Curating Contemporary Design (in partnership with the Design Museum) MA

After you graduate

One of the great strengths of this course is that graduates have gone on to work for leading organisations all over the world. These include the Korean Institute of Design Promotion, the Japanese Embassy, the V&A Museum and the Design Museum. For a full list, download our graduate destinations PDF.

 

Graduate profiles

 

Margaret Cubbage

Current position: Assistant curator at the Design Museum, London

 

“As I have a design practice background, I was keen to apply my knowledge and experience within a more specialised context – contemporary curating. The course at Kingston was unique in its focus, as well as its partnership with the Design Museum.

 

“The programme’s commitment to examining the developing field of curating was valuable on both practical and theoretical levels. It also provided a historical context to the profession.

 

"Another key asset was the mix of students from various cultures and professions on the course. The rich interdisciplinary community shared the same ambition of challenging the practice of curating whilst working on live briefs for leading institutions. These projects helped me to fully comprehend the profession within its various contexts.

 

"I was also offered the chance to meet a number of key people within the creative industries during the course, which opened up unique opportunities and broadened my knowledge and experience."

 

Marion Friedmann

Graduated 2008

Current position: Sculpture department and research for contemporary design, Victoria & Albert Museum

 

"The course offers an intense contact with the branch, with museums and with many other organisations and professionals operating on a curatorial level. The MA helped me to open up my mind and think broadly about curating and its different forms and scopes. Although it relates mainly to design, it addresses other areas too. This secures flexibility and adaptability for a future career in curating on a multidisciplinary level.

 

"For me personally, it was important to be able to bring a design knowledge and passion acquired over 15 years onto a professional and curatorial level. There is an intense work on practical and real projects delivered from experts in the branch. This, plus the group work, guidance and feedback from tutors and professionals, offers a deep insight and a steep learning curve."

 

 

Fleur Watson

Graduated: 2007

Nationality: Australian

Current position: Project manager, Melbourne Design Festival, Australia

 

"When researching potential postgraduate programmes in curating, I discovered that the Curating Contemporary Design MA is unique within an international context. Run by the Design Museum and Kingston University, it provides a strong and rewarding structure. Practical, course-driven content is balanced with the opportunity to pursue individual research in the dissertation.

 

"Due to its contemporary content, the course attracts students from all over the world. This provides an international learning experience and the opportunity to apply curatorial practice to a wide range of situations and cultural reference points.

 

"The collaborative experience of working on ‘real’ curatorial briefs with organisations such as the British Council, the V&A and the Wellcome Trust grounds the course in the reality of contemporary curatorial practice."

 

 

Misoo Chung Han

Graduated: 2005

Nationality: Korean

Current position: Curator and project manager at the Gaudi Foundation, Seoul

 

Misoo came to the course from a business background, after she had been appointed executive director of the Korean-Spanish Association in Korea. She has been working on a project that will culminate with a new permanent exhibition of Gaudi’s work at The Children’s Museum in the Kyunggi Province of Korea, due to open in 2009.

 

Misoo has worked closely with La Reial Catedra Gaudi in Barcelona, and has spent some years living in the Spanish city. Through these links, she established an excellent relationship between her own curatorial team in Korea and that at La Reial Catedra Gaudi.

 

 

Jessica Ball

Graduated: 2005

Nationality: Australian

Current position: Acting curator at Established & Sons, London

 

Dr Jessica Ball came to the course having completed her PhD back in her native Australia. Since gaining her doctorate, she had undertaken a number of curating projects in Hobart, Tasmania, including 'the Shed' at the Contemporary Art Services and 'No Dust Ring' at the Plimsoll Gallery, before relocating to London.

 

In 2005, whilst studying for her MA, Jessica secured a position as a lecturer in Photography at Luton University and also became a part-time curator of the University’s exhibition space, the Hat Factory Gallery. Jessica has staged three highly successful shows since she took up the position.

 

 

Sungpil Han

Graduated: 2004

Nationality: South Korean

Current position: Awarded UNESCO scholarship 2005, Indonesia

 

Sungpil was given the position of artist in residence at CAMAC in France, supported by the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation grants, for six months. He has had exhibitions in Korea, Japan, Spain, the UK and USA. The Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, Japan and Selasar Sunaryo Art Space have included Han Sungpil’s photographs in their collections.

 

 

Sarah Mann

Graduated: 2004

Nationality: British 

Current position: Curatorial team at Somerset House, London

 

Since graduating, Sarah has worked at the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch as an assistant curator; for Hidden Art; and as a freelance curator at Scarlet Projects.

 

 

Gemma Millward

Graduated: 2004

Nationality: British

Current position: Curator at the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle

 

Gemma worked as a curatorial assistant to the fine art and applied art curators at MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) before taking up her current position at the Laing Art Gallery.

 

While at MIMA, Gemma worked with several national and international artists, and in collaboration with AN (artist’s newsletter) has personally co-ordinated a series of events called 'Critical Conversations'. Artists such as Wood & Harrison, George Shaw, Graham Gussin and Graham Dolphin have all exhibited and spoken at these events.

 

She also received a £9,000 award from Art and Business to produce a series of events in the region supporting and commissioning new and emerging artists.

  

 

Laurie Britton-Newell

Graduated: 2003

Nationality: British

Current position: Curator at the V&A Museum

 

Laurie is currently employed as a curator at the V&A Museum in London, where she curated the 2007 crafts exhibition.

 

 

Catherine Ince

Graduated: 2003

Nationality: British

Current position: Curator at the British Council

 

After graduation, Catherine was employed as an assistant curator by the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. In 2005, she was appointed as a design curator within the contemporary team at the British Council. One of five curators employed by the British Council in London, Catherine is involved with the Council’s exhibitions in over 100 countries.

 

Her role includes selecting work for exhibition, liaising with artists and writing exhibition texts and catalogues. Catherine’s position within the British Council was rated as one of the top curating jobs in London by the Guardian newspaper at the time. Catherine has worked on a number of exhibitions for the British Council and collaborated with her MA colleague Laurie Britton-Newell of the V&A on the joint exhibition 'Import-Export', celebrating international designers living and working in the UK.

 

 

Paula Kovac

Graduated: 2003

Nationality: British

Current position: Education development co-ordinator at The Lighthouse Gallery, Wolverhampton

 

Since graduating Paula has been employed at the Lighthouse as a co-ordinator for the education programme, developing educational strategies. The Lighthouse is a multi-media organisation that incorporates art, music, film and dance into its exhibition and events programme. Its exhibitions focus on local, national and international artists from a variety of disciplines. The centre also runs courses and training on a variety of media-related subjects, from diplomas in media techniques to business training and support for graduates.

 

 

Enjoo Maing

Graduated: 2003

Nationality: Korean

Current Position: Deputy director, international co-operation team, design promotion division, Korea Institute of Design Promotion

 

Since graduating, Enjoo has been employed by the Korean Institute of Design Promotion. The institute aims to promote international exchanges and support links with the international design community to secure Korea’s place as a leading centre for 21st century design.

 

The institute works with designers to improve Korea’s design 'infrastructure'. It occupies a state of the art building, the 'Millennium Design Ark', in Sungnam City, Korea. Enjoo works with the design promotion division as the deputy director of the international co-operation team, and works to devise and implement strategies to promote design both within Korea and internationally.

 

 

Ellen Thornhill

Graduated: 2003

Nationality: British

Current position: Accounts manager at Wolff Olins

 

Since graduating Ellen has been employed at IDEO, a multinational innovation and business strategy company. Ellen works in the marketing sector of the company, devising approaches to embedding design innovation processes into IDEO’s client businesses, as well as curating exhibitions and events at IDEO’s London Offices. She currently works as accounts manager for Wolff Olins.

 

 

Naoko Matsuyama
Graduated: 2003

Nationality: Japanese
Current Position: Fashion Design Curator, Sugino Costume Museum, Tokyo, Japan

 

Naoko is employed as a fashion and textiles curator at the Sugino Costume Museum, in Shinagawa-ku, Japan. The museum is part of the Sugino College School of Fashion Design. The collection consists of traditional and contemporary Japanese fashion design, European fashion and costume from the 18th and 19th Centuries, as well as a selection of traditional costumes from across South East Asia.