Imaginative Spaces: Between Art School and Industry

Description

This presentation responds to aspects of second and third phase topics; art/design and industry and technologies alongside expansion to the world. The key address will centre around two questions:

• how does the academy host industry?
• wherein lie the opportunities and challenges for industry inside learning space?

The presentation will unpack recent models of teaching media designed and delivered in the Department of Media at Manchester Metropolitan University over the past two years. Core to each teaching model is embedding career preparedness in the curriuculum. Each example of teaching subverts the model of industry placement, bringing industry in to teach, train and share.

The question may raise how a learning space creates space to address the relationship between industry expert and learner, inviting a more imaginative location for co creation. Entering the artschool opens potential for industry partners to take risks, explore and experiment, "play" and learn.

The future proofing of curriculum requires us to speculate beyond the academy/artschool to a wider global audience. Moving from schemes designed at local, regional and national level towards an international framework celebrating student digital arts projects creates a platform for the next generation of creatives to showcase their skills and abilities to a diverse range of academic and industry networks.

Takeaway

Reflections on how working with industry in the academy can encourage a two-way skills share and a wide range of approaches to learning.

To change perspectives on approaches to preparing our students for employment in the digital industries. Understand the potential events-based teaching and learning has in developing more autonomy learner. This encourages the students to take the lead and switch conventional roles of tutor student.

This new design to curriculum need to be considered in the context of the changing demands of the creative industry in light of digital innovation globally. The recent Creativity and the Future of Skills report published by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre/Nesta, UK (2018) identifies the skills gap and the rising demand for creative practitioners who are able to combine technical skills with professional skills and organisational skills. Industry requires abilities to be flexible, to work across and understand subject disciplines within creative production.

Understanding and scoping the range of dynamic learning environments this approach to teaching can offer.

Abstract

In the Department of Media, Manchester Metropolitan University, a teaching framework was developed in response to the changing demands of creative industries as digital technological advances. Students preparing for a workplace in continuous flux, have to be agile and able to step beyond their subject discipline and responsive to change. Having established working models, I am planning an ambitious project combining these teaching methods towards an International Student Digital Arts Festival. The festival will create opportunities for graduates and alumni to showcase practice and to connect with industry through masterclasses and workshops engaging in critical discourse through Q&A professional panel discussions.

The presentation will focus on teaching methods across creative media practices that include filmmaking, photography and animation. Having led on the design of a series of teaching activities, connecting with the creative industries, the paper reflects on an interdisciplinary approach to learning with a trajectory to expand further to an international level.

Media at MMU sits within the Manchester School of Art. The artschool context encourages an ethos of learning through ideas exchange and creative risk taking. Embedding an awareness of the connectivity subject disciplines have to digital media industries, preparing students for future careers requiring a synergy between technical training and creative practice. Expanding the experience beyond the academy model the department has grown opportunities working with external stakeholders in an imaginative and creative space.

The paper will discuss:

Industry networking, encompassing media disciplines these events encourage dialogue across disciplines including conversations with industry, portfolio reviews, professional pitches and workshops. Introducing students to a learning environment beyond their discipline and encouraging vertical learning. Examples of activities include Fabulous Professional February, a month long programme of events.

Talent Lab, developed from a Professional model offered as part of international film festivals such as EIFF. Talent Lab is a two-week programme increasing final year undergraduate students awareness of industry, and understanding of essential employment skills. The Lab timed to coincide with their Final Major Project, engages students in live project work through a series of pick and mix activities, such as: technical training, masterclasses, film curation, Q&A sessions. This encourages autonomous learning, where through their individual selection each student creates building blocks for learning, devising unique learning plans.

Neo Festival (multiscreen curation) The Professional Platforms unit was designed specifically for Graduate students, growing from an undergraduate artschool unit titled Unit X. In unit X first year undergraduate students in Media create collaborative work for the NEO multi-screen platform. These units encourage interdisciplinary learning with industry, arts and heritage sector and business stakeholders. Within Professional Platforms the Neo Festival was piloted in 2018. The brief, to devise and curate a multi-screen, mini festival from concept to festival opening. Working with key business partners in the city and supporting young artists/animators and filmmakers to showcase newly commissioned work. Unit X won the prestigious Sir Misha Black Award for design innovation in teaching in 2012 and the best business partnership award at Manchester Culture Awards in 2018.

https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/8813/
http://www.mishablackawards.org.uk/award/manchester-school-art