Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology

For over 20 years, the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology has been widely recognised as the world’s leading centre for Visual Anthropology. Its graduates have produced more than 300 ethnographic films seen around the world and it is now at the forefront of the emergent dialogue between art and anthropology, including sensory ethnography, experimental and practice-based methods, sound and performance, photographic and digital media, and art/museum installations.

Our Masters and PhD programmes combine anthropology with training in film-making, editing, photography and sound. Students are provided with professional equipment and supported by an internationally renowned staff comprising the largest visual anthropology faculty in Europe. We welcome students from across the social sciences and humanities and the course is tailored to meet the needs of different levels of anthropological and film-making experience, from people who have little or no background in formal anthropology, film-production, visual methods and photography to those who may have substantial experience in one or more of these areas.

Why Manchester?

The Granada Centre’s teaching and research continues to set the standard of excellence in the social sciences as well as arts. This was formally recognised by the ESRC's review of research in the social sciences in 2006, and by the AHRC’s awarding the Masters programme the status of a Professional Preparation Masters, something accorded to no other visual anthropology programme in the UK. In 2012 the Granada Centre's MA in Visual Anthropology received a special commendation for teaching excellence by the UK's Association of Social Anthropologists and the Higher Education Authority. 

Granada Centre graduates work in a wide range of academic, professional and media positions, including university professorships, working for the UN and directing TV series such as Tribe, Horizon and BBC and C4 Documentaries. Graduates include anthropologists, such as Sarah Pink, Rane Willerslev and Sylvia Cauiby Novaes. While in terms of film and television recent achievements include the success of Granada Centre graduates Andrew Palmer (as producer) and Gavin Searle (as director) who won the 2011 BAFTA (the British equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Television Documentary Series for Welcome to Lagos (BBC/Keo Films)

Manchester is a creative, energetic and cosmopolitan city noted for its music scene, media links and industrial past. An advantage of studying in Manchester is the cheap cost of living and accommodation in that rents are approximately half the cost of London.

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