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Study Abroad

Creative Industries London - Study Abroad optional module

Creative Industries London - Study Abroad optional module
College
London College of Communication
Level
Open to all levels

Explore. Understand. Communicate. Creative industries are not just about making meaning, they are also about making money. When you join Creative Industries London you’ll get under the skin of contemporary communication practices in one of the most inspiring cities in the world.

This course is ideal if you want to learn more about the Creative Industries for 3 weeks in London and:

you are 18+ and a student

or

you work, or aspire to work in a creative industry

or

you have an interest in fashion, art and design

and

you want to study and live in London for 3 weeks.

Why choose Creative Industries London?

This course has been developed specifically for you if you are are joining an Integrated Study Abroad programme at University of the Arts London. You can add the Creative Industries London module to your autumn or spring term.

With a focus on disruptive design, media and screen industries it is ideal for students joining degrees in media communications, photography, advertising, PR, graphic design, information and interaction design, film, animation and games.

It is ideal for you if you need to gain additional credit or show evidence of intercultural competence.

However you can also join the course if you are not taking one of our Study Abroad programmes, as it works perfectly well as a standalone course.

During this intensive 3-week course you will:

  • experience studying Creative Industries London here at London College of Communication.
  • learn from tutors who are practicing in industry; benefit from access to specialist facilities at one of UAL’s six Colleges.
  • gain exposure to a series of London-based artists and learn about their creative process.
  • meet like-minded individuals from around the world.
  • get involved in UAL life through social events and activities.
  • All courses are assessed and you'll receive a record of study at the end of the programme if you wish to request credit from your home institution.

Course details

Content

  • Lectures and seminars: creative economy, cultural intelligence, branded culture and creative dissent
  • Workshops: blogging, photography and video editing
  • Visits: Wellcome Collection, East End, creative cooperatives and Black Cultural Archives
  • Individual project: Creative London

Course Aims

  • To enable you to develop a critical understanding of developments in the media and cultural industries and their economic and political context and significance
  • To support you to present your research and ideas confidently – in writing, face-to-face and online
  • To introduce you to a range of contemporary media and communications practices

Learning Outcomes

  • Awareness of the economic forces which frame the media, cultural and creative industries, and the role of such industries in contemporary political and cultural life (Subject Knowledge)
  • Ability to critically analyse issues relating to the production, regulation and consumption of media and cultural artefacts (Research, Analysis)
  • Initiate and realise distinctive creative work in visual or other electronic media (Technical Competence)

Requirements for Assessment

  • Contribution to online media presence
  • Presentation of ideas and concept development

Dates and fees

  • 3 weeks, 45 class hours
  • 3 credits – to be awarded by home university
  • September (Autumn term), January (Winter term) and March (Spring term)
  • LocationLondon College of Communication

Autumn 2024

  • 02 September 2024 – 20 September 2024
  • Application deadline: 19 June 2024
  • Fee payment deadline: 18 July 2024
  • £2,210

Apply for Autumn 2024.

Entry requirements

English requirements

You should be proficient in written and spoken English and be able to participate in group discussions and make presentations. As a guideline we would expect you to have an English language level equivalent to IELTS score of 6.0 (list of language equivalencies). The Language Centre at University of the Arts London offers English courses for overseas students who wish to improve their English language skills.

Academic requirements

You do not need any prior study in media or cultural theory. If you have questions about your academic background, please email the UAL Study Abroad team.

Tutor information

Nida Sajid - lead tutor

Nida Sajid is a London-based interdisciplinary researcher operating across commercial, creative and cultural environments. Her present practice is informed by six years of professional experience within technology consulting and digital strategy as well as an educational grounding in critical theory with a specific focus on the post-digital condition. She is currently the resident literary practitioner at Studio 61, an alternative insight collective using storytelling and systems thinking to design community-centric experiences.

Oliver Rawlings-Connor

Oliver Rawlings-Connor has worked at the intersection of culture, insight and design for over a decade. They have conducted strategic cultural projects for the National Gallery, BBC, Channel 4, Facebook, Google, Levi’s, Disney, Net-a-Porter and dozens of start-ups and not-for-profits.

Originally from the rebel city of Bristol – home of Banksy, bass and bridges – Oli is currently based in the creative hub of East London where they are narrating a research project called “The People’s Gallery".

Nina Jang

Nina Jang is a multidisciplinary designer, researcher and educator, working in and between the spaces of cultural and spatial practice. Through collaborating with a range of curatorial projects including with the Barbican, Southbank Centre and Somerset House, she seeks to develop alternative ways of gathering to build and sustain community infrastructure. Nina is a co-founder of Messages from Isolation, a platform exploring the notion of isolation through writing, film and art.

Course Outline

Week One

The first week will introduce you to some of the key issues and questions relating to the creative industries: What is the relationship between culture and commerce? What are the politics of creative labour? Should culture be free? What is the future of the creative industries in an era of file-sharing and social media?

Through practical workshops, you will be introduced to writing for the web. Continuing this technological turn, we will take an in-depth look at the state of the music industry and how it has adapted to the new digital media environment. We will also think about conventionally non-creative industries such as health and medicine and approach them through a creative lens.

At the end of the week, you will be briefed on the Creative London project, which will form part of your assessment for the course.

Week Two

In week two we will undertake an urban walkabout of East London, exploring the area’s cultural and commercial offerings. We will discuss issues around gentrification, entrepreneurship and the way that the creative industries have shaped the physical and social structure of London. Our visits to sites of cultural production around London will allow you to start gathering the raw material for your projects.

You will further develop your technical skills in workshops on photography and video editing, and put these skills to use on research visits around London.

Week Three

In the final week of the module, we will look at the way promotional industries have helped shape media and culture at large. We will also visit some of London’s “creative hubs” where the impact of the creative industries on the fabric of the city has been most profound.

There will be more workshops to help you develop your project on Creative London, and at the end of the week you will be assessed on the presentation of your project, giving you the chance to demonstrate the communication skills you have developed over the three-week course.

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