Writing about the Summer Exhibition
16 July 2016 10.30am - 5.30pm17 July 2016 10.30am - 5.30pm
The General Assembly Room, Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts
£360.
Summer Exhibition 2016
Led by Sam Phillips, Editor of RA Magazine, this two-day workshop explores the RA’s Summer Exhibition in depth, helping you write about the world’s most famous open-submission art show with confidence, clarity and a critical eye.
Established in 1769, the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition is a highlight of the British art calendar. Painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, architecture and video by both emerging and established artists demonstrate the latest developments in contemporary art. But with hundreds of works on show in such a dizzying variety of media, how can a writer review the annual exhibition?
In this two-day practical course, Sam Phillips – Editor of RA Magazine – equips aspiring writers with the tools to assess the Summer Exhibition. The class reveals how this unique show is planned and produced, demystifying the selection process and delving into its rich history, in which art critics from John Ruskin to Brian Sewell played a major part. With these new insights, participants tour this year’s Summer Show, selecting highlights and assessing the exhibition’s overall execution, from the standard of particular galleries to the pace, variety and coherence of the show as a whole. A series of writing exercises then encourage original ways to respond to the show in words, with techniques to master description, interpretation and judgement – skills that can be transferred to writing about all art and exhibitions.
About the course
This course is for you if:
• You would like to learn new skills to help you describe, interpret and judge art
• You enjoy the Summer Exhibition and would like to discover more about its production
• You are an aspiring art writer for print or online
• You would like the opportunity to develop your writing skills and ideas in a small group setting and get inspiration from group discussion and debate
Minimum age 18
This course is suitable for all levels.
The number of participants is strictly limited to 15 participants to enable feedback from the Course Tutor for each participant and the work that they create.
Sam Phillips is Editor of RA Magazine, the quarterly publication of the Royal Academy of Arts. He is the author of a guide to the capital's art collections, The Art Guide: London (Thames & Hudson, 2011), and Isms: Understanding Modern Art (Bloomsbury, 2012), an introduction to avant-garde art movements. Phillips has contributed articles to a wide range of a publications, including The Independent, World of Interiors and Time Out, and has managed publications for the Serpentine Gallery and the Frieze Art Fair.
• An introduction to the history of the Summer Exhibition, including a visit to the exhibition itself
• Expert-led advice and feedback, including a group critique during the second day
• Written materials and handouts created specifically for the course
• Lunch on both days, as well as a drinks reception at the end of the second day
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.