Julie Smith - Fine Art Course Overview

Yeah I mean the course is MA and it's drawing for fine art practice. Which means that drawing is kind of this umbrella for art. And it's what does drawing mean and our contemporary world. So you know we go way back to the traditions right up to current. So it can be some very, very tiny tight drawing to a performance. And one of the things that we're doing in the MA is to look at how somebody's individual practice will be developed to, so that they kind of know where they're coming from as well. We're very sort of proactive you know in going to different museums and galleries and making relationships with different organizations. As well as the physicality of working the studio which is essential to any artist.

Most of our MA students are part time. Which means we have a core day, which is a very long day actually. Because then well it means It gives the possibilities of being able to sort of do the research and the tutorials at the same time. We tend to do, the students get a lot of reading, so we tend to have workshops based around reading and then discussions. And then they do presentations of their practice as well. You know we're very proactive in seeing what the student wants to extend. And then through that being sure that they actually get the opportunity to do that through the school of art.

We don't expect people to stay where they are. And that's the most important thing. Which is why passion and drive and enthusiasm and really wanting to do something is actually the most essential thing. And to want to be able to put the time in. We get involved with residencies that's something that's actually quite important. Because it means that people can be proactive in seeing where they're going as well. So an artist residence is something that we are very keen on. And the most important thing is finding your audience and that's the thing that we spend quite a bit of time on. So you know where your audiences are because then you can then put yourself in the right place.