COURSE CURRICULUM

The Fine Art with Contemporary Cultural Theory BA is designed to integrate practical artistic development with critical cultural analysis across three years of study. In the first year, students build foundational skills through modules in studio practice, art history, and cultural theory, exploring a variety of artistic media including film, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and audio-visual practices. Students engage with contemporary art contexts, participate in workshops, live projects, and exhibitions, and begin to develop independent creative work while critically understanding the social, institutional, and cultural networks in which art is produced. The second year focuses on independent, self-directed practice and professional development, with students working in communal studios to produce research-driven work and present it publicly. Optional modules expand theoretical knowledge through study of topics such as Barthes, utopianism, contemporary social issues, gender, and the representation of Asian cultures, encouraging critical engagement with social, historical, and political contexts. In the third year, students consolidate their practice through advanced studio work, group exhibitions, and a degree show, while developing critical skills through a dissertation that supports arts-based research and theoretical inquiry. Optional modules allow further exploration of themes such as trauma, museum representation, photography, postcolonial feminism, and migration, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and professional experience to operate as critically aware, socially engaged, and innovative creative practitioners.