The art of poetry and the poetry of art
Weekend-long art history and creative writing course
23 February 2019 10am - 5pm24 February 2019 10am - 5pm
General Assembly Room, Royal Academy of Arts
£420. Includes all materials, light refreshments at the beginning of each day and wine reception at the end of day one.
In this creative writing course, participants are invited to join leading poets, writers and artists in exploring the history of the rich relationship between art and poetry, as inspiration for writing their own poems about works in the Academy’s galleries.
"A poem is a speaking picture, a picture a silent poem" – Simonides of Ceos.
From the ancient world to the present day, art and poetry have been in constant dialogue with each other. With artists and poets each trying to recreate the special effects of the others’ media within their own, the histories of art and literature are, and always have been, intertwined.
From Greek statues of Homer’s heroes, to the Old Masters’ Ovidian obsessions, through to Modernism and Surrealism, and on into conceptual, video and performance art, art and the written word have never been far apart. And in a world where the extremes of human experience seem increasingly hard to express, the questions of how to transmute words into meaningful silence and how to make silent pictures speak to us are more pressing than ever.
Drawing on his own experience as a literary critic, art writer and poet, Tim Smith-Laing will be joined by guest speakers including Dr. Kathryn Murphy of Oriel College, Oxford, to lead participants through the relationship between art and poetry, as inspiration for their own poems. Featuring expert lectures, readings and artist talks alongside writing workshops with leading poets, the course will allow participants to dive into the complex history of the continuing relationship between art and poetry through their own creative writing.
Participants will work towards two poems across the weekend: one directly inspired by works on display in the Academy’s exhibition galleries, and the other taking on the challenge of creating and describing a fictional work of art. With direct feedback from the poets and course leader, and the chance for participants to read their work in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, this is an opportunity for experienced poets and new writers alike to flex their writing muscles and gain fresh inspiration.
Open to anyone with an interest in art and literature, from published writers to curious gallery-goers, this weekend will give participants a unique chance to think about art and poetry through both literary and art history and personal practice.
About the course
This course provides a unique opportunity to learn about the rich relationship between art and poetry from Ancient Greece up to contemporary art, while working with leading poets on creating your own poems inspired by art.
The course is led by a professional writer and critic who works at the intersection of art and literature, and will feature leading poets and artist as guest speakers and writing workshop leaders.
This course will be run as a combination of lectures, discussion, and writing workshops, with opportunities throughout for participants to engage in debate, discussion, and sharing of their own work.
Set in intimate and friendly surroundings, this course is designed both to give a historical overview of art and poetry’s ongoing intimacy, and to provide inspiration for experienced poets and new writers alike.
This course is for anyone who has an interest in art and poetry, and has ever wanted to write poems inspired by their experiences of art. It is suitable for those with no prior knowledge of art history or previous experience of writing poetry, as well as those who want to build on their knowledge and develop their writing practice with professional poets in a friendly group setting.
This course is for you if:
• You have a general interest in art or poetry and would like to understand the myriad ways in which they have inspired each other over more than two millennia
• You have a specific interest in writing poetry for your own pleasure or for publication
• You are a practising visual artist looking to expand the horizons of your practice into the written word
• You would like to deepen and enrich your knowledge art and literature with professional critics and leading poets and artists
Minimum age 18
£420
Registration from 9.30am
10:00am - 5:00pm
This course provides:
• A rich combination of lectures from experts and critics, discussion, and workshops with professional poets and writers
• An exploration of the history of art from a novel perspective
• Skills and knowledge relevant to those with art-historical and poetic interests
• The opportunity to learn from leading experts and writers
• The opportunity to socialise and network in a friendly environment
• Light refreshments throughout the weekend
• A drinks reception on Saturday following the day’s session
• A certificate of participation upon course completion
Dr Tim Smith-Laing
Dr. Tim Smith-Laing is a writer and critic based in London. A book reviewer at The Telegraph and regular contributor of features on art for Apollo and Frieze, he has written on subjects ranging from Renaissance philosophy to The Monkees, and from Paul Valéry to Hieronymus Bosch. His poetry, fiction and essays have been published in The Junket. Prior to leaving academia in 2014 to concentrate on writing, he took a DPhil in late medieval and early modern mythography and spent three years as a lecturer in literature at Jesus College, Oxford, where he specialised in early modern literature and culture, and the theory of criticism. His current projects are a novel based on the life of 18th-century German sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, a series of poems inspired by Jules Laforgue, and a cultural history of chance, titled Fortuna: The Lives of Lady Luck from Ancient Athens to Quantum Physics.
About the speakers
Writer, Teacher and Publisher
Peter Carpenter has taught creative writing for many organisations including the Arvon Foundation and the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. His work has included stints as Creative Writing Fellow at the University of Reading and as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Warwick. His chapter on creative writing (‘Singing Schools and Beyond’) appeared in the O.U.P. Handbook of Contemporary British and Irish Poetry; he is currently writing a series of articles on this subject for The English Association.
His ‘New and Selected Poems’, Just Like That, (Smith/Doorstop) came out in 2012, and Peace Camp (Maquette) in 2015. These follow five previous collections. He is a regular essayist and reviewer for a number of literary journals including Agenda, The North and Under the Radar. He has co-directed Worple Press since 1997, editing and publishing poetry and arts titles. He contributed to Iain Sinclair’s London: City of Disappearances and is currently writing a book about David Bowie.
Fellow in English Literature, Oriel College
University of Oxford
Dr Kathryn Murphy is Fellow in English Literature at Oriel College, and Associate Professor in the Faculty of English, University of Oxford. Her academic work focuses on Renaissance poetry and philosophy, and on the literary essay. She is also a critic and essayist, writing regularly about still life painting for Apollo Magazine, and reviewing Czech literature for the TLS. She is currently writing one book, entitled The Tottering Universal: Metaphysical Prose in the Seventeenth Century, and editing two more: The Penguin Book of Renaissance Prose, and a volume of essays on essays.
Interdependent Author
Rebecca Goss is the author of two full-length poetry collections The Anatomy of Structures (Flambard, 2010) and Her Birth (Carcanet 2013). Her Birth was shortlisted for prizes including The Forward Prize for Best Collection and The Warwick Prize for Writing. In 2014, Rebecca was selected for The Poetry Book Society’s Next Generation Poets. Her collaboration with the photographer Chris Routledge was published by Guillemot Press in 2018. Carcanet will publish her third full-length collection, Girl in 2019. She is currently studying for a PhD by Publication at the University of East Anglia. She is Creative Writing Fellow 2018/19 at Liverpool John Moores University.
Our courses and classes programme
Our programme of short courses and classes offers the opportunity to explore a range of subjects, led by expert tutors and practising artists.
Give this course as a gift
All of our courses can be purchased as a gift for a friend or family member – giving the gift of education and a remarkable experience. To arrange a personalised Gift Voucher, please contact Anna Pojer, Academic Programmes Manager, by calling 020 7300 5684 or email anna.pojer@royalacademy.org.uk