Division: / School of Art
School of Art
2010 was the 125th anniversary of the School of Art at Margaret Street, which is a Grade 1 listed, purposebuilt-art school in the heart of the city. We wear our history with pride and fully embrace our legacy, and are totally committed to our responsibility of providing a stimulating, creative and contemporary learning environment for students at all levels of higher arts education. Situated within the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media, the School operates at Margaret Street. We offer a comprehensive art programme ranging from two undergraduate BA courses, an Arts-Based Master’s Programme with ten awards, a residency Research Fellowship and Higher Research Degrees.
All students at all levels have access to dedicated purpose-built studios and an extensive range of workshops and technical support. Our academic programmes are developed to underpin and reflect the research interests and academic strengths of our staff, who are individually supported within the Centre for Fine Art Research (CFAR). This centre was acknowledged and its value fully recognised in the most recent AHRC Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014. As part of our strategy we have an established nationally recognised contemporary gallery, Eastside Projects (EP an independent artist run space), Article Press, our own internationally renowned independent publishing house, and ARTicle, a galley based in Margaret Street, curated by Mona Casey who teaches on the BA Fine Art course and is the Course Director for MA Contemporary Curatorial Practice.
A priority for the School is to actively engage with the environs and the communities within which it is located. Hence, all our students are encouraged to carry out local, national and international creative activities beyond the institution. The School began as, and remains, one of the most vibrant in the country, developing the full range of practical, critical and reflective skills to best prepare the students for a broad range of career sequels.
The School is responsible for the following awards:
Undergraduate
- BA (Hons) Art and Design
- BA (Hons) Fine Art
Postgraduate:
Arts-Based Master’s Programme:
- MA Art and Design: Interdisciplinary Practices
- MA Art and Education Practices (theory-led pathway)
- MA Art and Education Practices (practice-led pathway)
- MA Contemporary Curating
- MA Arts Wellbeing and Mindfulness
- MA Fine Art
- MA History and Theory of Art and Design
- MA Radical Media Arts Philosophy
- MA Queer Studies in Arts and Culture
- MA Arts and Project Management
Research:
- PhD Higher Research Degrees
BA(Hons) Fine Art
The course is founded on the conviction that fine art education has adynamic and symbiotic relationship with contemporary fine art practice, setin relationship to its historical precedents, contemporary theories andphilosophical debates within the regional, national and internationalcontexts.The course programme is based upon the premise that, so far as it ispossible and practical, students should be enabled to develop theirindividual practice through the provision of access to a range of technicalmeans and media, linked to an understanding of the many historical,theoretical and contextual issues which interact with, and impact upon thework.
It therefore supports students working exclusively or across, painting,sculpture, drawing, video, installation, performance, sound, photographyand print. In addition it introduces students to collaboration, curation,approaches to writing and website design.
Supported by an extensive body of staff knowledge and skills, the courseprovides an education appropriate and relevant to subsequent professionalpractice, further study and a range of career sequels
There are currently 250 full time undergraduate students studying on the course, with a healthy mix of local, regional national and international students. At present there is no part time fine art course, though students are able to take a part time mode of study if their personal circumstances change at any point.
Purpose of the Post
You will be required to take overall responsibility for the effective co-ordination and management of the academic content, delivery and assessment of a Level 4 theoretical and contextual module in the BA(Hons) Fine Art programme, specifically:
Level 4 Introductions to Themes & Concepts in Art
You will be working with and alongside other staff in delivery and assessment of studio practice and professional practice modules, working closely with the module leaders, Level co-ordinators and BA(Hons) Fine Art Course Director.
You will be actively involved in the Centre for Fine Art Research (CFAR) and the development of a scholarly practice, and will assist in the development of relationships with local, regional, national and international agencies related to current debates and discourses in contemporary art practices.
Organisation Chart
The current BA(Hons) Fine Art course team:
F/ T - John Wigley – Course Director F/T - Franziska Schenk – Level 4 coordinator
0.8 - Jenny Wright – Level 5 coordinator
0.8 - Yvonne Hindle – Level 6 coordinator
0.8 - David Cheeseman - lecturer
0.7 - Mona Casey – lecturer
0.6 - Francoise Dupre – lecturer
0.5 - Theo Reeves-Evison – Theory and Contextual Studies coordinator
0.5 - Janet Hodgson - lecturer 0.5 - Lois Wallace– lecturer
0.4 - Lee Hewitt - lecturer
Internal and External Relationships
As well as a providing opportunities to develop their scholarly activity, research and enterprise, the School encourages and supports links to be made to other staff within the faculty and university and engagement external examining, attendance of conferences etc. The role entails the development of relationships with local, regional, national and international academic and professional institutions/agencies related to current debates and discourses in contemporary fine art practice.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential Requirements
- Good communication and inter-personal skills
- An MA in Fine Art or cognate discipline
- A professional practicing artist/researcher who has experience at teaching on BA (Hons) Fine Art courses
- Experience at coordinating activities and operating within structures of course management at HE level
- To be able to present written and oral information clearly and coherently to appropriate levels of learning
- To attend training courses to update on developments in the specialist area and changes to University operational policies and strategies
- Hold a Teaching Certificate or be willing to undertake the University’s PG Cert in HE training course
- A thorough, in depth specialist knowledge and understanding of contemporary art practice and related theoretical discourses, and of historical, socio-political and ethical issues that impact and inform practice and theory
- An ability to effectively work in a group and work independently. Good time management and organisational skills
Desirable
- PhD in art-based practice
- Flexibility through willingness to work some evenings and weekends if required.