Events
Courses And Classes
Our innovative and varied programme of short courses provides a remarkable opportunity to explore the history and theory, business and practice of art. Expert practitioners including Royal Academicians, academics and leading scholars, lead classes and discussions across the RA’s historic spaces and world-class exhibitions, providing a range of perspectives and practices for international audiences.
Browse and book the autumn 2019 programme of courses and classes online. For further information and enquiries, please contact Anna Pojer, Academic Programmes Manager, on 020 7300 5641 or anna.pojer@royalacademy.org.uk
Short course
The self-portrait: historical highlights
Ten-week art history and theory lecture series
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
16 September — 18 November 2019
Next session: 23 September 2019
The Life Room, Royal Academy Schools
In this 10-week lecture series you’ll explore the medium of self-portraiture and how artists chose to depict themselves throughout art history.
£540 for full course or £320 for five weeks. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of the fifth and tenth sessions.
Short course
Life drawing: the naked portrait
Five-week practical evening course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
18 September — 16 October 2019
Next session: 25 September 2019
The Life Room, Royal Academy Schools
Inspired by the RA’s exhibition of works by Lucian Freud, this life drawing course explores the composition and spatial relationships of the human form.
£480. Includes all materials, light refreshments, and a wine reception at the end of the final session.
Short course
Colour painting: strategy and spontaneity
Five-week practical evening course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
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23 September 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
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30 September 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
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7 October 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
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14 October 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
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21 October 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
The Clore Learning Centre, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
In this exciting five-week course, explore expressive approaches to a range of painting materials and techniques, progressing from figuration to the abstract.
£540. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Short course
Friends and Academicians’ Room Members life drawing: figure in context
Evening session
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Tuesday 24 September 2019
6.15 — 9.15pm
The Sir Hugh Casson Room for Friends, The Keeper's House, Royal Academy of Arts
Enjoy an exclusive life drawing session for Friends and Academicians’ Room members in the Sir Hugh Casson Room, concentrating on the figure in context.
£50. Includes a drinks reception and all practical materials. Friends and Academicians’ Room members only.
Short course
Helene Schjerfbeck Symposium
One-day symposium
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Friday 27 September 2019
9am — 6.30pm
The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Join us for an academic symposium exploring the extraordinary paintings of Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946) and themes raised by her work.
£50. Includes a complimentary ticket to the Helen Schjerfbeck exhibition.
Short course
Life drawing to abstraction
Weekend-long practical course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
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28 September 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
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29 September 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
The Clore Learning Centre, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
In this course you’ll learn how to create abstract paintings through a series of live demonstrations and practical exercises, guiding you through each stage from simple drawing to ambitious composition.
£480. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Short course
Executive Master in Cultural Leadership
Open evening
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Monday 30 September 2019
6.30 — 8pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Meet the faculty for the Executive Master in Cultural Leadership for an informal evening, and learn more about the RA’s exciting new MA programme.
Free, booking required.
Short course
Fakes! How, when and why?
Ten-week art history and theory lecture series
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
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8 October 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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15 October 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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22 October 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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29 October 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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5 November 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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19 November 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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26 November 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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4 December 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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10 December 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
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17 December 2019, 6.30 — 8pm
The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Join a distinguished line-up of scholars, artists and art-world professionals as they investigate the rationale behind forgeries and the impact of fake paintings on public institutions and the private market.
£540 for full course or £320 for five weeks. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of the fifth and tenth sessions.
Short course
The flower in fine and decorative art
Weekend-long art history and theory course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
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12 October 2019, 10am — 5pm
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13 October 2019, 10am — 5pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Explore the hidden meanings and symbolic uses of flowers in fine and decorative arts of the 17th and 18th centuries.
£420. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Short course
Botanical drawing
Weekend-long practical course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
-
12 October 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
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13 October 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
The Life Room, Royal Academy Schools
Learn the history and techniques behind botanical drawing in this two-day intensive course.
£420. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of the final session.
Short course
Friends and Academicians’ Room Members life drawing: figure in tension
Evening session
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Tuesday 15 October 2019
6.15 — 9.15pm
The Sir Hugh Casson Room for Friends, The Keeper's House, Royal Academy of Arts
Enjoy an exclusive life drawing session for Friends and Academicians’ Room members in the Sir Hugh Casson Room, concentrating on the representation of muscle groups.
£50. Includes a drinks reception and all practical materials. Friends and Academicians’ Room members only.
Short course
Executive Master in Cultural Leadership
Open evening
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Thursday 17 October 2019
6.30 — 8pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Meet the faculty for the Executive Master in Cultural Leadership for an informal evening, and learn more about the RA’s exciting new MA programme.
Free, booking required.
Short course
Analysis of the art market: the evolution of taste
Weekend-long art theory and business course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
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2 November 2019, 10am — 5pm
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3 November 2019, 10am — 5pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Led by historian and art dealer, Angus Haldane, this weekend course offers critical insights into the history of the art market through the filter of the history of changes in taste.
£540. Includes light refreshments and lunch on both days and a wine reception.
Short course
Drawing the self-portrait
Weekend-long practical course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
-
2 November 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
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3 November 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
The Life Room, Royal Academy Schools
Considering the space between emotional subjectivity and objective appearance, this weekend course will allow you to delve deep into the genre of self-portraiture.
£420. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a drinks reception at the end of the first day.
Short course
From cast to life: life drawing in the RA Schools
Five-week practical evening course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
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6 November 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
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13 November 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
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20 November 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
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27 November 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
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4 December 2019, 6.30 — 9.30pm
The Life Room, Royal Academy Schools
This five-week course invites participants to take a step back in time to when drawing from casts and life models was essential training for any aspiring artist and a keystone of the RA Schools.
£480. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of the final session.
Short course
A concise history of photography
Weekend-long art history and theory course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
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9 November 2019, 10am — 5pm
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10 November 2019, 10am — 5pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Investigate the fascinating history and theories of photography in this weekend-long course.
£420. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Short course
Friends and Academicians’ Room Members life drawing: finding the balance
Evening session
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Tuesday 12 November 2019
6.15 — 9.15pm
The Sir Hugh Casson Room for Friends, The Keeper's House, Royal Academy of Arts
Enjoy an exclusive life drawing session for Friends and Academicians’ Room members in the historic Sir Hugh Casson Room, concentrating on the expression of balance in art.
£50. Includes a drinks reception and all practical materials. Friends and Academicians’ Room members only.
Short course
Retelling the Greek myths in Western art
Weekend-long art history and theory course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
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16 November 2019, 10am — 5pm
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17 November 2019, 10am — 5pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Join the RA’s Professor of Ancient Literature, Dame Mary Beard, and a lineup of experts and scholars as they explore how Greek myths have been retold in Western Europe through art, visual cultural and art history.
£420. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Short course
Oil painting: the expressive portrait
Weekend-long practical course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
-
16 November 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
-
17 November 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
The Clore Learning Centre, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
With special focus on the philosophy behind the creative process, this two-day portrait painting course in oils will explore the idea that the portrait is more than a copy of the face.
£520. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Short course
Executive Master in Cultural Leadership
Open evening
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Thursday 21 November 2019
6.30 — 8pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Meet the faculty for the Executive Master in Cultural Leadership for an informal evening, and learn more about the RA’s exciting new MA programme.
Free, booking required.
Short course
Friends and Academicians’ Room Members life drawing: gesture drawing
Evening session
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Tuesday 26 November 2019
6.15 — 9.15pm
The Sir Hugh Casson Room for Friends, The Keeper's House, Royal Academy of Arts
Enjoy an exclusive life-drawing session for Friends and Academicians’ Room members in the historic Sir Hugh Casson Room, concentrating on gesture drawing using a limited number of marks.
£50. Includes a drinks reception and all practical materials. Friends and Academicians’ Room members only.
Short course
Life painting in oils: figure and space
Weekend-long practical course
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
-
30 November 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
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1 December 2019, 10.30am — 5.30pm
The Clore Learning Centre, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Join us for a weekend of painting from life in oils, focusing on how to represent the figure in context. Strengthen your skills in painting the human form while learning how to create a convincing sense of space in painting.
£520. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Short course
Executive Master in Cultural Leadership
Open evening
● Fully booked
● Cancelled
Wednesday 11 December 2019
6.30 — 8pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Meet the faculty for the Executive Master in Cultural Leadership for an informal evening, and learn more about the RA’s exciting new MA programme.
Free, booking required.