Creative Arts and East Asian Studies

Creative arts and East Asian studies is a combination that brings together the practice and analysis of creative work with a deep engagement with the cultures, histories, and societies of East Asia. Creative arts encompasses a range of practices including visual art, performance, film, and design, developing both practical creative skills and critical understanding of how art is made and what it means in different cultural contexts. East Asian studies engages with the languages, histories, literatures, religions, and social structures of China, Japan, Korea, and the wider East Asian region, one of the most dynamic and influential parts of the contemporary world.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies this three-year full-time programme is taught within an institution with exceptional expertise in East Asian languages and cultures, providing an environment in which creative arts practice is situated within serious scholarly engagement with Asia. You will develop both creative skills and the cultural, historical, and linguistic understanding needed to engage with East Asian artistic traditions on their own terms, rather than through a purely Western lens. A foundation year route is available for students who would benefit from additional academic preparation.

Graduates from creative arts and East Asian studies go on to careers in cultural organisations, galleries, arts journalism, film and media, teaching, international development, and any context where creative practice meets intercultural communication and understanding. The combination is particularly well suited to those interested in the globalisation of arts and culture, the creative industries in East Asia, and roles that require both artistic competence and genuine regional expertise. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in area studies, art history, cultural policy, or creative arts, deepening their specialism and strengthening their engagement with East Asian creative traditions.