MA Fine Art Welcome Guide

Preparing for your course

We're delighted that you've chosen to join our creative community at Arts University Bournemouth. We can't wait to see what you'll create.

Welcome to the MA Fine Art course

This welcome pack is designed to give you an idea of what to expect during the first weeks of your course. Please take the time to read it carefully and take particular note of the pre-course preparation. The team and I hope that you'll enjoy a happy and productive time with us and look forward to meeting you.

A message from your Course Team

Congratulations on your place. I'd like to welcome you as a postgraduate student studying here at Arts University Bournemouth.

I hope that you are excited by the prospect of the challenges that this period of advanced study will bring, and that you'll immerse yourself in the activities that we have planned. The nature of the course offers significant opportunities for you to think beyond your chosen discipline and it is this richness and sharing of ideas, along with a preparedness to take creative risks that renders, in our experience, meaningful, imaginative and intellectually rewarding outcomes.

We want to offer you the best support while you're with us.

Before you join us

While there is no specified pre-course project, we recommend that you visit as many exhibitions as you can and get into the habit of writing about what you see and think, as you'll be reflecting and analysing all aspects of your practice and the work of others while on the course.

The central thread of the course is a distinct focus and reassessment of autobiography and the familiar, through differing understandings of creativity. What constitutes a meaningful and useful research methodology in one culture may be considered unknown, unnecessary or redundant in another.

You're encouraged to explore and unpick your own working strategies and methods, in the context of broader cultural and educational differences offered by the course and your peers. This is therefore a good habit to get into before you start.

To prepare for your postgraduate study, you might like to explore some of the books listed below. All of these are available at AUB Library, but you may wish to borrow a copy from your local library to look at before you arrive.

Individual titles

Key book series

The Library here at AUB has all sorts of magazines and academic journals relating to arts and culture. Before you arrive, you may like to look at the following titles. For online access, you'll need AUB login details, which are provided after online enrolment.

Artforum international [Find in AUB Library: Print and Online]
Art monthly [Find in AUB Library: Print]
Frieze [Find in AUB Library: Print and Online]
Journal of visual arts practice [Find in AUB Library: Online]
Mass sculpture [Find in AUB Library: Print]
Turps banana [Find in AUB Library: Print]

Here are a few websites and online resources that might be of interest:

Fine Art subject guide: AUB Library’s guide to resources for Fine Art students. Spend some time getting familiar with this, as it will be essential for your studies!
a-n: Website of The Artists Information Company, which supports contemporary visual arts practice and affirms the value of the artist in society. It focuses on conversations around the critical and professional environment for the visual arts, bringing together artists, art students, producers, arts professionals, researchers, arts organisations and universities. You'll need AUB login details for full access.
Art21 Library: An extensive library of films and educational materials produced by Art21. The core of the Art21 Library is nearly one thousand hours of original documentary footage amassed during the production of Art21’s films. The filmed material is supplemented with transcribed interviews, research materials, educational publications, webpages, books, and digital and analogue artwork reproductions.

What to bring on your first day

All you need to bring on your first day is a notebook and a pen/pencil.

Although you'll have access to short-term loan computers and digital equipment, you're advised to bring your own laptop, camera/camera phone, and external hard drive.

This course primarily uses Apple computers.

A limited selection of 2D and 3D materials may be purchased and are available at approximately 50% less than high street prices. Materials for workshops are often provided.