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School of Visual Arts

Centre for Advanced Practice

City Lit’s Centre for Advanced Practice is where you can find advanced courses from across all subject areas in Visual Arts. In many cases, this means well established courses of a year or longer, with outstanding reputations for preparing students for study at Bachelors or Masters level. Equally, their quality and depth makes them a viable alternative, for many learners, to the conventional Higher Education route into careers as creative practitioners.

To continue to support learners from a range of backgrounds, with diverse requirements, we have several newly developed courses – with more appearing soon – that build on our long-standing fine art and contemporary craft provision, and bring traditional practices up to date, to ensure learners have the relevant skills for the contemporary creative industries. This is supported through increasing connections with external organisations and practitioners in many courses, for example through real-world project briefs, public exhibitions, and visits from industry professionals.

In the last couple of years, we have introduced new titles in contemporary media and communications-based creative practices, and new courses running across a range of patterns and modes (weekly, monthly, studio-based, online or blended), to ensure that our advanced provision remains accessible and manageable alongside learners’ existing commitments. Alongside these developments, we are progressively refreshing many of our well-established courses, with an increased emphasis on critical discourse, and contemporary cultural debate, in keeping with the advanced level of study and focus on increased confidence, independence and professionalism that are the common characteristics of all our advanced courses.

In addition to our expanding range of advanced long courses, a growing range of advanced one-day workshops is available, aimed at providing knowledge and insight required to support specific aspects of professional practice. These can be taken individually, according to need or interest, or as complementary components of your own pick-and-mix modular course. In common with our long courses, these will provide you with the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to take your advanced creative practice forward.

We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.

Courses available both in-person and online

We offer a range of long and short courses allowing you to choose between in-person and online learning.

Learn in the centre of London with our in-person courses. Our purpose-built facilities in Covent Garden mean we are ideally located and easy to get to. 

See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, we've got the class for you.

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  1. Art and design portfolio projects
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 13 May 2024 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Rod Judkins
    Develop and realise your creative language in art and design through the development of a personal project. Through workshops and small projects you will be able to build a portfolio of work in 2D and 3D related to your own personal theme or interest.
    Full fee £409.00 Senior fee £327.00 Concession £266.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  2. Advance your life drawing
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 15 May 2024 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Andrea Voisey
    Advance your practice of drawing the human figure from observation. You will be encouraged to consider anatomy and perspective in order to develop how you represent the human figure in space.
    Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £258.00
  3. City Lit advanced jewellery
    Course start date:  Tue 1 Oct 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Elizabeth Bone, Rae Duncan, Katrin Spranger
    This advanced course will refine your existing jewellery making and design skills, through sessions in the workshop and guided independent study tasks. With an ethos of ‘idea to product,’ developing your personal research, design and making approach, there will be structured modules and projects encouraging you to build on your technical skills, presentation, and professional practice. We will explore material, finish and construction, alongside professional practice methodologies such as drawing, prototyping, outsourcing, pricing, and selling. The course culminates with working towards the production of a final body of work to be exhibited in public.
    Full fee £1,549.00 Senior fee £1,239.00 Concession £1,084.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  4. City Lit advanced jewellery workshop
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 1 Oct 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Work independently on your own jewellery projects in our well equipped jewellery workshop. This is an opportunity for self-directed and untutored bench time, sharing the studio with the year long VV414 City Lit fine jewellery course.
    Full fee £849.00 Senior fee £849.00 Concession £594.00
  5. Extended drawing for artists and makers
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 11 Oct 2023 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Annie Attridge, Clare Barton-Harvey, Ruth Brison, Tony Hull, Claire Hynds, Monika Kita, Ute Kreyman, Mario Lautier Vella, Faith Vincent, susan kenton
    A multi-disciplinary course that will help broaden your skills and experience. Record, imagine, visualise, transform, narrate and develop through a series of practical projects. This exciting course is designed to help you place drawing at the centre of your chosen artistic discipline.



    This course requires a pre-enrolment application. Please click 'Start Assessment' on the right hand side of this page to start your application. EDAM Handbook







    EDAM Archive.
    Full fee £1,359.00 Senior fee £1,087.00 Concession £951.00
    Rating:
    93% of 100
  6. Advanced printmaking: practice and discourse
    Evening
    Course start date:  Sat 7 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Tutors:  Ina Baumeister, Rolina Elsje Blok, Thomas Gosebruch, David Holah, Claire Hynds
    This year-long advanced course is aimed at artist-printmakers who wish to develop a sustainable personal practice through the medium of print. With the support of expert tutors, you will be guided through experimental, practice-based research and developmental tasks that challenge your preconceptions of print media including etching, screen-printing, lithography and relief. You will eventually focus on a longer projects that encourage both a personal enquiry and the development of an individual methodology. The course involves theoretical, contextual and practical components. Student testimony:



    “This course has been absolutely brilliant! It’s not only taught me printmaking methods but also about the artistic process. I’ve learnt so much, it’s really been very transformative!” El Morrison (2023)



    “The course has pushed my boundaries. It has encouraged me to try new things within print and to think about the context and concepts I am trying to deliver” Declan Hoare (2023)



    “I thoroughly enjoyed the course. I met many wonderful talented artists. It has made me think about my own practice; how can I change it, modify it, make it more exciting. The tutors are absolutely amazing! They are full of knowledge, encouragement, and support. It was a great, great experience.” Areej Abdi (2023).



    This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £1,849.00 Senior fee £1,479.00 Concession £1,294.00
  7. Advanced printmaking: experimentation and development
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 12 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    This year-long advanced course is aimed at artists who wish to expand their print-based practice through exploring the integration of printmaking with a range of other media and processes. It includes: individual and collaborative practice; the creation of a body of work in a range of print- and print-related media; the production of a print publication, and a public exhibition of work. As you acquire advanced skills you will be encouraged to explore your own ideas and themes developing a sustainable art practice that is both meaningful to you and relevant to the contemporary art world.



    This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £1,849.00 Senior fee £1,479.00 Concession £1,294.00
  8. Art in theory: What is creativity?
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 31 Oct 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Ian Tucknott
    This critical studies course for developing artists and makers explores the concept of creativity and what it means to be an artist, drawing on a range of cultural theories and work by creative practitioners to help inspire and enhance creative and critical thinking.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £132.00
  9. Art and Ideas: Time and Memory
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 8 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Charles Chambers
    This course if for students and creative practitioners interested in memory as a creative and conceptual theme. Explore and discuss ideas, theories and work by significant artists and writers to enhance and inspire the development of creative work.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £132.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  10. Art and Ideas: Identity and the self
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 9 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Ian Tucknott
    This course is for students and creative practitioners interested in identity as a creative and conceptual theme. Explore and discuss ideas, theories and work by significant artists and writers to enhance and inspire the development of creative work.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £132.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  11. Art in theory: politics and society
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 9 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Charles Chambers
    Critical thinking course for creative practitioners exploring culture, society and politics drawing on a range of cultural theories and work by significant artists and designers to enhance and inspire creative thinking and practical work.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £132.00
  12. Art and Ideas: space and place
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 19 Feb 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Charles Chambers
    Explore concepts and theories of space and place in relation to historical and contemporary art and making, and engage in discussion and debate related to landscape, urban, site-specific and place-based creative arts.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £132.00
  13. Art and Ideas: What is visual language?
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 20 Feb 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Ian Tucknott
    This course is for students and creative practitioners interested in visual language as a creative and conceptual theme. Explore and discuss ideas, theories and work by significant artists and writers to enhance and inspire the development of creative work and build an understanding of your own visual language.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £132.00
  14. Children's book illustration: advanced projects
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 17 Apr 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Tim Ellis
    An intensive highly focused follow up course to develop design, drawing, imagination, characterisation and narrative skills. Ideal if you’re planning to prepare a portfolio for presentation to publishers or wishing to further develop your skills and imagination.
    Full fee £409.00 Senior fee £327.00 Concession £286.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
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