OCA preloader logo
Popular Culture Blog Posts - The Open College of the Arts

To find out more details about the transfer to The Open University see A New Chapter for OCA.

#WeAreOCA

The Open College of the Arts' blog

Browsing Category:

Popular Culture


Big Garden Birdwatch 29-31 January thumb

Big Garden Birdwatch 29-31 January

For a lot of us, particularly here in Yorkshire, the weather so far this year has not exactly encouraged us to get outside. Whether it be rain or snow and ice, staying indoors often seems like the best option.  I would imagine though that a lot of us are staying inside more these days in […]

Read More
Edge-zine issue 9: Inside thumb

Edge-zine issue 9: Inside

From Vicky Mackenzie’s ‘Tutors thoughts’ through Steve Cusson’s work ‘Prison Cinema’ and onto Therese Livonne and her self portrait the 9th edition of Edge-zine is packed with thought provoking work and articles from across the Open College of the Arts range of disciplines.

Read More
Study event: Stanley Kubrick archive thumb

Study event: Stanley Kubrick archive

Join OCA tutor Jayne Taylor on a guided study trip on Friday 7 February to the Stanley Kubrick archive at the University of the Arts London Archives and Special Collections Centre.

Read More
Food for thought thumb

Food for thought

Food has always played a role in art. From the Renaissance artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s witty portraits composed of fruits and vegetables and the beautiful still life paintings of the Dutch Golden Age, through to Wayne Thiebaud’s iconic painted pies and cakes in the pop art era, artists have used food to express their pleasures and preoccupations.  

Read More
Engaging Places: Environment, Anthropocene & Ecology E-Meet Nov 27th thumb

Engaging Places: Environment, Anthropocene & Ecology E-Meet Nov 27th

Our next Arts & Environment E-meet is November 27th, 6-7pm UK time. Link to join  https://oca.zoom.us/j/418087540 Please sign up for the meet first via this google form WHAT and WHY? Get involved. This is an informal online chat using zoom.  A 60 minute conversation to share ideas and resources to support each other’s work-in-progress. Our […]

Read More
Breaking into the boys’ club thumb

Breaking into the boys’ club

For centuries, women have fought against adversity to pursue artistic careers in what was (and arguably still is) a man’s world.  They have suffered the humiliation of having their works passed off under someone else’s name, of being barred access to training, of struggling to do what men have taken for granted (simply represent themselves on canvas or celluloid) and of having their pieces relegated to dark corners of museum and gallery storerooms.  

Read More
Relative Poverty thumb

Relative Poverty

Relative Poverty would be stories – based in fact, as we understand documentaries to be – and the intent was overt; to show the lives lived in as much detail as it takes to overcome the naysayers. A tall order I know.

Read More
All too human thumb

All too human

Join OCA’s Gerald Deslandes on the 14 July at Tate Britain in London. This must-see exhibition brings together the giants of 20th century British figurative painting

Read More
Diversity talk is cheap: Why perceptions of the design industry are deceptive. thumb

Diversity talk is cheap: Why perceptions of the design industry are deceptive.

As a designer from a minority and working class background, I had similar perceptions of the creative industries prior to beginning my career. I became a designer to do a job I love, and I wholeheartedly believe in many of the progressive ideals of diversity and equality that design agencies love to talk about.

Read More
Game of Thrones thumb

Game of Thrones

The recent publication of a book by the White House photographer, Pete Souza,and the concurrence of two exhibitions at the Royal Academy and the Queen’s Gallery have made me wonder what President Obama’s resident court photographer might have taught the Stuarts.

Read More