School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Professional Practice in the Arts
  • Unit Code

    VIS3800
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Mr Gregory PRYOR

Description

Developing an artistic career and a sustainable practice requires skills and knowledge of the policy, governance and commercial contexts that supports art. Students are equipped with relevant awareness of community and industry opportunities such as public art projects, festivals, curatorial projects, artist in residencies and more. Students will become familiar with industry processes such as applications for funding and exhibitions. This professional practice unit underscores the importance of written and verbal communication and encompasses grant writing, artist statements, and critical writing.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded VIS3602

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Exhibit practice awareness in the field by identifying and responding to opportunities relevant to the creative arts industry.
  2. Construct and position the theoretical and material rationale for their work within the field of contemporary visual art.
  3. Evaluate the diversity and structures of arts networks and professionals.
  4. Implement appropriate cultural protocols for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and content.
  5. Use digital literacy skills to learn digital technologies relevant for visual art professionals.

Unit Content

  1. A detailed overview of the professional field of the Visual Arts industry.
  2. Cultural protocols for working with Australian First Nations content and artists.
  3. Detailed practical information on grant writing, artists statements, tenders for public art, resumes and other relevant industry opportunities.
  4. Social media and web-based platforms in relation to art practice.
  5. The study of an artist's code of practice, including ethics, copyright, wage rights, insurance, arts policy and taxation.
  6. Structure, design and purpose of a digital portfolio.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lecture program will be augmented with opportunities to advance oral presentation skills. Digital literacies will be enhanced through the development of a portfolio in PebblePad.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
PresentationArtist's talk20%
AssignmentProfessional application20%
PortfolioProfessioinal portfolio60%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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