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Last modified: 28 Apr 2026 15:16
The use of creative media to examine the past is increasingly recognised as a discrete field of ‘creative history’. In this course students will engage with the growing literature in this area, developing their understanding of historical theory and creative practice to find new ways of looking at their historical subjects of interest. They will also dive into the practice of creative history for themselves through practice-research projects using media of their choice.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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History is presented in an ever-expanding range of creative media, from novels to videogames to YouTube videos. However, academic historians still largely present their work in traditional academic formats such as the lecture, the research monograph and the journal article. The potential to use creative media to address the past in new ways and reach new audiences is under-explored by academic historians, while much of this media misses out on the knowledge and skills offered by those trained in historical research. On this course, students will study the growing diversity in historical media and make their own creative contributions to it under the supervision of historians with a track record of creative historical outputs. As well as developing traditional historical knowledge and skills, students will have the opportunity to study topics in historical theory and methodology alongside media and cultural criticism, develop creative skills and carry out practice-based and/or practice-led research combining creative and historical skills and knowledge. Students will be able to tailor their studies towards further academic research, creative careers and artistic practice, and careers in fields such as heritage and local government.
Students on the course will engage with debate and theory around creativity and history. All history is creative in the sense that ‘the past existed; histories are made’ (Twells et al, Undisciplined History, 2023). However, some histories are more engaged with creative processes than others. While creative approaches to history have long been acknowledged, particularly in the context of public history, it is only more recently that academic historians have considered in depth their own role as creative practitioners. Themes in creative history that the course addresses include:
This component of the course will primarily be delivered through a series of seminars with accompanying reading and will be demonstrated in both summative assessments.
These seminars will cover examples of creative history, which students will explore further in course readings and tasks. Students will demonstrate this aspect of their learning primarily through an essay on a chosen piece of creative history. In this essay, students will offer analysis of creative work and the history on which it is based in relation to the theory and methodology studied on the course.
Throughout the course, students will themselves engage in the practice of creative history. This will culminate in the main assessment for the course, a practice-research project. This may be more practice-led (i.e. primarily reflecting on the creative process) or more practice-based (i.e. primarily focussing on historical research findings resulting from creative practice), depending on student choice. Students will attend workshops held at regular intervals in the course at which they will work on their project alongside the rest of the class and discuss theory and practice. This aspect of the course will also include a formative assessment around the midway point of the course in which students will offer a presentation on their project plan. Students will ultimately produce a work of creative history in a medium of their own choosing and an accompanying written exegesis outlining the research question, methodology and theoretical framework and offering reflection on the creative process.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 34 | Feedback Weeks | 37 | |
| Feedback |
Written feedback via MyAberdeen with option of one-to-one feedback meeting. |
Word Count | 1500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | To understand key arguments around the use of creative practice in history and their relationship to broader theory and method in history |
| Factual | Evaluate | To evaluate and compare examples of creative history |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 70 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 39 | Feedback Weeks | 42 | |
| Feedback |
Creative history project piece + written exegesis and reflection on creative project (2,000 words). Creative history piece will be in a medium of each student’s choosing. These will be weighted as equivalent to 2,500 words by a metric tailored to the chosen medium. Examples may include:
Written feedback via MyAberdeen with option of one-to-one feedback meeting. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Factual | Understand | To develop new perspectives on a chosen historical subject area through creative practice |
| Reflection | Evaluate | To write reflectively about your own creative history project |
| Assessment Type | Formative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 30 | Feedback Weeks | 33 | |
| Feedback |
Written feedback via MyAberdeen with option of one-to-one feedback meeting |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Factual | Understand | To develop new perspectives on a chosen historical subject area through creative practice |
| Procedural | Create | To develop and apply practical creative historical skills |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
An extended written exegesis and reflection (6,000 words) which does not require the submission of a completed creative history piece (i.e. this can be completes as a resit by those who did not submit their creative history project). Must include an extended section on historiography and theory to include ILOs covered by the essay assessment. Written feedback via MyAberdeen with option of one-to-one feedback meeting. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | To understand key arguments around the use of creative practice in history and their relationship to broader theory and method in history |
| Factual | Evaluate | To evaluate and compare examples of creative history |
| Procedural | Create | To develop and apply practical creative historical skills |
| Factual | Understand | To develop new perspectives on a chosen historical subject area through creative practice |
| Reflection | Evaluate | To write reflectively about your own creative history project |
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