Programme Outline
There are three stages to our BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture*, which you can complete in three years (full time) or six years (part time). You’ll need to successfully complete each stage in order to progress to the next, including meeting attendance requirements (as detailed in our Attendance Policy).
You will mainly be based at Mermaid Court (London Bridge).
There are four main components to the BA, detailed below.
Studio Practice modules: these are where you develop personal projects in response to a series of briefs. These modules are taught through one-to-one tutorials, group critiques, workshops, lectures and practical work in a studio. As part of Studio Practice, you’ll also undertake contextual research to support each of your personal projects, which includes preparatory work, research, and pieces of reflective and discursive writing.
Elective Skills Workshop courses: these courses provide you with intensive training in the technical skills you’ll need to develop your creative vision and directly support your Studio Practice modules. They include specialist courses in all aspects of portraiture, both contemporary and more traditional. Each course runs for one full day per week per term.
Contextual Studies modules: here you will learn about key ideas that will help inform, inspire and challenge you and provide a broader understanding of the context in which you make art, including sessions focusing specifically on portraiture. You’ll learn through lectures, seminars, group activities, gallery visits and independent study for one day a week across a term. These modules are typically assessed through written work.
Professional Development modules: these focus specifically on the skills and knowledge needed for future employment in the arts and creative industries, including as a portrait artist.
Programme Yearly Structure
In Stage 1 you’ll focus on exploring and investigating. Stage 1 doesn’t contribute to your final BA grade and classification, but you will need to complete and pass all the modules to progress to Stage 2.
Responding to a practical brief, you’ll experiment with processes, materials and techniques as you build the foundation for your developing art practice, considering contemporary portraiture in its widest sense. You’ll start to identify areas of interest and to analyse your choices of approach and techniques through the expression of your ideas. In your third Studio Practice module, you will produce work for a Live Exhibition, working to a common theme with your peers on the Contemporary Portraiture BA programme and mounting a joint show at the end of the term.
You’ll attend Studio Practice one day a week across all three terms (full time) or one day per week across three of the six terms available (part time). You’ll also work independently on your project for at least one day a week.
During Stage 1, these modules are taught in studios throughout our buildings. Stage 1 students aren’t given personal studio space.
These courses are common components to all our academic programmes at the Academy, so you will be working alongside a diverse group of students.You’ll attend two to three Elective Skills Workshop courses each term if you opt for the full time mode, one to two if you study part time. Across Stage 1 and 2 three of your elective choices need to be compulsory drawing electives (or across three of the twelve terms available for part time). You’ll also have to complete the Digital Development elective in Stage 1 to prepare you for the Professional Development module in Stage 2.
Over one term, you’ll attend sessions considering histories and debates that inform contemporary art including those specific to portraiture. This essay-assessed module will include lectures, seminars and object-based study, together with independent learning.
Stage 2 counts for 33% of your final BA grade and classification. You’ll now start to focus on self-reflection and analysis.
These modules run for two full days each week across all three terms (full time) or two days per week across three of the six terms available (part time).
Your third Studio Practice project is an exciting live commission, where you’ll source a client, negotiate a brief and complete an artwork. The other two Studio Practice modules focus on further developing your own art practice, preparing you for Stage 3. In Stage 2, you’ll be given your own studio space to work on your Studio Practice modules independently, outside taught sessions.
You’ll pick Elective Skills Workshop courses across Stage 2 to help refine your technique within your chosen discipline(s). You’ll need to complete the remaining compulsory drawing electives in stage two.
This builds on the Level 4, Portraiture and its Context 1 module, approaching material at a more advanced level. It will scrutinise the frameworks which construct meaning around and within the portrait. It will develop your skills through a mixture of taught sessions and independent study, over one term, with a greater focus on critical thinking and theory. The module is assessed through an essay.
To help prepare you for life as a practising artist, you’ll also complete a professional development module, which looks at everything from PR & branding, to completing residencies, to taxation for the self-employed artist.
You’ll create a portfolio of evidence for assessment, which includes creating a website, marketing plans and evidence of the use of marketing and business tools. You’ll need to study independently in addition to your taught sessions to complete this module.
The final stage of your BA is where you really come into your own as an artist. You’ll focus on creating one major body of work that is entirely self-initiated and self-directed in your own dedicated studio space. This stage counts for 67% of your final BA grade and classification.
At Stage 3, you’re expected to be increasingly independent in the studio, but you’ll still be supported through regular group critiques and one-to-one tutorials as you hone your own practice, research your artist’s statement and prepare to exhibit at the Graduate Show.
As a full-time student, you will typically spend two days a week per term working on your Studio Practice project, and undertake independent study on your self-initiated brief. If you choose to study part-time, you’ll typically spend one day a week per term on Studio Practice throughout the two years.
This module is assessed at the Graduate Show. You’ll also submit a supporting portfolio of developmental work and take part in a viva voce with a team of tutors and an external assessor, where you’ll answer questions about your project development, curatorial choices and contextual knowledge.
You’ll choose a maximum of one Elective Skills Workshop course each term, to hone the skills needed for your final personal project (full time). Part time students will take a maximum of three electives spread throughout the two years of Stage 3.
You’ll complete an extended research project – supported by your tutor in one-to-one sessions – focusing on an area of research that supports the development of your practical work.
In this module, you’ll build on skills learnt in Stage 2, investigating an area of practice relevant to your own progression goals through an extended research project.
Tutor Contact Time
Our BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture offers some of the highest contact hours of any higher education art course in the UK. As a full time student, you’ll receive up to 12.5 to 20 hours per week of tutored time in Stages 1 and 2 (7.5 to 10 hours as a part time student). In Stage 3, the focus switches to Studio Practice project work and preparing for the Graduate Show, but you’ll still receive up to 10 hours contact time a week, plus one-to-one tutorials covering Professional Development and preparation for your extended contextual research project.
Tutors
The lead tutors for the BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture* are:
Sadie Lee is our Contemporary Portraiture Programme Leader. Tom Morgan Evans is our Critical & Contextual Studies Department Leader. Briony Marshall is our Professional Development Leader.
Our Studio Practice tutors include Sadie Lee, Gavin Maughfling, Robin-Lee Hall and Sue Spaull.
The tutors you are taught by within the Elective Skills Workshop courses will depend on the courses you choose. You can view all our tutors here.
Our New Campus
We’re thrilled to announce we will soon be relocating to a prestigious new building, Triptych adjacent to Tate Modern. The move will further reinforce Bankside as one of London’s foremost cultural quarters. Backed by generous donor support, including from developers JTRE, and a recently successful fundraising auction at Christie’s London, the relocation will enable the Academy to extend our unique approach to skills-based art education.
The new campus will increase Art Academy London’s physical footprint and the positive impact through its work of reinforcing connection and collaboration with the local Southwark community. Designed with architects Squire and Partners and forming a part of JTRE’s Triptych development, the landmark site encompasses 13,940 square feet across two levels and features:
Student Story
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities and confidence my time at AAL has given me – from presenting an interactive artwork in a dilapidated Victorian house, to exhibiting at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, to being shortlisted in the Scottish Portrait Awards – things I’d never have dreamt of before studying here.
I probably gained most from the Electives furthest from my painting-a-person-in-front-of-you comfort zone: getting over my squeamishness to understand the tendons of the hand in Anatomy Drawing, or battling with an aversion to straight lines to get to grips with three-point perspective in Composition in Contemporary Painting. But it was the core Studio Practice modules that really gave me confidence in my own creative resources.”
Minnie Scott PortraitureÂ
Fees, Bursaries & Funding
Fees for the full-time BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture in the academic year 2024/25 are £25,950 for the three-year duration of the full-time programme or £29,700 for the entire six-year duration of the programme part-time. This equates to £8,650 per annum full time and £4,950 per annum part-time if completed in six years.
Where students switch from full time to part-time mode (or vice versa) partway through the programme, annual tuition fees will be recalculated pro-rata from the relevant full programme tuition fee outstanding.
A deposit of £100 as outlined below is also payable on acceptance of the offer.
Students at Art Academy London are currently ineligible for a Student Loan for undergraduate degrees.Â
Our 2024/25 fees are as follows:
| COURSE Full time BA – 3 years | PER YEAR £8,650 | PER TERM £3,027.50 | |
| COURSE Part time BA – 6 years | PER YEAR £4,950 | PER TERM £1,732.50 |
We review our fees annually; they are likely to increase due to inflation in the following academic years (this is capped at 5% p.a. for returning/ continuing students).
Fees must be paid in advance, and you can pay them yearly or by term (incurring a 5% surcharge). We will consider payment options to help you split the cost, so please get in touch to discuss this with us.
We want to make sure as many students as possible can access the high-quality fine art education we provide. As part of this, we offer bursaries to help with tuition fees for our BA (Hons), which you can apply for once you’ve been offered a place to study with us by completing the bursary application form. We offer two types of bursaries, and you can apply for one or the other:
If you have a low annual household income or any other exceptional circumstances, you may be eligible for a bursary, for an amount up to the value of 30% of the annual tuition fees. Bursaries are assessed on an individual basis, based on need as well as merit, and are awarded at the discretion of the Principal and Director of Academic Quality, Standards and Student Experience. Please note, you’ll need to provide evidence of income to support your application for an Academic Bursary. The Bursary is awarded as a reduction in tuition fees, rather than a monetary award.
Any financial support is awarded subject to students complying with our Terms and Conditions and the Student Handbook. For further information about bursaries, including how to apply, please contact our academic team at admissions@artacademy.ac.uk.
We also support the Black Heart Scholars Programme.
Please see our Bursaries page for more information.
As a small independent art school, we are unable to hold places offered indefinitely. If your application is successful you’ll need to pay a deposit of £100 (which will be deducted from your first term’s tuition fee) and return your signed contract to secure your place.
Once you’ve returned the signed contract and paid your deposit, you have a 14-day cooling-off period to change your mind. If you choose to cancel during this time, we’ll refund your full deposit. After this period, the Academy reserves the right to retain this deposit if you fail to enrol.
You’ll need to pay your tuition fees before the start of the programme. Beyond the statutory cooling off period, you must inform the Academy of your intention to withdraw. If you wish to withdraw from your course after its official start date, you will be liable for a fee. Full details of the liability can be found in our Terms and Conditions. Should you need to, you can suspend your study for up to 12 months. Please see our withdrawal and interruption of study policy for more information.
Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information on Fees.
While some basic materials are provided for certain Elective Skills Workshop courses, you’ll need to provide most of the materials required to complete the course successfully and cover other costs such as those associated with the final year Graduate Show.
Based on a survey from our previous students, we estimate that these costs will be between £500 and £1,500 per year, although this will vary depending on the materials, chosen disciplines and stage of the programme.
We have a small shop on site, where you can purchase some materials at a heavily discounted price. You can find guidance on where to buy other specialist materials in the Student Handbook and from your tutors.
You’ll be expected to visit galleries and exhibitions independently, to help develop your contextual knowledge and practice. Some parts of the programme will also suggest you visit specific exhibitions; many of these are free.
We understand that where there is an entry fee, you may not always be able to attend; while we encourage you to take these trips, they’re not compulsory or essential, and your tutor will prepare an alternative itinerary of free museums and galleries visits that you can follow.
At the start of your final year, you’ll need to pay a Graduate Exhibition deposit of £100 in addition to your tuition fees. This deposit is refundable upon the satisfactory removal of your graduate exhibition installation at the end of the academic year. Students in receipt of a bursary are not required to pay the deposit and those who are unable to pay this deposit due to financial difficulties may be eligible for assistance. In all cases, the Academy reserves the right to seek redress for any financial losses incurred by a student’s failure to dispose of materials and/or repair work to the exhibition space (building) after the exhibition (by retaining the deposit and/ or invoicing the student).
Application Process & Apply
We welcome all enthusiastic candidates to apply. If you are interested in studying with us, please register to attend an open day or email academiccourses@artacademy.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 20 7407 6969 to discuss our courses further or arrange a visit.
We accept applications on a rolling basis. You should note that applications are subject to availability and will not be accepted if the programme has reached capacity.
More information can be found in the Admissions Policy.
To apply, please fill out the online application form here.
If you wish to apply by post, please email admissions@artacademy.ac.uk to request an application form.
Remember, the application form is your first opportunity to tell us about yourself, as well as being a vital source of the information we need to make a decision. Please take your time to complete the form accurately and remember to check you have provided all the information required, including the link to your digital portfolio. We only accept applications on the form provided and reserve the right to reject incomplete or alternative applications.
Should you have any questions about the application process or completing the form, please speak to a member of the Admissions team.
We’ll normally tell you our decision within three weeks. There are three possible outcomes, detailed below.
Conditional offer: this means we will offer you a place providing certain conditions are met before registration on the programme e.g. the completion of outstanding qualifications. Each offer is specific to individual circumstances.
Unconditional offer: this means you’ve met the academic and non-academic entry requirements and have been accepted onto your chosen programme.
Unsuccessful application: this means we have decided not to offer you a place on the programme. Applicants can be unsuccessful for many reasons and should be aware that many of the programmes at the Academy receive far more applications than number of places available.
Feedback on the decision will be given to any applicant who requests it. We will always ensure that the interviews and portfolio reviews are carried out fairly and equally. All those conducting interviews are trained to do so and fully conversant in our Admissions Policy. Although decisions to admit or reject applicants are academic judgments and therefore cannot be appealed, if an applicant feels that the interview and selection process was not conducted fairly and equitably or as described in our Admissions Policy, the process for making a complaint in this regard can be found within the policy document.
You will be notified of the outcome by email. If successful, you’ll also receive: an offer letter, the Terms and Conditions (contract) which you will need to sign and return along with your deposit, and copies of the Student Handbook, Programme Handbook and Academic Regulations. By accepting an offer you agree to abide by the Academy’s Regulations.
You’ll also be invited to our Graduate shows, to get a sense of the community and see what you can achieve by studying with us.
Prior to starting you will be sent the course documents for the Elective Skills Workshop courses and have a meeting or phone conversation with a member of the Academic Team to discuss and agree your choices for the first term. Part-time students will also need to decide on individual routes through the first stage of the programme.
Entry Requirements
We consider each application on an individual basis and welcome candidates from a variety of backgrounds.
You’ll attend an interview (around 45 minutes to an hour) with one or two tutors to discuss your application and review your portfolio. This can be online if you are unable to attend physically – please get in touch to find out more. Remember, this discussion is also an opportunity for you to ask us questions!
As part of this, we’ll assess your key artistic skills, level of ability, and enthusiasm to explore new ways of working and develop your ideas. We’ll also evaluate your awareness of artistic concepts, and the cultural, historical and professional contexts of fine art. We’ll review your personal statement and any academic references provided (if applicable).
Although no formal qualifications are required, you’ll need to demonstrate work at least of Level 3 (A-Level) equivalent. In some cases, we may ask to see additional supplementary work.
Intake is only in term one (September). Entry is typically at Stage 1, but we may allow direct entry to Stages 2 or 3 if we think you have appropriate prior qualifications and experience – please get in touch to find out more.
As part of your application form you’ll need to submit a personal statement. This is your opportunity to stand out from the other candidates, to set the scene for your interview. Your personal statement should be approximately 500-700 words and cover the following:
As part of the application form you’ll be asked to submit a digital portfolio, so that we can assess your suitability for the programme ahead of a physical interview.
The digital portfolio should contain approximately 10 – 20 ‘slides’ including extracts from your sketchbooks. Digital portfolios must contain information about media and dimensions as a minimum, you may add titles and other explanatory text if you wish. This should be submitted as a PDF, Powerpoint or Word document.
For interview you’ll need to bring a physical portfolio with you. This doesn’t need to be completely different content to the digital one.This should be approximately 15 ‘sheets’ or pieces of work (no less than 10, no more than 20) plus your sketchbooks. Your physical portfolio does not need to be mounted or ‘presented’, but rather a collection of work. You should, however, consider the order in which you wish it to be viewed.
For both digital and physical portfolios you should include evidence of:
You should consider the following:
All applicants are required to demonstrate an appropriate level of English language competence to study with us. This can be through previous study in English (evidencing an approved English language qualification at Level 2, GCSE or equivalent). If you are unable to provide evidence of a relevant, formal English qualification, we will require specific performance in written English tests at interview. Appropriate level of spoken English is assessed at interview.
We do not sponsor international students through the Tier 4 visa system and therefore cannot accept international students unless they are able to prove right of residency in the UK. We operate a fair and transparent admissions process to ensure that the widest range of people can benefit from the fine art education we provide; find out more in our Admissions policy and Criminal Convictions Policy and Procedure.
When studying with us, it’s important that you are aware of our Academic Regulations and Policies. These outline the agreed procedures and protocols to ensure you understand both the expectations and support available to you. To find out more information please see our Academic Regulations and Policies page.
Applicants with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
We are committed to supporting accessible learning and welcome students with disabilities and special educational needs.
Disclosure
We encourage you to disclose any disabilities or special needs when you apply, so we can plan any support that we may need to provide at the earliest opportunity, including during the admissions process. Admissions decisions are always made on the basis of a candidate’s ability and/or potential to complete the programme.
Accessibility and reasonable adjustmentsÂ
Provided that a candidate is suitable for the programme applied for, we will make reasonable adjustments for applicants with a physical or mobility impairment in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
Art Academy London’s premises are old buildings which inevitably means that access to some areas can be problematic for people with a physical disability. However, work carried out on our main Mermaid Court building over the last few years means that we can accommodate most students with physical disabilities on academic programmes.
Where necessary, we will make appropriate arrangements to mitigate any accessibility issues such as rescheduling of classes, workshops, tutorials, lectures and other events to spaces within the main building of Mermaid Court, which is wheelchair accessible. It may also include the provision of facilities to undertake classes and workshops in techniques and processes outside of the dedicated space in which they normally occur (i.e. printmaking) and individual provision of facilities such as storage spaces, where these are normally in unaccessible areas. The library is currently inaccessible to wheelchair users and alternative arrangements are in place for students with mobility issues to access the library resources
Some of our buildings will remain inaccessible for the foreseeable future (our second building at Mermaid Court). We are committed to improving access to all our buildings and are working towards making all areas of our campus fully accessible to all.
Hearing technology for hard of hearing/deaf applicantsÂ
Portable induction loops can be provided during open days, interview and in teaching spaces if required.
Other disabilities and conditions
If you have any other disability, specific learning difficulty, health, or mental health difficulty, please contact us to talk about options for support.
SEN students
We welcome students with Special Educational Needs. A bespoke programme of Elective Skills Workshop courses will be mapped if necessary, and alternative assessment models employed where appropriate to provide a parity of opportunity with non-SEN students. Our SEND Coordinator will act as a personal tutor and first point of contact for all SEN students, and will also ensure that all other tutors working with SEN students understand that student’s needs and how to support them. In the final year of study, SEN students may be given additional support as necessary as they work towards their Graduate Show.
The SEND Coordinator, and other staff members as relevant, will keep in regular contact with the parents of SEN students if appropriate, including meeting with them to discuss the progress of the student and any issues arising in their course of study.
Disabled students
Students or applicants who declare a disability, specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), long term health condition or mental health disability are asked to complete a ‘Student Declaration and Identification of Support Needs’ form. This is in addition to the declaration requested at application and is intended to ensure we capture the information we need to ensure a safe and successful educational career at the Academy. A member of the Academic team will then contact the student to discuss their individual support requirements and agree actions, which are made available to relevant tutors and support staff, informing them of any services and adjustments required.
FAQs
If you don’t find the answer to your question here please contact the Academic team on +44 (0) 20 7407 6969 or email academiccourses@artacademy.ac.uk
Can I study the BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture* part-time?
Yes, part-time students attend two days a week over six years; it takes two years to complete each stage (level).
Are bursaries or student loans available for the BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture*?
Students studying on our undergraduate programmes are currently not eligible for student loans. We can offer advice on possible sources of funding for students. See the ‘Fees and Funding’ section above for more details or contact us to discuss your options.
Do you take mature students for the BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture*?
Yes, applications from mature students are welcomed. Mature students make up a large part of our community.
Do I need to have undertaken any formal training before applying for the BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture*?
No, but the BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraitur is for those intending to make art their full-time occupation. During interview, we will consider your level of ability and commitment through discussion and portfolio review.
Is the BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture* recognised or accredited?
Art Academy London is approved by The Open University as an appropriate organisation to offer higher education programmes leading to Open University validated awards. Our BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture is suject to validation by The Open University.
Do I need to supply my own materials?
Yes, materials are not included in your tuition fee costs. For more information on material costs see the ‘Fees & Funding’ section above.
