This programme is designed for selected artistic and curatorial practitioners with a clear sense of direction who want to engage in advanced contemporary art research characterised by a high level of critical inquiry. With an emphasis on whanaungatanga, the programme provides a responsive and stimulating candidate-led environment where postgraduates develop their artistic and intellectual voice to position themselves to make meaningful contributions to contemporary art as artists and/or curators. The programme combines studio-based experimentation/an exhibition project, with advanced critical thinking supported by seminars, group work, independent reading and other relevant modes of inquiry. Candidates are required to conduct an extensive exploration and analysis of the intellectual and artistic contexts surrounding their practice, mapping the theoretical, historical, and cultural space that informs both their current artistic/curatorial research and its anticipated trajectory in contemporary art. This work takes place in the studio or equivalent creative space, where candidates propose, research, develop, and test methods and ideas in open and experimental ways. Supported by diverse peer groups, effective academic supervision, reading groups, workshops, and seminars, candidates engage in a flexible yet challenging environment that encourages independent growth and community engagement. The programme fosters high-level critical dialogue between candidates, emphasising risk-taking, experimentation, and the expansion of creative potentialities. Through making, writing, and conversation, candidates learn to evaluate and diffract critical-cultural frameworks, developing sophisticated approaches to contemporary art research.