Visual Culture Industries

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject will introduce students to a range of organisations whose functions encompass the presentation, collection and promotion of contemporary visual culture. This is an industry-focussed subject where representatives of local and national arts industries offer students direct insight into their role and strategic direction. Representatives will include directors and executives from various industry bodies including government agencies, state institutions, regional organisations, contemporary spaces, commercial entities and professional associations (such as Australia Council, National Film and Sound Archive, Arts Victoria, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Museum of Victoria, the Australian Film Institute, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne Art Fair, Experimenta, Village Roadshow, Sotheby’s Australia, Buena Vista, Sharmill Films, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces and Cinema Nova, among others). Students will study the history and development of these industry bodies as well as their social and cultural impact. They will explore such areas as governance, funding, sponsorship, philanthropy, policy formation, administration, collecting, curating, programming and audience research. Emphasis will be on the aims and goals of these bodies, the extent to which they fulfill community needs and the degree to which they promote the arts. External constraints such as censorship, government policy and community response will also be considered.

Students undertaking this subject will:

• be familiar with the scope and function of various arts culture bodies, industries and non profit organisations in the arts community;
• be able to recognise the internal and external constraints that affect the workings of a range of arts culture bodies and how key professionals deal with issues specific to the industry;
• have an understanding of the complex relationships that exist between cultural organisations, industry bodies and community needs;
• gain an understanding of how to engage with a diverse range of arts practices and to measure their impact on different audiences; and
• have been introduced to the necessary skills and knowledge required to take up professional work with one of these bodies.

A subject reader will be available.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• be able to demonstrate an advanced development of research skills;
• be able to define areas of inquiry and create relevant methods of research in the preparation of essays;
• be able to conceptualise theoretical problems, form judgements and arguments and communicate critically, creatively and theoretically through essay writing, tutorial discussion and presentations;
• be able to demonstrate highly developed skills in presentations;
• to be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and seminar discussion; and
• be able to participate productively in team work through involvement in syndicate groups and group discussions.