For a free art school

Members of the Manifesto Club artistic autonomy hub are taking part in debates about how art schools could be freed from bureaucratic constraints. What might a free art school look like?

Initiatives include: a conference on the future of art education which took place on 27 September, and a Manifesto for a Free Art School on 18/19 October.

• 27 September - conference, 'The Future of Art Education', at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London

Mergers, low staff morale, disillusioned students, poor facilities... British art schools today are buckling under lack of funding and stifling bureaucracy, yet they have never been so popular. Three panels discuss the future of art education.

See the full programme on the ICA website.

• 18/19 October - Serpentine Manifesto Marathon, at the Serpentine Gallery, London

As part of the Serpentine Gallery's Manifesto Marathon, at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, artistic autonomy hub members will be presenting a Manifesto for a Free Art School.

Art Schools today are in trouble. At a time when more students than ever are enrolling on Fine art courses, there is a sense of confusion about the purpose and aspirations of training to be an artist, and the special nature of art school culture. So what might an autonomous art school be like? For the Marathon event, Manifesto Club will generate a manifesto For a New Art School from research and discussions with contemporary art practioners.

In the run-up to the Manifesto Marathon, we will be talking to art practitioners about the problems with art education, and possible ways ahead. To contribute to this conversation, or to find out more, email JJ Charlesworth or
Emma Ridgway.

• Further reading:

See JJ Charlesworth's article, 'Opting Out', in Art Monthly; and this statement, Towards a free art school.