Throughout the degree, you will be encouraged to think critically about your own and other practitioners’ work and will develop technical skills whilst also building an awareness of visual languages. You will have the opportunity to apply these skills to a range of practice-based and written assignments with weekly support through feedback sessions and end-of-project critiques with your lecturers and peers.
As you move through the course you are given more agency to respond to the project briefs in your own way using the techniques and genres of photography you are personally keen to improve on.
Your first year consists of set projects designed to introduce students to a range of different photographic debates, genres and techniques. We'll introduce you to key areas of photographic discourse and developing your proficiency using photographic facilities. You will attend lectures, seminars and workshops and work in small groups for practice projects to allow for in-depth project-specific feedback.
In your second year you will experiment and take control over the direction of both your practice and your academic research. You will explore key theorists relevant to photography debate and undertake a series of assignments designed to develop your skills in art, still life, commercial, fashion and documentary photography practices. Later in the year, you'll move on to self-initiated projects culminating in an in-depth research project proposal and a public end of year exhibition.
By your final year, you will have chosen a pathway for your practice and will undertake a series of self-initiated projects supported by a tutor with expertise in your area of practice. These projects will build towards a final major practice project which you will exhibit at the public end-of-year degree show. Your practice will be supported by the development of a written research project and by assignments designed to prepare you for professional life after university.
Throughout the course we have a rolling programme of guest speakers, artist talks and portfolio reviews.
Martin Barnes: V&A Lead curator of photography
Emma Bowkett: Director of photography FT Weekend Magazine /
Bridget Coaker: Picture editor at the Guardian and Observer & Director at Troika Editions
James Gerrard-Jones: Director at Wyatt-Clarke & Jones
Laura Noble: Gallerist and Author
Zelda Cheatle: Photography specialist, curator, editor, gallerist and consultant
Susanna Brown: V&A curator of photographs
Emma Morris: Executive director of Towner Gallery
David Burkett: Director of DMB agency
Shirley Read: Independent curator based in London
Helen Trompeteler: London based writer and curator of photographs
Monica Allende: Independent photo editor and cultural producer
Bruno Ceschel: Founder of Self Publish Be Happy
Louise Clements: Artistic Director, Format Festival
David Campany: Writer, Curator, Artist
Francis Atterbury: Book designer, director of Hurtwood Press
Shoair Mavlian: Director of The Photographers Gallery
Max Ferguson: Photo Editor FT Weekend Magazine, Editor Splash and Grab Magazine, Director of Photography Port Magazine
Hannah Watson: Director TJ Boulting Gallery, Trolley Books
Martin Parr / Tim Walker / Jem Southam / John Davies / Hin Chua / Simon Roberts / Bettina Von Zwehl / John Blakemore / Rut Blees Luxemburg / Julian Germain / Gareth McConnell / Julian Calder / Tom Hunter / Jack Latham / Lydia Goldblatt / Joanna Piotrowska / EJ Major / Jamie Hawkesworth / Eva Vermandel / Brian Griffin / Alan Powdrill / Trevor Appleson / Brian Harris / Kate Peters / Tom Wood / Edgar Martins / Spencer Murphy / Cian Oba Smith / Silvia Rossi / Kalpesh Lathigra / Richard Billingham / Clare Strand / Kate Peters / Haley Morris Cafiero / Franklyn Rodgers / Polly Braden / Rhiannon Adam.