Prospectus

nl en

The Cultural Field in Practice

Course
2020-2021

Admission requirements

Similar to the admission requirements of the BA Art History/Arts, Media and Society.

Description

In this course students will be introduced to the debates, as well as to the kind of cultural activities involved within (the history of) the cultural field. We depart from a definition of the cultural field as the whole of professional organisations and institutes involved in cultural production, reception, collecting, preserving and in allowing access to art and culture, as well as organizations and institutes involved in studying art and culture and those that facilitate such activities (i.e., artists initiatives, centres for visual arts, cultural trusts, foundations, galleries, libraries, museums, theatres, universities etc.). The focus will be on the organizations and institutes concerned with the visual arts. The objective of this course is to conceptualise the cultural field as embedded within present-day society from a historical and a theoretical meta-perspective, as well as from an outlook on the student’s future role as academic professionals employed within the cultural field. The course will therefore consist of both lectures as well as practical assignments that students have to carry out independently within the cultural field in practice. Themes to be discussed will also partly depend on what will be topical but at least include the following:

  • Knowledge transfer

  • Research

  • Art education (within institutes as well as within secondary education)

  • Employment within the cultural field

  • Community art

  • Cultural entrepreneurship and the creative industry

  • Frontiers of the field (artist initiatives and creative hotspots)

  • Government policy and the arts

  • The role of academia within the arts

  • Partnerships (for instance, between universities and museums)

  • Professional authority

Course objectives

  • Students acquire knowledge about the scope of the cultural field.

  • Students learn to reflect on the history of the cultural field from a theoretical perspective.

  • Students acquire knowledge and understanding of the current debates at stake in the cultural field and learn to reflect on these debates as well as learn to express themselves about these debates.

  • Students learn to know the different professional career opportunities within the cultural field.

  • Students learn to view their own academic skills and competences in relation to the different kinds of work within the cultural field.

  • Students learn to know professionals working in the cultural field.

  • Students learn to describe what motivates them from the perspective of future professional options.

  • Students learn to document their experience of future possibilities within the cultural field by means of (digital) media.

Timetable

Visit MyTimetable.

Mode of instruction

  • Lecture

  • Excursion

Assessment method

Assessment

  • Practical assignments (mandatory)

  • Individual paper (reflection report): 40%

  • Written Exam: 60%

Students who fail the practical assignment are required to write a longer individual paper. to be determined by the professor.

Weighing

The weighted average of the (constituent) examinations must be at least 6.0 (= a pass). The mark for the final paper must be at least 6.0 at (= a pass). The mark for all other constituent examinations must be at least 6.0 (= a pass).

Resit

A rewrite can be done in case of failing the individual assignment. In the case of failing or missing out on the group assignment and/or practical assignments, an alternative assignment should be requested with the Board of Examiners. As far as applicable all rewrite examinations take place at the same time, after the final (constituent) examination.

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

Literature will be announced on Brightspace.

Registration

Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.

General information about uSis is available on the website

Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs

Not applicable.

Contact

Dr. A.K.C. Crucq
Contact the coordinator of studies through stuco-ba-kg@hum.leidenuniv.nl.

Remarks