In third year all undergraduate students complete the Art: History + Theory + Cultures course Contextualising Practice. The class helps students develop an understanding of, and write about, the critical and theoretical context of their practice with an emphasis on the development of a strong and unique voice. 

The writing that they produce is both critically engaged and often very creative, clearly demonstrating the role that writing can play in understanding and investigating practice.  This year I asked each Contextualising Practice tutor to nominate a student essay that was well written and researched, or an essay that resonated with them because of the exciting or experimental way it explored the student’s practice. 

It is my great pleasure to share those nominated essays with you.  A selection of essays from across the studio specialisations that demonstrate the diverse ways that students are thinking about their practice through writing and research

Dr Clare McCracken

image: Sandra Flores for her essay My Art as Experience: embodied meaning within my practice.