Contemporary Fine Art (Taught)

Our Contemporary Fine Art Masters is a course that emphasises how making is informed by theory to enable you to view, critique, and challenge the way we experience the world and culture. This is a practical subject supported by ideas and research. There is a strong emphasis on professional practice, particularly within an international context. Greater Manchester has the fastest growing creative sector outside of London, and culture is the beating heart and soul of a city brimming with amazing museums, galleries, project spaces, and studios. The course will also look at how you can position yourself outside the region and develop an international profile.

At the heart of the programme is creative play and creative thinking. You will have the opportunity to explore a range of art practice and learn how to question, explore, and define your identity as an artist. Studying within our fantastic studios and workshops at the New Adelphi campus, you can be creative, learn new skills, and develop your talent to transform your potential in art. You will have access to print, textiles, photography, wood, and metal workshops, and well as the latest cutting-edge industry technology in our digital labs. We also have state-of-the-art sound recording studios and film studios at our MediaCity campus.

You are taught by practising artists, each with national and international reputations within the art world. We have partnerships with University of Salford Art Collection, Open Eye Gallery, Tate Liverpool, HOME, Hot Bed Press and the Turnpike Gallery. The programme is also supported by a wide range of regional curators, artists, and arts professionals. Students are also eligible to apply to our Graduate Scholarship Scheme that offers mentoring, a small bursary, and free studio for a year with one of our partner organisations including Castlefield Art Gallery.

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, Socially Engaged Photography, 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:

• Be mentored and given tailored feedback from practising artists and academics who are experts in their fields

• Gain a professional understanding of how the arts industry works, while developing the skills you need to promote your work

• Graduate with a strong portfolio of work that represents the techniques and transferable skills you’ve mastered throughout this course