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LJMU joins forces with Tate Liverpool
07 March 2005Institutions devise new degree programme
In a unique collaboration, art historians from the Liverpool School of Art and Design have joined forces with curators from Tate Liverpool to devise a new degree programme.
The collaboration marks a new stage in an already close relationship between Tate Liverpool and LJMU and heralds a renewed drive to show the importance of the visual arts in the run up to 2008 Capital of Culture and beyond.
LJMU currently works with Tate Liverpool on its postgraduate research programmes on the sonic arts, art and design history and curatorial practice, with research students organising a successful symposium at the Gallery, featuring the world's leading curator of digital art and LJMU Visiting Fellow, Steve Dietz, just this week.
The new BA in History of Art and Museum Studies is the only degree to be taught jointly at Tate Liverpool and this arrangement will give students unprecedented access to the Tate Collection and the Gallery's special exhibitions.
Dr Julie Sheldon, LJMU's BA programme leader, explained: ''We are delighted to be working with Tate Liverpool, which is one of the most important galleries in the country. Liverpool has more galleries and museums than any city outside London and this degree will enable students to go behind closed doors and see how exhibitions are really devised.''
Many classes will be held in the waterfront gallery and it is hoped that by working closely with curators and managers that students will gain invaluable hands-on experience in all aspects of contemporary gallery management.
Laura Britton, Tate Liverpool's Curator of Public Programmes said: ''We are delighted to be collaborating with LJMU on such an pioneering project - the course will nurture talent in the city and hopefully, through giving students a 'behind the scenes' view of how art galleries work, more students will consider a career in this growing field.''
Curators from Tate Liverpool plus other arts organisations in the city, such as the Walker Art Gallery and the organisers of the Liverpool Biennial, will lead sessions on museum and gallery management, giving students an insider's view of the issues facing today's cultural institutions.
Dr Julie Sheldon continued: ''Museums and galleries have been places of enlightenment and pleasure for generations. Mass communications, the Internet and advances in digital technology mean that they have had to evolve and offer new types of exhibitions and ways of communicating knowledge. Only by working closely with galleries and museums can students really begin to understand the forces that are challenging the long-term health of these important institutions.''
The course will cover painting, sculpture, installation, live art, digital media, design, photography, architecture and popular culture plus effective management. Through field trips to other leading arts centres of the world, including New York, London, Amsterdam and Paris, students will be able to see how other countries invest in and manage their museums and galleries.
For further information about the BA (Hons) in History of Art and Museum Studies, contact Dr Julie Sheldon, tel: 0151 231 5146, email: HAMS@livjm.ac.uk
