Visual Arts and Film - BA (Hons)

Durham University

Explore the world of the visual arts and film from a global and historical perspective. Combine high-level critical study of visual culture with a range of practical and professional skills. Combining still and moving images, advanced academic study and practical skills development, this BA is a degree like no other. It draws on staff research spanning historical periods from classical Rome to the present, and is global in its geographical reach. There is an emphasis not only on Western art, film and visual culture, but also those of the Middle East, Russophone Eurasia and East Asia. The concepts of the ‘visual’ and the ‘image’ you will explore on this course are fundamentally shaped by this transnational perspective. With this scope in mind, the degree offers extensive language-learning opportunities, as part of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. You will have the opportunity to draw on the outstanding collections of the University’s internationally renowned Oriental Museum, its distinguished Western Art collections, and the curatorial expertise of its staff. No previous study of art is required, just a desire to explore the exciting world of visual art and film. As such, alongside the language-learning opportunities, you can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four. There is a practical and professional focus too. Depending on your own module choices, field trips, placement opportunities and skills-based modules will give you insights into how art is made, exhibited, bought and sold. Hear from our students hereYou will have the opportunity to study the art, film and visual culture of Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Course structureYear 1 modulesCore modules:Introduction to Visual Culture Studies examines the central issues in visual culture, film studies and the history of art, paying particular attention to the relationship between these three linked areas. Central to the philosophy of the module is an emphasis on global visual cultures and the role translation plays in the study of transnational phenomena.The Art of the Moving Image (1): Key Concepts explores the moving image in a range of formats, genres, histories, media, national contexts, and styles. It will help to develop your ability to analyse and critique moving image texts. You will be familiarised with the complexity and specificity of the moving image by focusing on aspects such as audiences, auteurs, cinematography, editing, industries, performance, sound and staging. You will also be introduced to key theories in the fields of film and visual studies in the wider context of cultural studies. You will develop your research skills and methodologies in the field of visual cultures and the moving image. This may include animation, documentary film, narrative and short film, streaming platforms, television, video and video art.Art- and Film-Writing in Context covers the numerous forms and venues in which people write about art and film. It will equip you with the understanding and skills required to be an effective communicator, able to write in a knowledgeable and medium-appropriate way for a variety of audiences.Optional modules:In recent years, optional modules have included: People and CulturesIntroduction to Middle Eastern CulturesCities in AntiquityMedieval to Modern: An Introduction to the Archaeology of the Medieval to the Post Medieval WorldLives of Objects – Greek and Roman AntiquityIntroduction to Chinese CultureMonuments and Memory in the Age of AugustusIntroduction to Japanese Culture: From Antiquity to the PresentGallery 101: Designing an Art Exhibition. Year 2 modulesCore modules:Digital Skills for Visual Culture Research develops your appreciation of the relationship between technology and different modes of aes