61

Creative arts doctorates have existed for many years across the world and are now developing exponentially. Cultural differences have produced clear distinctions between art schools in northern and southern Europe. Experiments are also under way in the Americas and Asia. A fundamental and so far unresolved question is how to provide an exact definition of artistic research. Are painters, sculptors, musicians, directors and actors in theatre and film also researchers when they produce their work? This crucial question is the starting point for a discussion on the advisability of introducing an arts doctorate primarily based on art work itself. We report on a range of experiences, and especially on the experiments being launched in arts schools in Holland, England, Scotland and France.