Learning Outcomes:
- Develop awareness of different kinds of engagement and work within areas such as performance, television and film, fashion, music, festivals, media, visual arts, museums.
- Gain deep knowledge of the different routes into and practical ways of engaging with creative and cultural fields.
- Inspect relationships between creative practices and cultural organisations through discussion with makers, cultural entrepreneurs, producers and practitioners.
- Examine the changing patterns of media interaction in terms of specific creative and cultural work - how practitioners and professionals use social media and engage with traditional media formats.
- Become familiar with the practical and theoretical issues that face contemporary artists, cultural entrepreneurs, professionals and policy-makers.
Indicative Module Content:
This is not an ‘academic’ module in the strictest sense — it carries no requirement of academic reading or writing — and instead our intention is to prompt you to think about, identify and develop your own ideas about what a creative career might look like for you, while engaging with the ideas and work of our speakers, and the experiences you have during assigned site visits. Our focus is very much on learning from lessons our speakers have found important, and to learn from and appreciate their diversity of practice. Speakers in Meet the Makers are invited to reflect on their careers to-date, and upon those things they might have wished they had known as they started out. Some questions to keep in mind as the weeks progress:
- What kinds of creative practices do you find inspiring?
- What are the skills that have proved important to these guests?
- What has helped them not only to survive, but thrive and make a difference in their field of practice?
- What are the types of professional roles that interest you, and might suit your preferred way of living/working?
- What kind of impact do you want to make?
Not all of the creative practices of our speakers will be familiar to you; and you will undoubtedly find some more interesting than others: however, ALL of our speakers have valuable experiences to convey and learn from, and we request your keen attention and participation each week. The conversational format of our weekly sessions is designed to encourage thinking aloud, and to enhance engagement with speakers and a lively discussion around what they have to say. All of our speakers are busy professionals who are giving their time to us, and we are looking forward to listening and discussing with open minds and full attention.
As such, attendance is expected at all class sessions, as class participation and discussion are essential components of the module. Some speakers may have links or short readings they wish to provide in advance or following their session, which we will make available on Brightspace.