Socially Engaged Photography (Taught)

Photography has become the most pervasive medium through which individuals share their lives on a daily basis. This new programme explores the power of photography when working with real communities to co-author meaningful culture.

This course will be delivered through a partnership between the University of Salford and Open Eye Gallery. You will work with active practitioners, community groups and academics to rethink the role of photography in society today, to develop your creative practice and your professional profile.

The course will give students support in producing creative projects with both arts and non-arts commissioners in mind, exploring how to create socially engaged art that is meaningful to both audiences and participants. Students will develop and deliver live projects with partners working in health, youth, community and justice, all embedded within a critically engaged and ethical framework.

We recognise that more practitioners are interested in the hybrid role of photographer and creative producer within this practice so welcome applications from individuals interested in developing either role.

We will provide professional practice surgeries, from understanding legal, ethical and safeguarding frameworks, to developing your professional profile and will have some joint teaching sessions with the Socially Engaged Practice students.

You will have opportunities to engage directly with national debates and Open Eye Gallery’s national network for socially engaged photographic practice.

This course is part of our suite of MA Art and Design programmes, which means you also get the opportunity to work collaboratively on a few modules with students from Socially Engaged Art, Contemporary Fine Art, Visual Communications, and Creative Technology. We welcome and support you to work in a cross-disciplinary with your peers, echoing the way professionals work within the creative industries today.

You will:

• Develop career-enhancing theoretical and practical knowledge and skills.

• Undertake a profile-raising practice-based research residency and showcase with Open Eye Gallery

• Validate your artistic practice within a bespoke national network