Contemporary Curation (MA)

About this course

Our Contemporary Curation course gives you the theoretical, research and practical skills to work as a curator anywhere in the world. During your studies, you’ll get professional experience managing the Winchester Gallery, with unique access to the University’s vast network of practising artists, academics and researchers who will inform and inspire your curatorial practice.

This is a rigorous 12-month art curator degree which will help you understand how to curate a compelling and relevant art exhibition within groups and independently. From curating contemporary performance to handling historic art objects, this versatile course will help you to apply practical skills to a variety of different art mediums and disciplines.

Your learning will take place in the picturesque city of Winchester, where you will join a thriving artist community with direct access to practising artists from Winchester School of Art at student and staff level. The Winchester Gallery is based at Winchester School of Art and is open to the public. Your involvement in managing the gallery will give you real professional experience in understanding the practical and logistical requirements of curating.

You’ll consider your exhibition’s profile, including the theme, whether the location is private or public and how your audience interacts with the artwork. Your decisions as a curator will be research-led, referring to theoretical art concepts and critically reflecting on your own practice throughout. We look at digital curation, the way artwork is stored, collected and archived online, considering benefits and limitations of digital curation in contemporary art.

By studying this MA in curating you’ll learn how to:

curate compelling art exhibitions based on research across disciplines and discourses
develop critical thinking to collate and curate artworks which challenge the audience
understand the current concerns and limitations of contemporary curation and culture
get hands-on experience from practical workshops in object-handling and setting up exhibitions using lighting and tools
attend visits to local and London-based art exhibitions where you’ll question and debate different curatorial approaches

Careers

You could work towards a career in cultural and public policy-making, cultural management or arts-commissioning and funding. Our graduates have gone to get the following jobs:

• Working for the Royal Academy and Tate, London
• Member of the Diversity Working group at Tate, London
• Programme and Project Officer for a-space, Southampton
• Engagement Officer at the John Hansard Gallery, Southampton
• Exhibition Designer in Shanghai
• Education Coordinator at the Camden Arts Centre, London
• Volunteer Coordinator at the Royal Society of Sculptors, London

By studying this course, you'll be able to work in the following areas:

• museums
• public or private galleries
• heritage or cultural organisations
• international art fairs
• arts or culture publications

Our professional experience means we can provide expert careers guidance and support. Through our industry contacts, you may be able to set up an internship or work experience independently.