I’ve received feedback from my tutor Santanu and fellow PGCert peer Fritha on my crit session which was observed on the last week of term. Their feedback has been very useful and is helping me rethink the role and position of the crit in the curriculum.
Previous to the observation I framed the crit as an important milestone for students to meet in order to complete work and gain insightful feedback from their peers. Reading back the feedback I am reminded of the complexities of an effective crit.
Traditionally the Art School Crit was a feat of endurance. As a student many of my crit experiences were 10am – 6pm with no breaks and many students reduced to tears by ferocious tutor and student feedback. Debates between students and staff often continued in the pub. I am reminded of one end of year crit which left the presenting student so humiliated that they left the course. I also remember presenting my work and being too intimidated as a first year in a group of second and third years to speak up and explain the group was looking at a literal hole in the wall not my art work on the other side!
Back then this type of crit was billed as survival of the fittest, now this approach would be inappropriate and rightly so. It does not observe compassionate learning and actively excludes students with learning differences.
Fritha made a great point in their feedback:
“Does the Crit need to be torn up, reconfigured or gently tweaked in order to further the learning of our students and come into line with current pedagogical thinking? “
I wonder how critical thought can continue to be valued, challenged and kept relevant if students do not learn to risk failure? Engaging in critical feedback around theirs and their peers art practice in a crit so far has been central to this. There is a role for the Crit at art school in 2022 but like any teaching method (for example the shift to online tutorials/interviews during the pandemic) it is imperative the crit is able to flex and change to support the needs of students.
You can read my feedback on both OB2 forms on my workflow here.