The theorist and novelist Raymond Williams described culture as one of the most difficult words in the English language. It crosses disciplines and holds multiple meanings. It designates things and processes. Historically, culture meant “civilisation”. More recently its definition has shifted towards the entertainment and education sectors. This has been accompanied by an ongoing negotiation about what might constitute the objects, activities, agents and interpretations of cultural production. MA Culture, Criticism and Curation works with two distinctive approaches: it examines culture as a broad field, while treating intellectual and practical work as a form of joined-up enquiry. The course aims to make research accessible to new and larger audiences, removing it from a solely academic environment. Taking advantage of its location in an art school, the course integrates theoretical issues and practical skills. It interrogates history and considers how new knowledge is presented in the public realm.