FMS8356 - Film Exhibition, Archives and Curation

• Offered for Year: 2025/26

• Module Leader(s): Dr Sarah Leahy

• Owning School: School of Modern Languages
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

• Capacity limit: 999 student places

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

This module aims to:

• provide an introduction to key concepts of film exhibition, archiving and curation as related activities.
• enable students to apply these concepts in relation to particular case studies and their own project.
• develop key specific and transferable skills: teamwork, problem solving, research, critical analysis and communication.
• consider the relationship between exhibition, archives and curation by exploring ways in which film is used/exhibited in and beyond cinemas.
• introduce students to key knowledge and skills in relevant areas, including programming, audiences and audience-building, marketing, press and publicity, outreach and engagement, as well as building an accessible archive.
• provide students with professional skills and access to experts from academia and the industry.

Outline Of Syllabus

Drawing on the expertise of academics and industry professionals, and based around specific case studies, the module will address key concepts relating to film exhibition, curation and archives. We will explore the circular relationship between archives, curation and exhibition as well as the function of these activities in relation to commercial activity, heritage and conservation, and social or political activism. We will also examine related aspects such as the role of film distribution, studio branding, and technology.

Students will have the opportunity to apply the concepts and skills addressed in their assessment. A formative workshop will offer a chance to test ideas and get feedback from peers and tutors in advance of the assessment.

An outline syllabus may include the following (please note that sessions may change according to staff availability):

1. Introduction to the module
2. Archives 1 – why build an archive?
3. Archives 2 – Case study – CIFA
4. Film Festivals 1 – global circuit and/or local event
5. Film Festivals 2 – visit from Berwick Film and Media Arts and Cuban Film Festival
6. Curating – programmes and audiences
7. Curating spaces and platforms. Film, media and museums
8. Film Branding – case study Studio Ghibli
9. Activism and programming – visit from Birds' Eye View
10. Distribution: from festival marketplace to cinema screens. Visit from Tull Stories.
11. Project Workshop

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale and Relationship

The different types of learning activities work together in combination with one another to build progressively the skill set and methodological knowledge/capacities required to put together a team project and individual reflective essay.

The learning hours on this module have been distributed as follows:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities:

• 10 weekly in-person lectures where key concepts will be introduced and explored.
• 11 in-person small-group workshops where students will explore the concepts introduced in the lectures and apply them in activities, in teams and as individuals building towards their final project. Some of these sessions will be led by industry professionals who will each focus on a particular area of interest and a case study that will demonstrate application of the key concepts. Student-led group discussion will also feature as part of these workshops, with the aim of exploring each topic in-depth and giving students a space in which they can share their ideas and benefit from peer feedback as well as guidance from the tutor.
• Students will have a 2-hour workshop where they will pitch their project (in small groups) offering them a chance to test their ideas and get informal feedback in advance of the assessment.
• They will also be able to access to up to 1 hour of assessment supervision, in the form of individual or small group appointments.

Structured Guided Learning:

• Students will prepare for classes with structured research, reading or other activities that will be set in advance on Canvas.
• The remainder of the hours assigned to this module will be spent preparing the assessment tasks and carrying out independent study, during which students are expected to use the learning materials, skills and feedback provided as a springboard from which to develop their own ideas and skills as independent scholars.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Formative Assessment

Description	Semester	When Set	Comment
Oral Presentation 1	1	M	Students will pitch their ideas for their creative project at a workshop that will take place in week 11. They will receive feedback on these from their peers and their tutors in advance of preparing their final assignments..

Assessment Rationale and Relationship

To enable students to develop both their individual and teamwork skills, the assessment will involve a collaborative project as well as an individual piece of writing.

This assessment is in two parts; students must complete A and B.

A. A festival or exhibition project (70%).
Drawing on an agreed corpus of films or multi-media outputs, students must work in teams to produce:

• EITHER a festival programme including educational, repertory and special event strands; OR a multi-media exhibition involving diverse artistic forms, audience engagement and a special event.
  It is expected that whichever format is chosen, the event will have a specific thematic focus and that the site/venue will be carefully considered.
• A detailed marketing campaign for your programme, which should include a sample press release, details of any special offers, and one competition. The marketing and publicity should take into account different media, including print, web and broadcast.
• A detailed budget for the programme.
  Students are required to apply the concepts discussed during the module to demonstrate their knowledge of the cultural exhibition sector as well as the importance of financial and marketing considerations.

B. An individual written exercise of 1000 words (30%).
Students will be required to articulate the rationale for their choices clearly and to justify them within the specific context (institutional, geographical, social, etc) of their event. They will also outline and reflect upon their individual contribution to the project.

Formative assessment
Students will have the opportunity to present their ideas and receive informal feedback from peers and tutors during a project workshop.

Individual or group tutorials will also be offered where students will have the opportunity to discuss their project and their reflective exercise.

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/