Visions of students of faculty of fine arts of professional life and work

Abstract

In our country, research about students' vision of their future professions are very rare. When it comes to fine arts students, these research does not exist at all. There is always a myth associated with the understanding of the personality of artists, and they are considered to be specific, charismatic persons, who have a strong motivation and a need to perform creative work. However, this myth has been challenged in the last decades due to the commercialisation of art. Therefore, in this paper, we will deal with their visions of their professional life and work. The aim of the research is to examine how the future artists visualise their professional life and whether the idea of a charismatic myth is present in their visions or whether they are perhaps shaped by requirements of the current situation in the field of culture and art in our country. The sample included 39 students of the fourth year of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade. In the processing of data, we applied the qualitative thematic analysis of the content obtained based on the written testimonies given in the form of a story. The results of the research indicate that the ideas of a charismatic myth are a central motive in the narratives of students and that they are interwoven with the uncertain image of their future profession and their unpreparedness for new roles in society. The paper presents the implications related to higher education policies at faculties of fine arts, as well as the recommendations for further research in this field.