Photography

Photography at Brighton is promoted as a dynamic contemporary art practice.

It acknowledges photography's multiplicity and the heterogeneous spaces that the medium now occupies in contemporary culture.

From the walls of major museums and galleries to cutting edge commercial applications, photography continues to be inserted into the world at the forefront of an expanded visual matrix that encompasses new and existing forms of electronic and analogue dissemination. The MA clearly acknowledges these dramatic transformations. In spite of this and indeed because of these developments, photography continues to be a most influential medium when it comes to analysing the wider world and our place within it. The documentary and allegorical possibilities for interpreting our local and global environment have now been strengthened practically and intellectually and further extended.

It is expected that the practice and analysis of photography on the MA will engender a culture fully committed to testing the boundaries of the medium and pushing at the edges of the discipline so as to develop a conception of what photography is and how it might be used and interpreted in the future.

Photographers are encouraged to reflect on their own position whilst representing the various positions that they may be confronted with. Subsequently, the aim is to develop practitioners who can think conceptually and who can develop new visual languages that can adequately represent the world today.

Students benefit from a wide range of photographic facilities including colour and black and white darkrooms, extensive digital facilities, and photographic studios.

Course structure

Part-time students work approximately two days a week during their period of study - one day a week engaged in the programme at the university and one day a week engaged in independent study (two days during university vacation periods), carrying out practical work required on projects (including written work).

Full-time students work approximately four days a week during their studies
- two days a week following the course programme at the university, and two days a week engaged in independent study. During the vacation period students are expected to work four days a week independently.

Links with commercial, academic, governmental and other organisations

Photographic culture in Brighton
There is an established photographic culture in the city of Brighton. Photography has featured as a significant part of the Brighton Festival and has had a strong presence within the many visual arts spaces of the city. This continues to grow, particularly through the presence of the Brighton Photo Biennial and the location of the commissioning and publishing organisation, Photoworks in central Brighton.

Concurrent with this is the university's participation in Photoforum, the collaborative enterprise between key educational and arts providers within the south-east region aimed at promoting critical debate concerning contemporary photography. Key activities have included conferences held at the University of Brighton, the Victoria and Albert Museum and at KIAD Canterbury resulting in the first publication, Where is the Photograph?.

Mode of Attendance : Full - time