
You'll complete the following compulsory modules:
Module title |
Credits |
Revisiting Practice
Revisiting Practice
30 credits
This module will ask you to reassess and articulate the current state of your practices. It builds on your prior learning from former degrees, and professional practices. You'll reinvigorate and position your overlapping practices (artistic and pedagogic) within the contexts of your professional, pedagogic practice, and through a critical engagement with contemporary art and theory
Aims
- To provide you with an opportunity to identify and evaluate the breadth and scope of your existing practice/skills/techniques and to enable you to articulate the current state of your practice.
- To enable the production of new work/processes.
- To enable critical reflection in relation to contemporary art and contemporary developments in education and theory, and in relation to current exhibitions/practices.
- To reflect on the engagement of current pedagogical practice with artistic practice, including an analysis of the validity of any distinction/integration between artistic and pedagogical practice.
|
30 credits |
Spaces of Practice (in association with the Whitechapel, Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art and the Gasworks)
Spaces of Practice (in association with the Whitechapel, Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art and the Gasworks)
30 credits
This Module, in partnership with The Whitechapel Gallery, Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art and the Gasworks, gives you the opportunity to engage in a study of contemporary art practices in order to develop pedagogical and artistic knowledge and understanding. It is aimed at initiating and extending practical, critical and contextual understanding of contemporary art practices and how these can be used to explore social and cultural issues. You will engage with contemporary theory in critical and cultural studies such as semiotics, hermeneutics, post-structuralism and psychoanalysis.
|
30 credits |
Critical Pedagogy and Contested Spaces (CP) (In association with several small London galleries)
Critical Pedagogy and Contested Spaces (CP) (In association with several small London galleries)
30 credits
This module, in partnership with several small London-based galleries, continues to support and develop your praxis through engaging with the theories and concepts of Critical Pedagogy. You will explore the potential of the artist-teacher to operate at a level beyond orthodoxy - toward a critical pedagogy. Contemporary art practices will be placed within a socio-political framework to illustrate the position of artist educators within this current and critical pedagogical agenda. You will explore the concepts and practices of a number of key critical pedagogues including Paulo Freire, Ira Shor, Antonio Darder and Henry Giroux as well as the theories and philosophies of John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Karl Marx.
|
30 credits |
Independent Studies (IS)
Independent Studies (IS)
60 credits
Through this module you will continue to develop and consolidate your praxis and position as artist teacher. Individually and collaboratively you will continue to explore your interwoven practices underpinned by theoretical frameworks. This process will be enabled through planning and executing a structured programme of independent research that draws upon pedagogy and contemporary art and theory, critically applying themes and issues you have developed through the MAAT programme.
|
60 credits |
Option modules
You then choose either:
Module title |
Credits |
Art and Subjectivity: Pedagogies of Care
Art and Subjectivity: Pedagogies of Care
30 credits
This is an interdisciplinary practice-led module linking theory with practice to explore the intersections between artists, health and society. It would be delivered in partnership with Bethlem Gallery and the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. It gives you an opportunity to develop your practice through the exploration of art-making in therapeutic settings which is then pursued further through your own independent practices.
Based at Goldsmiths, the course includes visits to different sites at South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, and presentations from clinical practitioners and academics.
This course places a strong emphasis on student-centred and directed independent learning and research, where teaching sessions, seminars and tutorials draw on the critical reflection and development of your own artist-educator praxis: including artistic, theoretical, political and pedagogical concerns. Deep engagement with theory and practice enables you to independently develop and sustain your own ideas, practices and research as artist educators beyond timetabled teaching sessions.
|
30 credits |
Full-time and part-time study options
This MA is offered on either a 1-year full-time or 2 to 5 years part-time basis. There are multiple ways of splitting your studies, please speak to the programme leader for further information.
Practitioners who already have existing Masters-level credits may apply to have these transferred to this degree.
You may also take advantage of one of the following exit awards:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Arts and Learning (60 Credits)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Arts and Learning (120 Credits)
Individual Modules
Some of these modules are also available to be taken as part of a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
Assessment
The MA Arts and Learning utilises a number of complementary assessment strategies. These have been devised to appropriately assess the range of learning outcomes and are underpinned by the ethos of the programme these include, exhibition/presentation/performance, essay, viva voce.
Download the programme specification.
Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.