Studying MA (Hons) History of Art gave Zelda the opportunity to explore her interests in cultural policy, race and representation through varied programme subject matter, broad range of electives and extracurricular activities.

Since graduating, Zelda is continuing to study subjects she was introduced to at ECA and has begun studying a masters at Goldsmiths, University of London, in Race, Media and Social Justice, specialising in how race and exclusion coincide with the digital.

Why I chose to study History of Art - MA (Hons)

I chose to study at ECA because I liked the idea of being able to choose electives throughout the four-year period. The elective courses available to choose from spanned a wide array of subject matters, allowing for a diverse skill set; for instance, I got to study sound art, eco-art, Caravaggio, and digital art during my time at ECA (to name only a few). The elective structure allowed me to stretch my understanding of History of Art, and ultimately led me to find an interest in cultural policy — which is a field I had no prior knowledge of and am now pursuing at a masters level.

My time at ECA

Much of my academic work has focused on issues of race and representation, and I really enjoyed being able to explore those issues in non-academic contexts. During my time at ECA, I sat on the Decolonizing the Curriculum board for the college of art and was the Black, Asian, Minority, Ethnic and Refugee Liberation Officer at Bedlam student theatre. I also co-founded a theatre company with my friend, Camilla Anvar, which focused on Asian representation and responded to anti-Asian racism during the pandemic.

Further, I was grateful to have received funding from the university to curate and put on a pop-up exhibition that showcased satirical art and collaborations with artists Liv Aslett, Scarlett Stitt, Holly Hollis, Ed Boyson-Smith and more.

If I could have done anything differently it would’ve been to commit to extracurricular activities earlier. ECA has so much to offer in regards to opportunities and funding, but what really shaped my experience was the immense talent of my fellow students. Collaborating with my peers outside of academia bolstered my learning and taught me a great deal about art, life, and the future I hope to forge. 

My experiences since graduating

I am currently studying for my masters at Goldsmiths, the University of London, in Race, Media and Social Justice and am specialising in how race and exclusion coincide with the digital. These are fields I never knew I could be a part of, and I am grateful to the teachers at ECA who introduced them to me — most notably Dr Dave O’Brien and Dr Ian Rothwell.

I am continuing to write in my spare time and I am currently the Culture and Politics editor for the digital media platform WomantoWoman. I have most recently written an essay on cyborg identity and anti-Asian racism for the Edinburgh-local cafe and micro-press Peanut Press Cafe. I also gave a talk at Westminster school on Institutional Critique as part of their speaker series.

My advice to new and current students

My advice to new students would be to make the most of the opportunities on offer at ECA, and to not be afraid of going to the staff during open office hours and asking questions. I would also stress, yet again, that your peers have a wealth of knowledge, and I would strongly encourage anyone to collaborate with students both within and outside of your course.