BA (Hons) Contemporary Photographic Arts Practice

Year 3 / Level 6

Unit 14: Professional Practice

Brief & Scheme of Work

2014/15

Northbrook College, Sussex

McDonald Strand from Most Popular of All Time 2012

Unit Title: Professional Practice

Unit Code: 14
Level: 6
Credit Rating: 10
Pre-Requisites: Completion of Levels 4 & 5
Type of Unit: Student led, duration: 27 weeks
Start Date: 22/09/14
Interim Progress Review Dates: 08/12/14 & 20/04/15
Deadline: 18/05/15
Unit Description:
This unit prepares the student for the time after graduating. It introduces the information, tools and
strategies needed to thrive in the complex field of contemporary photographic arts practice. Aiming to
provide an introduction and a gateway to post-graduate opportunities the unit seeks to map the local,
regional, national and international network, engaging students with practitioners across a range of
options. Weekly group meetings form the basis of this unit. During these sessions discussion takes
place around issues of professional practice, including the planning publicity and co-ordination of the
final degree exhibition. Visits, lectures and artists talks from visiting professionals contribute to the
content of the unit as well as professional practice workshops where a range of issues are addressed
including: ways of working (portfolio careers) internships, residencies, commissions, galleries,
museums, networking, promoting and presenting work, artists statements, visual documentation of
work and CVs, making proposals, funding, self-employment, combining work and practice, health
and safety and risk assessment.
Aims: (with reference to key Grading Criteria headings of Research, Knowledge &
Understanding, Presentation, Professionalism, Self-Management & Evaluation)
To enable students to be able to:
1. Prepare a working CV
2. Prepare a portfolio of work in an appropriate medium
3. Improve presentation and communication skills
4. Research post-graduate opportunities, career pathways and possible work profiles
5. Access artists resources
6. Investigate funding-raising and sponsorship opportunities
7. Understand issues of intellectual copyright, risk assessment health and safety
Assessment Tasks:
Compilation of a Portfolio/file containing Personal CV, Art Practice Portfolio/ Website, evidence of
research into postgraduate opportunities and participation in tasks related to the mounting and
publicity of degree show exhibition, legal & contractual matters, Health and Safety, fundraising
activities, artist statement, catalogue and print matter for exhibition publicity.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the unit students will have:
1. Prepared a working c.v. in an adaptable format for a variety of purposes (education, workplace,
professional)
2. A portfolio or document of creative work including webpage or site
3. An improved ability to present your work, pitch ideas and write proposals
4. An understanding of different post-graduate opportunities and career paths
5. The ability to access artist resource centres and networks
6. Knowledge of fund raising and sponsorship for creative projects and exhibitions
7. A working knowledge of intellectual copyright, risk assessment and health and safety in the
workplace

Assessment Criteria:
1. Self-management and organisational ability
2. Professionalism in contribution to and participation in group tasks and
3. Production of Portfolio document containing research on above tasks/content (as above)
4. Production and presentation of Art Practice Portfolio/ Website
Teaching and Learning Strategies:
Visiting speakers, study trips, workshops in CV , artist statement writing and online portfolios and
website design, personal research, group work, tutorials and seminars.
Learning Support:
Visiting speaker programme, FLA resources: periodicals and websites, Gallery based artists
resources, Blackboard VLE.
Indicative reading:
AN magazine
Websites:
http://www.photoworksuk.org/news/default.asp
http://www.source.ie/
http://www.a-n.co.uk/
http://fabrica.org.uk/artist-resource/
Staff (in case of queries concerning deadlines, extensions etc): Paul Grivell
External Examiner: Richard Sawdon-Smith

Unit 14: Professional Practice

Provisional Scheme of Work 2014/15
Monday mornings 10am to 12.30pm, room D215
Semester 1
1. 22/09/14
Intro and outline of Professional Practice Brief and scheme. Use of Blackboard site and
establishment of on-line prescence
2. 29/09/14
Devising bespoke inputs in relation to student orientation and unit requirements. Identifying relevant
visits and speakers
3. 06/10/14

4. 13/10/14
Brighton Photo Biennial Visit
5. 20/10/14
Developing a digital presence pt1 accessing and using Blackboard. Re-sizing/Uploading images,
contributing to blogs and, contributing to mash-ups. Bring images to upload and work with.
reading week
6. 03/11/14
Developing a digital presence pt2 - Establishing a web presence. Blogging, sharing, communicating
and networking on-line
7. 10/11/14
Developing a digital presence pt3 continuation of above. Designing your own fit-for-purpose website. (Draft dissertaton deadline)
8. 17/11/14
Post-graduate study options Research workshop exploring the range of post-graduate education
including MA, research, PGCE

9. 24/11/14
Professional Practice Mini-bus trip Westward Ho! Various Galleries and their staff
10. 01/12/14
CV Workshop researching formats and writing own bespoke CVs for a range of contexts
11. 08/12/14
Professional Practice Portfolio - Interim Review of Progress. Collation of material, sharing of good
practice, formats and content to date.
Christmas Holiday 3 weeks
12. 05/01/15
Understanding Copyright Workshop. The law. Creative Commons etc
13. 12/01/15
Funding Opportunities Workshop. Sponsorship, Competitions/Prizes
14. 19/01/15
London Visit by train Printspace + Graduate Show Venues and other galleries
15. 26/01/15
Presenting Your Work Workshop
16. 02/02/15
Proposal Writing Workshop
Semester Break 2 weeks
Semester 2
17. 23/02/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting. Roles & Responsibilities - Timeframe and deadline planning
18. 02/03/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting - Catalogues, brochures and other print-based promotional material
options
19. 09/03/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting - Fund-raising/budgeting

20. 16/03/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting On-line promotional options
21. 23/03/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting Artists Statement Writing Workshop
22. 30/03/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting
Easter Holiday 2 weeks
23. 20/04/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting and Progress review/interim crit of Professional Practice portfolios
24. 27/04/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting
Portfolio Compilation Workshop and Sharing of Practice
25. 04/05/15
Bank Holiday
26. 11/05/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting
Portfolio Compilation Workshop and Sharing of Practice
27. 18/05/15
Exhibition Co-ordination Meeting
Professional Practice Portfolio Deadline
28. 25/05/15
Bank Holiday
29. 01/06/15
Internal Degree Show build/hang
30. 08/06/15
External Degree Show planning