Critical Cultures
The Critical Cultures programme has been designed to develop key skills and understanding needed by undergraduate students at College to become successful practitioners in their chosen fields. The ability to critically analyse images and objects or to express an idea objectivly are needed more today than ever.
Watch our video that explores what life is like in Critical Cultures at NCAD
Critical Cultures is a fully credited, parallel programme of study which is taken by all NCAD undergraduate students throughout their time at the College. Classes offered as part of the Critical Cultures programme bring together students from different areas of the college. Lectures and seminars are key moments in the week when student designers, artists and craftspeople from different programmes exchange opinions and ideas. The School of Visual Cultur team has some of Ireland’s leading art and design critics and historians.
The first year Critical Cultures programme is a combination of weekly lectures and seminars designed to introduce students to major theories and concepts. We explore questions like What is originality? What makes an image or a thing real? Why do we still value handmade objects? What is the future of the image? What can art do? Students develop image and textual analysis skills, and improve their abilities as writers and speakers.
Students shape their own second year Critical Cultures programme by selecting from a dozen or more specialist seminar classes on current themes and issues in art, design and technology. The range of themes is extensive, spanning from information theory to the psychology of space; and from documentary film to activist art.
In the final year of the Critical Cultures programme, individual students identify a major research project which they plan, research and write. Research might involve interviews with artists and designers; visits to archives (like the National Irish Visual Arts Library at NCAD); or a deep immersion in theory. Students have one-to-one support from the Visual Culture team. Studio-based students often use this long-form essay to develop a deep understanding of themes and concepts addressed in their practice as artists or designers.
Every NCAD undergraduate student follows the Critical Cultures curriculum. Those who have a strong interest in critical thinking and wish to develop their writing practice further can elect to undertake additional classes in their second and final years, and then to graduate with additional credits in Creative Cultures.
Really useful information for students such as the Critical Cultures Electives, the Handbook for your Critical Cultures Research Project and lots of useful information can be found Click Here
Further Information
BA in Visual Culture Course Leader
Dr Emma Mahony
mahonye@staff.ncad.ie
School Secretary
Neasa Travers
visualculture@staff.ncad.ie
visualculture@staff.ncad.ie
Admissions
Full-time Studies
Admissions@ncad.ie
01 636 4200
Part-time Studies
CEAD@ncad.ie
01 636 4214
