OPEN CALL: URgh! zine #1 on Alternative Art Education
Submissions are open for the first issue of URgh! on alternative art education. The zine will explore and document alternative art education in self-organised, DIY, peer-led art schools and collectives.
OPEN CALL: URgh! zine #1 on Alternative Art Education
DEADLINE Friday, 21 Feb 2020
Submissions are open for the first issue of URgh! We welcome contributions that explore and document alternative art educationand self-organised, DIY, peer-led art schools and collectives, to extend the existing research and amplify the movement.
Listen to the first interview with Nick Kaplony from Artquest on the Conway Hall Research Residency. We explore the objectives of my research at Conway Hall, the idea of a cooperative art school and some of the key concerns in my practice, such as the legitimising role of the institution and the need for alternative models of art education.
What would a co-operative art school look like? How would it work? Who is it for and what would the benefits be? Come along to a series of workshops at Conway Hall to discuss these questions and collectively explore potential models for a co-operative form of art education. Please click here for more information on the workshop series. To book please follow the links below.
A co-operative art school? is a research project on co-operative education, alternative art education, radical pedagogy and self-organisation, with the ultimate aim of raising awareness about cooperative art education and starting a co-operative art school. The project is supported by an Artquest Research Residency at the Conway Hall Humanist Library.
What would a co-operative art school look like? Who is it for and what would the benefits be? How would it work? These are some of the questions that this research project will address. If you would like to contribute you can fill in the survey or scroll down for more ways of getting involved. Please check back soon, this page will be updated regularly with more information and resources. To receive updates please join the mailing list.
Many thanks to everyone who came along to our events in February. We’re thrilled to welcome Eva Ruschkowski as the new Symposium book club coordinator. A very special to thanks to her for facilitating the book club on Claire Bishop’sArtificial Hells last month.
This Friday, 8 March, 7-9pm we’re discussing the chapter on Easter Island in Jared Diamond’s book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive. This book club will be facilitated by Tere Chad and Alter Us. Please follow the links for more info, to download the text and book your place. If you would like to facilitate the book club in future please visit the page for more info and come along to get involved.
Many thanks to everyone who came along to the launch of the Radical Pedagogy Reading Group. It was great to hear about everyone’s practice and particular interest in radical pedagogy and alternative art education. There was such a diversity of perspectives and questions, we’re very excited at the prospect of collaborating and learning together. The next session will take place on 24 March, 2-4pm at the Alternative Art School Weekender, a three-day festival and art school organised by TOMA (The Other MA) at Ugly Duck from Fri to Sun, 22-24 March. We’ve put an excellent programme together, check out the website for more details and come along.
On Saturday, 23 March, 12-4pm we’re running a collaborative DIY workshop at the festival to collect ideas on How To Start Your Own Art School in a handy and entertaining guide. Come along with your tips, ideas, stories, anecdotes, advice and full-blown manifestos! We will use all kinds of techniques, including collage, drawing, calligraphy and cut up poetry to produce A6 zine (105mm x 148mm). Materials and tools will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own. If you can’t come along to the workshop you can send your readymade page beforehand to info@artandcritique.uk.
The art crawl is back this month, join us on the last Saturday to view and discuss three artists’ films from Mayfair to Fitzrovia with Eva Ruschkowski. For more details and to book your place please follow the links.
[ART&CRITIQUE] WORKSHOP How To Start Your Own Art School Saturday, 23 March 2019, 12-4pm
Ugly Duck, 49 Tanner St, London SE1 3PL
Alternative Art School Weekender 22-24 March All welcome
[ART&CRITIQUE] RADICAL PEDAGOGY RESEARCH & READING GROUP What is alternative art education?
Sunday, 24 March 2019, 2-4pm
Ugly Duck, 49 Tanner St, London SE1 3PL
Alternative Art School Weekender 22-24 March All welcome
[ART&CRITIQUE] ART CRAWL Mayfair to Fitzrovia: Joy, Dance, Magic Saturday, 30 March 2019, 13:45 – 17:00
Meet 13:45 at Lévy Gorvy, 22 Old Bond St, Mayfair, London W1S 4PY
Curated by Eva Ruschkowski
Free, booking via Eventbrite
[OPPORTUNITIES & ANNOUNCEMENTS] March 2018
The list of opportunities,
open calls, deadlines,
announcements & vacancies
is updated regularly.
IMAGE CREDITS Flyer for SYMPOSIUM#34 Jared Diamond: Collapse, by Tere Chad. Sophia Kosmaoglou [2017] Art Skool Co-op Poster. Workshop, First Alternative Education Open-Day 2017. Photo by School of the Damned. Flyer for ARTCRAWL#16 Mayfair to Fitzrovia, by Eva Ruskowski. Philip Guston [1973] Painting, Smoking, Eating. Oil on canvas, 196.8 x 262.9 cm.
The Radical Pedagogy Research Group is a public forum and peer-led participatory action-research project on alternative art education, radical pedagogy and self-organisation, with the practical aim of developing a self-organised alternative studio programme. The reading group meets on the last Friday of every month, it is free and open to everyone who wants to join as long as they commit to the reading. We plan to organise additional workshops, screenings and other events that will emerge from our research. Please book your place and download the reading.
On Friday, 8 February 2019 we’re discussing the first chapter of Claire Bishop’s book Artificial Hells with Eva Ruschkowski. This book club is fully booked, please check the Eventbrite page on the day of the event for returns.
Interested in alternative art education? Want to help start an alternative art school? Send us your contributions for the Radical Pedagogy Research & Reading Group draft syllabus by Friday, 15 February 2019, final version to be determined collectively at the launch on Friday, 22 February 2019. Please see the event page for more details.
[SYMPOSIUM] BOOK CLUB Claire Bishop: Artificial Hells
Friday, 8 February, 7pm – 9pm
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Facilitated by Eva Ruschkowski Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite
[ART&CRITIQUE] RADICAL PEDAGOGY RESEARCH & READING GROUP Radical Pedagogy Reading Group Launch
Friday, 22 Feb 2019, 7pm – 9pm
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Closest stations: Whitechapel / Aldgate East Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite
[OPPORTUNITIES & ANNOUNCEMENTS] February 2018
The list of opportunities, open calls, deadlines, announcements & vacancies is updated regularly.
If you would like to post your listing for open calls, opportunities or vacancies on the list please send us the details.
IMAGE CREDITS Jeremy Deller and Mike Figgis [2001] The Battle of Orgreave (detail). ART&CRITIQUE workshop, First Alternative Education Open-Day 2017. Photo by School of the Damned (detail). Philip Guston [1973] Painting, Smoking, Eating. Oil on canvas, 196.8 x 262.9 cm.
Many thanks to everyone who came along and contributed to our events in October! Thanks to all those who came to the candle-lit book club, with a very special thanks to Dee Vora and Penelope Kupfer for facilitating.
On Friday, 9 November Silvia Bombardini and Elliot Mason will be facilitating the third in a series of book clubs on Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher, continuing with chapters 6-7 (pages 43-65) on bureaucracy, dreams and memory.
Many thanks to everyone who came along and contributed to our quarterly meeting. We have a new volunteer coordinator for the book club! The group will reconvene at 6:30pm on 11 January 2019 to set a new course and syllabus. Please add the date to your diaries and come along with your suggestions and reading proposals.
Also in January 2019 we will have the first meeting of the research and reading group on radical pedagogy, alternative art education and self-organisation. The broader aim of this group is to create a forum for the discussion of alternative art education, with the practical aim of creating a syllabus for an alternative studio programme. The first meeting will take place at 6:30pm on 25 January 2019 to determine the syllabus and structure of the reading group. Please come along and bring your proposals, suggestions, ideas and questions.
More details on these events will be published in December. The date of the next quarterly meeting has provisionally been set for 6:30pm on 22 Feb 2019 at Larc.
Please join us for a drink this Friday, 9 November after the book club to celebrate our third birthday.
[SYMPOSIUM] BOOK CLUB Mark Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.3
Friday, 9 November 2018, 6:30pm – 9pm LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES Facilitated by Silvia Bombardini & Elliot C. Mason Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite
[ART&CRITIQUE] COURSE Critical Theory in Contemporary Art Practice 10 January – 14 March 2019, 6pm–8:30pm
Chelsea College of Arts, 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU
Tutor Sophia Kosmaoglou Booking via UAL
[OPPORTUNITIES & ANNOUNCEMENTS] November 2018
The list of opportunities, open calls, deadlines, announcements & vacancies is updated regularly.
If you would like to post your listing for open calls, opportunities or vacancies on the list please send us the details.
IMAGE CREDITS
Elliot C. Mason [2018] Flyer for Symposium #31 Mark Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.3 (detail). Philip Guston [1973] Painting, Smoking, Eating. Oil on canvas, 196.8 x 262.9 cm.
Friday, 9 March 2018, 6:30pm-9pm The Field 385 Queen’s Rd London SE14 5HD Closest stations: New Cross Gate, Queens Road
Facilitated by Sophia Kosmaoglou Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite
In March we’re back at The Field for the first in a series of book clubs on Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher, starting with chapters 1-3 (pages 1-20). The book is 81 pages long and we can read it in 3-4 installments, something to decide at the end of the first session. The link below will take you to a PDF of the entire book. We will continue the series with chapters 4 & 5 on 11 May 2018, unless another proposal takes precedence. If you would like to facilitate any of the sessions please get in touch. Continue reading Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.1→
We got the autumn season off to a great start last weekend! Thanks to Anca Baciu and Mandy Wong for curating, and to everyone who came along on the art crawl from Marylebone to South Kensington on Saturday. We started off with Allora & Calzadilla at the Lisson Gallery, where we wondered how the exhibition lives up to the political critique in the press release. Looking at Wade Guyton‘s work at the Serpentine, we wondered how the large-scale digital prints on stretched canvas or digital prints arranged in display cases are “pioneering painting techniques that explore the impact of digital technologies”. We more or less came to the conclusion that this could be justified by referencing the work’s engagement with formalist concerns such as flatness, surface, illusion etc. We got utterly exhausted by the V&A LGBTQ Tour, which was delivered with energy and enthusiasm. We unanimously applauded this excellent initiative, but were disappointed at the emphasis on anecdotal stories about celebrities.
Many thanks to School of the Damned for inviting is to the First Alternative Education Open Day! It was a privilege to be part of this excellent landmark event together with other alternative art schools. We covered a lot of ground in a relentless series of workshops, met new people, exchanged ideas, played games and had a great time. Many thanks to Maria Christoforatou for preparing and facilitating our workshop, we collected participant responses and we’re putting those together to share. In the meantime you can download the handout with A4 poster.
[SYMPOSIUM] BOOK CLUB Foucault: Of Other Spaces
Sunday, 15 October 2017, 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Yurt Café, St. Katharine’s Precinct, 2 Butcher Row, London E14 8DS
Facilitated by Dasha Loyko Free, booking via Eventbrite
Our next event is the book club on Michel Foucault’s essay Of Other Spaces, facilitated by Dasha Loyko and hosted at Unison, a former lifeboat turned project space by Anastasia Freygang “to create a shifting pocket of inquiries”. We’re meeting at Yurt Café, located next to Limehouse station before we walk to the boat moored nearby. For more information, to download the text and book your place please visit the page.
[OPPORTUNITIES & ANNOUNCEMENTS] OCTOBER 2017
The list of opportunities, open calls, deadlines, announcements & vacancies is updated regularly.
If you would like to post your listing for open calls, opportunities or vacancies on the list please use the contact form to send us the details.
IMAGE CREDITS ART SKOOL CO-OP. Poster by Sophia Kosmaoglou. [SYMPOSIUM] #20 Foucault: Of Other Spaces. Flyer by Dasha Loyko. Daniel Clowes [1991] Art School Confidential. Eightball #7, Nov 1991.
After a packed season of events and shared activities with alternative art schools we enjoyed the summer alright! Read the bulletin on our adventures and find out about some of the places and faces of the alternative art education movement.
Now we’re looking forward to autumn rituals, open days, book fairs, art affairs, bonfires and getting together with warm cups of tea to exchange ideas, make decisions and change the future of art education.
On Saturday, 30 September we’re joining Mandy Wong and Anca Baciu for a crawl from Marylebone to South Kensington. We’re looking forward to some interesting discussions when we visit exhibitions by Allora & Calzadilla at Lisson, Wade Guyton at the Serpentine, and wrap up with the V&A LGBTQ Tour.
On Sunday, 1 October we’re getting together for an exciting array of workshops at School of the Damned’sFirst 100% Official Unofficial Alternative Education Open-Day! If you want to come along, get involved or help out please see below for more details.
[ART&CRITIQUE] ART CRAWL Marylebone to South Kensington
Saturday, 30 September 2017, 1:45pm – 5pm
Meet 1:45pm at Lisson Gallery 27 Bell Street London NW15BY
Curated by Anca Baciu and Mandy Wong All welcome, booking not required
We’re contributing to School of the Damned’s Open Day with a participatory workshop on alternative art education and we need your help! If you want to come along, get involved or help out please get in touch by responding to this email or just meet us at Set Space on 1 October at 11am. This is a 30 minute workshop, scheduled to start at 1pm.
[OPPORTUNITIES & ANNOUNCEMENTS] SEPTEMBER 2017
The list of opportunities, open calls, deadlines, announcements & vacancies is updated regularly.
If you would like to post your listing for open calls, opportunities or vacancies on the list please use the contact form to send us the details.
IMAGE CREDITS [ARTCRAWL] #13 Marylebone to South Kensington. Flyer by Mandy Wong. Sean Roy Parker [2017] HOW TO SELF-ORGANISE. Daniel Clowes [1991] Art School Confidential. Eightball #7, Nov 1991.
July was a busy month, we had several meetings and got together with alternative art schools to ignite a discussion on cooperation and exchange ideas on the future of education in the arts.
On Friday, 14 July we got together for an open meeting and workshop on self-organisation. We shared ideas and decided to follow-up with a series of workshops to address new questions that came up, to consider the part that self-organisation plays in alternative art education, and to address our own cooperative practices.
Our first stop was the Railway Hotel, where we were joined by Simon Cole down from London on a different route. After catching up over vegan lunch and a drink we headed towards the seafront for a sneak preview of Twenty One, a brand new venue in Southend. We caught the installation of 100% Southend, an open access exhibition for the launch of the new space. We circled back through town to Focal Point Gallery to see the group exhibition Maximum Overdrive and Big Screen Southend, an open access rolling submission public screen. Follow the link to find out how to submit your work.
We passed the ostentatious University of Essex student accommodation building, the monumental VAT building, the Beecroft Art Gallery and enormous developments on the way to the Old Waterworks, an independent, artist-led space. We saw the artists’ studios, darkroom, printmaking facilities and Alison Lloyd’s exhibitionAct 1 – 1 Act – Walking the Gallery, Closed – Walking Birchen Hat.
Then we headed through streets of terraced houses to West Road Tap for a drink and chat about alternative art education and coops. We set off along London Road to Chalkwell Park, home of TOMA and Metal Art School. Emma gave us a tour of the studio spaces, the exhibition and meeting spaces, the cosy living quarters and work spaces with excellent views of the Thames estuary. Visit the website for more information on Time and Space Residencies at Metal, the next deadline is on 30 September 2017.
After bidding farewell to Metal and the beautiful park we got caught in a downpour which let up as soon as we got to Chalkwell station. The sun and tide were both out by the time we arrived Leigh-on-Sea where TOMA artist Richard Baxter’s studio is located. Richard told us about the boat-building history of the studio, he showed us his work and we talked about reading groups, practice, theory and choices in alternative art education.
Still somewhat damp from the storm we piled into the Mayflower to recount the the day over calamari and beer. We eventually had to run for the train back to London because we got carried away with the view of the moody estuary. For more images please see the album on our Facebook page. Thank you TOMA for a fantastic day!
On Monday, 24 July we had a special edition of the book club at School of The Damned‘s (SOTD) Common Room, a week-long public programme of free educational workshops, talks and participatory events at Guest Projects, 22-29 July 2017.
SOTD is an alternative contemporary art postgraduate course based in the UK. The school runs a labour exchange economy based, offering a series of skills hour-for-hour in return for guests’ time, venues workshop provision, etc.
The discussion was entirely unrestrained, we meandered beyond territories relevant to the text in several interesting directions, focusing mainly on pedagogical practice and ethics. We might benefit from a return to the text or a closer look at concepts such as Foucault’s notion of parrhesia (the obligation to speak openly), Adorno’s concept of autonomy and Guattari’s ethico-aesthetic paradigm and transversality in the context of art and education.
We were excited to meet several members of the SOTD class of 2018, aka Year of the Rooster before the book club, and to talk about their work. Sean Roy Parker ran a Wildflower and Floristry walk on the previous day and was busy reconfiguring his collection of found objects into new ensembles. We were sorry to miss the discussion on Self-organisation, Access and Sharing on the previous day and we heard all about the fascinating workshop Thinking with Water: Pooling resources, research and ideas with Emily Wooley.
We viewed the beautiful display of work from Renata’s Freehand Embroidery Technique workshop from the previous day. Renata combines costume design, visual art and art education in her practice, she is interested in pedagogy, communities, education, interdisciplinarity and participatory art, both as member of SOTD’s class of 2018 and in the context of her art practice. She has compiled the School of the Damned Open Library, which focuses primarily on alternative art education.
Thanks to SOTD, Renata Minoldo and everyone who joined this riveting discussion on art, participation and pedagogy. It was a pleasure to be part of this exciting programme of events and to enjoy the positive energy of this friendly, cooperative and creative environment. The fallen fruit crumble was delicious.
On Friday, 12 May 2017 we have an [OPENMEETING] to lay the foundations of a new alternative art school, coordinate future projects and institute collective ways of working at [ART&CRITIQUE]. If you’d like to get involved you’re welcome to join us!
The [BOOKCLUB] is back on Friday, 9 June 2017 at at Tropics Café in Elephant & Castle with The Dismeasure of Art, an interview with Paolo Virno (2009). This discussion will be chaired by Rubén Salgado Perez.
Our trip to Documenta 14 in late June has been postponed till September due to various setbacks. Please get in touch if you’d like to come along or help co-ordinate the trip.
[SYMPOSIUM] BOOK CLUB Virno: The Dismeasure of Art Friday, 9 June 2017, 18:00 – 20:30
Tropics Café, Grow Elephant, New Kent Road, London SE17 1SL
Chaired by Rubén Salgado Perez Free, please book your place
[ART&CRITIQUE] STUDIO CRIT Sharing Diverse Practices on Common Ground Laura Hudson & Rachel Ara Saturday, 10 June 2017, 10:30–17:30
Education Space, Thames-Side Studios, Harrington Way, London SE18 5NR Free, please book your place
[OPPORTUNITIES & ANNOUNCEMENTS]
MAY 2017
The list of opportunities, open calls, deadlines, announcements & vacancies is updated regularly.
If you would like to post your listing for open calls, opportunities or vacancies on the list please use the contact form to send us the details.
IMAGE CREDITS Great Chartist Meeting on Kennington Common, 10 April 1848 (detail). Photo by William Kilburn. Kinki Club, Bologna. Photo Graziella Ronchi for Spaghetti Disco, Red Gallery, London, Oct 2016. Poster for Sharing Diverse Practices on Common Ground, 10 June 2017 (detail), by Rachel Ara. Gabriel Cornelius von Max [1889] Monkeys as Judges of Art (detail). Oil on canvas, 85 × 107 cm.
Friday, 25 January 2019, 18:30-20:30 LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Closest stations: Whitechapel / Aldgate East
All welcome. Buzzer left of the entrance, office on the top floor
ART&CRITIQUE was a peer-led and volunteer-run alternative art education network dedicated to critical engagement with art practice, theory and research. It was founded in November 2015 and based at The Field and LARC. We employed collaborative, co-operative and collective models of pedagogy and organisation and fostered alternative models of art education in a series of public events.