Do you want to empower communities through the power of art? Socially engaged practice involves collaboration and participation with people, through co-authored and co-produced activities that helps to define an environment, attitude or experience, and is often defined by the process of these interactions, rather than an outcome. Considering pressing issues such as inclusion, mental health awareness, homelessness, amongst many others enables students of this course to explore a wider variety of real-life scenarios and apply an artistic approach and understanding to developing conversations and debate around these areas with relevant stakeholders within a community.

Artists have a history of using their creativity to highlight the topics that matter to them. If you want to be part of the next generation of socially engaged artists - through either full-time or part-time study - our socially engaged arts practice programme is for you.

You’ll work with communities or projects that have a story to share, from youth clubs and local organisations, to cultural groups and institutions and use your arts practice to explore these compelling stories through the development of participatory events within this community, before potentially disseminating these findings to a wider populace, in a variety of forms. You’ll also gain an arts education relating to social issues, learning to use research and reflection to guide your creative process and create art that shines a spotlight on causes that matter.

Upon graduating from this socially engaged art master’s programme, you may choose to pursue a variety of career paths. For example, you could become a freelance artist, working in galleries, prisons, youth centres, hospitals, and schools.

Alternatively, you may take the knowledge you’ve gained and go into teaching, through a variety of formal and non-formal workshop or residency settings. This could take place in primary and secondary schools, further and higher education, prison education, youth clubs, or residential and care homes, to name a few.

As well as that, you will also have a lot of options available from a wider perspective, thanks to the transferrable skills gained during your studies. Being able to research, develop and present ideas to a professional level is a skillset valued by many employers.