The Department of Art and Media Studies was established as a discipline in 1974 under the name Drama, Film and Theatre, becoming a department in 1978. From 1989, the study program in Drama, Film and Theatre was replaced with independent course offerings in Drama/theatre and Film respectively. Film and Drama/Theatre incorporated practical-theoretical course options, with a point of departure in art pedagogy (Norwegian College of Education) as well as in developments in cultural studies during the 1970’s. Since then, the department has expanded to include Visual Culture and Media Studies from the spring of 1994, and Art History, which was established in the fall of 1997. In the spring of 1997, the department changed its name to the Department of Art and Media Studies.
The department currently employs 21 permanent staff and faculty positions. In addition there are 4 administrative positions, one departmental engineer and one producer in drama/theatre.
In addition to sharing the lecture halls with the other departments that are housed at Dragvoll, the Department has its own facilities which include, among other things: two drama/theatre studios, a theatre workshop, television and sound studios, and several video editing suites.
Today, the department is made up of the following art and cultural studies:
Drama Studies/ Theatre Studies
Film Studies
Media Studies
Art History
These disciplines are organized into three Divisions, encompassing several courses of study in the bachelor, master and PHD degree programs within the Program for Art, Media and Communication. Course offerings have relevance for a wide array of careers in the field of culture. The different studies have their own disciplinary specificity, but a common competence base in modern and late modern art/ media theory and practice. The department houses today between 600 and 700 students who make up approximately 1/3 of all students graduating from the Faculty of Arts. Art History, Drama/theatre, Media Studies, Film Studies and Media Production are among the most popular subjects at the Faculty of Arts.
Department leadership 2005-2009:
Head of Department: Professor Bjørn Rasmussen (Drama Studies), tel: 73 59 18 23
Executive Head of Department: Associate Professor Ulla Angkjær Jørgensen (Art History), tel: 73 59 64 13
The Department Committee is made up of Study Coordinator, Division Chairman and student representatives from each of the divisions.
Administration:
Office Manager: Trond Einar Garmo, tel:73 59 65 69
Studies Coordinator: Marit Album Kvernmo, tel: 73 59 64 87
Executive Officer: Toril Wahl, tel: 73 59 66 27
Executive Officer: Marit Soini: (on leave 2006-2007)
