Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
Whether you’re interested in reviewing gallery shows or interviewing artists, this short course will cover the key kinds of story you’ll find in art magazines and newspapers, and help you to better understand how to craft a story to pitch for publication.
What will we cover?
- Exhibition schedules and where to get ideas. - How to develop your ideas into a story. - Reviewing exhibitions and planning arts features. - Pitching your work for publication.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Differentiate between outlets and their audiences. - Write a short review for a piece of visual art. - Plan a feature idea. - Pitch an article or blog post for publication.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No formal requirements except a good standard of literacy and a love of reading.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
- Analysis of short pieces in class through group discussion. - Short writing exercises. - Formal instruction from the teacher combined with group discussion.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Writing materials.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
City Lit offers a range of journalistic and creative non-fiction writing courses, including Introduction to Journalism and Biography Writing.
All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.
Thomas McMullan lives and works in London. He is the author of Groundwater (Bloomsbury, 2025) and The Last Good Man (Bloomsbury, 2020), which won the 2021 Betty Trask Prize. His short fiction has been published in Ploughshares, The Dublin Review, Granta, 3:AM Magazine, Lighthouse and Best British Short Stories, and his journalism has appeared in The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement, frieze, ArtReview and BBC News. His practice also encompasses scripts, both for stage and film, and narrative design for video games. For the latter, he was the lead writer on Rollerdrome (Roll7, 2022), which won the 2023 BAFTA for Best British Game.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/writing-about-art3002329Writing about arthttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing_art_criticism-square_3.jpg7979GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Writing/Journalism/Journalism/Courses/Writing/Courses/Writing/Journalism228512071358113587122851358113587Learn how to write journalistically about visual art, from exhibition reviews to features, in this intensive one-day course.002694024Writing about art7979https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing_art_criticism-square_3_1.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2026-06-06T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allJun 2026WritingHJ1307979Writing about art794079Thomas McMullanwriting-about-art/hj130-2526Learn how to write journalistically about visual art, from exhibition reviews to features, in this intensive one-day course.0000-Available|2026-06-06 00:00:00Whether you’re interested in reviewing gallery shows or interviewing artists, this short course will cover the key kinds of story you’ll find in art magazines and newspapers, and help you to better understand how to craft a story to pitch for publication.Learn how to write journalistically about visual art, from exhibition reviews to features, in this intensive one-day course.- Exhibition schedules and where to get ideas.<br/>- How to develop your ideas into a story.<br/>- Reviewing exhibitions and planning arts features. <br/>- Pitching your work for publication.- Differentiate between outlets and their audiences.<br/>- Write a short review for a piece of visual art. <br/>- Plan a feature idea.<br/>- Pitch an article or blog post for publication.No formal requirements except a good standard of literacy and a love of reading.- Analysis of short pieces in class through group discussion.<br/>- Short writing exercises.<br/>- Formal instruction from the teacher combined with group discussion. <br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.Writing materials.City Lit offers a range of journalistic and creative non-fiction writing courses, including Introduction to Journalism and Biography Writing.<br/><br/>All students are invited to join us at <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/citylitwriting">Twitter</a>.JournalismJournalismvirtual797940HJ130NONESat06/06/2610:30 - 16:3010:3016:301 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekendKSKeeley StreetThomas McMullanBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-06-06T00:00:00+00:00Jun 2026Writing7979Writing about artwriting-about-art/hj130-2526Learn how to write journalistically about visual art, from exhibition reviews to features, in this intensive one-day course.0000-Available|2026-06-06 00:00:00Whether you’re interested in reviewing gallery shows or interviewing artists, this short course will cover the key kinds of story you’ll find in art magazines and newspapers, and help you to better understand how to craft a story to pitch for publication.Learn how to write journalistically about visual art, from exhibition reviews to features, in this intensive one-day course.- Exhibition schedules and where to get ideas.<br/>- How to develop your ideas into a story.<br/>- Reviewing exhibitions and planning arts features. <br/>- Pitching your work for publication.- Differentiate between outlets and their audiences.<br/>- Write a short review for a piece of visual art. <br/>- Plan a feature idea.<br/>- Pitch an article or blog post for publication.No formal requirements except a good standard of literacy and a love of reading.- Analysis of short pieces in class through group discussion.<br/>- Short writing exercises.<br/>- Formal instruction from the teacher combined with group discussion. <br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.Writing materials.City Lit offers a range of journalistic and creative non-fiction writing courses, including Introduction to Journalism and Biography Writing.<br/><br/>All students are invited to join us at <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/citylitwriting">Twitter</a>.JournalismJournalismconfigurable
