AH4253 Decolonial, Feminist, Queer: Histories of Art in Britain Since 1945

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Module coordinator

Dr C E Spencer

Dr C E Spencer
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Catherine Spencer

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module builds on ground-breaking revisionist scholarship and curatorial projects to explore decolonial, feminist and queer art histories in Britain from the aftermath of WWII to the present. Treating Britain as a post-colonial site fundamentally shaped through empire, colonialism, imperialism and border violence, we will address art practice in relation to anti-colonial resistance and decolonial struggles, internationalism and transnationalism, feminist and gay liberation movements, the AIDS/HIV pandemic, and Section 28. Ranging across media from painting and sculpture, through documentary photography, avant-garde film making and performance, we will consistently bring an intersectional queer feminist lens to bear on the relationships between gender, race, class and sexuality. Artists and groups addressed will include Rasheed Araeen, Artists for Democracy, Frank Bowling, Sonia Boyce, Rita Donagh, the Blk Art Group, Black Audio Film Collective, Sunil Gupta and Mona Hatoum.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS AH1001 OR PASS AH1003 AND PASS AH2001 AND PASS AH2002

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 lecture (x11 weeks), 1 seminar (x11 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

30

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

280

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • acquire specialist knowledge of post-1945 art production in Britain, including familiarity with a number of key artists, curators and critics
  • Through the set readings and lecture materials, students will acquire understanding of and ability to apply feminist, decolonial and queer methodological approaches to the analysis of art works, exhibitions and texts
  • Students will gain written expression skills through coursework assignments, including feedback on improvement from the module coordinator
  • Students will gain verbal expression skills through class activities and presentations
  • Adopting a social art history approach, students will gain detailed understanding of politics and culture in Britain since the late 1940s