Introduction
Professional development for MA fine and applied arts students
Author: Judy Glasman
Institution: University of Hertfordshire, Faculty of Art and Design
Author information: Judy Glasman is currently Head of Department of Art and Arts
Therapies and Associate Dean Academic Quality. She is Project Director for the FDTL
ADEPTT Art and Design: Enabling Part Time Tutors project.
Abstract: This case study describes an approach to postgraduate professional skills
development in relation to a single teaching session.
Discipline: Fine and applied arts
Date written: March 2003
This case study focuses on a 3 hour single session of teaching and learning which was
part of an MA Art Practices programme taught at the University of Hertfordshire in the
Department of Art and Arts Therapies.
Context and learning situation
The session was part of a 15 credit Professional Context module which is taught in
Semester A at the start of the students’ programme. The group consisted of 15 students
from a variety of backgrounds, some had just graduated and others were graduates who
had completed their studies some years before. The students’ practices on this
programme range across fine, media and applied arts. During Semester A the students are
studying a number of modules which are designed to develop research skills and
knowledge, studio practice and within this module, an improved understanding and
competence in relation to professional practice.
The learning outcomes for the module are:
Knowledge and understanding of
o Current problems and insights at the forefront of professional practice
o The social, cultural and ethical frameworks of practice
Transferable skills to
o Make sound judgements in relation to investigation, information and
research
o Communicate to specialist and non-specialist audiences
o Act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional
level
o Exercise initiative and personal responsibility
o Communicate in written and oral forms using appropriate academic
conventions
As the module comes in the first part of study the focus is on building knowledge and
understanding of the professional context, as well as facilitating some of the professional
skills applicable after completion of studies. This session does not contain any assessed
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work, the main assessment for this module is through presentation of a proposal in
response to a commission, funding application or specified project brief.
The specified learning outcomes for the session were:
Knowledge and understanding of
o The range of skills which potentially support art practice
o Some providers supporting professional practice development
o The importance of collaborative skills for artists and makers
Skills
o Ability to evaluate own skills
o Ability to begin to identify skills gaps and to seek to address these
o Ability to evaluate own strengths within collaborative practice/group
working and consider the relevance to professional practice
The structure for the session was set out as follows:
Introduction, scene setting and explanation of significance of these areas of working
Task 1 – small groups working on question ‘What skills are necessary to be a successful
artists or maker?’ This was followed by brief plenary and evaluation of findings.
Task 2 – teacher led section extracting ‘What skills are critical in the period post
graduation (and how is this supported by research findings)?’ Dialogue with student
group maintained during this section.
Task 3 – individual working using a skills evaluation tool. This was followed by a
plenary bringing together three areas from each student where skills gaps existed.
Task 4 – plenary using the list produced previously and identifying how and where these
needs might be supported.
Task 5 – an individual task of self-analysis using the Belbin test which identifies the roles
the individual perceives themselves taking in groups. This work was then summarized in
a plenary and discussed in relation to some of the ways that artists and makers may be
involved in working with others.
End tasks - Summary of work undertaken during the session and the findings that
emerged.
The input from individuals and groups which had been put on flip chart sheets was then
typed up and given out to the group after the end of the session.
The whole mood of the session was one of lots of dialogue, ideas and experiences being
related and expectations revealed. It is important that the nature of the session overall is
explained at the beginning and that the member of staff involved makes sure that
individuals within the group are valued by being given time to express views which
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should of course be received respectfully since some of these views may well be quite
rudimentary and naïve.
Rationale and wider issues
Teaching and learning in the area of professional practice is a topical matter and probably
a pretty complex task. For a start it can seem contradictory to be developing an awareness
of something that in reality will only develop and be fully understood after the student
completes his/her studies. The Destinations and Reflections research project, Blackwell
and Harvey (1999) showed that although many undergraduate programmes included
components such as business skills, professional practice and so on, that these were often
ineffective. This ineffectiveness stemmed in part from what may have been on offer, but
mostly from the attitude of the students who, in the main, were not able to perceive the
relevance of these matters to their own career as a practitioner and life beyond
graduation. This work implied that short training courses and work within postgraduate
study programmes might therefore be more effective in terms of the receptiveness of the
learner.
In addition there is the effect of government publications and economic focus on the
Cultural Industries. This has more clearly defined the career scope for graduates of art,
media and design. The Creative Industries Mapping Document (2001) has been
particularly helpful in identifying the kind of activities and products being produced
within the creative and cultural industries, but also the ways that businesses and
individuals are organized. There is also now a clearer sense in which the skills needed by
these ‘industries’ are more clearly defined and differentiated from other industrial sectors.
Alongside and in parallel with these developments, the increasing focus on graduate
‘employability’ derived from government initiatives supported by HEFCE has been in
evidence. The new employability project within HEFCE is good evidence of this. The
work around transferable skills is now being further developed to emphasise the effective
use of skills and abilities. Many projects run by various bodies are now seeking to
support artists in their careers. Much of this must be useful in that it stems from the
positive position that the artist and maker can help determine the pathway of their own
careers.
A changing attitude to careers has been revealed in the section of the QAA code of
practice for universities on careers advice. ‘The employment market is changing in ways
which make it more important than ever for students and graduates to take personal
responsibility for managing their own career development throughout life. For this they
need to develop the skills to manage their own career including the abilities to reflect and
review, to plan and make decisions, to use information resources effectively, to create
and to take opportunities, and to make provision for lifelong learning.’ QAA (2001) para.
8. The phrase ‘career management skills’ implies more than simply knowing what kinds
of careers might exist in your field of interest. It suggests that an individual can actively
manage his/her career throughout life and that the way that this is supported is through
adopting a self-evaluation approach. This is derived from the evidence of ‘portfolio’
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careers in the cultural industries, whereby individuals have several jobs back to back or in
parallel which may use their abilities in different fields. This is particularly relevant to an
artist who might be preparing for an exhibition, working in a residency, doing some kind
of teaching and seeking to maintain a developing practice simultaneously. Or a maker
making cheaper multiples whilst making a more expensive one-off for a commission.
Therefore the notion of ‘careers management skills’ seems important for our students
because it implies that they would be able to identify a field of activity they desire to
participate in, assess what they could offer in relation to this activity and see where
further development is needed. The weakness however in its use with art and design
students, is that it implies that it is simply a matter of identifying a ‘skills gap’ which can
be easily filled probably by some outside organization and does not recognize either the
possible complexity of the skills needed or the importance of the ability to produce the
specific creative works which involve abilities way beyond the simple notion of ‘skills’.
However what is valuable here is the sense of an entrepreneurial attitude, where the
student/artist must seek out and pursue opportunities, rather than passively waiting for
them to arrive out the blue. It also implies some control and contribution to the success of
one’s career and the ability to take advantage of the many opportunities out there.
It seems to me that the student of art and design has a double whammy of professional
practice issues – on the one hand he or she must develop a strong sense of his/her own art
and design abilities and positioning in the world in terms of what kind of practice he or
she has; on the other hand he or she must also develop a sense of the infrastructural skills
that support that activity and where these may be underdeveloped. Together this requires
a highly analytical approach, a high degree of self-knowledge and self-confidence. This
contemporary model of career management through objective self-evaluation followed by
rational action, is one that is in tune with some of the positivist approaches to pedagogy
that are currently in practice.
Lastly, although it was always clear for designers, the importance of collaborative
practice has not been so clearly highlighted for artists. The ability to work with others in
situations such as residencies and commissions is critical and this relates to the QAA
Subject Benchmark for Art and Design which is concerned with the skill of presenting
work in an understandable way to a variety of audiences.
In concluding this section we are in a position today where the cultural and economic
sector is more clearly defined, where the ability to proactively manage and develop one’s
career is more emphasized and that this is made more possible through various schemes
of support available. These factors are the background to a more active approach within
our programmes of study.
Student outcomes
This section describes the tasks that were undertaken and the students’ contributions.
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1.
Task 1 – small group working on question ‘What skills are necessary to be a
successful artist or maker?’ 20 minutes approx.
Small groups of 3 or 4 students worked using a flip-chart, brainstorming around the
question. Many of the groups produced similar points. A single list was then produced
from all the smaller groups. The list was as follows:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Entrepreneurialism – sales, marketing etc.
Good communication – use of contacts etc, including publicity
Luck
Self-motivation (discipline), ability to be focused
Professionalism in managing work and dealing with others (galleries etc.)
Financial knowledge and management
Knowledge of the field
Presentation skills (confidence)
Originality in work and distinctiveness, individuality
Being part of a community (sharing)
Time management
Setting goals
Networking – including belonging to professional groups
Conducive working environment
During this work some interesting discussion took place around :
o The degree to which a successful career might involve both luck and one’s own selfdisciplined approach;
o The importance of networking in order to find out what opportunities were out there
even if that was not a natural part of one’s personality;
o The importance of a community of colleagues to provide support and also a critical
base for one’s work after leaving university;
o The debunking of some of the myths of being discovered which stem from Brit Art;
o Different views, sometimes very idealistic, of how to be successful – for example
whether earning one’s income through selling work to friends and family was ‘good’
for your career or not.
2.
Task 2 – teacher led section extracting ‘What skills are critical in the period post
graduation and how is this supported by research findings?’ Dialogue with student group
maintained during this section. 15 minutes approx.
The work developed from the first task in starting to look at what key characteristics were
described as important for recent graduates working in art and design using the
Destinations and Reflections(1999) study. Some of the key characteristics were listed as:
o
o
o
o
The management of portfolio careers (combining different jobs)
The ability to spot, make and seize opportunities
Being multi-skilled
Being self-motivated
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o Working within a community of some kind to give support and exchange
ideas, all aspects of networking
o Helping to create the ‘value’ of the work through artists’ own activities and
promotion, as well as seeking critical success
During this work some discussion took place around these topics:
o A realization that the meaning and the success of the work were not necessarily
directly related to any notion of quality, and that the activities and promotion by
others and by the artist/makers was very significant;
o The process by which works of art might become critically successful – and also the
economics of this – what would be the consequences of critical success without any
income resulting? Also what would be the consequences of selling work without
having any critical context?
3.
Task 3 – individual working using a skills evaluation tool. This was followed by a
plenary, bringing together contributions from each student of 3 areas where skills gaps
existed. 30 minutes approx.
For this task students used a tool devised by me that was designed to begin a process of
reflection and evaluation of aspects of professional practice. Each section of the
evaluation has a set of short questions which require a response of confident/some
confidence/not confident. The respondent is also asked to make notes on experience to
date, support needed, questions and other key points. There are sections on the following:
Section title
Your practice
Research,
information skills
Business and
production skills
Markets, audiences
and modes of
practice
Opportunities –
bidding, networking,
self-promotion,
collaborations
Exhibition skills
Collaborations and
community-based
working
Section content
Evaluating your work; range of work; professional competence;
presenting yourself; securing, documenting and maintaining your
artwork; education and training needs
Using information sources; potential sources of financial support;
use of professional information; basic IT skills
Managing your own finances; selling work; working
environment; contracts; production skills and considerations;
financial and technical viability
Markets, clients and commissions; education and community;
audience expectations; developing a marketing plan; seeking
professional support
Identifying opportunities; networking and self-promotion;
communication skills; collaborating with others
Preparation, display, organization, interpretation
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Self-appraisal summary
Summary of development needs
Other comments
Out of this individual work students selected three areas where they felt least confident.
These were then summarized and discussed.
The skills that they felt needed most development were:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Financial costs – budgeting as part of financial and business planning
Setting personal goals
IT skills
Self-promotion
Multiple (batch)-production
Funding sources knowledge
This led to some further discussion about the difficulties of managing one’s working and
non-working lives. The discipline of keeping confident and on-track was highlighted. The
difficulties of having the range of abilities required of being a one-person small business
also came more strongly into focus.
4.
Task 4 – plenary using the list produced previously and identifying how and
where these needs might be supported. 30 minutes approx.
The group worked with the member of staff to identify sources of support for the skills
gaps. Suggestions were made by students and staff. This discussion was able to draw on
other work experiences of the students. More information was given to the students on
sources of advice and financial support for artists as part of the materials for this module.
Skills to acquire
Financial costing – budgeting as part of
financial and business planning
Setting personal goals
IT skills
Sources of further information/support
Local enterprise schemes
Business Link in Hertfordshire
Small business advice agencies
Learning and Skills Council training
courses
Banks advice for business start-up
Get an accountant
Develop own system
Develop goals with a friend or colleague
Mentoring schemes available – Arts and
Business, Artists Mean Business (Herts)
Need to use systems such as planners,
diaries, logs etc. setting out deadlines and
milestones
Relatively cheap courses at IT colleges
Workshops in Faculty and sessions in
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Self-promotion
Multiple production
Funding sources knowledge
Learning Resources Centre
Buddy up with someone more able
Teach yourself by having a go
Using the manual – being disciplined in
setting time aside
Use word of mouth
Use marketing considerations when
planning events or promoting work
See sources for financial costing and IT
skills
Skills to act as employer – seek advice on
employer’s obligations – some of same
sources as above
Use of internet
Regional development agencies
Regional arts boards
Professional advice websites
(Some of these skills such as IT skills, costing and batch production were developed in
other modules of the MA and were highlighted at this point because of the stage of study
of these students.)
After this work each student was asked to list three actions that they would undertake as a
result of this section of the session. These were considered individually and then shared
with the group.
5.
Task 5 – an individual task of self-analysis using the Belbin test which identifies
the roles the individual perceives themself to be taking in groups. This work was then
summarized in a plenary drawing out some of the ways that artists and makers may be
involved in working with others. 30 minutes approx.
This section was focused on the individual’s collaborative working skills. The Belbin test
is obviously only one kind of approach that could be used, but it is well-developed in its
field, derived from use in a business context. The self-perception questionnaire has
sections such as ‘What I believe I can contribute to a team’, ‘My approach to group work
is that’ and ‘If I was give a difficult task with limited time and unfamiliar people’. The
respondents then are asked to distribute 10 points amongst 10 statements, giving the most
to the ones that they feel are right for them. So that in the case of ‘My approach to group
work is that’ (this is followed by various statements of which I have given some
examples) ….’I am not afraid to challenge the views of others, or hold a minority view
myself’/ ‘I have a talent for making things work once a plan has been decided’/ ‘I am
interested in all views, but have no hesitation in making a decision when it is necessary’.
Various points are then transferred to an analysis sheet which then allows the team role
types to emerge for the individual.
The team roles used in Belbin are:
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Team role
Role contributions
Plant
Resources
investigator
Co-ordinator/Chair
Monitor evaluator
Teamworker
Creative, imaginative, unorthodox, solves problems
Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative, develops
contacts
Confident, mature, clarifies goals, delegates, chairs
group
Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure, overcomes
obstacles
Sober, strategic, sees all options, judges accurately
Cooperative, diplomatic, builds, averts friction
Implementer
Disciplined, reliable, efficient, practical
2
Completer
Conscientious, searches out errors, delivers on time
2
Shaper
Student
findings
2 each
4
6
2
6
1
1
The students found this exercise quite intriguing but not difficult. Given that they were a
group of art and applied arts students it was not unexpected that the creative, extrovert
and dynamic roles were most present. However this gave rise to a discussion on how
these roles might function in a collaborative context and that the completion of a project
may well need the less well represented skills and roles to come into play. It was also
clear that a particular role could be self-consciously adopted in order to progress a
collaborative project, but that this may not be the most comfortable role for the
individual.
The discussion that followed included the realization that an artist or maker was almost
always working with other people - from colleagues within a shared studio, to others
involved in the production process, to clients or committees. The importance of being
able to describe one’s work and identify ideas for particular contexts was highlighted.
6.
Summary at end of session
Some key advice was drawn out:
Students need to seek out information and advice from relevant sources and regard this as
a key skill and active part of their job.
Students should build up a resource in their studio of contacts and information and keep it
well organized.
Students should seize networking opportunities and take this activity as a core part of
their job, including networking that is apparently social in nature.
Evaluation
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Evaluation against learning outcomes is relatively simple at one level since the material
produced by the students themselves reveals them thinking about the range of skills,
where to get help and the evaluation of their own skills including working in groups.
It was also clear that this way of working in quite a sustained session over the 3 hours
with a combination of individual tasks, small group working and whole group working
was appropriate to the subject matter.
Quite a range of material was covered and an alternative way of running this kind of
session would be to take one aspect e.g. collaborative working and then carry it through
with more work - for example using a practical session which could deepen initial
understanding.
This kind of session needs to be built in to a programme of other activities which would
include supplying and exploring other sources of information and offering opportunities
to take up further study of some of the identified topics.
This type of session offers an alternative to the approaches which are prevalent in
professional practice learning in art and design higher education. Talks by practitioners
are often seen to be the main source for learning and these are good for students to
understand role models and particular routes of individual’s careers. However they do not
result in the students systematically viewing their own abilities and possibilities for
themselves. They do not specifically set out to help develop the ‘career management
skills’ which suggest a highly pro-active model of career development.
There is no doubt that these students enjoyed this session immensely including some of
the quiz-like feel to two of the components. In addition the divergent knowledge and
expectations that art students have about careers was brought into focus for examination.
One of the weaknesses of the session was that it did not have time to go into the problems
of supporting oneself through such career choices. The realization of this problem can
come as a nasty shock after completion of study. However this session was successful in
facilitating learning in relation to evaluation of abilities and the application of these to
various kinds of art practices.
References
ANweb WWW.anweb.co.uk website enhancing artists professional practice run by (a-n)
Artists Information company
Artquest WWW.artquest.org.uk advice and information service provided by London Arts
and the London Institute
Artists Mean Business project currently run by the University of Hertfordshire and
Digswell Arts Trust www.chilternweb.co.uk/digswell/
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Belbin, M (1993) Team Roles at Work Butterworth - Heinnemann
Creative Industries Mapping Document (2001) Department for Culture, Media and Sport
website
Blackwell, R and Harvey, L (1999) Destinations and Reflections: Careers of British art,
craft and design graduates. Centre for Research into Quality University of Central
England
QAA (2002) Subject Benchmark for Art and Design. The Quality Assurance Agency for
Higher Education
QAA (2001) Code of Practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in
HE. Career education, information and guidance The Quality Assurance Agency in
Higher Education
Springbett, S (2000) Career Management Skills for Art and Design Students in
Dunnelow, I, Maclennan, H and Stanley, N (Eds) Planning the Future pp150-156
Key words
Professional practice
Professional studies
Group work
Skills
Careers
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