Art & Design Courses - Online & in London  

Explore the development of Spanish art from Picasso’s 1937 'Guernica' to the installations of Juan Muñoz in the 1980s and 1990s. We will focus on key episodes highlighting General Franco’s impact on Spanish art 1936-2000.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Learn a new specialist topic each week and develop it in detail. Increase your knowledge and experiment with the program's applications and special effects. Prior experience of Adobe Photoshop needed.



This course is FREE if a) you live in London and your job is at risk of redundancy or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Learn about the potential and possibilities available to you when using Adobe Photoshop,and develop some practical skill and knowledge.



This course is FREE if a) you live in London and your job is at risk of redundancy or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here



This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City Lit

Open source software provides alternatives to virtually all the available commercial creative software, apps and platforms. It is generally free, or otherwise considerably less expensive than the commercial products, and, while generally less widely-used than what we might consider to be the giant 'industry standard' titles, generally benefits from an extensive and committed developer base, who tend to have a more generous attitude towards the community of users, and to be responsive to security issues through updates, patches and so on. This workshop provides a discussion space to: introduce the principles of open source software and the developer community; survey and consider the available options for creative software; examine how alternatives to the standard commercial software titles can help users address concerns related to privacy, personal data and security. It also looks at the value of open source as an alternative to the uncertainty of subscription-based licensing, and the potential future risk, within the commercial model, of being prevented from using software titles you have paid for, when they are no longer the latest version, or being frozen out from accessing your own work if your subscription expires.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

“What is your work about?” is a question many artists struggle to answer easily. The cycle of activity and reflection is a fundamental principle of creative practice, in which, as part of any attempt to address this question in any meaningful way, it is valuable to develop a paradigm for articulating one’s motivations, interests, processes and practices. Examining and analysing these points supports the creative practitioner in defining their areas of concern, and leads to deeper understanding, which is helpful in articulating a position to explain, support or contextualise one’s practice, or to define specific research questions. That said, there is perhaps something of a paradox inherent in articulating visual thoughts in words. This professional practice module is designed to support artists in identifying where and how to begin articulating concepts, defining appropriate contextual frameworks, and identifying suitable comparators. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to define your interest and identify further appropriate research into specific themes, questions and areas of interest, culture or knowledge – all in order better to understand and explain what you do, and why.



For this workshop, please prepare to show a piece of work from your own practice that you consider to be unsuccessful, or alternatively a piece of work (in any creative medium) that you do not like, or do not understand.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Professional editing for free?! DaVinci Resolve offers everything that Premiere, Avid or Final Cut do, and more, but - at no cost. Find out about this amazing package and learn to use it.



This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Thinking about funding is more closely related to thinking about your practice than you might imagine. This workshop looks at how to get ready to apply for public funding so that when you come to writing, all the planning has been done and your idea has improved in the process! We will examine how funding will help you to develop your work, in the short, but also medium and long term, and how to find the sweet spot between what you want to do and what the funders are looking for. Public funding means that our work has to have a public benefit, so we need to show how it does this. The challenge of funding can make you reconsider your project in exciting ways. We will look at applying for Arts Council England project grants, partnerships and a quick look at local trusts and foundations. Finding a fit between your need and funding criteria is key; from there we will look at how to write an application to make a compelling argument.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Building on the ability to reflect on one’s own practice, and the identification of interests, themes and relevant contexts, this professional practice module is designed to help visual arts practitioners to develop the ability to talk or write about their own work in coherent ways, and to articulate their intention, meaning or reflection in declarative or discursive statements. All artists are required to make statements at certain times, whether for exhibition, application for funding or study. In this session, we examine and discuss approaches to constructing a statement, based on specific requirements, and how to write or speak about one's work in terms of target audience, level of knowledge, and the length and depth required to articulate what work means and how it relates to ideas, themes and contexts. Although open to anyone on a standalone basis, this workshop will be of particular value to those who have completed 'Reflecting on practice' (VPP410).



For this workshop, please select an image that you feel illustrates your 'subject'. This needn't necessarily be heavy on content, or meaning, you should just be able to make a connection between the work, and what you intend it to communicate.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Explore the incredible progress of High and Late Renaissance art and ideas in Northern Italy and Western Europe. We look at key artists and their patrons; painting, sculpture and decorative arts.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

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.

Learn how to draw 2D and 3D design ideas using a computer. Vectorworks is very user-friendly, industry standard software that is ideal for architectural planning, interior design projects, 3D modeling and landscaping.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Revise and develop your processes on this fast paced practical course. Learn techniques and skills in Adobe Animate to produce more professional animation projects. Learn to manage your workflow professionally and create engaging characters and objects moving and interacting in an engaging narrative.



This course is FREE if a) you live in London and your job is at risk of redundancy or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

How have artists since 1960 engaged with the recent history and memory of political conflict? What role have artists had in remembering a difficult or traumatic past? What are the connections between memory and national identity in their work?



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Discover the art of Germany from medieval to modern and the variety of artists came be a major influence not just on Northern art but also the Italian Renaissance and ultimately all of European art.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.