Late in 2010, Level 5 (2nd year) BA Students on the re-branded Art & Design course at Bournville School Of Art were notified of a fairly pivotal change within their Contemporary and Historical Context (CHC) module, notably that essays, long-standing element of the course, were to be phased out and that students would now be expected to produce a "Reader" instead.
For the unfamiliar amongst us, a Reader can best be described as an elaborate bibliography or reference tool, designed to show the vast range of influences that most contemporary artists draw upon, in order to inform their practice.
Described by tutor Cathy Wade as "your artistic DNA", the concept of Readers was met with a mixed response.
The deadline for submission of these offerings was 4th April 2011. From conversations with tutors it appears that Bournville students will be the first in the UK to be tasked with producing a Reader as part of their academic studies. We are certain that the vast majority will be awaiting assessment results with bated breath, although it seems clear that it should be almost impossible to fail this module, given that they are a brand new concept, there are no stringent rules or guidelines, and no precedents when it comes to assessing a 'good' Reader over a 'bad' one.
We will report student reactions, post assessment, as and when they become available.
