Cultural portfolio: pathway plan and immersion

This module encapsulates the ethos of the Culture, Policy and Management Pathways Programme and sets it in a professional context. It comprises two components:

• one component enables participants to devise their own pathway plan through the Programme (in consultation with their tutor) to prepare them for their subsequent careers
• the other component encourages participants to immerse themselves within their chosen area of cultural activity through writing a series of critical reviews. As cultural sector professionals, they not only need to know about arts and cultural institutions, but must be competent writers and presenters. Learning to write and communicate is important; it teaches thinking - the organisation and structuring of ideas into a coherent argument.

Indicative content

In order to devise their own pathway plan, participants are introduced to:

• theories around Continual Professional Development (CPD)
• ways of developing action plans
• theories around work-based learning and reflecting on practice.

In order to immerse themselves in their chosen are of cultural activity, participants will undertake:

• writing for different audiences
• writing as related to different professional functions
• writing about different art forms and cultural activities.
  

Recommended reading

• Auster, P. (1993). The Red Notebook. London and Boston,Faber and Faber
  
• Berger, J. (1979). Permanent Red. London, Writers and Readers
  Moon, J. (2000). Reflection in learning and professional development: theory and practice. London, Kogan Page
  
• Murray, R. and Moore, S. (2006). The handbook of academic writing: a fresh approach. Maidenhead, Open University Press
  
• O'Reilly, D. Cunningham, L. and Lester, S. (1998). Developing the capable practitioner: professional capability through higher education. London, Kogan Page
  
• Ritter, R. (2003). The Oxford Style Manual. Oxford, Oxford University Press
  
• Simmonds, J. (1993). The trouble with words. London, Newell and Sorrell
  
• Truss, L. (2005). Eats Shoots and Leaves : The zero tolerance approach to punctuation. London, Profile Books
  
• Wallace, M. and Wray, A. ( 2006). Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. London, Sage
  
• Warner, M. (1994). Managing Monsters: Six Myths of Our Time. 1994 Reith Lectures, Vintage