McGhie, H., McKay, C., Ritson, A., O'Hara, S., 2025.
Knowledge Exchange and Cultural Brokering in the Curriculum: Examples from Stage Two Modules at the University of Sunderland.
| Output Type: | Conference paper |
| Presented at: | 'Gathering Ourselves' symposium, Group for Learning in Art and Design in Higher Education (GLAD) |
| Venue: | Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London |
| Dates: | 8/9/2023 |
| URL: | www.gladhe.com/home/symposium2023 |
Our panel will outline and assess how knowledge exchange between students, staff and external partners is delivered in two undergraduate modules at the Northern Centre of Photography, University of Sunderland. An initial presentation will provide a brief overview of curriculum initiatives since 2013 and will show how a previous model of 'real world' opportunity based on extra-curricular activity, is being replaced by initiatives that are fully embedded in the curriculum. Whilst participating in live professional briefs builds confidence and adds value to the student experience, we recognise the barriers to accessing extra-curricular work, particularly time and financial imperatives and have remodelled the curriculum to acknowledge this. Our pedagogical model borrows from practices of 'cultural brokering' that are more commonly utilised in contemporary creative commissioning. We will share two examples of our evolving model, where students co-produced mutually beneficial outcomes with external stakeholders and where their expertise was exchanged for credits.