The Open College of the Arts' blog
For a lot of people, Thursday 16 August, may have been one of the most stressful and anxious experiences of their lives. Finding out what all the hard work you’ve put into over the last two years has come to, and trying to make the best decision for the future. If you’re in that place, unsure what to do, but know you want to study creative arts, get in touch with us.
Experimentation is a very important part of the creative process. It is through trying different ways, mixing techniques, combining processes, challenging your thinking that we come up with unexpected and new outcomes, it is the way to move forward. I would like to share a few textile artists with you, that take experimentation very seriously, hoping that they inspire you.
At OCA all our offers are unconditional. Through our open-access policy we do not require students to have specific prior qualifications and welcome all who want to study onto our courses. This has been the case since OCA was founded, as we believe that education is a right, not a privilege, and all should have the opportunities to study.
From 26 to 28 October OCA will be running a weekend study visit to the Brighton Photo Biennial. The weekend will run from 2pm on Friday to 2pm on Sunday and students can attend for the whole weekend or specific days.
Join OCA tutor Jayne Taylor at the Barbican in London on the 1 September.
And when someone in the future asks you to talk about sustaining your practice, you are OBVIOUSLY going to say YES, not just because you have anxiety issues about letting people down… but because you have made so much damn work you have no space in your house anymore: that is ‘sustained as hell!’
The 2018 MA Textiles summer show at the Royal College of Art was a heady mix of product, experimentation and conceptual thinking. Having curated the show I took the opportunity to invite OCA students to view the work. The aim was to discuss the diversity in order to question the definition of the term ‘textiles’. 15 OCA students attended on a sunny summer Sunday to explore the galleries before meeting for a very lively discussion.
The next OCA North Group will be meeting on the 8 September in Newcastle at Newcastle City Library. The morning will begin with an…
On a glorious June morning OCA students celebrated the culmination of their study at the Royal Festival Hall in London. 91 students graduated across Creative Arts, Painting, Photography, Visual Communications, Textiles, Creative Writing and our MA Fine Art. Those that could attend the ceremony were also invited to a special gathering specifically for OCA students and their guests.
Join OCA’s Gerald Deslandes on the 15 September in London.
Following Beth’s recent ‘In conversation with… video’ this second instalment features her speaking about her sketchbook practice.
Please note there are only a couple of spaces remaining for students who have not previously attended a study event but do register your interest and we can look to add another date.