Module manager: Nick Thurston
Email: n.thurston@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Outside of academia, art is discussed and written about critically, passionately and personally for lots of reasons. Doing so for publication, and maybe even money, is an important but under-studied trade known as art criticism. The freelance practice of art criticism builds skills of description, analysis, reflection and networking for commercial and public contexts. It also builds awareness of how and why contemporary art’s industries work the way they do. This module introduces art criticism as a field of practice (both professional and amateur) open to anyone with a passion for contemporary art who is willing to develop the craft of critical-creative writing. It does so through lectures, seminars and practical writing workshops. We will explore questions of value, intention and audience-ship alongside questions of technique, editorship and professionalisation. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module
This skills-oriented module studies the techniques and values of art criticism. It frames art criticism as a writing practice that combines research, description and analysis to effectively communicate ideas and feelings about art to broad audiences, in negotiation with editorial and/or institutional agendas.
We will study the industry workflows and expectations for commissioning, writing and editing art criticism now (an era transformed by digital tools and globalisation), and explore why some critics choose to apply their skills to more creative approaches (e.g., creative-critical writing) while yet others might apply them in adjacent professions (e.g., marketing, curating, journalism).
In tandem with skills development and workshopping, we will discuss the role of art criticism in the commercial and public sectors of the contemporary art industry. More broadly, we will also consider the realities of freelance working in the cultural industry’s ‘gig economy’.
Participation in this module requires a committed interest in contemporary art (broadly understood) and a commitment to sharing one’s ideas in draft form during workshops (for multi-reader feedback), all recorded through a Reflective Log. The aim is to sharpen your judgement as a reader as much as a writer, and to help build your confidence as someone who has a contribution worth making to informal and semi-formal discourses on art.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Analyse the role of art criticism in the commercial and public sectors of the contemporary art industry, plus the criticisms of those roles.
2. Research, plan and write both a short and medium-length review of a contemporary art work or exhibition.
3. Critique the relationship of art criticism to other modes of writing ‘with’ and ‘about’ contemporary art for non-academic audiences.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
4. Analyse the professional workflows and expectations (vis-a-vis commissioning, writing and editing) when working as a freelance art critic.
5. Apply a formal and creative understanding of creative-critical writing techniques to academic and non-academic writing tasks.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fieldwork | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Lecture | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Practical | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Seminar | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Independent online learning hours | 177 | ||
| Private study hours | 0 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 23 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Formative feedback will be provided through peer-to-peer writing exercises in seminars and practical sessions in addition to a one-to-one supervision with the Module Leader.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Written Work | Written Assignment | 50 |
| Written Work | Written Assignment | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 05/05/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team