Curating (Hons)

Overview

Why study BA Curating (Hons) at Goldsmiths, University of London?

• Curating refers to a wide range of activities including the care of collections and the development of exhibitions, festivals, screenings, digital platforms and more. Curators engage with historical knowledge and respond to urgent social issues, staging culture as a way of bringing together multiple publics.

• Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths has been at the forefront of curatorial research for well over a decade, helping to redefine the profession. Drawing from this research, taught by leading curators and researchers, BA Curating combines a strong grounding in art history and contemporary cultural theory with the development of practical know-how and industry experience. 
• Students become familiar with the dynamics of different professional settings, from large museums to volunteer-run organisations and digital spaces through both visits and on-site project experience. A core component of the course is a placement within an arts organisation during the second year. In the past, students have worked with The Wellcome Collection, the Sir John Soane’s Museum, Cubitt, The Women’s Art Library, Bethlem Gallery, The Showroom, Gasworks, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Queens Museum (NY) and charities such as Single Housing Project. In their third year, students collaborate to organise a public exhibition with partner institutions, which further develops their skills in planning, programming and publicising exhibitions and events.

Careers

• BA Curating graduates gain a good knowledge of contemporary art and culture as well as strong research skills and the ability to think critically. Through practical assignments and industry experience, they also develop a number of attributes and skills that equip them to work in the cultural sector and beyond.   

• Graduates are proactive and agile, learning to get new projects off the ground and making things happen with others, often under tight deadlines and small budgets. Through the course, students use curatorial work as a mode of storytelling and learn the value of communicating one’s work through presentations, digital platforms and others. As a result, our graduates are able to showcase their abilities successfully and confidently. By remaining attentive to the different audiences their work seeks to address, graduates learn to foster new connections between people and create new opportunities for collaboration. A critical understanding of the opportunities and challenges of cultural sector work in today’s economic climate makes our graduates more resilient and resourceful.  
• BA Curating is a great platform from which to launch a career in the cultural sector and it provides a solid foundation should you wish to progress on to further study in the humanities, including in Art History, Curating, Museum Studies or Cultural Management.