Course General Description

The master’s degree was motivated by a need to harness the critical social power of art in an era of globalisation and social reparation by engaging both potential and established art educators. The programme is premised on the belief that the creative and critical practice of teaching and generating art is instrumental in the creation of an imaginative and socially conscious citizenry. Moreover, it takes as a starting point the unequal social relations that characterise South African society, and, within the educational context, the dominance of particular theoretical and intellectual paradigms that perpetuate histories of subordination. It sees the field of creative arts as fertile ground upon which to contest boundaries of social inclusion. The programme aims to develop inroads to greater collaboration between educational practitioners, intellectuals, artists, cultural activists, students and communities.

School General Description

Stellenbosch University (SU) is home to an academic community of 29 000 students (including 4 000 foreign students from 100 countries) as well as 3 000 permanent staff members (including 1 000 academics) on five campuses. ​The historical oak-lined university town amongst the Boland Mountains in the winelands of the Western Cape creates a unique campus atmosphere, which attracts local and foreign students alike. On the main campus, paved walkways wind between campus buildings – some dating from previous centuries; others just a few years old. Architecture from various eras attests to the sound academic foundation and establishment of an institution of excellence. This, together with the scenic beauty of the area; state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly facilities and technology, as well as visionary thinking about the creation of a sustainable 21st-century institution, makes for the unique character of Stellenbosch University.