Building on the relationship between theoretical understanding and artistic practice, this module will introduce you to a broad range of theories and ideas relevant to contemporary art practice and thinking. You will explore ideas such as:

• New materialism
• Fourth and fifth-wave feminisms
• Object-oriented philosophy
• Posthumanism
• The Anthropocene
• Hauntology
• The relations that exist between art and science

Join us as we combine intellectual rigour and curiosity with the freedom to confidently explore your creativity from an increasingly informed position. You will be encouraged to explore different forms of writing that enable you to develop ideas and express yourself in a range of appropriate formats.

Imagination, experimentation, creative risk-taking, and transformation are at the heart of this module and fundamental to your development as a practicing artist.

You will engage creatively with workshops that encourage experimentation and risk-taking, exploring ideas and processes that extend beyond traditional studio practice including collaborative, site-specific, socially engaged, and curatorial projects.

Exploring diverse themes such as the environment and sustainability, global connections and local place, you will dive into the transformative role of art in the wider world. Developing digital skills relevant to these contexts will equip you to create innovative and forward-thinking approaches to contemporary art.

Develop your self-directed practice and consolidate your confidence in this studio module.

With access to a wide range of elective intensives, you will expand your knowledge and skills in a specific area of contemporary art practice as you start to specialise in your chosen area(s). You may choose to specialise in media such as:

• Painting
• Drawing
• Sculpture
• Sound and video
• Digital
• Text
• Installation

To develop your ability to critically reflect on your work, you will have regular tutorials and work with other students to develop the skills and vocabulary to become a strong studio community where peer feedback is supportive and inspiring. All assessments will be in response to your practice.

Not all professional contexts are the same – and within any organisation there are diverse people with varied backgrounds. This module focuses on enhancing your intercultural competency and cultural awareness, with a particular emphasis on ‘place-based’ learning. Considering the cultural dynamics of the North West of England and the broader UK helps us reflect upon intercultural dynamics in very different locations.

Through analysis, discussion and self-reflection you will strengthen your ability to navigate diverse workplace settings and enhance your employability in today’s interconnected world.

Hone a strong sense of purpose and gain the satisfaction of applying your skills and knowledge to a community, charity or student-led initiative.

Your challenge will be to take responsibility for arranging and completing a voluntary or fundraising activity—locally, virtually or during vacation periods at home. You will need to show that you have made a positive difference through this activity.

In class, you will be asked to reflect on this experience and explore the wider social impact of the work. In doing so you will build your confidence in your ability to contribute meaningfully to society through your future personal and professional path.

You are invited to collaborate in an interdisciplinary team with other students as you explore major global challenges such as climate change, inequality or emerging technologies.

Throughout the module you will examine how the humanities, arts and social sciences contribute to understanding and addressing complex issues. Classroom discussions and activities focus on the process of identifying problems and considering innovative, ethical responses, while helping you to consider and articulate the relevance of this work to your personal and professional development.

Explore how ideas can be developed into real-world projects with lasting value. Through hands-on collaboration and problem-solving, you will develop innovative projects, learn how to bring ideas to life and explore ways to sustain them.

Whether you are working in a team or individually, you will be encouraged to experiment with different approaches to making a difference in artistic, cultural, social and community spaces.

In your third year you will study at one of our international partner universities. This will help you to expand your global outlook and professional network, as well as developing your cultural and personal skills. It is also an opportunity to gain a different perspective on your subject through studying it in another country.

You will choose specialist modules relating to your degree and potentially modules from other subjects offered by the host university that are specific to that university and country.

The availability of places at overseas partners varies each year. In previous years destinations for students in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences have included Australia, USA, Canada, Europe and Asia.

Refine your practical skills as you develop and present a professional body of practical work appropriate for a Fine Art degree show.

Over the course of this year-long module, your growth as an artist will be supported through lectures, workshops, tutorials, and peer reviews, all guided by tutors who are practicing artists and writers. You will also build a strong foundation in professional practices and transferable skills essential for a successful career in the arts.

Through deepening your understanding of your own practice, the art world, curation, and the transformative power of creativity, you will be prepared to contribute meaningfully to local, national, and global artistic discourses and practices.

You can also choose to take additional credits in either Advanced Art Practice or Writing for Artists, enabling you to build on your strengths, interests, and career aspirations.

Explore the role of writing in contemporary art, from journals and magazines to online platforms, exhibition catalogues and independent publishing.

You will examine the types of writing that thrive in these contexts and learn how to move beyond the traditional academic essay. Approached as both a research tool and a creative practice, this module will enable you to shape your ideas in ways that connect with contemporary art discourse.

Engaging with methods such as auto-fiction, figural writing, fiction as method, and allegory, you will gain a deeper understanding of these formats through workshops and tutorials before selecting one to further develop your skills in.

The final submission will be chosen from a range of writing forms for contemporary art contexts. It may take the form of a written journal article, a combination of text and visual elements, a website, zine, or other formats, allowing you to integrate writing into your broader artistic practice.

You can also choose to take additional credits in either Advanced Art Practice or Writing for Artists, enabling you to build on your strengths, interests, and career aspirations.

What happens when radically different forms of art meet? How do these fused forms change our understanding of the world? We will draw on material from different periods and continents, to explore works of art where, for example, film meets history, poetry meets philosophy, fine art meets sociology, religion meets fiction, and theatre meets politics.

How might we engage with the implications of environmental transformation locally, nationally and globally? Where do we have agency and capacity to intervene?

This module brings together a range of perspectives—historical, political, philosophical and cultural—to explore the nature and severity of the effects of the climate crisis on our world.

What does it mean to imagine a world without borders? Using materials typically derived from case studies, reports, archives, film, television and literature, this module foregrounds interdisciplinary approaches.

You will be encouraged to develop your understanding of migration and displacement, and to envision alternative global migration futures in ways that can impact future policy, political and societal perspectives.

What are the possibilities and pitfalls of community and citizen action, voice and agency? This module uses interdisciplinary case-studies to critically examine collaboration with communities.

You will participate in activities such as a mock citizens' assembly, visit local community groups and hear different points of view from a range of guest speakers on concepts like power, race, gender, class, affect and justice.

What do we understand by queerness? Looking back at earlier interpretations, we imagine how queerness might evolve—how it might be lived, felt and understood in the future.

You will explore queer futures from a range of perspectives and viewpoints, while examining both feminist and queer theory, as well as queer media and cultural texts and material relating to areas such as activism, politics and healthcare.

Who does technology benefit or harm, and what should its role in society be? This module examines the social and ethical issues surrounding the development of modern technologies and their use in the modern world, with a vision to shape our future relationship with technology.

How do ideas understand, transform and conserve the world? In this module we will study examples of powerful ideas such as the nation, free speech, liberation, the free market, culture and nature. We will use case studies to help us explore the relationship between analysis, imagination and practice.