Course overview

The Ecologies pathway is part of our MA Art and Design programme. It is intended for art and design graduates who wish to develop the ecological dimension of their practice, and for humanities or science graduates who are interested in how ecology, aesthetic experience, and visual practice can challenge and expand one another. It is a research-preparation Masters programme which can be taken either as a theory–practice or a purely theoretical route.

Course content

The programme focuses on the capacity of art and design to address the kinds of contact we have with others. It takes ‘ecology’ in its widest, philosophical sense to mean the study of relatedness and interrelatedness. Attention is paid to the themes of relationship, of coming together, of working with or being with an other, where the ‘other’ might be a person, an animal or an environment, and where there is mindfulness of the difficulties inherent in being together. Subjects covered typically extend from environmental questions of sustainability, landscape and place, to economic and philosophical questions of alienation, property and selfhood. The kind of debates we have include:

• A world of objects versus a world of relationships. What’s the difference?
• What can the senses teach us about our immersion in the world?
• Is there an aesthetics of care, cooperation or openness? If so, what political force might it have?
• What do we see when we place our contact with others under the microscope?
• Making a difference. Who is the judge? What is their criteria? And is enough attention paid to what’s involved in the ‘making’?

Training in a series of cross-disciplinary research methods is given, and there is thorough engagement with key concepts and questions in ecology as it applies to art and design. We shall also practise what we preach by seeking to embody ecological thinking in seminars, assignments, and assessments. What ought we to do? Who should we address? And how shall we deal with differences of opinion?

As an Ecologies MA (Art & Design) student, you will develop your own creative, theoretical and practical abilities, as well as a critical insight into your chosen area of ecological enquiry. You will work towards a certificate in academic research skills, and attend a series of research seminars. Your period of study will culminate in the presentation of new, practice-based or theoretical work, and the writing of a dissertation. More particularly, the Ecologies MA (Art & Design) will encourage you to develop your practical and theoretical interests in relation to a body of work whose raison d’être is rooted in social and cultural relevance. To achieve this, you will:

• Formulate an original, professionally designed and managed project that extends your knowledge, understanding and practice of ecology in relation to art, design, and philosophy.
• Reflect on the knowledge, skills and understanding that you need in order to develop this body of work.
• Familiarize yourself with a range of contemporary research positions within the field.
• Be involved in debate and discussion relating to art and design ecologies at an advanced level.
• Toward the end of the course, produce a high-level final exhibition of practice-led or theoretically- situated outcomes and academic scholarship that synthesizes the knowledge, skills and understanding acquired on the programme.

Staff teaching on the Ecologies MA (Art & Design) programme are actively involved in producing or writing about the ecological dimensions of art and design. They bring this knowledge and experience to the programme, entering into an ongoing dialogue with you in order to develop and strengthen your professional practice and intellectual outlook. On completing the programme, you will not only have a better understanding of the ecologies of art and design, but will also be able to contribute to wider social, cultural and political sectors by working as an artist, designer, communicator, entrepreneur, facilitator, administrator, teacher or researcher.

We anticipate that some of our Ecologies MA (Art & Design) graduates may choose to pursue their research to doctoral level, enrolling for a PhD at Cardiff School of Art and Design or elsewhere.

This programme is offered in both full-time mode (one year duration) and part-time mode (two year duration). In both cases, the programme is delivered on one day per week during the first and second semesters (October to June). You will be expected to be self-directed at all other times, negotiating your own programme of learning with your personal tutor.

Career potential:

Graduates of the Ecologies MA (Art & Design) programme are well placed to pursue their career as communicators in a variety of professional or creative industries contexts, including art or design practice, arts administration, journalism, marketing, new media, publishing, and social enterprise. Others may seek to develop their careers in education and academia, for example, teaching, lecturing or further research.

Assessment

Assessment is though a combination of portfolio review, essay, viva voce examination, dissertation and a final body of theoretical–practical work.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a good BA (Hons) (or equivalent) in a related field.

Email csadpostgradstudies@cardiffmet.ac.uk for more information.