How to Set Up an Art School: A Workshop of Sorts

Artists Emma Edmondson and Ames Pennington host an evening exploring the power and politics of alternative art education.

How to Set up an Art School is a new collection of essays, activities, illustrations and reflections, curated by Edmondson, founder of The Other MA (TOMA), with illustrations by Pennington. It serves as a guide for artists looking to establish alternative art schools and those interested in the current state of contemporary art education.

This workshop-cum-conversation looks at the themes within the book and asks ‘what makes a bad art school’, ‘what makes a good one’ and how shared experiences can build a utopian space for creative learning together.

This event will be a chance to explore themes within the book, and all are welcome to join – whether you’re interested in art education, DIY practice, playful making or artist-run spaces. The launch will be an open session for conversation, making and games, with the artists inviting you to imagine your own art schools

How to Set Up an Art School will be available for purchase at the event.

About Emma Edmondson

Emma Edmondson (b. 1984) lives and works in Southend-on-Sea. Studying and graduating during the 2008 financial crash alternative economies and utopian community are at the centre of her practice. Through sculpture, print, sound and text, she explores the power of people coming together through creative projects to change systems and rules. Recently she has been processing raw clay dug from the ground and exploring local land rights to create sculptures that sit on the ground they were made from. Through this she wants to start conversations about agency, land ownership and our connections as humans to the land we live on. She has shown her work in spaces around the UK including Victoria & Albert Museum and Barbican, most recently with a solo show at Arcade/Campfa in Cardiff. She has been awarded commissions from Focal Point Gallery, AHRC and Artquest.

She teaches art in community spaces, schools, college, arts organisations and universities to support her practice, often on precarious contracts.

In 2016 Edmondson founded TOMA (The Other MA), a postgraduate level art programme outside of the traditional institutional model. Designed to fit the everyday lives of 21st century artists, the programme is shaped by its participants, and was created in response to the hierarchies surrounding access to higher education. Emma sees TOMA and her teaching work as part of her creative practice. Emma also runs Dog Ear with Lu Williams, producing dog toy sculptures and texts for humans and hounds.

About Ames Pennington

Ames Pennington (they/them) is a writer, director and artist. They are also a northerner — they think it’s important you know that. They make films, performances and collaborative projects about class, sexuality and gender.

Ames has made art with their family, residents in a care home and clients at a queer hair salon. They like wearing wigs and telling stories. Their work challenges who gets to express themselves, share their experiences and under what terms. Growing up, TV was their best teacher, so using humour and pop culture come naturally. They employ these tools to gently pull at the seams of what is ‘acceptable’ or ‘normal’, whether that is critiquing the health and wellbeing industry, what kinds of Trans stories are told, or who we imagine our queer ancestors to be.

Ames has made work within institutions as well as self-organised groups and in the public realm. They have been commissioned by TATE Liverpool, Battersea Art Centre, Studio Voltaire, PEER Gallery, In-situ,QUAD, Heart Of Glass, Left Coast, Homotopia, The National Festival of Making, Newlyn Gallery and LADA.

Their independent debut feature, TOPS, is a genre-busting documentary inspired by chaotic 90s British TV. At BFI FLARE Festival 2024 it was named in both Evening Standard and AnOther Mag’s Top 10 picks of the festival, winning the Audience Award at Bradford Queer Film Festival and long listed for a BIFA Maverick Award 2024. With huge success in the UK festival circuit TOPS also went on to screen internationally: including GAZE International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Dublin; Kashish Pride Film Festival, Mumbai; NEWFEST LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, New York; and Crossings, Norway.

In 2023, their short film Where’s Danny? won the Iris Prize’s Community Award in 2023, the same year they were a finalist at Screenshot - a comedy writing and performing competition hosted by SISTER and South of the River Pictures.

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.

Access

This event is seated. If you have any questions or need assistance with your visit, please feel welcome to contact us at +44 (0) 20 7622 1294 or info@studiovoltaire.org. Read Studio Voltaire's full access information here