Curriculum regeneration framed by graduate capabilities has been a teaching and learning priority in universities for a number of years (Bowden, Hart, King, Trigwell and Watts, n.d.). But there are two levels of curriculum: that which is sought and that which is taught. This paper investigates the experiences of an academic developer and an academic embarking on a journey of curriculum regeneration and staff development with discipline teams in the Creative Industries. It explores the tensions and challenges for developers who position themselves in contradiction to the “parallels between Third World development and the development of professional academic workers” (McWilliam, 2002) but who nonetheless comfortably engage with the performative institutional language of curriculum audits for graduate capabilities, evidencing teaching and course quality assurance. How do developers reconcile these contradictory drivers?

Keywords: curriculum development, disciplinary cultures, academic development