Film, Exhibition and Curation

Overview

As a Film, Exhibition and Curation student at The University of Edinburgh, you’ll explore a series of approaches to the often neglected consideration of film’s movements and migrations within the context of the rich and varied festival, gallery, archive and exhibition cultures of Scotland, the UK and beyond.

You’ll work on imaginative curatorial projects, both independently and collaboratively, with input from industry partners. Assignments range from pitches to programming, and you’ll be assessed in ways that support you in producing experimental work and discovering yourself as a reflective professional.

Our community

Study with us and you’ll be part of a close-knit, international community of film enthusiasts under the guidance of two dedicated Programme Directors - Susan Kemp and Jane Sillars - who combine industry experience with teaching excellence, gaining them multiple Teaching Awards nominations.

Our School is a highly creative environment in which you’ll also meet students of Film, Intermediality, Creative Writing, literatures, and many languages.

Based in a world-renowned festival city, filled with independent cinemas, galleries and venues, we host visiting professionals throughout the year, and regularly collaborate with two of the UK’s largest film festivals, the Glasgow Film Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

We also have excellent links with Screen Academy Scotland, and with a range of other industry partners in Scotland, the UK and internationally. For example, previous students have been placed, or won internships, in Cannes, Chicago, New York, and London.

Your future

You’ll leave with a portfolio of projects that demonstrates both rigorous academic and professional skills, as well as your ability to work independently and with others. Previously awarded the Students’ Association’s Teaching Award for Developing Student Employability, we were one of the early contributors to ‘Making the Most of Masters’, a cross-university initiative which won the Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding Employer Engagement.

Our students come from a range of backgrounds and have gone on to careers across film exhibition and curation, in cultural mediation, in communications, research, and the arts, forming a connected international graduate community of engaged professionals. As the programme matures, this has led to a number of collaborations, both between alumni and between current and former students.

Career opportunities

On completion of the programme you will be equipped with the insights and skills essential for a career in film programming, festival organisation and related professional activities.

You will have gained the knowledge of film curation and exhibition required for further academic research or professional practice.

You will also have a transferable skill set that can be applied to any career you decide to pursue, including skills in:

• communication
• research
• collaborative working
• project management