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Students in a seminar at Camden

MA Curation students complete work placements at renowned museums and galleries across the UK, and internationally

Students on the University of Exeter’s new MA Curation: Art and Business course have completed work placements at some of the country’s most renowned galleries and museums, and abroad.

As well as gaining experience working in the arts through internships and placements the students have been studying for part of the year in an internationally significant arts venue in London.

This year, for the first half of Term 2, the MA was taught in residence at Camden Arts Centre, in North London, where students had the opportunity to meet the Director, Martin Clark, and many of the senior staff team, along with a series of visiting lecturers, as well as making regular visits to the capital’s museums and galleries.

Over the past year, students on the new intensive one-year course have completed work placements at renowned London institutions such as the Whitechapel Gallery, Frieze Art Fair, Sketch and the Government Art Collection, along with regional museums and galleries, including KARST and The Box in Plymouth, as well as internships with Arts and Culture, RAMM, Art Work Exeter, the Phoenix and Positive Light Projects in Exeter.

For this year’s MA cohort, supported by the UK government’s new Turing Scheme, it has been possible to extend the internship opportunities internationally, with work placements at Sharjah Art Foundation, in the United Arab Emirates, and the Venice Biennale. The placement in Sharjah coincided with an annual international art world gathering for the March Meeting. This internship builds upon University of Exeter’s close ties with the Emirate.

As part of their internship module, students keep a logbook of their work experience, and Arts and Culture are currently publishing a special MA Curation Blog Series on their website, written by the students, reflecting on their experiences.

Programme Director, Prof Tom Trevor, said: “As well as learning about the social, cultural and economic issues which shape the international contemporary art world today, and discussing the critical ideas which inform current practice, it is vital that students get hands-on experience of working in the art world. Work placements are an integral part of the MA Curation, and we are delighted that the new Turing Scheme has made it possible to extend these internship opportunities internationally. The Venice Biennale has long been the main gathering point of the global art community, while Sharjah Art Foundation is fast becoming one of the most influential platform’s for contemporary art and ideas in the Middle East.”

Associate Dean Global for Humanities Prof Melissa Percival said: “It’s fantastic to see the fruits of Exeter’s award in the first round of Turing funding for international student mobility”. These international learning experiences can be life-changing and we are really glad to be able to support our students in this way.”

Date: 5 May 2022

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