HOW TO SET UP AN ART SCHOOL, a workshop of sorts
with Emma Edmondson and Ames Pennington
**FREE TO ATTEND**
Launch Event
Wednesday 28 May 6.30 - 8.30pm
In collaboration with Day School @ Cafe space, St Anne’s House, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 4AB
Great Yarmouth, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Walton on the Naze and other locations coming soon.
Join us for an evening exploring the power and politics of alternative art education as part of the mini book launch tour of How to set up an art school. Emma Edmondson and Ames Pennington will host a workshop come conversation, looking at the themes of the book and asking what makes a bad art school, what makes a good one and how shared experiences can build a utopian space for creative learning together.
How to Set Up an Art School serves as a guide for artists looking to establish alternative art schools and those interested in the current state of contemporary art education. This event will act as a launch for the publication through some conversation, making and games to invite people in to imagine their own art schools.
Emma Edmondson and Ames Pennington have been involved in alternative art education for nearly a decade - Ames created illustrations for the publication and Emma contributed two essays and curated the book. This event will be a chance to explore the book deeper and all are welcome to join - whether you’re interested in art education, DIY practice, playful making or artist-run spaces!
How to Set Up an Art School will be available to get on the night at the event, online and from stockists around the UK.
This work has been funded by Arts Council England, Bruce McLean and Necessity.
About the book:
New Book How to Set Up an Art School Explores the Power and Politics of Alternative Art Education
How to Set Up an Art School is a collection of essays, activities, illustrations and reflections, curated by Emma Edmondson, founder of The Other MA (TOMA). The book provides invaluable insights for artists seeking to establish alternative art schools and learning spaces, blending practical guidance with critical inquiry into the politics of creative education. Emerging from a climate of austerity, the book cites the founding of TOMA as an act of resistance against the dismantling of public creative education in the UK. It examines how the personal is inherently political, shedding light on the shared yet isolating experiences of artists navigating neoliberal structures.
Tracing TOMA’s evolution from an experimental, process-driven studio initiative to a thriving artist-led educational platform, the book underscores the role of education as both an artistic medium and a form of activism. It encourages artists to envision themselves beyond the constraints of the traditional art market, embracing alternative modes of art-making as strategies for creative survival within capitalism.
Key features include a detailed map of alternative art schools across the UK and documentation of collaborative dialogues where these schools reflect on their structures, successes, failures, and the potential for a collective support network. The book critically interrogates TOMA’s mission to support artists who face barriers to formal art education, questioning how these values translate into practice.
Rooted in nearly a decade of activity, this publication has grown from conversations within, around, and beyond TOMA. It brings together contributions from and conversations featuring many voices – some whispered, some shouted, some credited, and some anonymous – the book includes contributions from Lolly Adams, Marsha Bradfield, Emma Edmondson, Gülşen Güler, Sophie Hope, Edi McGurk, Ames Pennington, Elle Reynolds alongside alternative learning models Alt MFA, Black Blossoms, Conditions, Day School, Feral Art School, Hastings Art School (now Nimble Art School), not/nowhere, School of the Damned and Syllabus.
The book also reimagines how alternative art schools can be evaluated, exploring a methodology that captures the lived, embodied experiences of participants beyond conventional assessment frameworks. Ultimately, How to Set Up an Art School serves as both a practical resource and a critical reflection on the political, social, and creative stakes of independent art education.
About The Other MA (TOMA)
TOMA is an artist-led education model and exhibition programme based in Southend-on-Sea, dedicated to supporting artists who face barriers to traditional art education. Through its public programmes, TOMA fosters an inclusive environment that encourages experimental learning and community engagement.
The Other MA (TOMA) is an 18-month artist-run learning programme based in Southend-on-Sea supporting artists who have faced barriers accessing art education and the ‘art world’. TOMA was set up in 2016 to offer affordable, accessible and responsive art education to artists and we are the only postgraduate level art programme in Essex after all others were stopped by their host universities. We are unaccredited in the traditional sense, but provide a programme of learning that benefits artists in the same way.
