Art and Politics in Britain 2008-Now (V4072)

30 credits, Level 6

Autumn teaching

When politics is conducted through images, the cultural field is weaponised and artists seek social effects beyond the gallery, where do we draw the line between art and politics? On this module, you'll explore this question by placing contemporary art in Britain in the context of wider visual cultures.

Key themes include:

  • art and politics in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis
  • intersections of political, economic and cultural forces in visual art
  • art’s role in re-examining the existing social order
  • the broader impact of visual cultures beyond the art world.

You'll examine how political and cultural factors have influenced contemporary British art and visual culture, encouraging critical reflection on their social implications.

Teaching

100%: Seminar

Assessment

30%: Coursework (Portfolio)
70%: Written assessment (Essay)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 33 hours of contact time and about 267 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.