Postgraduate Course: University Art Collections Project (HIAR11086)

Course Outline
School	Edinburgh College of Art	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	20	ECTS Credits	10
Summary	This University of Edinburgh Art Collections Project course is a practice-led course designed to engage students in the research and display of aspects of the university collections of paintings, drawings, sculpture, prints, rare books, archives, photographs, material and visual culture.
Course description	Talbot Rice has provided a space for student displays using objects from university collections. Student research will involve suitable choice of objects for display, attendant research, assessment of object conservation, assessment of technical requirements for display, assessment of publicity requirements, and audience engagement projects such as gallery talks. Student display projects will go on display as part of Talbot Rice's programme for the general public, thus engaging students directly in the work of a gallery exhibition programme. Students may also undertake research that feeds into the University Collections acquisitions programme, thus assisting in the ongoing development of the collections. They will learn to work collaboratively with curatorial and academic staff and with their peer working group. Tailored to student interests at start of academic year. Aims of the course: 1. Give students a direct working knowledge of a major university collection 2. Give students relevant curatorial experience with collections research, management and display 3. Provide training in communicating academic research to the general public 4. Engage students in preparing academic research for public dissemination through gallery display. 5. Give students practical experience in preparing works of art for public display (overseeing conservation status and publicity)

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: 16
Course Start	Full Year
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 176 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Group work / oral presentations - 10% Curatorial display (with portfolio) - 10% Individually researched and written student report (3000 words) - 80% Group work and group presentations to the class will enable you to develop your display projectżs theme and scope. The curatorial display, with display texts, will allow each group to put their research project forward through the medium of the public gallery, to acquire skills and knowledge of collections management and display, and to understand the working relationship between a gallery and its collections. The written report will enable you to develop and demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of a particular aspect of the collection, to contextualise this within its historical milieu, to demonstrate a good understanding of the care and conservation of objects in the collection, their provenance, and their display histories.
Feedback	You will receive oral formative feedback on group oral presentations of your groupżs display concept mid-way through the course, and written formative feedback on a short catalogue entry or conservation report mid-way through the course. You will receive summative feedback on your portfolios/displays and on your individual reports at the conclusion of the course.
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: gain first-hand experience of working with university collections in a curatorial capacity. learn to use collections-based research for the purpose of display for the general public. undertake research that can actively inform an understanding of institutional collections in a historical context gain direct experience of mounting displays for the public out of university collections, working first-hand with objects.