Zoo Education

Royal College of Art - Zoo project

Exhibition
Film Screening
Salon Discussion

Selected texts

The MA Curating Contemporary Art course at the Royal College of Art was set up in 1992 and quickly established an international reputation. Co-funded by Arts Council England and the RCA, it was the first postgraduate programme in Britain to specialise in curatorial practice as it relates to contemporary art. It is a vocational and academic course designed to provide professional preparation for those wishing to work as curators of contemporary art in both the public and private spheres. The course offers a critical examination of curatorial practice, with special emphasis on the selection and presentation of exhibitions of contemporary art, the programming of public galleries and the commissioning of art for public spaces.

Since October 2009 the Department has implemented two pathways leading to the award of MA Curating Contemporary Art. The first pathway is the existing course of academic study for students based at the RCA in London. The second pathway is structured as a two-year curatorial training placement for students based at one of a number of leading contemporary visual arts organisations in England, with additional teaching at the RCA.

Zoo Project:

The Zoo Project consists of various elements, which change and adapt on a yearly basis in response to the interests of the student groups.

For college-based students this is the first of three exhibition projects they are involved in over the two years of the MA, others include the Interim Exhibition Project (designed with the aim of introducing little known work by artists from the Americas in London); and the Final Exhibition at the end of the 2nd year.

During the first year work-based students develop an exhibition project in collaboration with ACME Studios, which involves working with participants of ACME’s international artists residency programme.

The principle aim of the Zoo Project is to encourage students to use Zoo as a research resource to gather knowledge of work by younger artists and galleries from London and internationally.

The brief for college-based students this year was to use the event as a starting point for an exhibition, film screening or event that can be realised within a very short time frame and on a very reduced budget. The venues offered are the Hockney Gallery at the Royal College of Art and the college lecture theatre.

The brief for work-based students this year was to write a critical response to Zoo 2009.