Abstract

This paper arises from the context of an institution in which students undertake courses in Art History and Theory as support for their studio practice in a progressively collaborative programme across the school. While Art History and Theory are seen as disciplines in their own right, they are positioned within programmes to provide the context for art-making. From the beginning undergraduates and postgraduates design their own written research projects with reference to their studio interests, that is, subject matter as well as media. This has led to a significantly increased number of art and research projects which both engage with and perform in wider inter-, multi or trans- disciplinary circles. The paper therefore asks how schools in the visual arts can enable their students to move with relevance and resilience as they create synergies with other disciplines, such as law, medical ethics, history, psychology, political theory, archaeology and the sciences relating to perception. It discusses existing arguments for and against students undertaking courses in other disciplines during their programmes. It considers the theoretical frameworks that enable students to develop and structure sustainable projects. It also considers what is excluded in such an approach. Contemporary practice in the visual arts engages with new and ever-changing models of subjectivity, interaction and relevance. What research methodologies and pedagogical approaches will best support learners to achieve depth of understanding as they work within other paradigms and contexts?