A day at the Tate Britain

What is the course about?

What does it mean to be a collection of ‘British’ art? How does Tate Britain differ from its sister gallery, Tate Modern? This course is an opportunity to get closer to Tate Britain’s collection of art from the 16th to 21st centuries. Whether you are a longtime returner or a first-time visitor to the gallery, this workshop will engage you with a wide range of artworks that represent art produced since the 1500s. In the morning, we focus on the historical period to explore how art in Britain has been shaped by looking at the work of artists including Marcus Gheeraerts II, Anthony Van Dyck, Joan Carlile, William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds, J.M.W. Turner, John Constable and the Pre-Raphaelites. In the afternoon, we focus on the early modern to contemporary periods, considering how artists including Gwen John, Paul Nash, Barbara Hepworth, Francis Bacon, Pauline Boty, Rasheed Araeen, Derek Jarman, Tracey Emin, Chris Ofili, Lubaina Himid and Mike Nelson have adapted or challenged narratives around identity, nature and history through subjects, materials and processes. The aim of the course is to develop confidence and visual literacy skills when looking at and discussing art in the gallery.

(NB: Artworks and artists discussed are subject to change due to unexpected display changes at Tate Britain.)

What will we cover?

• Key themes and developments in art in Britain through a broad chronological approach.

• Focus on specific artists and their work in the Collection.

• Focus on how historical to contemporary art has reflected aspects of social, political and cultural life in Britain.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

· Describe at least two artworks from the historical to modern/contemporary periods at Tate Britain.

· Explain how at least one artist has taken an innovative approach to their use of materials.

· Express a viewpoint on at least one artwork that were previously unfamiliar with.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is suitable for all levels.

You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

The course will be taught with a mixture of guided gallery visits, group discussion and short group activities. Handouts will be provided by your tutor, made available digitally on Google Classroom to support your learning on the course.

This course takes place offsite in London. Offsite courses take place during public access hours. Tutors are not able to control sound levels or behaviours of visitors outside of the course group. Unless you are a wheelchair user, and have confirmed access details with us (as levels of access can vary between buildings), you will need to be able to walk between sites and stand for some time while looking at them (you may bring your own portable stool if you have one, but we cannot guarantee access to seating offsite.) If you feel you may be impacted by these environmental variations, please inform the department on humanities@citylit.ac.uk before the course begins, to discuss reasonable accommodations we can make to assist your learning in offsite.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Admission to Tate Britain’s permanent collection is free. This course will not include visits to any paid temporary exhibitions.

You might wish to bring a notebook. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list given out in class. You might want to invest in a portable gallery stool.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Art in Britain 1950-2000: This is Tomorrow, (Part 1)

Introduction to Tate Modern

Looking at Contemporary Art