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SCHOOL OF ARTSCanterbury, Paris and Rome

The UK’s European university

Graduatestudy

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INTRODUCTION

The University of Kent’sSchool of Arts offersa range of flexible andacademically challengingprogrammes for thosewho want to study thearts at postgraduatelevel. In addition, on someprogrammes, it is possibleto spend time studying inParis or Rome.

The School is based at theCanterbury campus and offers awide variety of taught and researchprogrammes in drama, film andhistory of art. Our community ofgraduate students have accessto state-of-the-art facilities and allthe support and learning resourcesof an established, research-leduniversity.

World-leading research The School is recognised for thequality of its world-leading researchand arts at Kent was ranked 1st inthe UK for research power in theResearch Excellence Framework(REF) 2014. The School is proud tohost a number of cross-disciplinaryresearch centres, which provide afocus for staff and student researchactivity. Centres housed in theSchool include: • Aesthetics Research Centre• Art History and Visual CulturesResearch Centre

• Beacon Institute• Centre for Cognition, Kinestheticsand Performance

• Centre for Film and MediaResearch

• European Theatre ResearchNetwork

• Melodrama Research Group• Network of Research: Movies,Magazines, Audiences

• Popular and Comic PerformanceResearch Centre.

Each centre hosts a programmeof research events includinginternational exchanges,conferences, seminars andsymposia, which all postgraduatesare encouraged to attend.

A dynamic academiccommunity As a postgraduate student at Kent,you become part of an internationalacademic community. Many of ourstaff produce internationallyrecognised research and publishwidely. We welcome interdisciplinarydebate and encourage all of ourpostgraduate students to getinvolved in events and conferencesheld in the School and elsewhere.

First-class academicfacilitiesJarman BuildingThe School of Arts’ award-winningJarman Building incorporatesteaching rooms, social spaces anda dedicated centre for postgraduatestudents. For our Drama and Theatrestudents, we have professional-standard drama studios in additionto two theatres, a simulation roomand a theatre design suite. Thereare also industry-standard filmproduction facilities and first-rateviewing and library facilitiesincluding our new cinema, theLupino, for film screenings. TheJarman Building also houses adedicated exhibition space, theStudio 3 Gallery, which has hosteda series of public exhibitionsfeaturing work by artists, suchas Peter Blake and Tracey Emin.

Templeman LibraryWe understand how importantit is for postgraduate students to

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Funding opportunitiesIn order to give our postgraduatesthe best possible start to theirstudies, the School offers a numberof funding opportunities everyyear such as studentships,Graduate Teaching Assistantships,scholarships for Paris and Romeprogrammes, and specialised PhDscholarships. Research studentsalso have access to a support fundof £500 each to pay for conferenceattendance and minor expensesrelated to research. For details offunding available for postgraduatestudents, see www.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate

Study in Paris or RomeThe University also has the ParisSchool of Arts and Culture, inthe historic Montparnasse district,where Master’s programmes inEuropean Theatre, Film and Historyand Philosophy of Art are offered,giving you the opportunity to takeadvantage of the vast culturalresources in Paris. All programmesallow you to spend up to two termsin Paris, and on the Film and Historyand Philosophy of Art programmesyou can spend your entire yearthere. See www.kent.ac.uk/parisfor details.

History and Philosophy of Artstudents can also choose to spendup to two terms at the University’spostgraduate centre in Rome,where you can immerse yourselfin the art of this historic city. Seewww.kent.ac.uk/rome for details.

Enhanced career prospectsAt Kent, we want you to be in agood position to face the demandsof a tough economic environment.During your studies, you acquirea high level of academic knowledgeand specialist practical skills.

Most research students are alsooffered the chance to teach Kent’sundergraduate students. Thisopportunity not only enriches yourknowledge of your subject areabut also helps you to developcommunication and teaching skills.

The UK’s EuropeanuniversityKent is known as the UK’s Europeanuniversity. The Canterbury campusis situated in the UK city closest tothe European continent, and wehave a diverse, cosmopolitanpopulation with 148 nationalitiesrepresented. We also have stronglinks with universities in Europe and,from Kent, you are approximatelytwo hours away from Paris andBrussels by train.

Stunning campus locationOur scenic Canterbury campus is a25-minute walk from the historic cityof Canterbury, which is less than anhour’s train journey from London.The campus has green and tranquilopen spaces and first-class leisurefacilities with a range of cafés, barsand restaurants, a cinema, a theatreand sports facilities. Canterbury isa lovely city with medieval buildings,lively bars and atmospheric pubs,as well as a wide range of shops.

have easy access to a wide rangeof academic publications andresources. The University libraryresources for drama, film andhistory of art are first-class andthere are subject-specific librariansto help you.

DramaThe library houses specialcollections of 19th-centurymanuscripts – playbills,programmes, prints and othertheatre ephemera – theatricalbiography and the history of thestage in the 19th and 20th centuries.It additionally has particularstrengths as a research resourcein English Renaissance drama,Russian and French theatre, andBritish theatre since 1900. We alsohouse the Jacques Copeau Archiveand the British Grotowski collection.

FilmThere are extensive book andspecialist journal holdings, as wellas a large and growing referencecollection of film on DVD, withindividual and group viewingfacilities.

History of ArtThe library’s holding coversthe fields of painting, sculpture,architecture, photography,aesthetics and contemporaryvisual communications. There isa substantial stock of periodicals,online access to e-journals and aslide library with well over 100,000images, covering areas such ascontemporary art, visual cultures,garden history and the film still,as well as traditional media.

www.kent.ac.uk/arts

IMPRESSIVE CAREER PROSPECTS

A postgraduatequalification from Kentopens up a wealth ofcareer opportunities byproviding an impressiveportfolio of skills andspecialist knowledge.

Graduate destinationsKent has an excellent record forpostgraduate employment: over96% of our postgraduate studentswho graduated in 2014 found a jobor further study opportunity withinsix months.

Our arts postgraduates have goneon to a range of professions, frommuseum positions and teachingroles to working as film journalistsand theatre technicians. Ourgraduates have found work inTate Britain, the V&A Museum ofChildhood, and other arts, culture

and heritage-related organisations,as well as in film production, aseditorial assistants and even asstunt doubles.

International opportunities Choosing to add an internationalelement to your degree by spendinga term studying at our centres inParis or Rome, or by taking yourentire programme in Paris, cangreatly enhance your careerprospects as it shows you havethe ability to succeed in a newenvironment.

Transferable skills trainingToday, employers are lookingfor transferable skills such ascommunication, time management,analytical skills, business awareness,teamworking and problem solving.Dealing with challenging ideas,thinking critically, the ability to write

well and present your ideas are allskills you learn at Kent. This makesit possible to be successful withina wide range of careers, not justthose directly related to your studies.

The University’s Graduate Schoolco-ordinates the ResearcherDevelopment Programme forresearch students, providing accessto a wide range of lectures andworkshops on training, personaldevelopment planning and careerdevelopment skills. The GraduateSchool also delivers the GlobalSkills Award programme for studentsfollowing taught programmes ofstudy, which is specifically designedto consolidate your awareness ofcurrent global issues and improveyour employment prospects.

Careers andEmployability Service Our Careers and EmployabilityService can help you to planfor your future by providing one-to-one advice at any stagein your postgraduate studies.It also provides online advice onemployability skills, career choices,applications and interview skills.

Further informationFor more information on thecareers help we provide at Kent,see our employability web pageat www.kent.ac.uk/employability

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DRAMA AND THEATRECANTERBURY AND PARIS

The School’s Drama andTheatre department hasan excellent reputation forresearch and supervisionin contemporaryperformance processes,applied performance andEuropean theatre. Thewide-ranging interestsof our international teamof leading and emergingresearchers also includeresearch strengths inShakespeare, 18th-centurytheatre, multimediaperformance, and in thehistory of comedy andpopular performance.

Our distinctive focus at Kent is ontheatre as practice, whatever thetopic, area, mode and methodologyof research. We encouragepostgraduate students to makeuse of our close links and contactswith local, national and international(especially European) theatrecompanies, venues, schoolsand artists, both for researchand to encourage professionalpostgraduate development.

Our flagship area of practiceas research has so far attracteda range of researchers andprofessionals, including theco-directors of Ridiculusmus,performance artist Kazuko Hohki,and many others working in areasfrom physical theatre to visualperformance and cross-disciplinaryprojects.

Drama postgraduateresourcesThe School of Arts’ award-winningJarman Building offers professionalstandard drama facilities, along withsocial spaces and a dedicatedcentre for postgraduate students.

Additional facilities across theCanterbury campus include twotheatres; the 120-seat Aphra Theatre(a courtyard-type gallery theatrespace) and the Lumley Studio,which is a flexible and adaptableblack box theatre. Drama studentsalso benefit from a further studio inEliot College for performance andrehearsal, a sound and simulationsuite for lighting and sound, anda theatre design suite housedwithin an extensively equippedconstruction workshop.

Conferences and seminarsWe have strong links withorganisations such as theInternational Federation for TheatreResearch (IFTR) and the Theatreand Performance ResearchAssociation (TaPRA), andencourage postgraduates topresent work within national andinternational conferences. Also,we run regular research seminars,workshops, and performance-related events led by members ofstaff, students, and invited expertsand practitioners.

Dynamic publishingcultureStaff publish regularly and widelyin journals, conference proceedingsand books. Among others, theyhave recently contributed to: NewTheatre Quarterly; ContemporaryTheatre Review; TDR: The DramaReview; Performance Research;Shakespeare Survey.

Taught programmes• Creative Producing MA• European Theatre MA• Physical Acting MA • Stand-up Comedy MA • Theatre Making MA

Assessment Assessment for all programmesis by written work, presentations,contributions to workshops andperformance itself.

Dissertation/PracticeFor their dissertation, all our taughtMaster’s students are able tochoose to follow either Option 1,where they produce an academicconference paper followed by adissertation of 10,000 words, orOption 2, where they produce apractical project and a dissertationof 5,000 words.

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Creative Producing MAwww.kent.ac.uk/pg/1212

Location: CanterburyAttendance: One year full-time,two years part-timeEntry requirements: A first or 2.1honours degree in a relevanthumanities subject. In certaincircumstances, the School willconsider candidates who have notfollowed a conventional educationpath or who may have relevantexperience in the industry. Thesecases are assessed individually bythe Director of Graduate Studies.

This programme offers you theopportunity to understand theatreat its most dynamic; from its creativeconcept through to its realisation.You explore the inspiring processof bringing together creative talentsfrom writers, actors, directors,designers, choreographers anddramaturgs, and the technicalexpertise of LX, SFX, stage

management and logistics, andthen presenting to an audienceand the public. Working withindustry names, we pull together allthe business and commercial skillsneeded to make a creative ideaa reality. We work using real-lifecase studies, guest lectures fromindustry names, work placementresidencies and analysis of existingtechniques. By initially developinggiven projects through to creatingyour own imaginative ideas, yougain the skills and confidenceto be able to produce live andperformance theatre. Thisculminates in an individual MAdissertation or an extendedpractical project.

Course contentCompulsory modules• Compulsory modules: CreativeProducing: Audience andDevelopment; CreativeProducing: The Business;

Creative Producing: TheCreative Idea; CreativeProducing: Proposal andProfessional Study

You can then choose either: • Creative Producing: The CreativeIdea or any other suitableavailable module with agreementof the programme convenor

European Theatre MA www.kent.ac.uk/pg/341www.kent.ac.uk/pg/743

Location: Canterbury or Canterburyand Paris�Attendance: One year full-time, twoyears part-time (Canterbury only)�Entry requirements: As for CreativeProducing (see left)

It is possible to study thisprogramme entirely in Canterburyor to split your studies betweenCanterbury and Paris.

All students spend the autumn termstudying current creative practicesand processes, different theatresystems, performance aestheticsand their histories from across theEuropean continent. You exploretheoretical paradigms of Europeantheatre, from the post-dramaticto mise en scène, and investigatethe work of key modern andcontemporary practitioners, fromPolish pioneer Jerzy Grotowski toItalian experimental group SocìetasRaffaello Sanzio and beyond.Students based solely at Canterburyalso undertake a placement/fieldresearch with a company or at avenue.

European mise en scèneand exploring the city’s theatreculture. You may also undertakea placement or field research witha company or at a venue. The Paris centre also offers furtheroptional modules in literature, film,architecture, postcolonial studies,French studies, religion and historyof art.

Course contentCompulsory modulesCanterbury students take:• European Theatre: Landscapesand Dramaturgies

• Theatre Practices: ProfessionalStudy Casebook

• Dissertation/Practice.

Canterbury and Paris students take:• European Theatre: Landscapesand Dramaturgies

• Mise en Scène: Aesthetics�andDramaturgies of EuropeanTheatre (Paris)


Other modules include: CreativeProducing; ContemporaryPerformance Practice; TheatreCriticism; Shakespeare Adaptationson Stage and Screen; Theories ofArt in Modern French Thought; alanguage module, and selectedoptions from the Faculties ofHumanities and Social Sciences.

Optional modules in Canterburyallow specialisation in areas such ascreative producing, theatre criticism,Shakespeare adaptations, andcontemporary performancepractice. Further modules areavailable in interdisciplinary fieldssuch as continental philosophy,European literature, film theory,contemporary visual arts, politicalactivism and anthropology. As partof the course, you can learn orimprove your skills in a foreignEuropean language.

Those on the split-site Canterburyand Paris programme spend thespring term at the University ofKent’s Paris centre studying

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DRAMA AND THEATRECANTERBURY AND PARIS (CONT)

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What are the facilities like?The facilities are excellent.Throughout the year I was ableto use whatever I wanted for myperformances and always hadthe support of the technicians.

What advice would you giveto a potential student?Follow your dreams, trust Kentand use every opportunity thatthe University offers you!

Why did you choose Kent?I chose Kent for many reasons.The amazing campus and itsfacilities, the reputation, butmainly because it was the onlyuniversity which offers an MAcourse on Physical Acting whichwas what I wanted to do.

Which module have youenjoyed the most?I enjoyed all of my modules.During the autumn term I hadto discover and push myselfmore, as it was around soloperformance work, and during

the spring term I had to learn whatensemble is and try to work andcommunicate with different peoplecreating an ensemble performancefrom scratch. The results werestunning and the outcomes of theseprocesses were very helpful. Afterthese experiences, I feel ready tocope with my dissertation project.

What about your fellowstudents?Most of my fellow studentswere really supportive and wecollaborated very effectivelythroughout the year.

STUDENT PROFILEIoannis Sidiropoulos, MA Physical Acting

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acting processes for performers,autonomous and collaborativepractice and interdisciplinaryapproaches.

The programme also equips youwith the skills to document researchpractices in an appropriate form.

Course contentCompulsory modules• Ensemble Devising andPerformance

• Physical and Vocal Trainingfor Actors

• Solo Acting: Composition andPerformance


In their final term, students take theirdissertation, following either Option1 or Option 2 (see p6).

Stand-up Comedy MA www.kent.ac.uk/pg/345

Location: CanterburyAttendance: One year full-time,two years part-timeEntry requirements: As for CreativeProducing (see p7).

This taught MA programme offersa unique opportunity to study thetheory and practice of stand-upcomedy at postgraduate level. Kenthas a long history of teaching andresearch in comic performance, andthe Templeman Library houses theBritish Stand-Up Comedy Archive.

You learn how to write and performyour own material, reflect on yourwork, and engage with theoriesof comedy through workshops,seminars and supervision.

Stand-up relies on a dynamicinteraction between performerand audience, and, for this reason,live performance is a central part ofthe teaching strategy. You performregularly for audiences of up to200 people throughout the year,developing your performance skills,honing material and increasing yourunderstanding of this vibrant formof popular theatre.

Course content• Stand-up Comedy Club• Stand-up: Reflect and Perfect• Stand-up Experimental Comedy • Stand-up Comedy: Open MicProject

• Dissertation/Practice

Students on the Canterbury andParis programme can chooseany module from those offeredat our Paris centre, these include:Modernism and Paris; Paris andthe European Enlightenment;and Diaspora and Exile.

Physical Acting MA www.kent.ac.uk/pg/277

Location: CanterburyAttendance: One year full-timeEntry requirements: As for CreativeProducing (see p7).

The programme, which is basedon an intensive, sustained andsophisticated engagement with thisspecialist aspect of theatre practice,allows you to work as an individualpractitioner and as part of anensemble. It explores physical andvocal training processes for actors,

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Theatre Making MA www.kent.ac.uk/pg/1222

Location: CanterburyAttendance: One year full-timeEntry requirements: As for CreativeProducing (see p7).

This programme offers anopportunity to develop advancedknowledge of practices, traditionsand professional contexts oftheatre making through academicengagement, practice-basedlearning, individual supervision,and professional study. You acquireskills in a range of approaches tomaking performance, drawing ontechniques from directing, devising,ensemble performance and live art,in order to develop your ownindividual and/or companypractice. Research-led teachingby permanent members of staffis complemented by a sustainedengagement with professionaltheatre makers. An emphasison collaboration and creativeexperimentation leads you todevelop a portfolio of both criticaland artistic work, while gainingproduction, marketing andbudgeting expertise.

On this programme, you learn howto make and think about theatre ina way that challenges conventionalassumptions and boundaries. Wealso prepare you for the world ofwork by giving you opportunitiesto network with professionals andpractice how to raise funding andmarket your portfolio.

Course contentModules may include:• Ensemble Work• Performance Practices• Professional Study• Theatre and Audiences• Dissertation of 12,500 words(Option to choose a practice-as-research route, with a 7,500-wordwritten component)

For descriptions of all Dramamodules, please see pp34-36.

Research programmes• Drama: Practice as Research MA • Drama PhD • Drama: Practice as ResearchPhD

Drama: Practice asResearch MA www.kent.ac.uk/pg/280

Location: CanterburyEntry requirements: A first or2.1 honours degree in a relevantsubject or equivalent professionalexperience.

The programme is for practitionerswho want time to develop andreflect on their work in a supportiveand challenging environment. It isalso for recent graduates who wanteither to develop a body of practiceor to conduct practice-basedresearch at a higher level.

The programme leads throughsupervision to project planningwith practice-based presentations,which are then written up for thefinal dissertation.

Assessment is through practiceand written reflection, which youcan present in a range of mediasuch as DVDs, model boxesor video, depending on the practiceyou are investigating. Supervisionfor this MA is offered in all areasof staff interest, and we providededicated space, technical supportand a budget.

Drama PhD www.kent.ac.uk/pg/351

Location: CanterburyEntry requirements: An MA ina relevant subject

This programme gives youthe opportunity to closely explorea topic in an area of drama, theatreand contemporary performance atthe highest level of academic study.The programme draws on theDrama Department and Schoolof Arts’ longstanding internationalreputation in the development ofpractice as research and bringsstudents into a researchenvironment of excellence.

Key areas of focus within thedepartment include cognitionand performance, applied andsocially engaged theatre, popularperformance and European theatre;practice focuses on dance, physicalactor training, puppetry, live art,autobiographical and documentaryperformance providing a richcontext for postgraduate study.

Our three drama-based researchcentres – the Centre for Cognition,Kinesthetics and Performance, theEuropean Theatre Research


Network and the Popular and ComicPerformance Research Centre –actively involve postgraduatestudents. You attend and supportthe many seminars these centresoffer, as well as a selection ofSchool seminars. There arededicated postgraduate eventswhere you can presentyour research in a constructiveatmosphere. Discipline-specificmethodology training is providedthrough one-to-one supervisionand/or group workshops. Thedepartment also facilitates ‘work inprogress’ meetings to help foster theresearch culture, improve students’research skills, and bring togethermembers of the postgraduateresearch community.

Drama: Practice asResearch PhD www.kent.ac.uk/pg/351

Location: CanterburyEntry requirements: As for DramaPhD (see p10)

This programme gives you theopportunity to closely explore atopic in an area of drama, theatreand contemporary performance atthe highest level of academic studythrough performance practice aswell as written processes. Theprogramme draws on the DramaDepartment and School of Arts’longstanding international reputationin the development of practice asresearch and brings you into aresearch environment of excellence.

Research groupsEuropean TheatreResearch NetworkAt Kent, the UK’s Europeanuniversity, we have set up theEuropean Theatre ResearchNetwork to facilitate and fosterthe exchange of theatre traditions,contemporary practices andacademic discussion on the nearEuropean continent and also inthe new European states. We invitepostgraduate research studentsto contribute to and play a partin this expanding network. Forfurther information, please seewww.kent.ac.uk/arts/research/centres/ETRN

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to your supervisors, because theyknow what they’re talking about,and talk to other students too.Sometimes research can beisolating and the level of workstressful; but there’s a nicecommunity here and everyone’swilling to share resources andknowledge.

What are your future plans?I submit my PhD next year, andactually enjoying the uncertaintyof not knowing what’s next! I loveteaching but also research iswonderful. I think I will look forother projects to get involved in.

What are you researching?I’m using drama to investigatethe implications of a diagnosis ofautism. As part of the University’sImagining Autism project, Iworked with children aged threeto 11 who had been diagnosedby the NHS, introducing themto an immersive sensoryenvironment and monitoringtheir responses.

How have you funded yourstudies?I was lucky to be awarded astudentship by Kent Healthand I’m an assistant lecturer too.

I didn’t realise how much I’d get outof teaching; I’ve taught first-yearDrama students and it’s great tosee them develop.

How is your work going?I’ve so enjoyed this project, it’san enormously rewarding subject.One of the joys is that it’s not so farremoved from life – people relateto it and you can easily talk to themabout it without using jargon.

What advice would you giveto a potential PhD student?Take your time. It takes a while toget your head around a PhD. Listen

STUDENT PROFILEHannah Newman , PhD Drama (by practice as research)

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Cognition, Kinesthetics andPerformanceThe Centre for Cognition,Kinesthetics and Performancebrings together Drama staff andstaff in Engineering and DigitalArts, Psychology, Anthropology,and the Tizard Centre. It exploresthe possibilities of interdisciplinarydialogue and collaboration betweenresearchers and practitioners inthe fields of cognitive neuroscience,interactive performance, digitalmedia, disability studies, andapplied performance. For furtherinformation, please seewww.kent.ac.uk/ckp

Popular and ComicPerformance Research CentreThe Popular and ComicPerformance research centre bringstogether academics from a range ofdisciplines including, drama, film,social anthropology and philosophy.Their research investigates a varietyof related areas including: stand-upcomedy; music hall and variety;18th-century popular theatre;melodrama; Greek Old and Middlecomedy; community performancework; puppetry; TV and filmproduction; and punk performance.For further information please seewww.kent.ac.uk/arts/research/centres/popularcomicperformance

Staff research interestsFull details of staff researchinterests can be found on ourwebsite: www.kent.ac.uk/arts/staff

Professor Paul AllainProfessor of Theatre andPerformanceMovement and physicalperformance approaches toactor training, especially theSuzuki Method; contemporaryEast European and Polish theatre,Grotowski and the GardzieniceTheatre Association; interculturaltheory and practice andperformance anthropology.Recent publications include:Zbigniew Cynkutis, Acting withGrotowski: Theatre as a Field forExperiencing Life (co-editor, 2014);Voices from Within: Grotowski’sPolish Collaborators (co-editor,2015).

Professor Peter BoenischProfessor of European TheatreTheatre directing; dramaturgy;dance theatre; theatre aesthetics;political theory and critical thought;theatre and philosophy. Recentpublications include: DirectingScenes and Senses: The Thinkingof Regie (2015); The Theatre ofThomas Ostermeier (2016).

Dr Helen BrooksSenior LecturerTheatre and performance historiesfrom 1660 to 1920, especially ofthe long eighteenth-century andFirst World War; gender; drag;women in theatre; management;theatre economics. Recent


publications include: Actresses,Gender and the Eighteenth-CenturyStage (2015).

Dr Oliver DoubleSenior LecturerStand-up comedy; punkperformance; variety theatre;Karl Valentin. Recent publicationsinclude: Britain Had Talent: AHistory of Variety Theatre (2012);Getting the Joke: The InnerWorkings of Stand-up Comedy,2nd edition (2014).

Dr Clare FinburghSenior LecturerModern and contemporary Frenchand Francophone theatre andperformance; representations ofwar in contemporary UK theatreand performance; performanceandeco-criticism; theatre translation;dramaturgy. Recent publicationsinclude: Rethinking the Theatreof the Absurd: Ecology, theEnvironment and the Greening ofthe Modern Stage (co-edited, 2015).

Dr Rosemary KlichSenior LecturerMultimedia theatre; contemporarylive art and performance; the20th-century avant-garde; practiceas research; spectatorship andparticipation. Recent publicationsinclude: Multimedia Performance(co-author, 2012).

Dr Margherita LaeraLecturerContemporary theatre in Europe;adaptation and translation for thestage; ‘classical’ Greek tragedy

and its modern appropriations;theatre criticism. Recentpublications include: ReachingAthens: Community, Democracy andOther Mythologies in Adaptationsof Greek Tragedy (2013); Theatreand Adaptation: Return, Rewrite,Repeat (2014).

Dr Shaun MayLecturerThe intersection of theatre andphilosophy; comedy; popularperformance; puppetry and objecttheatre; cognitive approaches tounderstanding performance; site-specific performance. Recentpublications include: A Philosophyof Comedy on Stage and Screen:You Have to ‘Be There’ (2015) andRethinking Practice as Researchand the Cognitive Turn (2015).

Dr Roanna MitchellLecturerCognition and the embodiedlanguage of performance; politicsof the body in the interface betweenart, business and self; pedagogiesof dance and performance trainingin relation to body anxiety andagency; application of MichaelChekhov training in the 21st centuryin theatre and beyond; the dialoguebetween memory, imagination andmovement in devising processesworking from the senses of taste,smell and touch. Recent publicationsinclude: The Body That Fits The Bill(2015).

Dermot O’BrienSenior LecturerTheatre; business studies; culturalpolicy; arts funding; producing;

event management; acting;directing. A professional practitioner,Dermot is an actor and director, hasproduced theatre and been Directorof Performing Arts for the ArtsCouncil England. He has been aconsultant on the strategies andbusiness models for several UKtheatres.

Dr Sophie QuirkLecturerStand-up comedy; the socialpolitical and cultural impactof comedy and performance;manipulation of audience response;popular performance, particularlycontemporary forms and grassroots productions. Publicationsinclude: Why Stand-up Matters:How Comedians Manipulate andInfluence (2015).

Professor Nicola ShaughnessyProfessor of Performance Live art; dramatic auto/biography;socially engaged performance;cognition and performance. Recentpublications include: AffectivePerformance and Cognitive Science:Body, Brain and Being (2013).

Professor Robert ShaughnessyProfessor of TheatreShakespeare and early moderndrama in performance; post-warand contemporary British andIrish drama; theatre and nationalcultures. Recent publicationsinclude: The Routledge Guide toWilliam Shakespeare (2011); Livesof Shakespearian Actors, Part I(co-ed, 2008).

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Sian StevensonSenior LecturerDementia, and disabilities, as wellas the possibilities of dance andmovement-based techniquessuch as Feldenkrais and Alexander,married with physical theatre andsign language, to facilitate the tellingof individual stories and experiencesin a performance context. Practice:StevensonThompson and MovingMemory Company.

Jayne ThompsonSenior LecturerApplied theatre, naturalism,and site-specific performance.Publications: Naturalism in Theatre:Its Development and Legacy(co-authored 2013). Practice:StevensonThompson and MovingMemory Company.

Dr Melissa TriminghamSenior Lecturer Contemporary performance andperformance art; puppet and objecttheatre; modernism; scenography;Bauhaus stage. Recent publicationsinclude: The Theatre of theBauhaus: The Modern andPostmodern Stage of OskarSchlemmer (2011).

Dr Freya Vass-RheeLecturerCognitive dance and theatre studies;visuo-sonority of dance; dramaturgy;performativity; arts/sciencesinterdisciplinarity; psychology of thearts; critical dance and performancestudies; dance history; world dancecultures. Recent publicationsinclude: Distributed Dramaturgies:Navigating with Boundary Objects(2015).

Dr Angeliki Varakis-MartinLecturer Ancient Greek theatre performance;masked theatre and popularcomedy; modern Greek theatre;emotion and cognition in theatre.Publications include: ‘Body andMask in Aristophanic Performance’(Bulletin of the Institute of ClassicalStudies 53-1, 17-38). She is workingon a monograph on Karolos Kounand his stage interpretations ofancient Greek drama.

Will WollenLecturerActing pedagogy; psychophysicalapproaches to acting; arts fundingpolicy; Commedia and mask;Shakespeare; directing. Recentpublications include: Action andthe Mask: Mr S and the paper bag(2016).

DID YOU KNOW?All students have accessto Digital Theatre Plus, anonline resource providinghigh-quality, full-length filmsof leading British theatreproductions, as well asinterviews with the cast, andthe creative and productionteams behind each show.


GRADUATE PROFILE

Ignacia Aguero completedan MA in Physical ActorTraining and Performance*

in September 2013 and isnow working as a dramateacher in Chile.

Why did you choose Kent?I chose Kent because of thespecificity of the Master’sprogramme – I had been lookingfor an MA in physical training andperformance for a long time. I wasimpressed by the depth with whichsubjects about performance andactor training were studied.

What was the course like?It was very interesting. I had thechance to analyse the work ofimportant practitioners, theatredirectors and performers, andwas also able to question their work.Staff on the course, such as PaulAllain, were extremely inspiring andshowed a real love for the actor’scraft. He was very supportive ofmy work as a performer and myresearch.

How did the course lay thefoundations for your career?I was able to carry out my ownresearch, through which I learnt howto organise and develop an artisticproject.

Could you describe your careerpath since leaving Kent?I left Kent in September 2013 and Ireturned to my home country, Chile.I immediately started performingand teaching drama. I participated

in a summer school for childrenwhere I taught physical theatre.I enjoyed the experience anddecided to try working in schooleducation, which is very differentfrom the higher education I amfamiliar with. I will begin a full-timejob teaching drama and physicaltheatre in a school for childrenbetween the ages of 13 and 18later this year. I am also going tobe directing a play and acting intwo others.

Could you describe a typicalday in your current role?Usually my days consist of teachingdrama from 8am to 5pm and thenrehearsing until late. Although thismight not sound very exciting, everyday is different and anything canhappen – I guess that is the greatthing about working in the arts.When I teach, I am working withpeople, which means that I workwith a material that is constantlychanging.

What are your future plans?My plans are not fixed. For me,the experience of spending ayear studying abroad was life-changing, it changed my plans andconvictions. This might sound toodramatic, but it is not; I gained somuch from the experience. Workingas an artist you need to questioneverything. I began my Master’s withone set of ideas and I left the coursewith a completely different set ofideas. Today, I want to keep ondiscovering and trying new areas oftheatre, and my studies have givenme the confidence to do so.

Do you have any memories ofKent you would like to share?Happy memories… there aretoo many: professors, facilities,classmates, housemates, excitingclasses, interesting lectures, hardwork, no sleep, and so muchlearning.

What advice would you give tosomeone coming to Kent? Who am I to give advice? Everyonechooses their own path. I will sharemy experience though.

I think that Kent’s Drama departmentis an extremely interesting place tostudy. It is not a place where you willlearn to be a famous TV actor butyou will encounter genuinelytalented, smart and hardworkingpeople. They gave me the drive tobecome a curious student and towork ceaselessly on my personalprojects. As a student, I felt verylucky to be at Kent because I hadthe chance to meet importantpractitioners and to undergo specificactor training, which helped me toimprove as a performer and as aresearcher.

At Kent you are not told what to do. You are given advice, but youare the director of your own work,which gives you an enormousamount of responsibility. You havetwo choices: you can either acceptthe responsibility and use yourimagination to produce quality work,or you can sit back and relax. I tookthe first option.

16 School of Arts


FILMCANTERBURY AND PARIS

The School’s Filmdepartment is known forits excellence in researchand teaching , with 83% ofKent’s research in the artsassessed as world-leadingand internationallyexcellent in the ResearchExcellence Framework(REF) 2014.

One of the largest European centresfor the study of film, the departmenthas an established reputation goingback over 30 years. Approachingfilm as a dynamic part of ourcultural experience, we encouragethinking about the medium asit emerges at the intersections ofart, document and entertainment.Through theory and practice,individual research, student-ledseminars and visiting speakers,we promote an environment inwhich postgraduate students areable to engage with the continuingvibrancy of cinema.

Studying with us as a postgraduategives you the opportunity toexperience our rich resources ofacademic expertise, library facilitiesand a campus-based film culture.We currently offer expertise in NorthAmerican, European and LatinAmerican cinemas. Our researchand teaching engages you in adialogue with aesthetic, conceptualand historical perspectives, as wellas with digital film-making andpractice by research.

Postgraduate resourcesOur purpose-built, RIBA award-winning home, the Jarman Buildinghouses a range of professional-standard editing and studio facilities,plus a dedicated postgraduatecentre, and teaching and socialspaces.

Kent also has excellent viewing andlibrary facilities, with a large numberof films screened weekly duringterm in the Gulbenkian and Lupinocinemas.

Research excellenceOur staff produce highly rankedresearch at the intersection of filmtheory, history, practice, and theconceptual and stylistic analysis ofmoving image media. Based on this

expertise, we are able to supportresearch across a wide range oftopics, including: moving imagetheory, history and criticism;American, European and LatinAmerican cinemas; British cinema;the avant-garde; and digital mediaand animation.

The Centre for Film and MediaResearch promotes our excellencein research and hosts a range ofresearch events including symposia,visiting speakers and workshops.

There are also close connectionsbetween the Film department andboth the Aesthetics ResearchCentre and the Centre for Cognition,Kinesthetics and Performance.

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

School of Arts18

FilmmakingThe department includes filmmakersamong its members of staff.

Clio Barnard’s 2010 film The Arborwas nominated for a BAFTA andClio received the best newcomerand original debut feature at theLondon Film Festival and bestnew documentary filmmaker atthe Tribeca Film Festival. Her mostrecent work, The Selfish Giant, waschosen as one of only two films torepresent the UK in the Directors’Fortnight line-up at the 2013 CannesFilm Festival and also received aBAFTA nomination.

Lawrence Jackson worked invarious crew capacities in the UKfilm industry for three years beforeworking in-house, then freelanceas a Bi-Media Producer for BBCNorthern Ireland Drama. As writer-director, he has five short films andas producer-director, around 50hours of radio drama to his name.The shorts, shot in locations fromMargate to Northern Ireland andPrague to Newcastle, have beenshown at the Munich Film Festival,London’s ICA Cinema and on BBC2television.

Richard Misek is a filmmaker,montagist and theorist. As apractice-based researcher, heworks across documentary,

experimental film and digital filmstudies, to explore the poetics andpolitics of the moving image. Hisessay film Rohmer in Paris (2013)has screened at over 25 filmfestivals on five continents, andat venues including the NationalGallery of Art (Washington DC),the BFI and Barbican (London), andthe Museum of Moving Image andAnthology Film Archives (New York).

Lucy Cash is a filmmaker, writer andartist. She began making her ownwork in 2000 with a BFI/CH4 NewDirector’s Award for Three MinuteWonder, a short film that screenedin numerous festivals in the UK andinternationally, and also on Channel4 and Film4. Since then she has

FILMCANTERBURY AND PARIS (CONT)

energetic and friendly workingatmosphere and is close to otherfacilities.

What advice would you giveto a potential student?For anyone thinking of doing thecourse here at Kent, I would saybe involved with as manyresearch events as you can,because these are extremelyinspiring and great fornetworking. Also, choose themodules you are passionateabout, and, above all, enjoy it.

Why did you choose Kent?Kent is among the bestuniversities in my subject area,and has academics specialisingin research that I am particularlyinterested in. Having done myundergraduate degree here, it feltlike the right place to continue myresearch and studies, especiallyas it’s a department I know andlove.

Which module have youenjoyed the most?Advanced Film Theory. Themodule not only allowed me todiscover new ideas within film

theory, it was also an intellectualchallenge that both encouragedthinking in various ways and greatlyimproved my reading, writing andresearch skills.

What about your fellowstudents?It was a great group of studentsand we all became friends,which was fun outside of academia,and also provided a great learningatmosphere within seminars.

What are the facilities like?I very much enjoy working inthe School of Arts, as it has an

STUDENT PROFILEAnne Wabeke, MA Film

www.kent.ac.uk/arts

Canterbury campus beforerelocating to Paris in the springterm, where they study in theheart of historic Montparnasse.

Studying in Paris provides theopportunity to participate inexcursions to prominent culturallocations and make use of researchresources that are only availablein Paris, such as the FrenchCinémathèque.

If you choose to spend your entireyear at our Paris centre, the focusof your programme is Frenchcinema and its context. You alsoconsider the impact of Frenchcritics and filmmakers on thewider discipline of Film Studies.

The programme consists ofresearch training, two compulsory30-credit modules and two 30-credit

It is possible to study thisprogramme in three ways: entirelyin Canterbury, in both Canterburyand Paris, or entirely in Paris.

The programme offers a thoroughgrounding in postgraduate-level filmand is suitable for graduates in thesubject and those new to it. It istaught by experts in film and seeksto engage with the key elements thatmake up the diverse nature of filmand moving images.

Students in Canterbury benefit fromour vibrant postgraduate cultureand research centre activities,as well as the rich and varied filmprogramming at the GulbenkianCinema.

Students who split their studiesbetween Canterbury and Parisspend the autumn term on our

made several short films for BBC2,BBC4 and Channel 4, as well asnumerous installations.

Dynamic publishingcultureStaff publish regularly and widelyin journals, conference proceedingsand books. Among others, theyhave recently contributed to:Screen; Cinema Journal; TheMoving Image; Animation Journal;Games and Culture; Journal of Filmand Video; Early Popular VisualCulture; Journal of Media Practice.

Taught programmes• Film MA• Film with Practice MA

Film MAwww.kent.ac.uk/pg/17www.kent.ac.uk/pg/19www.kent.ac.uk/pg/763

Locations: Canterbury; Canterburyand Paris; ParisAttendance: One year full-time;single-site Canterbury students canalso study part-timeover two years. Entry requirements: A first or2.1 honours degree in a relevantsubject. In certain circumstances,the School will consider thosecandidates who have not followeda conventional education path orwho may have relevant experiencein the industry. These cases areassessed individually by theDirector of Graduate Studies.

19

School of Arts20

module options. Teaching is primarilyseminar-led, with some lectures.The dissertation is written undersupervision.

Course contentCompulsory modulesCanterbury or Canterbury andParis students take: • Advanced Film Theory• Film and Modernity• Film History• Dissertation of 15,000 words.

Year-long Paris students take:• Film and Modernity (Paris)• Film History (Paris)

Optional modulesCanterbury students also taketwo modules from the list below(two are offered each year).• Cinema and Technology • Conceptualising Film • Film and Modernity• Film Criticism• Screening Histories

Canterbury and Paris studentsalso take a wild module from thoseoffered at our Paris centre; thesemay include: Diaspora and Exile;Paris, London, New York: ModernArt in Translation; Paris: Reality andRepresentation.

Year-long Paris students also take:• two modules from those offeredat our Paris centre (see above).

AssessmentAssessment is by coursework andthe dissertation.

Film with Practice MA www.kent.ac.uk/pg/343

Location: CanterburyAttendance: One year full-time andtwo years part-timeEntry requirements: A first or 2:1honours degree. Your applicationmust include a link to an exampleof your film practice (password-protected if necessary) and atreatment (max 1,000 words) for a10-20 minute short fiction film thatyou would like to make.

The MA Film with Practice is ataught programme suitable forgraduates in film, practitionerswho want to advance their practicein an intellectually stimulatingenvironment and non-film graduateswith a passion for film practicedemonstrated through amateurfilmmaking. This programmeincludes two dedicated film practicemodules and a Dissertation by Film

Practice that includes the making ofa fiction film. You also choose twomodules from the existing MA Filmto create a practice-theory mix thataccommodates your own interests.The programme is taught by award-winning film-makers, internationallyrecognised film scholars andincludes masterclasses fromfilm industry professionals.

Course content • Digital Film Practice: Key Skills• Independent ProjectDevelopment

• Dissertation by Film Practice

At least one compulsory theorymodule from: • Advanced Film Theory• Film History.

If you select only one compulsorytheory module, you also select oneoptional theory module, such as:



cinemas, offering opportunities tostudy projects based in aesthetic,conceptual and historicalperspectives on film and digitalmedia, as well as practice byresearch.

Research students participatein work-in-progress seminarsand professional developmentworkshops, both of which areorganised at School level. Inaddition, research students canenrol on the Graduate School’sResearcher DevelopmentProgramme. We also hold an annualpostgraduate presentation day.

Film PhDwww.kent.ac.uk/pg/20

Film: Practice by ResearchMA, PhD www.kent.ac.uk/pg/352

Location: CanterburyEntry requirements: A first or 2.1honours degree in a relevant subjectfor the MA; an MA for the PhD.

Postgraduate students aresupervised via a research teamthrough regular meetings. Researchsupervision draws on wide staffinterests in North American,European, and Latin American

• Cinema and Technology• Conceptualising Film• Film Criticism• Film and Modernity• Screening Histories.

AssessmentAssessment is by coursework anda dissertation by film practice.

For descriptions of all Film modules,please see pp37-38.

Research programmes• Film PhD• Film: Practice by Research MA,PhD

Any advice for PhD students?Talk to potential supervisorsbefore applying and, if possible,do a Master’s first; it will reallyhelp you to find out if a PhD is foryou. In general, I feel very positiveabout my experience at theSchool of Arts. The quality ofthe School is high and arts andhumanities research is reallyvalued at this university, which iswhy it is a good idea to do a PhDin arts at Kent.

What are your future plans?I like what I’m doing, so I’d like towork in academia.

What are you researching?I am taking a philosophicalapproach to social criticism andsatire in animated cartoons. Kenthas a very open research culture,which I like. It makes it easyto discuss your research withpeople from outside your schoolor department. The Schoolwelcomes and even invitesinterdisciplinary research, whichis part of the reason I came here.

Was it difficult to get funding?It is a tough process, but theupside of it is that it pushes you todevelop your research proposal.

With funding applications, you haveto put your eggs in multiple baskets;if you do and are accepted at Kent,I would recommend coming here.

How is your work going?I have made good progress, butPhD research can be a stressfulprocess and now I am taking a stepback to really think about my work.I feel it is important not to lose trackof the fact that writing a PhD is anidealistic endeavour: the rewardsof it should largely be found inthe opportunity to work on whatfascinates you.

STUDENT PROFILEDieter Declercq, PhD Film

School of Arts22

Research areasResearch in theory and practiceis centred in five areas:• national cinemas – formand history: North American,European, Latin American

• the moving image in a digitalcontext

• documentary film• film aesthetics• avant-garde and experimentalcinema.

Research centreCentre for Film and MediaResearchThe Film department is linked tothis Centre, which draws togetherscholars from across the Universitywho use film and the moving imageas an integral part of their research.

The Centre seeks to supportprojects that promote collaborationbetween individuals and otherresearch centres. We are open toideas that will extend the reach ofthe Centre. Our aim is to producea more proactive engagement withother disciplines, to open new linesof communication, and to produceinnovative knowledge formationsthrough the activity of pioneeringresearch projects.


Clio BarnardReaderThe relationship betweendocumentary and fiction, inparticular the subjectivity of

recollection. Recent films include:The Selfish Giant (2013); The Arbor(2010).

Dr Lavinia BrydonLecturer Space and place in film; British andIrish national cinemas; film theory.Recent publications include: ‘TheNostalgic Gardens of DerekJarman’s England’ for Dandelion(2013); ‘Navigations andNegotiations: Examining the(Post)Colonial Landscape of TheAssam Garden’ in the Journal ofBritish Film and Television (2014).

Dr Margrethe Bruun VaageLecturerFilm theory (classical and analytical/cognitive); philosophy of film;narratology; the spectator’sengagement with fictional filmsand television series; emotions,the imagination, morality.Publications include: The Antiheroin American Television (2016).

Lucy CashLecturerDocumentary, experimental film andartists’ moving image to explore thepoetics and politics of the movingimage in response to differentcontexts. Socially engaged practice,innovative forms of narrative.

Dr Maurizio CinquegraniLecturerThe relationship between cinema,cityscapes and sites of memory;documentary film; silent cinema;and films of the two world wars inthe national contexts of Britain, Italy



and Poland. Recent publicationsinclude: Of Empire and the City:Remapping Early British Cinema(2014).

Dr Mattias FreyReaderEuropean cinema (with a particularemphasis on German and Austrianfilm); historiography; historicalreception studies; film and otherarts criticism; film and mediaculture; institutional and mediaindustries analysis; classical andcontemporary film theory; film andarts education. Recent publicationsinclude: The Permanent Crisis ofFilm Criticism: The Anxiety ofAuthority (2014); Film Criticismin the Digital Age, co-edited withDr Cecilia Sayad (2015).

Dr Frances GuerinSenior LecturerTwentieth-century German film andimage; the intersection of aestheticsand social politics in film, painting,photography and other visualmedia; pre- and early cinemas,silent cinema; the historical avant-garde; sound and image studies;documentary film (particularlyamateur and small gauge), filminstallation; cinema as it makesmeaning in a broader artisticand cultural landscape. Recentpublications include: ThroughAmateur Eyes: Film andPhotography in Nazi Germany(2011) and On Not Looking: TheParadox of Contemporary VisualCulture (2015).

Lawrence JacksonLecturerGenre storytelling, focusing on ghoststories, thrillers and westerns; theexploration of landscape in the workof British filmmakers Andrea Arnold,Paddy Considine and Ben Wheatley.Recent films include: Promise(2011).

Dr Tamar Jeffers McDonaldReaderHollywood; genres includingromantic comedy, melodrama andthe gothic; American film history;the impact of movie magazines onstardom; performance; film costume.Recent publications include: DorisDay Confidential: Hollywood, Sexand Stardom (2013); When HarryMet Sally…[online] (2015).

Richard MisekLecturerTransmedia, documentary film,video technologies and aesthetics,montage and collage, urbancinema. Recent publicationsinclude his essay film Rohmerin Paris (2013).

Dr Cecilia SayadSenior LecturerThe horror film; film authorship;film criticism; Latin Americancinema. Recent publicationsinclude: Performing Authorship:Self-inscription and Corporealityin the Cinema (2013); Film Criticismin the Digital Age, co-edited withDr Mattias Frey (2015).

Professor Murray SmithProfessor of Film Film theory; philosophy of film,music and other arts, of mindand ethical theory; cognitive andevolutionary approaches to cinema,and to art in general; avant-gardeand experimental cinema; Americancinema in general, ‘independent’cinema in particular. Recentpublications include: ‘AgainstNature? Or, Confessions ofa Darwinian Modernist’ in RoyalInstitute of Philosophy Supplement,(2014).

Professor Peter StanfieldProfessor of FilmThe cultural history of Americanfilm, with a twin focus on cycles offormulaic movies and the synergybetween cinema and other formsof popular culture, including music,comic book and sequential art, pulpnovels and material culture. Recentpublications include: MaximumMovies – Pulp Fictions: Film Cultureand the Worlds of Samuel Fuller,Mickey Spillane and Jim Thompson(co-ed, 2011); The Cool and theCrazy: Pop Fifties Cinema (2015).

Professor Aylish WoodProfessor of FilmThe impact of digital technologieson moving images in animation, filmand digital games and mixed-mediagallery installations; creativity andtechnology. Recent publicationsinclude: Software, Animation and theMoving Image: What’s in the Box?(2015).

School of Arts24

GRADUATE PROFILE

Dr Ted Nannicellicompleted his PhD atKent in 2011 and nowteaches at the Universityof Queensland, Australia.

Why did you choose Kent?I chose Kent for two reasons: towork with Professor Murray Smith,who is a leading figure in filmstudies, and because Kent offeredme a very generous studentship.

What attracted you to thecourse?Basically the opportunity to workwith Murray and the fact that, withhis guidance, I could create myown course – set my own researchquestions, readings and writingobjectives.

What was your course like? And what about the lecturers/supervisors?It was everything I hoped itwould be. On the one hand, I hadextraordinary independence inestablishing and working throughmy project. On the other hand, anytime I needed assistance, Murraywas happy to meet with me.Although I didn’t realise howvaluable these things would bewhen I started (because I didn’tknow about them), I benefitedenormously from regular meetingsthat included my secondarysupervisor, Professor Peter Stanfield,regular research presentations frommy PhD cohort, departmentalresearch seminars, and the cross-faculty Aesthetics Research Centre.

How did your course lay thefoundations for your chosencareer path?Notwithstanding the excellenteducation I received and theenormous amount of help I’ve hadfrom Murray and others, I have beenvery lucky to have been lecturingfull-time since completing the PhD(actually, since before I technicallyhad the PhD, but don’t tell anyone),and my experience at Kentprepared me in some way for all ofmy core responsibilities: research,teaching, and service.

Could you describe a typicalday in your current role?During the teaching semester, anormal day involves the preparationand delivery of either a lecture ortutorial (or both), and, hopefully,some research-related reading orwriting. Sometimes I have service-related responsibilities such ascommittee meetings, a journal articleto referee, and so forth. Outside ofthe teaching semester, the researchtakes up a much more significantpart of the day.

What are your futureplans/aspirations?I love my job and hope to be doingit as long as I’m physically andmentally able. Further down the line,I would like to become involved withsome higher-level administrativeresponsibilities in order to do mybit to fight back against the currenttrend towards the marketisation ofhigher education.

Do you have any other happymemories of Kent that youwould like to share with us?Drinks and laughs at the pub withmy fellow PhD students. And thebirth of my first son, although Iwouldn’t recommend anyonemaking that part of their ownpostgraduate experience.

Finally, what advice would yougive to graduates thinking ofcoming to Kent to study atpostgraduate level?Kent is a great place, butpostgraduate study is a big decisionand everyone’s circumstancesare different. These days, financialassistance is almost a necessityfor undertaking postgraduate study,and I would caution anyone againststarting a course without havinga long look at their finances andthe current job market. Once you’reat Kent, I think the cliché holds truethat you get out of it what you putinto it – especially when you’re doinga research degree. If you go all in,as I tried to, the rewards can besubstantial.

26

HISTORY OF ARTCANTERBURY, PARIS AND ROME

History of Art at Kentprovides opportunitiesfor postgraduate studywith well-establishedresearchers in the fieldsof art history, philosophyof art and aesthetics.

Staff research covers contemporaryart and aesthetics; modernism;theories of art; the historiography ofart and the Cold War; biographicalmonographs; the photograph (in itshistorical, contemporary and criticalcontexts); and the historical interplayof image, theory and institutions

from the Renaissance to the present(especially in Europe and NorthAmerica).

Developing areas of interestinclude the cultural and historicalsignificance of the print, and therole of performance and newmedia in contemporary artpractices. These draw upon ourlinks with other subjects withinthe School of Arts and the Facultyof Humanities. In particular,postgraduates can participate inthe activities of the multidisciplinaryAesthetics Research Centre and the Art History and Visual CulturesResearch Centre.

Postgraduate resourcesThe School is housed in thepurpose-built Jarman Buildinglocated on the Canterbury campus.The building is home to the Studio 3Gallery and a range of teachingand social spaces, as well as adedicated postgraduate centre.

SupportAll postgraduate students areoffered research skills training andcan take part in reading groups andresearch seminars at departmental,school and faculty level. Researchstudents also have the opportunityfor funded conference attendance.There is a dedicated studentsupport office at our Canterburycampus, which offers support andguidance throughout your studies,in addition to an office in Paris.

In recent years, several membersof the History of Art department,both full-time and part-time, havebeen awarded University prizesfor excellence in student support,curriculum innovation and research-based teaching – an ethos whichextends to the postgraduatecommunity.

Dynamic publishingcultureStaff publish regularly and widelyin journals, conference proceedingsand books. Among others, theyhave recently contributed to: BritishJournal of Aesthetics; Art History;History of Photography; Journal ofAesthetics and Art Criticism; Journalof Visual Art Practice; ThePhilosophical Quarterly.

School of Arts


Taught programmes• Curating MA• History & Philosophy of Art MA

Curating MAwww.kent.ac.uk/pg/96

Location: CanterburyAttendance: One year full-time andtwo years part-timeEntry requirements: A 2.1 honoursdegree.

This programme develops your skillsand provides experience relevant toa career in curating. Based at theSchool’s Studio 3 Gallery, you areinvolved in all aspects of the runningof the Gallery.

Modules provide an overview of thehistory of collecting and exhibitions,through a series of case studies,taking advantage of our proximityto major London collections. We alsocover theoretical issues relating tocurating and museology. You developyour own project working within theGallery’s exhibition programme.Optional modules provide practice-based opportunities for developingcuratorial skills.

The programme is delivered by acombination of staff at the School ofArts and specialist visiting lecturers.

Course contentCompulsory modules• Curatorial Internship• History and Theory of Curating

Optional modules:• Art After Abstraction• The Art of Portraiture: Historicaland Philosopical Approaches.

• Concepts of Beauty: The Nude• Key Concepts and Classic Textsin History and Philosophy of Art

• A Matter of Taste: The Art andAesthetics of Food

• Philosophical Issues in ArtHistory and Visual Culture

• Post-Conceptual Art and VisualArts Criticism

• Theories of Art in Modern FrenchThought

AssessmentAssessment is through acombination of coursework essays,critical logbooks and practice-basedexercises. A critical portfolio isrequired for the internship module.

History & Philosophyof Art MAwww.kent.ac.uk/pg/97www.kent.ac.uk/pg/99www.kent.ac.uk/pg/762www.kent.ac.uk/pg/344

Location: Canterbury; Canterburyand Paris; Paris; Canterbury andRomeAttendance: One year full-time;single-site Canterbury or single-siteParis students can also study part-timeover two years. Entry requirements: A first or2.1 honours degree in a relevanthumanities subject. Applicantswithout these qualifications will bejudged on the basis of a sampleof written work, an interview andrelevant experience.

It is possible to study thisprogramme in four ways: entirelyin Canterbury, in both Canterburyand Paris, entirely in Paris or in bothCanterbury and Rome.

This MA provides a structuredintroduction to the postgraduatestudy of the history and philosophyof art. It particularly focuses oncontemporary art, photography,Renaissance art, medieval art,18th-century British painting,19th-century French painting,modernism, aesthetics and thephilosophy of art and film. Thephilosophy of art and aestheticsdraws on the expertise of ourAesthetics Research Centre.

If you are studying on the split-siteCanterbury and Paris programme,you spend the autumn term inCanterbury, relocating to Parisfor the spring term. In Paris, yourfocus is on the ongoing history ofdialogue across the Channel andthe Atlantic, and you consider therole of leading French, British andAmerican artists, critics, collectorsand exhibitions.

If you choose to spend yourentire year at our Paris centre, youundertake a focused programmeof history of art and aesthetics witha focus on Paris. Studying in Parisoffers an excellent opportunity toexplore the history of art from botha historical and contemporaryperspective.

While in Paris, you participatein excursions to prominent culturallocations and make use of researchresources that are only availablein Paris. You have the uniqueopportunity to study the arts atpostgraduate level within the contextof a city that has been at the verycentre of many crucial artistic and

School of Arts28

HISTORY OF ARTCANTERBURY, PARIS AND ROME (CONT)

art theoretical developments in thepast few centuries.

If you are studying on the split-siteCanterbury and Rome programme,you spend the autumn term inCanterbury, relocating to Rome forthe spring term where the MA isrun with the American University ofRome, which provides facilities andcan assist with accommodation.

A range of themes and approachesare considered with a particularfocus on medieval, Renaissanceand Baroque art in Italy. You take amodule that covers the art of Romeover almost two millennia, butfocuses on the period 1400-1700,which is also the period from whicha second module is chosen. You

study the art of Rome, visiting sitesand museums, with options to studythe history of Rome and specificartists. Kent staff are present forpart of the term in Rome to ensurecontinuity of academic guidanceand pastoral support.

This programme is for graduates inart history, philosophy and cognatesubjects, such as fine art. It givesyou the opportunity to develop ahigh level of expertise and toprepare for doctoral research inhistory of art or philosophy of art.

Course contentCanterbury students take• Key Concepts and Classic Textsin History and Philosophy of Art

• Dissertation of 12,000-15,000words.

They then choose two modules froma list of optional modules, whichincludes:• Art After Abstraction• The Art of Portraiture: Historicaland Philosophical Approaches

• Conceptualising Film• A Matter of Taste: The Art andAesthetics of Food

• History and Theory of Curating• Philosophical Issues in ArtHistory and Visual Culture


• Theories of Art in Modern FrenchThought

• Thinking Theatre: Theories andAesthetics of Performance.

has a whole host of workingspaces and the library providesaccess to everything required forthe course.

What advice would you giveto a potential student?Expect to be challenged, expectto encounter a high volume ofdiverse ideas in a short spaceof time and expect to work hard!Get as involved as possible in theevents the School puts on. Also,check out the staff’s researchareas, so that you get the bestadvice on your specific interests.

Why did you choose Kent?I chose Kent because it offered aunique course; it is very unusualto be able to study aesthetics inan arts department and the resulthas been a rewarding andinsightful programme. Also,the excellent research conductedat Kent perfectly matches myinterests in the aesthetics ofphotography and drawing.

Which module have youenjoyed the most?Philosophical Issues in ArtHistory and Visual Culture.

The interdisciplinary approach is areal strength of the course and thismodule touched on a wide varietyof issues that affect not just howwe approach art, but all manner ofvisual experiences. The module hada special focus on portraiture andhas completely changed mythinking on this fascinating topic.

What are the facilities like?The School’s Jarman buildinghas a dedicated study room forpostgraduates and the Studio 3Gallery, which hosts internationaland student shows. The campus

STUDENT PROFILEClaire Anscomb, MA History & Philosophy of Art


Canterbury and Paris students take:• Key Concepts and Classic Textsin History and Philosophy of Art

• Modern Art in Paris• Dissertation of 12,000-15,000words.

They then choose one module froma list which includes:• The Art of Portraiture: Historicaland Philosophical Approaches

• A Matter of Taste: The Art andAesthetics of Food

• History and Theory of Curating• Post-Conceptual Art and VisualArts Criticism

• Theories of Art in Modern FrenchThought.

They then choose a further optionalmodule:• Architecture and Cities1840s-1960s

• Best of Enemies: Images ofBritain and France in the 19thand 20th Centuries

• Diaspora and Exile• Film and Modernity• Paris and the EuropeanEnlightenment

• Paris and Modernism• Paris: Reality and Representation• Paris: The Residency.

Year-long Paris students take:• Key Concepts and Classic Textsin History and Philosophy of Art

• Modern Art in Paris• Study of a Single Artist: Picasso• Dissertation of 12,000-15,000words.

They then choose one module from:• Advanced Film Theory• Concepts of Beauty: The Nude• Contemporary Struggles• Diaspora and Exile• Fiction 1• Fiction 2• Film and Modernity (Paris)• Film History• Key Concepts and Classic Textsin History and Philosophy of Art

• Law and the Humanities 1: Ethosand Scholarship (IntensiveDelivery)

• Law and the Humanities 2:Current Issues (IntensiveDelivery)

• Mise en Scène: European TheatreAesthetics

• Modernism and Paris• Modern Art in Paris• Paris: Reality and Representation• Paris: The Residency• Paris and the EuropeanEnlightenment

• Poetry 1• Poetry 2• Religion and European Thought(Paris)

• Theory and History of UrbanDesign

• The Verbal and The Visual:Dialogues Between Literature,Film, Art and Philosophy

For details of Paris modules, seewww.kent.ac.uk/paris/programmes/parismodules.html

Canterbury and Rome studentstake:• Discovering Rome in Rome: Artsin Rome from Antiquity to thePresent Day

• Key Concepts and Classic Textsin History and Philosophy of Art

• Dissertation of 12,000-15,000words.

*They then choose one modulefrom: • The Art of Portraiture: Historicaland Philosophical Approaches

• History and Theory of Curating• A Matter of Taste: The Art andAesthetics of Food


• Theories of Art in Modern FrenchThought.

*They also choose one module from:• Michelangelo in Rome• Raphael and the HighRenaissance in Florenceand Rome

• further optional modulesto be confirmed.

For details of Rome modules, seewww.kent.ac.uk/rome or [email protected]

*Available optional modules differfrom year to year, and not all optionsare available every year. [email protected] for more informationabout the availability of particularmodules.

AssessmentAssessment is by two assignmentsper module and the dissertation.

For descriptions of all History of Artmodules, please see pp38-41

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

School of Arts30

HISTORY OF ARTCANTERBURY, PARIS AND ROME (CONT)

Research programme• History & Philosophy of Art PhD

History & Philosophy ofArt PhDwww.kent.ac.uk/pg/100

Location: CanterburyEntry requirements: An MA degreein a relevant subject area.

Individual staff interests are listedbelow. As a group, we have acollective interest in developinginterdisciplinary projects, includingprojects informed by art history andphilosophy of art or aesthetics.Shared areas of research interestinclude: photography, art theoryfrom the Renaissance to recenttimes and contemporary art.

Research centresAesthetics Research CentreThe Aesthetics Research Centreco-ordinates, enables and promotesresearch in the philosophy of artand aesthetics at the University ofKent by drawing together scholarsfrom across the University who havean involvement and passion towardsthe aesthetics and theory of artwithin their research.

Art History and Visual CulturesResearch CentreThis new research centre promotesand co-ordinates research amongthe growing community of staff andpostgraduate students active atKent in the field of art history.

The Centre organises seminars,conferences and publicengagement events, in collaborationwith other areas of the University;with partners in the new Consortiumof the Humanities and Arts South-East England (CHASE),which alongside Kent includesthe universities of East Anglia,Sussex, Essex, the Open University,Goldsmiths, SOAS, Birkbeck, andthe Courtauld Institute of Art; andwith external organisations such asgalleries and museums. The Centrealso seeks to attract funding forresearch projects; and to make useof the Studio 3 Gallery as a vehiclefor developing new thinking.

What are the facilities like?Very modern, very convenient.There are many study hubsand the School of Arts itself hasexcellent facilities, including itsown library, studios and differentplaces you can go to study. Thereare social spaces too.

Any advice for those thinkingof taking this course?Don’t wait until the last minuteto do your work; don’t loseyour motivation; keep a work/lifebalance. And have a good time!

What attracted you to thiscourse?Mostly it was the offer of a termin Rome. Also I love Renaissanceart and Professor Tom Henry isone of the greatest specialists inthis area. The School of Arts israted highly and is esteemedfor its focus on research.

Which module have youenjoyed the most?Being in Rome, studying theSanta Maria della Pace. Manychapels were built inside that

church during the Renaissanceand the Baroque period. Ourassignment was to research thehistory of the church and of allthe chapels’ decorations. It wasan important assignment thatenhanced our research skills.

How would you describe yourfellow students?We are all passionate about art –this subject is not a random choice,and it is not the easiest thing to finda job related to it, so you must reallylove it.

STUDENT PROFILEKonstantinos Gravanis, MA History of Art



Dr Jonathan FridaySenior LecturerAesthetic theory and photographicstudies; 18th-century Britishaesthetic theory; classical andcontemporary photographic theory;photographic genre.

Professor Martin HammerProfessor of History &Philosophy of Art; Head ofSchool of ArtsBritish art in the mid-20th-century(artists such as Naum Gabo,Francis Bacon, Graham Sutherland,Stanley Spencer); modern andcontemporary international art;the modern portrait. Recentpublications include:My Generation: A Festival ofBritish Art in the 1960s (2015).

Professor Tom HenryProfessor of History of ArtSpecialist in Italian renaissance art,with a particular interest in centralItalian painters including Raphael,Piero della Francesca, PietroPerugino and Luca Signorelli.Recent publications include:The Life and Art of Luca Signorelli(2012).

Dr Hans MaesSenior LecturerPhilosophy of art and aestheticsincluding the role of intentionin the interpretation of art; the

relation between (erotic) art andpornography; the role of beauty inart and culture; the nature and valueof aesthetic experience. Recentpublications include: Conversationson Art and Aesthetics (forthcoming).

Dr Michael NewallSenior Lecturer Philosophy of painting; depiction;theories of the sublime; art schooleducation; contemporary art.Recent publications include:What is a Picture? Depiction,Realism, Abstraction (2010).

Dr Grant Pooke FRSASenior LecturerContemporary British art; Marxistart historiography, the Cold Warand aesthetics; developing teachingapproaches to art history; arthistories, boundaries and aspects

of the postcolonial. Recentpublications include: The Artof Revolution: Illustrated by theCollection of the Marx MemorialLibrary (co-author, 2011); Fifty KeyTexts in Art History (co-ed, 2011);Contemporary British Art: AnIntroduction (2010); UnderstandContemporary Art: Teach Yourself(co-author, 2010); Understand ArtHistory (co-author, 2010).

Dr Ben ThomasLecturer; Curator, Studio 3 GalleryRenaissance art; Renaissance arttheory; Baroque art; 18th-centuryart; 19th-century sculpture; modernand contemporary art (particularlyprints); history of printmaking;history of collecting; museumsand curating.

GRADUATE PROFILE

Kate Westbrook graduatedfrom the taught Master’sprogramme in History &Philosophy of Art in 2013.She now works for an artdealer inMayfair.

What was your course like?The course was great, very wellplanned with lots of variety andopportunities to attend additionalevents such as the reading groupand the Aesthetics ResearchCentre. The lecturers were veryapproachable and generous withtheir time. They really cared aboutus as students and created aninclusive and exciting environmentin which to learn.

The modules were interesting andvaried and I was very fortunate asthe course gave me the opportunityto study something completely new.Having never studied film before,I was able to take a philosophy offilm module, which was brilliant andgave me a whole new perspectiveand interest.

How did the course lay thefoundations for your chosencareer?I would say that doing my MA atKent really helped my confidence.I was very shy when I did myundergraduate degree and neverspoke in class but the atmosphere atKent, as well as the encouragementof the teaching staff, allowed me tofeel that I could offer an opinion andit didn’t matter if I wasn’t totallycorrect. I believe that this hashelped me to be stronger andmore assertive in the workplace.The course also taught me to beself-motivated and disciplined inmy work.

Could you describe your careerpath since leaving Kent?I graduated in October 2013 andfound a great job in Mayfair thatI feel very lucky to have. I work fora very well respected art dealerand am learning a huge amountabout the business. The role isvaried and challenging and Iam really enjoying it.

Do you have any other happymemories of Kent that youwould like to share with us?A couple of people on my courseorganised a trip to Venice for theBiennale and we received fundingfrom the University, which made ita really affordable trip. We had anamazing time, we saw so much art,such as that pictured, right, andmade the most of our time there. Wereally bonded as a group and havekept in touch since; I feel as thoughI have made friends for life.

Finally, what advice would yougive to graduates thinking ofcoming to Kent to study atpostgraduate level?I would say do it, I’m so glad thatI did. It was scary leaving my joband all the security that that broughtand going back to university at theage of 32, but my time at Kent washonestly one of the happiest, mostfulfilling experiences of my life.I would do it again tomorrow ifI could!

www.flickr.com

/photos/lucafasolo/10655054613

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TAUGHT MODULES

On the following pageswe list our postgraduatemodules by subject areaand in alphabetical order.

Please note: not all modules runevery year, for the most up-to-dateinformation, contact [email protected]

DramaCreative Producing 1:The Business Theatre and the arts can be acomplex business. This modulegives you the business skills youneed to understand and engageeffectively with contracting,negotiation, financial and budgetmanagement, marketing, companystructures and legal status, andemployment and freelance working.We look at the methodology andgood practice around how we getthe ‘show’ on the road.

Creative Producing 2: Audienceand DevelopmentThis module lets your imaginationrun wild. You produce a businessplan for a creative idea, which canbe a production, a company, afestival programme, an app, awebsite, anything that demonstratesan entrepreneurial concept withinthe performing and live arts. Yourplan needs to be feasible, creative,demonstrate purpose, and be fullyworked through and supported.You present it in written form andalso as a live Dragon’s Den-stylepitch. In the past, several of theseideas have become reality, from arehearsal space interactive websitethrough to a West End production.

Creative Producing 3:Professional Study How UK theatre operates dependson a network of different talentsand skill sets, as well as a mix ofumbrella bodies, commercialorganisations, unions and localauthorities. This module looks athow this all fits together, whetheryou are working in the subsidisedor commercial sectors. You explorebest practice by engaging withactive producers and practitionersin the field. Investigating differentmodels of operation and creation,you analyse the best options forparticular productions. Other topicsinclude how to develop audiences,support and fundraising; effectivecasting; how to choose subjectareas for productions, developingwriters and scripts; venueprogramming and learning from the‘names’, finding out how they work.

Creative Producing: IndividualIdea and ImplementationThe effective pitching of a creativeidea, with an understanding of howyou will go about making it a reality,are key to creating the confidence inyou that actors, designers, directors,investors and audiences need.In this module, you produce aproposal, pitching a creative ideatogether with your researchmethodology, sources and a projectand time-management strategy.This can be related to either yourbusiness plan or dissertation andallows you to test ideas out. Youdo this alongside either a shortplacement with an employer or,alternatively, an in-depth analysisof a producer, production, venueor programme.

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Dissertation ProjectThroughout your taught Master’s,you develop in-depth research intoa specific topic. In the spring term,you decide whether to take Option 1or Option 2 (see p7). In the summerterm, you present either youracademic conference paper or yourpractical project at a conferenceorganised by the School, beforesubmitting your final dissertationscript in September.

Ensemble Devising andPerformanceYou develop advanced skills inthe composition, rehearsal, andperformance of an ensemble theatrepiece. You work collaboratively toidentify a starting point, generatephysical and vocal scores, andconstruct and act a performancescore. You document the ongoinggroup work as an integral part of thecompositional process, commentingand reflecting on your work as acollaborative artist involved in anautonomous practice.

European Theatre: Landscapesand DramaturgiesYou are introduced to selectedcontexts, histories, dramaturgiesand contemporary practices ofEuropean theatre and encounterthe specific institutional and culturalcontexts of creating theatre andperformance in a variety of(continental European) countriesand historical periods. You alsobecome familiar with prominentcontemporary discourses andtheoretical perspectives in

European theatre and performancestudies, such as the paradigms ofpost-dramatic theatre, mise enscène and the performative.

Mise en Scène: EuropeanTheatre Aesthetics This module explores the aestheticand dramaturgic forms whichare characteristic for theatreperformances on the Europeancontinent. It interrogates notionssuch as mise en scène, dramaturgyand Regie, as well as introducingcurrent theoretical concepts anddiscourses in research on (mainlynon-English language) Europeantheatre, with specific focus onaspects of theatre-making, andthe relationship between a (dramaticor other) text and its production onstage. Theatre visits allow you todirectly apply and interlinktheoretical reflection and practicalobservation and experience.

Physical and Vocal Trainingfor ActorsHere, you investigate and developphysical and vocal actor trainingtechniques. This modulecomplements other modules onthe Physical Actor Training andPerformance Master’s by providingsynergies between training andperformance applications andlinking process with product. Inthe autumn term, the focus is onindividual training techniques andthe development of autonomousprocesses for actors. In the springterm, the focus is on ensembletraining by exploring partner andgroup-based processes.

Research Portfolio The research portfolio is anextended piece of performancedocumentation and analysis,which underpins the practical workundertaken in the ContemporaryPerformance Practice programme.In your portfolio, you demonstratethe theoretical and methodologicalcontexts in which your performancework is situated and analysethe processes involved in theconception and realisation of yourperformance project. In additionto reflections on your own work, youmay include case studies of artistsor companies whose work hasparticularly influenced you. Youmay include illustrative material suchas photographs, video, CD Rom ora website.

Solo Acting: Composition andPerformanceYou develop advanced skills inthe composition, rehearsal, andperformance of a solo theatrepiece. You identify a startingpoint, generate physical andvocal scores, and construct and acta performance score.You documentthe ongoing work as an integral partof the compositional process andare encouraged to link trainingprocess with artistic result.

Stand-up: Comedy ClubYou perform weekly shows inMungo’s, a University venue, as partof the Monkeyshine comedy club,to develop your skills in devisingand performing stand-up comedyroutines. This module is designedto be a public performance witha sympathetic audience.

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Stand-up: Reflect and PerfectYou are set tasks that involvereflecting on your own work,exploring the context of professionalstand-up comedy, and engagingwith relevant theory to develop youranalytical skills. These tasks leadtowards a written assignment,in which, for example, you mayreflect on aspects of your ownperformance, discuss the workof other comedians, transcribestand-up comedy routines, etc. Thesecond phase of the module movesfrom written reflection to makingpractical use of this, employing theinsights you have gained to revisitearlier performances. You learn howto repeat and rework existing gagsand routines, and how to structurea longer act out of them. Themodule culminates with you

performing a 15-20 minute set ofthis reworked material in a moreprominent public venue, effectivelya professional environment forstand-up comedy.

Stand-Up: ExperimentalComedyThroughout the spring term,you are engaged in research,investigating historical and/ortheoretical aspects of stand-upcomedy. This culminates in aperformance (perhaps recreatinga historical style of stand-up;exploring the artistic possibilitiesof stand-up; or testing aspectsof theory in performance); and anessay, which presents your findingsin written form and explains howthey informed your performance.

Stand-up Comedy: Open MicProjectYou engage with the professionalworld of stand-up comedy. Thismight take a number of forms, suchas open mic spots in professionalcomedy clubs or performing in astand-up comedy competition.

Theatre Practices: ProfessionalStudy Casebook(MA European Theatre students only)In this module, you use yourknowledge and research withina professional context andenvironment. This can take theform of a placement with a venue orcompany, which you arrange in thefirst term of the programme. (If yourplacement is in Europe you maybe eligible for Erasmus funding.)Alternatively, your study may bebased on a less formalised, butstill primary mode of researchof a specific venue, company, ortheatre practitioner, emphasisingthe first-hand generation ofresearch material throughdirect observation, interviews andanalysis. You choose an area ofinterest within European theatre andindividually negotiate the terms ofyour study. This usually takes placeduring the spring vacation and thesummer term.

TAUGHT MODULES (CONT)


FilmAdvanced Film TheoryThis module examines the historicaltrajectory of systematic writing aboutfilm. Topics include the aestheticstrategies of film in contrast withother arts; film’s relationship withreality; the interdisciplinary reachof film studies; and the particularkinds of engagement into whichcinema invites its audience. Yourunderstanding of the theoreticaldebates improves, allowing you todevelop better informed analyses,and your assumptions about whatfilm can – or should – be and doare challenged.

Cinema and Technology Following the rapid developments indigital and computer media, interestin cinema and technology hasgrown. In this module, you explorechanges in cinema by placingthem within a broadly definedtechnocultural shift. While keepingcinema as a central point of enquiry,the module uses an interdisciplinaryframework that draws on mediaand cultural studies, science andtechnology studies, philosophy andfilm theory. Works studied includecontemporary technological cutting-edge Hollywood blockbusters,animations, experimental digital artcinema and internet viral films. Youalso consider earlier technologicalinnovations including sound,lighting, colour and video.

Conceptualising Film This module provides you with anin-depth examination of key issuesin film theory, approaching them

through an emerging paradigm oftheory, namely ‘analytic philosophyof film’. The module is organisedaround a series of sub-themes,including emotion and film, theaesthetics and ethics of film, thenature of photographic and filmicrepresentation, and the ways inwhich films might themselves actas vehicles for philosophical ideas.

Digital Film Practice: Key SkillsThis module combines intensiveanalysis of short-form films withhistorical contextualisation,treatment-writing instruction andworkshops, in-house technicalinstruction and masterclasses frompractising film professionals. Youproduce a completed treatmentfor the short fiction film you intendto develop for your dissertation.

Dissertation This is your opportunity to explorethe aspects of film studies thatinterest you most. You write 15,000words on a topic of your choice. Theprocess of developing a topic andwriting the dissertation is closelysupported through classes andindividual meetings with yoursupervisor.

Dissertation by Film PracticeYou develop your creative voice asa writer/director of film, your abilityto contextualise and analyse yourown creative practice, and yourability to work as a crew memberon films directed by others.

Film History: Research MethodsThis module examines film historyand historiography through acase study. You are encouragedto work with archive and primarysources held in the library in orderto help you to evaluate and contestreceived histories, which may bebased on aesthetic, technological,economic, or social formations.Through your investigation, youdevelop your understanding ofthe role and value of the contextualstudy of film, and will also have theopportunity to research and write onan aspect of film history. The choiceof case study depends upon theexpertise of the module convenorand is not restricted to a particularnational cinema or period.

Film and ModernityHere, you explore the history of filmin France, with a particular focus onthe role and representation of Parisin cinema of the pre-First World

“Advanced Film Theory hasprobably been my favouritemodule. I love exploring thedifferent perspectives amonghumanities scholars. Thatsaid, the course isn’t all theory;our historically orientedmodules have also been reallyenjoyable – especially when wehad the opportunity to workclosely with primary sourceslike fan magazines and oldmovie posters.”

Jake WhritnerMA Film

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War years. You examine the mediumof film, considering its specificqualities as an art-form and alsothe ways in which it is influencedby, and influences, other artistic andcultural forms from its beginningsin the cafés of Paris to theestablishment of the Cinémathèquein the wake of the Second WorldWar. The module also exposesthe relationship between thedevelopment of the modern city andthe development of the cinema, witha particular focus on Paris and theramifications of its modernisation.You also assess the historicalplace of the cinema within thedevelopment of early 20th-centuryculture in Paris. The reading rangesfrom the work of early French filmtheorists, through critical theorists,geographers, urban planners andcultural historians.

Independent ProjectDevelopmentThis module provides advancedknowledge of the creative andproduction management skillsrequired to produce a full proposalfor a short fiction film as well aspre-production and distributionplanning. By the end of the module,you will have completed a fullproposal and distribution strategyfor the short film you intend to makefor your dissertation and undertakenrelevant pre-production tasks.

Screening HistoriesMedia industries thrive on costumefilms, historical docu-dramas andother period productions, fromDownfall to Downton Abbey;

cultural and economic activityclusters around ‘heritage’. Here, youstudy the central concerns of thehistorical film, one of today’s mostprominent and debated genres.You look at how it produces anddisseminates understandings of the past and history’s significance to the present, how dramatic featurefilms can stimulate national debatesabout identity and how they canhelp us empathise with peopledifferent from us. Key topics coveredinclude: authenticity and ‘accuracy’,spectacle aesthetics, the roleof sound, the biopic, historicalempathy and the historical filmas cultural and industrial object.

History of ArtAdvanced Study of a SingleArtistThe module involves the study of asingle artist of significance for thehistory of art. Through the in-depthstudy of the works of art of a singleartist, the interpretations made ofthem and the cultural significanceof the artist’s life and oeuvre, youare introduced to a wide range ofapproaches and issues central tothe theory and practice of thediscipline of art history.

Art After AbstractionThis module examines one ofthe most prominent strands incontemporary art: art that respondsto or draws on abstract painting.We ask: what is the condition ofabstraction after modernism andpostmodernism, and what does


thinking about recent art in termsof abstraction tell us, both aboutthe work and the times? You exploreresponses to these questions,investigating the work’s ‘materiality’alongside ‘mediating’ factorsbetween the artist, their world,and the work. Examples might be:technological developments in theproduction, display and circulationof images and information;strategies of chance andappropriation; new institutionaland conceptual frameworks; anddifferent approaches to identity.Artists discussed may includeAndy Warhol, Sherrie Levine,Donald Judd, Jean-Michel Basquiat,Amy Silman and Wolfgang Tilmans.

The Art of Portraiture: Historicaland Philosophical ApproachesYou gain an advancedunderstanding of concepts andmethods involved in the studyof portraits. You explore recentphilosophical and art historicalliterature on portraiture and relatedtopics. The historical developmentof portraiture and its differentsubgenres is traced and influentialportrait artists are discussedand their work analysed. Ourdiscussions take place within abroader theoretical framework,focusing on philosophical issuessuch as the nature of personalidentity, objectification, thedefinition of art, and theoriesof representation and genre.

Concepts of Beauty: The NudeIn this module, you examine thetradition of the nude in westernart. We begin with the emergence

of the nude in Greek and Romanantiquity, following its fate in theearly Christian and medievalworld and re-emergence in theRenaissance and Baroque. Turningto the French academic tradition,you explore how treatment of thenude both reflects and provokesdebates that culminate in thevirtuous neoclassical masculinenude. You examine the return ofthe female nude to French paintingthrough orientalist motifs as wellas its use by a 19th-centuryavant-garde to contest academicstandards and question the natureof modern artistic production. Youlook at not only how and what theunclothed body represents, butthe relationship to desire andvision that drives the creationand spectatorship of art.

This module may be taught in eitherCanterbury or Paris and you havethe opportunity to visit relevantlocations. In Paris, locations includethe Musée du Louvre, Muséed’Orsay, Musée Rodin, MuséePicasso and Musée GustaveMoreau, among others, offeringan especially rich opportunity toconsider the entire classical traditionof the nude in European art at firsthand. Canterbury students havethe opportunity to visit a range ofLondon locations, including, theBritish Museum, the NationalGallery, the Wallace Collection,and Tate Modern, among others,where you can examine the originsof the classical tradition and centralfigures from the European tradition.

Curatorial InternshipYou become part of a team runningStudio 3 Gallery in the JarmanBuilding. You undertake key tasksand projects integral to the deliveryof the exhibition programme, bothindividually and working in groups,under the direction of theprogramme convenor and of thegallery’s curator and with (or as)exhibition curators. Tasks mayinclude exhibition design andplanning, negotiating loans,maintaining partnerships, managingcollections, researching and writingcatalogues, interviewing artists,fundraising, devising educationalprogrammes, handling, storing andtransporting art works, designingpromotional materials, marketingexhibitions and exhibition analysis.You produce a self-reflective journalwhere you assess what you havelearnt from the internship.

Discovering Rome in Rome:Arts in Rome from Antiquityto the Present Day You are introduced to the richnessand variety of art produced in Romeover the last two millennia. Althoughmost attention is focused on theRenaissance, the module’s startingpoint is in antique art, and it looksforward to the Baroque to give youa sense of the longevity of artisticproduction in the city and the extentto which its artists and patronslooked back to the city’s pastachievements. The module placesgreat emphasis on study fromoriginal works of art and is basedaround site visits backed up byclassroom discussion.

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Dissertation You write 12-15,000 words ona topic of your choice relating tohistory of art or philosophy of artand aesthetics. The process ofdeveloping a topic and writing thedissertation is supported throughclasses and individual meetingswith your supervisor. Supervision isusually by staff with direct researchexpertise in your chosen topic.

High Renaissance Artists inFlorence and RomeThe module introduces you toin-depth study of the HighRenaissance artists. It placesgreat emphasis on study fromoriginal works of art and is be basedaround site visits (in Florence andRome), backed up by classroomdiscussion. The field is rich and

extensive, and you focus on majorworks within the wider narrative ofthe High Renaissance in Florenceand Rome.

History and Theory of CuratingYou are introduced to the history andtheory of curating through detailedcase studies from the early modernperiod to the present day. Thesefocus on how collections have beenformed and maintained and thenature of key institutions in theart world such as museums andgalleries. In particular, we examinethe phenomenon of the exhibition,looking at different approachesto curating exhibitions and theresponsibilities of the curatortowards artists, collections, andthe public. Wherever possible, thecase studies draw on the resources

and expertise of our partners, suchas Canterbury museums and theInstitute of Contemporary Art.

Key Concepts and Classic Textsin History and Philosophy of Art You are introduced to key conceptsand classic texts that are centralto understand fundamental debatesin history and philosophy of art aswell as art criticism. Some examplesof key concepts are the notionof representation, intention, style,influence, the aesthetic, fiction,beauty, etc; and some examplesof texts are Wollheim’s Painting asan Art, Schapiro’s The Apples ofCezanne, Baxandall’s Patterns ofIntention, Walton’s Categories ofArt, Barthes’ Camera Lucida,Danto’s After the End of Art. Themodule is team-taught by historians


and philosophers of art, individualstaff members usually teaching oneor two seminars each. Texts and/orkey concepts discussed in theseminars are subject to change.

A Matter of Taste: The Art andAesthetics of Food Taste, perhaps the most intimateof the five senses, has traditionallybeen considered beneath theconcern of philosophy, too boundto the body, too personal andidiosyncratic. Yet, in additionto providing physical pleasure,eating and drinking bear symbolicand aesthetic value in humanexperience. Here, we investigatewhy taste came to occupy so lowa place in the hierarchy of sensesand why it is deserving of greaterattention. We begin with the Greekthinkers who classified taste as aninferior, bodily sense; we then tracethe parallels between notions ofaesthetic and gustatory taste that

were explored in the formation ofmodern aesthetic theories. Recentscientific views of how taste worksare discussed and we also lookat the different meanings food anddrink conveyed in art and literature.

Modern Art in Paris This module, which is taught inParis, focuses on Paris as a centreof artistic experiment. The citywas the launch pad for key artisticmovements from the mid 19thcentury to the period after theSecond World War (impressionism,Cubism and surrealism, and manyothers) and served as a magnet forbudding and established artists.We visit the museum collectionsthat encapsulate such developments(Musées d’Art Moderne andd’Orsay, Rodin and PicassoMuseums, Beaubourg, QuaiBranly, among others) and alsothe major exhibitions in Paris inany given year.

Philosophical Issues in ArtHistory and Visual Culture You gain an advancedunderstanding of philosophicalissues and concepts underpinningfoundational concepts in high art,and broader visual culture. Topicsof study may include: conceptionsof realism in art from Classicaltimes through to Impressionismand Cubism; ideas of form in artfrom the Classical and Baroqueto modernist abstraction; notionsof the formless in postmodern art;concepts of genius and creativityfrom the 18th century to the presentday; philosophical issues aroundteaching art; evolutionary thinkingin art history and aesthetics; theaesthetics of cultural forms such asautomotive design and comics; andthe place and nature of kitsch in lowand high culture.

Post-Conceptual Art and VisualArts Criticism The proposed curriculum of thismodule follows recent visual arts-based critical responses to thedevelopment of particular genresand associated shifts in culturalproduction. For example, thisincludes the attention given toemerging practices of self andgroup curation and the rationalefor the doubling, or multiplyingof artistic agency variouslydemonstrated by collectives suchas SUPERFLEX, Claire Fontaineand by a range of contemporaryworking partnerships.

Tuition feesFor the most up-to-dateinformation on tuition fees,visit www.kent.ac.uk/pg

School enquiriesFor further information, pleasecontact:Admissions and RecruitmentManager,School of Arts,Jarman Building,University of Kent,Canterbury,Kent CT2 7UG, UK

E: [email protected]: +44 (0)1227 827567

Admissions enquiriesT: +44 (0)1227 827272www.kent.ac.uk/pg

42

APPLYING TO KENT

General entryrequirements If you wish to apply for a higherdegree, you must normally havea first or second class honoursdegree in a relevant or appropriatesubject, or the equivalent froman internationally recognisedinstitution (for more informationon requirements for internationalqualifications, visit www.kent.ac.uk/internationalstudent/country)

For specific entry requirements,please refer to individualprogramme entries.

English languageThe University requires all non-native speakers of English to reacha minimum standard of proficiencyin written and spoken English beforebeginning a postgraduate degree.

Minimum standard: IELTS – 6.5,incl 6.0 in reading and writing,and 5.5 in listening and speaking;Pearson Test of English Academic(PTE Academic) – 62, incl 60 ineach subtest; Cambridge English:Advanced and Proficiency 176,incl minimum of 169 in readingand writing and 162 in speakingand listening; Internet-basedTOEFL – 90 incl minimum of 22 inreading, 21 in writing and listening,23 in speaking.

If you do not reach the requiredstandard, you can apply for oneof our pre-sessional courses. Forfurther information, please seewww.kent.ac.uk/ip

Only English language tests takenup to a maximum of two years priorto the date of registration will beaccepted for admission to theUniversity. Please note that ifyour university studies have beencompleted entirely in English,you may be exempt from providingan English test certificate. Pleasecontact International Recruitmentfor clarification (www.kent.ac.uk/internationalstudent/recruitment/team.html)

Making an application You can apply for a Kent higherdegree electronically via ourwebsite at www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply

If you do not have access to theweb, please contact the Recruitmentand Admissions Office for advice,see details on p47.

If you are applying for a researchdegree, it is strongly recommendedthat you contact the School of Artsin the first instance, so that you havean opportunity to discuss your studyplans with the programme director.

Application deadlineThere is no fixed deadlinefor applications. We stronglyrecommend that you apply as soonas possible and no later than threemonths before the start of term.If you wish to apply for on-campusaccommodation, an applicationmust be made online by the endof July.

School of Arts

This brochure was produced in January2017. The University of Kent makes everyeffort to ensure that the informationcontained in its publicity materials is fairand accurate and to provide educationalservices as described. However, thecourses, services and other matters maybe subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, see www.kent.ac.uk/pgFull details of our terms and conditionscan be found at:www.kent.ac.uk/termsandconditions

For the University to operate efficiently, itneeds to process information about you foradministrative, academic and health andsafety reasons. Any offer we make to youis subject to your consent to process suchinformation and is a requirement in orderfor you to be registered as a student.All students must agree to abide bythe University rules and regulationsat: www.kent.ac.uk/regulations


LocationCanterbury

FacultyFaculty of Humanities

SchoolSchool of Arts

ContactSchool of Arts, Jarman Building,The University of Kent,Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7UG, UKT: +44 (0)1227 827567E: [email protected]

ApplicationsOnline at www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply

GENERAL INFORMATION

European connectionsKent is known as the UK’s Europeanuniversity. Our two main UKcampuses, Canterbury and Medway,are located in the south-east ofEngland, close to London, andwe also have study locations inParis, Rome, Athens and Brussels.

We have a diverse, cosmopolitanpopulation with 148 nationalitiesrepresented. We also have stronglinks with universities in Europe.From Kent, you are around twohours away from Paris and Brusselsby train.

World-leading researchAs a student at Kent, you are taught by leading academics, whoproduce research of internationalstanding. Based on our excellentresults in the 2014 ResearchExcellence Framework (REF), Kent was ranked 17th* in the UK for research intensity by the TimesHigher Education, confirming ourposition as one of the UK’s leadingresearch-intensive universities.

Strong academiccommunityKent’s postgraduate studentsare part of a thriving intellectualcommunity. In addition to lectures,seminars and supervision, youbenefit from a rich and stimulatingresearch culture. We have alsoinvested in Woolf College, a modernfacility on the Canterbury campusdedicated to postgraduates, whichcombines accommodation withacademic and social space.

A global outlookKent has a great internationalreputation, attracting academicstaff and students from around theworld. Thirty-seven per cent of ouracademic staff are from overseasand our schools are engagedin collaborative research withuniversities worldwide. We alsooffer a range of opportunities tostudy abroad and an approachthat is truly global.

The Graduate SchoolAs a postgraduate student, you alsohave the support of the GraduateSchool, which promotes youracademic interests, co-ordinatesthe Researcher DevelopmentProgramme and the GlobalSkills Award, and facilitates cross-disciplinary interactionand social networking.

FundingKent provides a variety offinancial support opportunitiesfor postgraduate students. Theserange from research studentships,location-specific funding, sport andmusic scholarships, and fundingspecifically for overseas fee-payingstudents. For further information,see www.kent.ac.uk/pgfunding

Enhanced careerprospectsAt Kent, we want you to be in agood position to face the demandsof a tough economic environment.During your studies, you acquire ahigh level of academic knowledgeand specialist practical skills.

We also help you to develop keytransferable skills that are essentialwithin the competitive world ofwork.

Further informationFor information about applyingto Kent, or to order a copy of theGraduate Prospectus, pleasecontact:Recruitment and Admissions Office, The Registry, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ, UKT: +44 (0)1227 827272F: +44 (0)1227 827077www.kent.ac.uk/pg

The University also holds OpenDays and postgraduate recruitmentevents throughout the year. Pleasesee www.kent.ac.uk/opendays

*of 122 universities, not includingspecialist institutions

COME ANDVISIT US

University of Kent, The Registry, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ T: +44 (0)1227 764000 www.kent.ac.uk/pg

To find out more about visiting the University, see our website:

www.kent.ac.uk/visit

DPC 12307501/17PUB842

SCHOOL OF ARTS - Home - University of Kent · house the Jacques Copeau Archive and the British...

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