Category Archives: COURSES

Bursary

Critical Theory in Contemporary Art Practice Bursary, Autumn 2018

DEADLINE Monday, 3 September 2018
COURSE RUNS @Deptford Lounge, London SE8 4RJ, 8 Oct – 3 Dec & 27 Oct 2018

UPDATE Congratulations to Renata Minoldo who is awarded the Bursary! Renata explores the physical, spiritual and emotional body through sculpture, installation and participatory workshops.

For more information please see our announcement of the Bursary Outcome. Many thanks to all the excellent candidates for taking the time to apply and to everyone who helped spread the word.

The Critical Theory in Contemporary Art Practice Bursary is a fee-waiver awarded to one applicant who will benefit most from participating in the course, regardless of previous experience, background or education.

Every application will be judged on its own terms, there are no academic or professional entry requirements. Applications are open to anyone over the age of 18. Please note that the bursary covers the course fees only and has no provision for additional financial support.

The course runs from 8 October to 3 December 2018, on Monday evenings for 9 weeks at Deptford Lounge 9 Giffin Street, London SE8 4RJ, with off-site visits on Saturday, 27 October 2018. Please download and read the course outline, it will help you decide whether this course is for you.

For more information and to apply, please download the application form and return it by Monday, 3 September 2018. You will be notified of the outcome by 10 September 2018 and if you are selected you must accept the offer by 14 September 2018.

ART&CRITIQUE is a London-based alternative art education network dedicated to practice, research, education and critical engagement with contemporary art. We foster alternative models of art education and bring artists, curators, researchers, writers and organisations together in a series of open-access public events and courses.

ART&CRITIQUE is independent, self-organised and self-funded. We employ collaborative, co-operative and collective models of pedagogy and organisation. Our website provides information on or regular events, workshops and courses, and information on opportunities and upcoming deadlines, education, professional development, support and resources for artists, curators, students and anyone interested in art practice, critical theory and research.

We endeavour to offer affordable rates for everyone when we host our own courses. We offer one bursary award per self-hosted course and each Bursary is associated with a specific course. As a non-profit organisation we aim to cover our expenses, including venue hire, salaries, insurance, booking fees etc. Free or affordable access to a venue helps keep our fees accessible.

PREVIOUS AWARDS

Critical Theory in Contemporary Art Practice Bursary, Summer 2018

DEADLINE Friday, 23 February 2018
COURSE RUNS @Kupfer, London E9 6JU, 19 Apr – 14 June & 5 May 2018

Applications for this fees-only bursary are now closed and the results are out!

Congratulations to Lucy Webster for earning the fee-waiver award. Lucy is a multidisciplinary designer who explores themes of cultural critique, sociology, patriarchy and semiotics in a range of media including performance, film, fiction, poetry and sculpture.

For more information please visit our post on the Fee-waiver Award Outcome. Many thanks to all the excellent candidates for taking the time to apply and to everyone who helped spread the word.

UPDATE: Critical Theory in Practice (proposal for a collectively organised course)

In discussions following the recent Fee-waiver Award, the idea emerged to organise a course based on a labour exchange. The course will be organised collectively, giving the opportunity to those who cannot afford the fees to participate. It is also an opportunity for those who are interested in working together to develop an alternative model of free and sustainable education. Depending on how this goes, it will initially replace the Fee-waiver Award with a more equitable and inclusive alternative. For more information and to join the team and get involved please visit the proposal page on Openki.net.

We’re very pleased to invite applications for a fee-waiver award for the upcoming course Critical Theory in Contemporary Art Practice. The award is open to anyone over the age of 18. The fee-waiver is awarded to the applicant who will benefit most from participating in the course, regardless of previous experience, background or education. Every application will be judged on its own terms, there are no academic or professional entry requirements. Please read the course description, it will help you decide whether this course is for you.

The course runs from 19 April to 14 June 2018, on Thursday evenings for 9 weeks, including off-site visits on Saturday, 5 May 2018 at Kupfer Arch 213, Ponsford Street, London E9 6JU.

For more information and to apply, please download the application form and return it by Friday, 23 February 2018. You will be notified of the outcome on Friday, 2 March 2018 and if you are selected you must accept the offer by Friday, 9 March 2018.

We endeavour to offer affordable rates for everyone when we host our own courses. We also offer one fee-waiver award per self-hosted course so that one person can join the course for free. As a non-profit organisation we aim to cover our expenses, including venue hire, salaries, insurance, booking fees etc. Free or affordable access to a venue helps keep our fees accessible.

COURSES, CURATING

Exhibition-Making

Course Outline | Course Dates | Tutor | Bibliography | Resources

Course Description

Prepare to be guided by your tutor through the practical and logistical processes involved in staging an exhibition on this one-day course. The course starts with the initial concept and research, moving to agreements and layout and finally, to the hanging of artworks. We will also advise you on insurance, public liability and health and safety requirements in public spaces. As well as developing your knowledge of innovative exhibition design, it’s a chance to exchange ideas with the rest of the group. Students are welcome to bring along ideas in relation to future exhibitions that they would like to or will be organising.

Course Outcomes

You will be capable of organising an exhibition from start to finish, as well as appreciating a successful exhibition design layout. You’ll be aware of the procedures between galleries and artists.

Who Should Attend

Artists, craftspeople or anyone eager to learn about the practical side of organising an exhibition.

For more information on the course, including the schedule, lectures and reading please download the Course Outline.

Upcoming Course Dates

No upcoming course dates.

Tutor

Sophia Kosmaoglou is an artist, tutor, curator and founder of [ART&CRITIQUE], an alternative art education network based in London. Her current practice blurs the boundaries between art, activism and education to question the ontology of art and its social and institutional functions. She has a practice-based PhD in Fine Art from Goldsmiths and her research interests include institutional critique and the relationship between art and politics, institutions and independent organisations and collective practices. She has previously taught Critical Studies and Studio Practice on BA Fine Art Practice and Joint Honours courses at Goldsmiths and is currently a Visiting Tutor at Chelsea College of Arts. For more information please see https://videomole.tv

COURSES, CRITICAL STUDIES

Critical Theory in Contemporary Art Practice

Course Outline | Course Dates | Tutor | Reviews | Bibliography | Resources

Course Description

This course maps the theories and discourses that inform the production and reception of contemporary art, providing a supportive environment to develop your practice and articulate your ideas on the production, exhibition and interpretation of art.

Through lectures, seminars, tutorials and gallery visits the course will familiarise you with key concepts and historical transformations that underpin contemporary art production and reception. We will look at the impact of key philosophical, cultural and political discourses on art practice, and examine different theoretical perspectives and critical debates. You will extend and develop your ability to discuss, write about and judge contemporary art. You will be supported in contextualising your practice with extensive feedback in tutorials and workshops. You will also develop your skills in writing artist’s statements, critical reviews and/or exhibition proposals.

What kind of knowledge and skills do contemporary artists need? Who is art for? How do we recognise art? What distinguishes art from other forms of cultural production? How does the global economy affect the production and circulation of art? Is art a commodity? What is the social role of art? Can art bring about social change? Can art be critical? Are artists expected to push social boundaries? What is critical art, critical of? What is aesthetic autonomy? These are some of the questions we will address as we explore the historical and critical contexts in which contemporary art is made, circulated, viewed and understood.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course you will have a good grasp of the historical underpinnings and current debates in contemporary art. You will develop, articulate and contextualise your practice. You will develop your writing and research skills and formulate research questions to guide your practice and research. You will be able to critically evaluate your own work, as well as that of others. You’ll be able to critically discuss and evaluate contemporary art.

Who Should Attend

The course is open to everyone regardless of experience but it is particularly suited to those who have a background and experience in art and wish to develop their practice and extend their knowledge of contemporary art practices and discourses. The course will suit those wishing to develop their practice and research, prepare a portfolio, apply for a postgraduate degree in art or pursue a career in the arts. The course will benefit painters, sculptors, print-makers, installation artists, performance artists, video and media artists, designers, sound artists, musicians, curators, writers and researchers.

For more information on the course, including the schedule, lectures and reading please download the Course Outline.

Upcoming Course Dates

Click on the dates below for more info and to book

10 Jan—14 Mar 2019, Thursdays 6pm-8:30pm for 10 wks @Chelsea College of Arts UAL

From	To	Time	Duration	Location	Fee	Actions
Thursday, 10 Jan 2019	Thursday, 14 Mar 2019	18:00–20:30	Five days (25 hours)	Chelsea College of Arts UAL 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU	£ 599	BOOK

This course runs from 10 January to 14 March 2019, every Thursday from 6pm to 8:30pm for ten weeks at Chelsea College of Arts UAL. If you have any questions please contact us or the Chelsea Short Course Team +44 (0) 20 7514 6311.

5—9 August 2019, Mon—Fri 10:00-16:00 for 5 days @Chelsea College of Arts UAL

From	To	Time	Duration	Location	Fee	Actions
Monday, 5 Aug 2018	Friday, 9 Aug 2018	10:00–16:00	Five days (25 hours)	Chelsea College of Arts UAL 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU	£ 599	BOOK

This course runs from 5 to 9 August 2019, every day from 10am to 4pm for one week at Chelsea College of Arts UAL. If you have any questions please contact us or the Chelsea Short Course Team +44 (0) 20 7514 6311.

Tutor

Sophia Kosmaoglou is an artist, tutor, curator and founder of [ART&CRITIQUE], an alternative art education network based in London. Her current practice blurs the boundaries between art, activism and education to question the ontology of art and its social and institutional functions. She has a practice-based PhD in Fine Art from Goldsmiths and her research interests include institutional critique and the relationship between art and politics, institutions and independent organisations and collective practices. She has previously taught Critical Studies and Studio Practice on BA Fine Art Practice and Joint Honours courses at Goldsmiths and is currently a Visiting Tutor at Chelsea College of Arts. For more information please see https://videomole.tv

Reviews

This course offers a great opportunity to spend significant time and thought on aspects of your practice in a stimulating group environment. I would like to thank Sophia for her commitment to the students beyond what I expected- providing us with a wealth of information, reading lists etc and regular, detailed personalised feedback, which made such a difference. —Anon

I’ve been looking for a long time to find a course like this, it is a unique opportunity, no other place provides this course. Sophia is a brilliant tutor and I am so glad I participated. I look forward to the next course. —Anon

There is a lot of material in this course. It could easily form the basis of a degree course either under or post graduate. —Anon

What an enormous pleasure and fascinating process this week has been, so open and yet demanding. I’m in my studio as I write. It feels like the place to be to think it through, and in my case ‘get on with it’. I have a stack of questions, and some answers now, about how to go forward. It’s exciting! Thank you Sophia for this fantastic course, for your teaching, feedback and whole approach. It is so helpful to receive your perceptive and knowledgeable feedback to shake things up, reflect and begin to put more focused ideas into practice. You set the bar high for all of us with astonishing commitment. —Anon

The ideas learnt are indispensable and will stick with me for life. I will use it towards a Master’s course and during my own personal study. It has inspired me to get back in education with more direction and confidence. —Anon

COURSES, CURATING

Curating Contemporary Art

Curating Contemporary Art_banner

Course Outline | Course Dates | Tutor | Reviews | Bibliography | Resources

Course Description

This five-day course is a chance to develop a critical understanding and approach to contemporary curating. The course explores the histories, theories, practices and critiques of curating, enabling students to establish their own approach to curating and contemporary art practice.

We’ll get the course off to a start by giving you an overview of the history of curating and 21st century curatorial developments. We will survey the main trends, institutions and concerns of contemporary curatorial practices. We will also visit exhibitions in London, from DIY project spaces to established museums. The course will provide you with important practical information about funding, promotion, installation and other professional aspects of curating. Then we’ll move you on to building your practical skills by encouraging you to devise exhibition themes and proposals. As you prepare your final presentation, you’ll consider everything from funding to PR. This is an opportunity to gain practical insights into curating contemporary art in both gallery and alternative spaces. Please note that you’ll be expected to complete reading and research in your own time during the course.

Course Outcomes

You will gain vital understanding of professional standards of practice in curating, knowledge of structures and institutions of the art world in London and beyond and have the tools to write an exhibition proposal, organise a show and apply for funding. It could mean moving on to curatorial projects, assistantships, partnerships or internships in the future.

Who Should Attend

Anyone with an interest in curating exhibitions of contemporary art. You may be looking to make proposals to venues, apply for gallery internships, follow a career in arts administration or apply for a BA or MA degree in Curating. The course could also provide anyone with a non-professional interest in contemporary art with new insights into the structures and concepts that underpin the field.

For more information on the course, including the schedule, lectures and reading please download the Course Outline.

Upcoming Course Dates

Click on the dates below for more info and to book.

1—5 July 2019, Mon—Fri, 10am—4pm for 5 days @Chelsea College of Arts UAL

This course runs from Monday, 1 July to Friday, 5 July 2019, from 10am to 4pm for one week. The course will take place at Chelsea College of Arts UAL, located at 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU. If you have any questions please contact us or the Chelsea Short Course Team +44 (0) 20 7514 6311

From	To	Time	Duration	Location	Fee	Actions
Monday, 1 Jul 2019	Friday, 5Jul 2019	10:00–16:00	Five days (25 hours)	Chelsea College of Arts UAL 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU	£ 665	BOOK

Tutor

Reviews

The course was brilliant – a great mixture of text-based theoretical discussions, lots of emphasis on practical issues and how to solve them, exhibition visits and continuous thinking throughout the week about one’s own exhibition proposal – which has benefited a lot from the course. The course and working on my proposal has been truly inspiring, and I have pursued the idea further since. The course felt like a launchpad – and a lot of the credit goes to the course teacher Sophia!! —Anon

I decided on this particular course as felt it would help me understand more about how curating exhibitions can help one better appreciate works of art, art movements, artists and art history. —Alan Roe

Very intensive course with good readings and gallery visits. It is a very good starting point to explore curating. —Anon