Summer: Media, Culture and Communications

You will have the opportunity to visit world-class exhibitions, in previous years we have been to Carsten Holler: Decision at the Hayward Gallery and Digital Revolution at the Barbican Centre. You will go on a psychogeography walk around Brick Lane and explore the London Gothic culture of Abney Park Cemetery, from from the Victorian era through to Amy Winehouse.

At the beginning of the course you will learn how to create an engaging blog with images and video. Throughout the course you will add to this and it will form part a larger The London Project which will form part of your assessment. In addition the blog will be a great way for you to record share your experiences with friends and family.

Course Aims

• Enable you to develop a critical understanding of the major theoretical perspectives in the field of media, cultural and communications studies
• Explore the social, historical and economic context of the transformations in media and communications practices and industries and their impact on contemporary cultures and societies
• Develop your understanding of a range of contemporary media, cultural and communications practices
• Support you to be able to present your research and ideas confidently – in writing, face-to-face and online

Learning Outcomes

• Be aware of the economic forces which frame the media, cultural and creative industries, and the role of such industries in contemporary political and cultural life (Subject Knowledge)
• Critically analyse the theoretical issues that inform the media and cultural studies discipline (Research, Analysis)
• An ability to locate and evaluate information from a range of written and / or visual sources (Research, Analysis)
• An ability to communicate ideas and arguments in an academic form (Communication and Presentation)

Requirements for Assessment

• Contribution to online media presence
• Presentation of the London Project ideas and concept development

Course Outline

Week One:

The first week will have a focus on media communications. Your tutor will introduce you to the fundamental concepts of media, communication and culture and how these are manifested as processes and practices. Areas covered include audiences and effects, global media and social media.

You will contribute your thoughts in small group discussions to debates about contemporary issues such as digital media and the rise of citizen journalism.

In Week One you will take a class in bogs, covering writing, images and video. You will update this throughout your weeks in London and this will form part of your assessment at the end of the course.

By the end of this week you will have an understanding of the communications media as a cultural form and of how it shapes contemporary culture.

Week Two:

In this week you will focus on culture – what defines it and how we can analyse it. Areas covered include mass media, culture and power and alternative media. Your tutor will present a series of case-studies and ask you to contribute your opinions on issues such as consumer culture, censorship, and popular culture.

Through tutor led case-studies and group work, this week will give you a detailed introduction to the main concepts and debates in cultural studies and how these relate to media processes.

Week Three:

In the final week of the summer school you will complete an individual project about London. You will go out and about in the city observing media, communications and culture in practice through your own eyes.

Drawing on the concepts and practical knowledge you learned during the first two weeks, you will have the opportunity to discover and analyse cultural industries in London from your own point of view.

You will be assessed on the presentation of your project, giving you the chance to demonstrate the communication skills have developed over the three week course.