Digital and Immersive Arts MA
1 Year Full-Time | September Start

Research for Practitioners is a 40-credit module which spans across semesters one and two.

Forms of digital immersion have emerged due to the convergence of technology and culture and this module introduces key areas of knowledge to critically consider their impact. The module offers a structured introduction to the intellectual frameworks which can be employed to both support and interrogate the impact of digital enfoldment on the individual psyche and wider culture. These fields of knowledge include Philosophy, Media Theory, Art Theory and Art History and you will be guided and supported as you integrate these ideas to critically address the role of Digital and Immersive Arts within contemporary culture. You will also learn about the key philosophical underpinnings of the concept of immersion and will be challenged to reflect on these within your theoretical work.

This module will help you develop a broad practical understanding of the core technologies employed in the production of immersive environments and digitally mediated audio-visual performance. A series of lectures will offer an overview of the current and emerging immersive technologies and how they are being employed within the Arts and Design, including Contemporary Art, interaction design, music, theatre, film and the games industry. It is expected that there will be cross-over with your theoretical work in Research for Practitioners, particularly around issues of technology and the body, and the ethics of advanced media production, You will also explore critical contextualisation and installation-making, live and live-remote broadcast forms, as well as their VR and AI expansions. Through a series of visually rich lectures you will learn the long history of immersion, as well as the philosophies behind ideas of the technology and experience.

You will be introduced to core technologies through a series of practical workshops and seminars. You will explore key immersive technologies such as real-time audio-visual production and digital performance methods, 3D computer graphics, audio-visuals, virtual reality and projection mapping. You will also be introduced to a range of technologies to interact with digital content using bodily gesture and expression. The module will also demonstrate the creative use of digital and immersive technology, as used by digital and immersive artists, and will enable you to apply your creative skills in a variety of technologically mediated contexts.

Virtual and immersive technologies are complex, and the production of immersive environments and experiences require an interdisciplinary approach which draws from a wide range of creative and technical fields. The module is therefore designed to encourage team working through self-generated projects, and through the creation of short individually designed interactive and/or immersive projects. Working in these ways will allow you to solve complex technological challenges and to create new bodies of original work.

This module builds on the knowledge acquired in Introduction to Immersive Media (IA7001) to further embed the essential skills necessary to produce compelling digital immersive experiences. You will further develop the ability to successfully meld the concepts and forms of the creative arts with digital and immersive technology, and you will apply these technological and creative skills in a variety of technologically mediated contexts. This module has 2 components.

Component 1
You will be introduced to a range of cutting-edge technologies including motion-capture, which is used extensively in the Cultural industries to capture very detailed information in terms of image, texture and movement. You will be simultaneously introduced to motion-tracking, which is used extensively in live audio-visual and dance performance as well as immersive installations, to measure user movement and affect immersive audio-visuals. A series of lectures will offer an overview of their application within the creative industries, as well as key research questions around ethics and technology. Seminars will be interspersed with these sessions, which will allow the students to develop and present initial ideas that will serve as prototypes for the final submission. A series of practical sessions will lead you through the processes involved in capturing and tracking detailed three-dimensional imagery and movement. These technologies and skills may be introduced through a live project with a collaborative partner drawn from the creative industries. This project will give you the opportunity to work as teams as you apply these technologies to the brief set by the partner. Self-directed projects may also be undertaken by student who want to generate their own group or team proposition.

Component 2
You will develop a proposal for your Major Project (IA7003) which forms the centre piece of your Masters work. You will be guided through the requirements of the forthcoming module and you will carry out preliminary research and development and develop a short project proposal which will be refined in the following semester.

In this module you will learn through practice to professionally meld the concepts and forms of the creative arts with digital and immersive technology, and you will apply these technological and creative skills in a specific context that illustrates your mastery of digital and immersive arts. This module has two components. Firstly, you will produce a significant piece of work in the area of Digital and Immersive Arts and this builds directly on the practical experience and knowledge gained in modules IA7001 and will be directly informed by the research and development carried out in IA7002. Secondly, you will critically reflect upon the ideas underlying your work and this builds on your interdisciplinary knowledge gained in ‘Research for Practitioners.’

Component 1
This module gives you the opportunity to produce a significant piece of work which can be self-initiated either individually or as a team, or can be developed in collaboration with a creative or industrial partner. This work may include but is not limited to the production of a live or virtual immersive performance, a live or virtual audio-visual performance, an immersive installation, a VR experience, a immersive game, or a screen-based work which incorporates immersive data. This significant piece of work will demonstrate an original and critical engagement with both the technologies and ideas within the fields of Digital and Immersive Arts and will directly support your future opportunities in this dynamic emerging field. The project in terms of scope, design and proposed production methodology will be subject to consultation and approval with the project supervisor and module tutor. The project will be shown in a final degree show, to which potential employers will be invited.

Component 2
The second aspect of this module is a significant piece of reflective writing which demonstrates firstly, a thorough understanding of the relevant histories and theories which underpin the practical work in Component 1 and secondly demonstrates a critical reflexivity in your practice as you articulate the underlying motivations and processes employed in the realization of the project.

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Effective reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.