Contemporary art summer school
18 June 2024 10am - 5pm19 June 2024 10am - 5pm20 June 2024 10am - 5pm21 June 2024 10am - 5pm22 June 2024 10am - 5pm
Wolfson British Academy Room | Burlington Gardens
£1,800. Includes all materials, light refreshments each day and drinks receptions throughout the week.
Friends of the RA book first
Where is art going in the 21st century? From video art, to performance, to NFTs, immerse yourself in the contemporary art world with access to the artists and arts professionals at its heart.
This week-long summer school gives a comprehensive overview of contemporary art in the now. We learn about art being created today, using the artists and works in the Summer Exhibition as a springboard for discussions with a host of exciting artists and curators working in London.
You’re taught through a series of lectures, discussions and workshops, including artist’s studio tours, in-conversations, gallery and exhibition visits, and seminars with arts professionals. The course includes introductions to key players in the contemporary art market, both from within the RA and from further afield.
The course covers:
• What contemporary art is
• How to think and write about art with a critical eye
• The spaces, venues and arenas engaging with art
• How the London art market works and its place on a global stage
• The key institutions and players
• The future of art today: including digital art and NFTs
Over five days this course is designed to develop both knowledge and expertise in the art world; for arts professionals, as well as anyone who is curious about art as it is made and sold today. With a London lens, it presents a global perspective, allowing participants to engage critically with the language and ideas of contemporary art, as well as understanding the inner workings of its markets.
Course tutor Dr. Tim Smith-Laing is a lecturer and critic based in London. With a PhD from Oxford, Tim taught there from 2011-2014, focusing on literature, cultural history and the history and theory of criticism. In addition to teaching at the Royal Academy, he is a book critic at The Daily Telegraph, and writes on art for Apollo, Frieze, and the Literary Review. He has recently been the Programme Director of the Executive Masters in Cultural Leadership at the RA, while researching the cultural history of luck, and a novel based on the life of eighteenth-century sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt.
If the course is sold out, please contact public.programmes@royalacademy.org.uk to join our waiting list.
Minimum age 18. Please note this course will be based at the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, but will also include a number of site visits around London. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to discuss any accessibility needs, please contact public.programmes@royalacademy.org.uk.
£1,800. Includes all materials, light refreshments each day and drinks receptions throughout the week.
Friends of the RA book first
Exceptional speakers stimulated questions and discussions within the group which I found particularly enjoyable… A very rewarding experience!
Previous participant on Contemporary Art Summer School
Related events
Short courseWorld of prints: Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair
23 November 2024
Short courseSilverpoint drawing
23 November - 24 November 2024
Short courseMaking mosaics
30 November - 1 December 2024
Short courseThe art of the Italian Renaissance
30 November - 1 December 2024
Short courseFreeThe Primary Art School
9 January - 12 June 2025
Short courseArt and conflict
1 February - 2 February 2025
Short courseModernism around the world
4 February - 11 March 2025
Short coursePortrait photography: ideas from modernism
15 February - 16 February 2025
Short courseThe Art of Carnival
1 March 2025
Short courseBotanical art
11 March - 8 April 2025
Short courseExploring ink: method and imagination
29 March - 30 March 2025