The Prime Minister has announced the end of social distancing from Monday 19th July 2021.

This means that it will no longer be a legal requirement to socially distance or wear a face covering.

However, as we enter Step 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown, the threat from Covid-19 is not over.

Cases of the virus will rise as social distancing comes to an end.

We must continue working together to safeguard the health and wellbeing of everyone within our community.

As such, in line with Government advice, the Academy expects and recommends that face coverings continue to be worn by everyone (unless you are medically exempt), at all times, while on site.

We encourage students and tutors to make full use of the space available to them in our spacious and well-ventilated studios.

Over the summer, students and tutors should continue to test regularly (at least twice weekly). Order free lateral flow tests.

Do not attend class if you have symptoms of Covid-19.

The ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach continues to be very important.

Ensure good hand and respiratory hygiene by washing hands more often and catching any coughs.

QR codes and temperature checks remain in place upon arrival.

We will continue to monitor the situation and update our guidance accordingly.

This Summer, we are thrilled to offer a diverse array of online courses for those still looking to develop skills and interests into any medium from home. Explore our online courses here.

We are delighted to announce that BA (Hons) Fine Art Level 6 student Mary Modha has won the Surrey Sculpture Prize for her entry, Inheritance (pictured).

The judges were also extremely impressed by the entries of Livia Spinolo and Simon Yates and they had this to say about the entries:

“We thoroughly enjoyed judging such a diverse set of applications.  The winner and two highly commended pieces scored highly in respect of the pre-defined criteria

  • Development of skill in the chosen technique
  • Imaginative use of 3D materials
  • How effectively the sculptural language reflects the intention for the piece

We felt that Mary’s use of sculpture to convey a simultaneous feeling of love and rejection was particularly striking and poignant.

Congratulations to all involved and we look forward to exhibiting work from the three individuals in the coming year.”

Mary receives £500 prize money, a year’s Membership to the Surrey Sculpture Society and free entry into the Annual Surrey Sculpture Society Exhibition with the opportunity to exhibit indoors or outdoors depending on the work.

Mary Modha - Inheritance

Mary Modha – Inheritance

Congratulations to Katy Cook who won the AAL Drawing Prize 2021 with her piece Nest 3 (pictured). We were honoured to have artist and former Head of Drawing at AAL Brendan Kelly as our judge this year. Here’s what he had to say about Katy’s work…

‘As well as being a very strong drawing and a focused investigation of the unusual shapes we see in nature what appealed to me the most is its quality of curiosity. I don’t mean by saying ‘curiosity’ that it’s strange, I mean that it shows a sense of searching for understanding. It suggests an attitude of enquiry and desire to learn about the form she drew. The consequence of this curiosity in her approach to her drawing is that she has produced a powerful picture. A worthy winner, well done!’

Image courtesy of Alicia Griffiths ©

 

The Ruth Borchard Collection is hosting an online exhibition celebrating the submissions to The Self-Portrait Exhibition 2021. All the artworks on display explore the diverse media and imagery through which contemporary artists represent themselves. We are proud to announce that amongst the over two-hundred self-portraits included are a number of Art Academy London related entrants. Namely Roxana Halls and Tim Benson, both painting tutors at AAL. Also featured is Alicia Griffiths, a London based contemporary artist and recent FD Fine Art (Contemporary Portraiture) graduate.

Visit www.ruthborchard.org.uk to see the highly commended and short listed categories as well as the announcement of the winner.

Image courtesy of Minnie Scott ©

Congratulations to everyone at the Academy who was selected for the 2021 RP Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, including stage 2 FD Fine Art (Contemporary Portraiture) student Minnie Scott, whose painting Miriam Palimpset (pictured) is on show, and our tutors Tim Benson, David Caldwell, Illaria Rosselli Del Turco and Antony Williams. This year’s exhibition is available to view online here.

Don’t forget there is still time to apply for our FD Fine Art (Contemporary Portraiture) to start this September, see our website for further information.

We are delighted to announce that students who are accepted onto our BA (Hons) Fine Art who have lived in Southwark for the last 3 years are eligible to apply for a scholarship from Southwark council which covers the full cost of tuition fees to study with us. Applicants must receive an offer from AAL before they can apply to Southwark council for the scholarship.

 

Apply for our BA (Hons) Fine Art Now

 

You can then send us your completed form via email to admissions@artacademy.org.uk stating that you are eligible for the Southwark Council Scholarship

You can apply for this scholarship if you meet all of the eligibility criteria listed below:

  • under 25 years old
  • must come from a household with a combined income of less than £25,000 per annum
  • proven record of being a resident of Southwark for a minimum of the past 3 years (students placed outside of the borough temporarily by Southwark’s Housing Department are eligible subject to evidence)
  • have a legal status in the UK with indefinite leave to remain
  • must be entering higher education for the first time in autumn 2021
  • must have a proven record of active engagement and positively contributing to the community in Southwark
  • must have a good record of academic achievement

 

Art Academy London is currently recruiting for three 6-month apprentices in our admin, operations and marketing departments through the DWP Kickstart scheme. This is a great opportunity to develop a wide range of skills in a friendly, supportive environment.  

For more information about the roles and to see the essential skills required, please visit our jobs page and download the job description and person specification.

Suitable candidates must:

  • be aged 16-24;
  • currently claiming Universal Credit; and
  • are required to apply through their local Job Centre following a referral from their Work Coach.

Please note the Academy cannot accept direct applications. Anyone interested in applying should speak to their DWP Work Coach. 

The Academy is an equal opportunities employer and recognises that a diverse workforce can enhance creativity and innovation in the workplace. As such we welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds. 

The deadline for applications is 12pm on Friday 16th April 2021. 

Following the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown announcement, Art Academy London is pleased to announce we will fully re-open to the public for the Summer Term, starting 12th April 2021. 

Until then, we will continue to offer all courses online, whilst we prepare for the full reopening of Academic and Public Courses for the Summer Term. 

What this means for our Public Courses

  • Programmes beginning this week and next will remain online as scheduled.
  • Easter courses and Young Artists courses will run online. 
  • Summer term courses (evening and weekend) will be held, in-person, at our Mermaid Court & Newington campuses.
  • After we reopen, some courses will continue to run online, where there is demand.
  • Saturday Morning Art Club will continue as usual, please keep joining in the fun on Zoom each week at 10am. 

Thank you for your continued support. We are looking forward to welcoming you back into our buildings very soon. 

Best wishes, 

Rob Pepper

Principal, Art Academy London 

Last year we welcomed comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan to record an episode for season three of their show ‘Rob and Romesh Vs‘ which aired on Sky this month. After visiting some of the capital’s top galleries they joined our principal Rob Pepper and Academy tutor Laura Postle for a go at the real thing themselves!

Here are some behind the scene photos of the guys getting creative with Rob and Laura! If you want to get creative as Rob and Romesh did, have a look at our short courses starting in Easter.