Art

At Reading, we have developed a distinctive approach to the subject through a combination of practice, theory and history. Our programmes enable you to emerge as a creative person, equipped with knowledge, intellectual ability and the practiceled skills you will need to make an imaginative and effective contribution to the cultural field of Art. Our special strengths lie in contemporary art that draws on historical examples of art while examining the exciting potential of new technology to produce emerging art forms. Our courses demonstrate the full breadth of Art as an area of study without division into discrete specialisms. This approach requires you to be committed, to thrive on constructive criticism exchanged between staff and students, and to participate in discussing your own work and that of others.

• A dynamic team of academic staff, all of whom are artists, curators and researchers of international standing who encourage emerging art practices embedded with art history and critical thinking.

• Committed to supporting your independent practice. We also actively promote alternative forms of collaboration, exhibition and event, within and outside the department, offering professional practice wrapped with learning skills that will form the basis for your future careers.

• Research-led teaching provides a community of shared learning, in which you can progress your independent study and opt to enhance it with opportunities to study abroad or combine degree programmes within a stimulating campus environment.

• We pride ourselves on the quality, vibrancy and diversity of our 24- hour studio community. Art is an active department with events, performances and screenings creating a social environment. Our student-run gallery and experimental 'bookable' spaces allow you to expand your work with ambition.

• A lively programme of visiting artist lectures and seminars alongside research trips to major national and international museums, art institutions and galleries, fosters your critical awareness of the diverse conditions in which works of art are made, exhibited and received.

 

Skills and experience

Central to all of our taught modules is the acquisition of academic and practical skills. We offer a number of workshops that focus on web design, electronic publishing and digital imaging, as current art practices demand new forms of mediation. Our lecturers, through their art practices and research, are keen to connect you with wider opportunities including internships, placements, and realworld art experiences. We promote prospective external exhibitions and projects that enable you to try your hand at collaborating with outside arts organisations. This has recently seen our students gain internships at Studio Voltaire, London, and Frieze Art Fair. We have also had students performing at the ICA, London and participating in an Arts Councilsupported film project at the Museum of English Rural Life.
The department also arranges research visits which introduce you to different types of art institutions and display different approaches to staging exhibitions, interpretation and events. The Fine Art Society runs an annual subsidised visit to major international exhibitions which have included Berlin Biennale; Elle at Pompidou Centre, Paris; and Whitney Biennial, New York. Students are afforded opportunities to work with different artists and arts organisations in hosting events and exhibitions. Recent external exhibitions have included Urban Utopia a partnership between Fine Art and Deutsche Bank whereby 35 students curated their work in the new Capitol building, Bracknell; and an Image Action Text performance event at New Greenham Arts Centre.
There are opportunities across all our undergraduate programmes to study abroad. The department has longstanding exchange links with international universities in Ottawa, Canada; New Jersey, USA; Monash, Australia; Dijon, France (Erasmus Scholarship) and a new partnership with Zurich, Switzerland.

Career prospects

Career development is embedded in all programmes in Art from the second year, allowing you to develop professional skills and attributes for your chosen field. A number of our graduates develop successful careers as artist, writers and curators, including three Turner Prize nominated artists. Others work across the cultural field in museum and gallery education, art therapy, and film and video production. Employers of our Art graduates range from Tate, Whitechapel Gallery, Burlington Magazine and Christies to Microsoft and the BBC, demonstrating the breadth of possible career paths available.