Pedagogies & Practise
Posted on: 05 December 2008
Institution:
Author:
Call for Proposals to participate in the NAFAE AGM and members Forum on 27 March 2009
At the Swedenborg Society, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way London WC1A 2TH
PEDAGOGIES AND PRACTICES
Outline
Following the recent debate questioning the quality of Art education in the pages of Art Monthly and the subsequent symposiums at the ICA in London and the IKON in Birmingham NAFAE will be hosting a forum following the AGM in March 09, to discuss/examine current and emerging attitudes to pedagogical practice, within Fine Art. The aim of this forum is to highlight discipline specific models of good practice and innovative teaching.
NAFAE would particularly welcome proposals for 10 min presentations from academic staff who have recently (over the last 2-6 yrs) become involved in teaching Fine Art at H E level as well as more established teaching practitioners.
Themes
- the relationship between teaching and assessment
- the impact of staff research on teaching
- curriculum development in the context of expanded Fine Arts practice, changes to studio
- provision and resources
- approaches to art making and writing
- barriers to the development of innovative teaching methods
- the potential of external partnerships to enhance the curriculum
- embedding professional practice, employability and diversity in the curriculum
- the benefits and or pitfalls of internationalisation
Following a series of short presentations members will be invited to debate emerging issues.
Brief proposals (no more than 500 words) should be submitted in digital format with any accompanying visuals to admin@nafae.org.uk by Friday Feb 13th 2009, clearly stating: name / title / institution / presentation format (powerpoint will be made available).
The NAFAE steering group will select a range of presentation proposals and these
will be circulated to delegates prior to the event. To encourage and facilitate as many perspectives as possible presentations will be limited to 15 minutes followed by 5 minute question period.
Background Information
NAFAE is the subject Association for Fine Art education in the UK. It advocates the interests, promotion and cultural relevance of Fine Art education at Foundation, BA, MA and Phd level. We aim to anticipate and shape decisions that impact on the enhancement and future development of Fine Art by engaging with a range of constituencies. We are committed to ensuring that Fine Art, in all its diverse forms and manifestations, continues to be at the heart of Art and Design institutions and that the currency, vitality and distinctiveness of the subject is maintained and enhanced.
Over the past year NAFAE have funded a series of regional symposiums to debate aspects of Fine Art educational provision. The event organised by Coventry University and hosted by the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (July 08), entitled ‘Artist as Public Performer’ considered new ways in which artists are engaging with their audiences, both within the gallery setting and beyond. It aimed to promote discussion around the changing possibilities and potential opportunities for the graduate artist and the implications of these on curriculum design at BA level, particularly in relation to Professional Practice.
Also in July 08, the University of Sunderland hosted a networking event to consider ways to foster wider participation in Fine Art at HE, where ongoing staff development and the relationship of artists’ practice to teaching were raised as key issues. The event held at Salford University, in collaboration with GMSA, ‘Engaging Communities: Art and Design Networks’ (April 08) examined creative, locationally specific models of good pedagogical practice as an aid to wider participation into art and design at all levels. The event promoted detailed debate and discussion on the relationship of HE to; the current range of Level 3 provision, access arrangements for students new to the subject and measures to improve retention. There is now an established Progression Network in Art and Design in the North West (Manchester and Salford) that is generating regional student projects and research initiatives to improve collaboration and partnership between Further and Higher Education.
In addition to these, ‘Space to Think’ at Chelsea School of Art (not NAFAE funded) considered changing approaches to the use of space within art schools and the Glad conference (also not NAFAE funded) hosted by Nottingham Trent, considered the student experience in art and design in the context of the National student survey. In the final keynote of the event Simon Lewis, the former Pro Vice Chacellor of Nottingham Trent challenged the view that Fine Art either does or should necessarily to occupy a central position in the Art School, and suggested that current Fine Art practice sits more critically and effectively when it operates from the margins. Simon Lewis went on to describe how Fine Art education is already having to respond to a very different economic context and how this might be further affected as and when the cap on fees is lifted and student ‘consumers’ make their career choices.
(a copy of Simon Lewis’s keynote speech is available on the NAFAE website)
Jane Ball
Co-opted member
NAFAE Steering Group