The MA in Contemporary Arts Practice at our University Centre Hastings (UCH) focuses on practice-led inquiry, enabling you to develop your individual artistic voice through rigorous research methods. Studio practice is at the heart of the curriculum. You will be encouraged to pursue individual research interests supported by contextual study, primarily within the studio setting.
This exciting new course offers a two-year MA supported by a dedicated team of staff and access to a wide range of specialist workshops. You will work within an open and inclusive studio environment that enables you to explore, test and refine your research and practice. Regular engagement with tutors develops the creative, technical and critical skills needed for advanced practice, while fostering reflective dialogue with established conventions in contemporary creative culture.
The course acknowledges the individual nature of making in a multi-disciplinary manner. It embeds a strong understanding of Contemporary Arts Practice discourse within an international context through lectures and research-led seminars.
Site
Hastings (Station Plaza)
Level
Level 7
Course Type
HE (Degree Level)
The course has been designed to develop graduates who are able to: • Apply knowledge and understanding of Contemporary Arts Practices in a variety of settings within the art and design world, and relevant institutional realms both in the UK and internationally, with globalisation as a key concern. • Work collaboratively and ethically in inclusive, multi-disciplinary teams widely used in Contemporary Arts Practices practice. • Produce personal work and investigation independently based on current knowledge and discourse in art practice including craft, the handmade and digital craft making.
The course provides access to well equipped workshops led by specialist tutors who maintain active professional practices in their fields. Inductions are designed to build confidence and technical competence, supporting you as as you develop your creative processes.
Professional studio conduct is embedded through group critiques, tutorials and seminars, where constructive dialogue underpins artistic growth. Collaboration is also central to the course, particularly through activities in exhibition design and curation, which will help you develop essential professional and transferable skills.
Our aim is for every student to graduate with a sustainable and personally meaningful practice. The UCH studio environment is founded on openness, tolerance and mutual respect, and the course encourages an inclusive, internationally informed outlook.
You will integrate research and practice within a creative and supportive setting, drawing on a wide range of teaching and learning approaches. Studio and workshop tuition form the core of delivery, complemented by work related learning and academic study.
UCH has specialist workshops (printmaking, fashion, ceramics, metalwork and glass, photography, digital) as well as an established art studio to ensure a strong surrounding for creative working. The course is tailored for individuals seeking critical awareness of their creative practice, or professional artists, designers and craftspeople who wish to reposition their practice. It is designed to bolster and inform existing creative skills as well as challenging and developing critical awareness.
The course consists of 5 modules.
Year 1 Creative Enquiry Contemporary Issues Studio Practice and Research
Year 2 Professional Practice in Context Exhibition
The multidisciplinary structure of the first year will enable you to explore different disciplines, identify your preferred direction, and develop transferable skills that can be applied across all areas of contemporary practice.
The second year focusses on producing work for your final major exhibition.
You will graduate with an MA in Contemporary Arts Practice validated by the University of East Anglia.
Additional costs will be payable for trips, visits and materials for your own work.
The ‘UCH Lectures’ programme highlights the interdisciplinary nature of Contemporary Arts Practices bringing you into contact with a diverse range of visiting artists, makers, and thinkers. The modules are carefully designed to develop both the practical and critical skills needed to refine ideas and build a sustainable, meaningful practice.
Our in-house galleries provide dynamic spaces for exhibiting a wide range of creative work, enabling you to access valuable insights into the experience of art and design within an academic environment.
The town of Hastings, with its vibrant creative community, offers a unique and stimulating environment in which to both contribute to and draw inspiration from.