VA5015 - Art Discourses and Encounters 1

The studio and project spaces are the primary location for your learning. It is here that you will reflect on the teaching offered and produce artworks that evidence your understanding as well as your own curiosity. A seminar/workshop series will help structure your learning and provide a focus for you to develop your own projects and skills in creativity and experimentation, as well as providing opportunities for collaborative discussion and debate. The seminars/workshops may also include technical demonstrations, field working and collective artmaking within your chosen group.

You are supported by the provision of a studio space and access to the project spaces.

Technical facilities are available, including the wood, construction and casting workshops, the print studio (including screen-printing, etching, lithography), the mac lab and digital print (including industry standard digital imaging, moving image and audio software), analogue darkrooms (black and white and colour processing and print) and digital photographic studios. You have access to specialist materials in all workshop areas. Resource areas include our technical resource centre and the University Gallery. You have twenty-four-hour access to the University Library.

Your learning will be supported by subject specialist academics and by expert technicians. Academic support is provided within the group sessions, which will be constructed to support both your artmaking and development of a creative research file. We provide you with on-going formative feedback through the teaching you receive. Technicians run the demonstrations feeding in their own technical expertise and knowledge.

Your learning is clearly mapped out to you on the module page on BLACKBOARD (the University online Learning portal). This includes your assessment brief, guidance notes and key dates for the semester to help you organise and plan your time. Other teaching materials, notices and guidance are made available to you through BLACKBOARD. This is accessible to you on campus or externally through the Internet. You will have a university email that we contact you through. All timetabling is through the online University Timetabling system. REPS represent you in regular meetings with the Programme Leader.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

1 To produce a range of artworks that critically explore relevant themes and discourses within contemporary art.

2 Demonstrate a critical understanding of relevant themes and discourses within contemporary art through your own creative research processes.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

3 Evidence creativity and experimentation in the production and presentation of art works.

4 Develop your ability to collaborate and be an active participant in debate and discussion

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

Summative Assessment:
1 Presentation of artwork produced during the module (MLO 1, 3, 4).

2 Creative Research Folder that supports your artwork and evidences your learning journey (MLO 2)

Summative Assessment Feedback:
Written feedback is delivered within 20 working days via the e-learning portal. Feedback is individual and provided in the context of the assessment criteria given to you at the start of the semester in the module guide.

Formative Assessment:
To prepare you successfully to undertake the summative assessment on this module, formative assessments will be set by the module team. These may take the form of in-class tasks or projects, developmental activities undertaken between classes, or learning exercises/activities set over a longer period. Oral feedback will be provided to help you learn from, reflect on, and develop in the light of these formative assessments

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This module will introduce you to themes and discourses within contemporary art, allowing you to formulate your own position and allowing your work to take part in the widder conversations around contemporary art making today. Academics will lead workshops/seminars which have been informed by their own research interests, allowing for a research-rich learning experience. Working together in your peer group is central to the module, and you will learn to discuss and debate key ideas within contemporary art. Assesment will be a presentation of artworks you have made over the module, together with your own creative research file that maps out your own personal learning journey through the module.