Year Long Art Courses

What will I do in the sessions?

Workshops run over weekends so students can travel from across the UK to join us. They always have a practical making element as we believe we learn best through making and doing, although we also build in time to reflect, discuss and critique. These sessions explore five key themes:

1. Encouraging risk and experimentation.
2. Exploring personal narratives and stories.
3. Responding to places, personal spaces and connections.
4. Refining and removing to discover the essence.
5. Translation and interpretation.

The process will take you on a journey over the year with the primary purpose of expanding your personal practice. Running through the programme is the development of your critical voice through personal projects, one to ones and group crits. Developing confidence in translation and interpretation is also a ‘creative muscle’ worked on constantly over the course of the year.

Will I be taught new skills?

The sessions are varied and you will come across a new technique or nugget of information that you can bring into your practice. The primary focus is not on developing your painting skills in these sessions. It is about discovery, taking risks and gaining insights. We design the sessions to limber up your creative practice, to energise and to build the critical voice you need as an artist. We are however happy to advise you on our shorter courses that offer a huge range of practical skills development.

How much contact time is there with tutors?

The lead tutor will be there every weekend and there will also be a guest tutor running the creative workshop over two of the days. There will be a number of one to ones over the programme as well as group crits with your peers. In between sessions the tutor is not physically available, but our bespoke online course management programme provides a platform for students to discuss and share their work, offering peer support and encouragement. The final weekend session with your lead tutor will be a chance to reflect on your journey and to plan your next steps.

What happens when the programme ends?

We programme in a number of long weekends exclusively for alumni for those that feel they would like to touch base again and refresh. After that we have a number of offers including artist retreats ranging from five days to a weekend, the opportunity to hire one of our studios with a 1-1 crit, as well as some online meet ups. 

Who is it for?

We cater for a range of students from early stage artists to those with more experience looking to challenge and stimulate their practice. We believe that developing a strong practice is where you start. The focus is not on the secrets of getting gallery representation or making a living as an artist, or even on how to improve your painting technique. It is about helping you become the artist you want to be. This is the first most critical and exciting step, and we believe this is what we can help you with. The time goes very quickly on the programme and you will get the most out of it only if you can invest in your practice in between the sessions to develop work, experiment and research.

How is it structured?

Over 8 weekends, you will enjoy a mix of individual tutorials and guidance from our lead tutors, accompanied by a structured and varied creative programme taught by our guest artists.

The weekends run over three days, 4-6 weeks apart, with a break in August.

Who else will be on the programme?

Every year is different. We have had new graduates to people who have retired and now have the space to devote to their creative practice. We have had textile artists to filmmakers, those with degrees and MAs to those who have developed their practice from doing short courses. Many people travel to St Ives to do the programme. People have travelled from London, Wales and all parts of the South West. Whatever age, background or experience you will all be there for the same aim of unlocking the artist you want to be. Your peers will often become a solid group of support that you can take with you far beyond the length of the programme.

How much does it cost?

£3,200

The fee includes tuition and your materials during the workshop weekends in our studios in St. Ives.

Instalment options available if required.

What will I do in the sessions?

The workshops, run online over set weekends, always have a practical making element as we believe we learn best through making and doing, although we also build in time to reflect, discuss and critique.

The overall process will take you on a journey over the 10 months, with the primary purpose of expanding your personal practice. Running through the programme is the development of your critical voice through personal projects, one to ones and group crits. You will learn to develop key ‘creative muscles’, experience risk taking and experimentation, alongside the art of translation and interpretation.

Will I be taught new skills?

The sessions are varied, and most people will come across a new technique or nugget of information they will find valuable. However, the primary focus is not on developing your painting skills in these sessions. It is about discovery, taking risks and gaining insights.

We design the sessions to limber up your creative practice, to energize and to build the critical voice you need as an artist. We are happy to advise you on our shorter courses online and face to face studio courses that offer a range of practical skills development.

How much contact time is there with tutors?

Every 4-6 weeks there will be a weekend workshop, a small group follow on discussion, and you will have a personal 1-1 tutorial.

We will also have an online platform for your group to discuss and share work on, offering peer support and encouragement. Your tutor will also interact between sessions on this platform, providing ongoing feedback and support.

What happens when the programme ends?

You will retain access to your group platform for 3 months after the programme ends, including all the recordings of your live sessions.

You will also be eligible to join our long weekend studio sessions in St Ives, exclusively for alumni who would like to touch base again and refresh. These sessions incorporate a practical workshop and individual tutorial sessions. After that we have several offers including artist retreats ranging from five days to a weekend.

Who is it for?

We cater for a range of students from early stage artists to those with more experience looking to challenge and stimulate their practice. We believe that developing a strong practice is where you start.

The focus is not on the secrets of getting gallery representation or making a living as an artist, or even how to improve your painting technique. It is about helping you become the artist you want to be. This is the first most critical and exciting step and we believe this is what we can help you with.

How is it structured?

Over 10 months, you will enjoy a mix of individual tutorials and guidance from our lead tutors, accompanied by a structured and varied creative programme taught by both lead and guest artists. Your lead tutor will follow up with the group after each of the 8 workshop weekends, to maximise your learning.

Who else will be on the programme?

Every year is different. We have had new graduates to people who have retired and now have the space to devote to their creative practice. We have had textile artists to filmmakers, those with degrees and MAs to those who have developed their practice from taking short courses.

There will be a maximum of 12 spaces, so the cohort will be small. Whatever age, background or experience you will all be there for the same aim of unlocking the artist you want to be. Your peers will often become a solid group of support that you can take with you far beyond the length of the programme. To ensure the programme is the right choice for you we recommend you give us a call to talk it through before booking your space.

How much does it cost?

£2,200

Instalment options available if required.

We caught up with Porthmeor Programme alumni Sue Watt to get an insight into life before, during and after the programme. Sue lets us in on her daily routine, her artistic inspiration and her upcoming show at Penwith Gallery…

How would you describe your art practice?
Purposeful, honest and frequently all consuming.

What does your daily routine look like?
The awful teenagers leave at 8.30am and I work until 3pm most days. I also work for a few hours in the evening, normally killing anything good that I have done in the day. I don’t have a routine as such, I just get lost in the work most days. If I stumble, I watch one of my little films and I’m off again…..

What do you enjoy doing outside of your art? How does that feed into your practice?
I am a primary carer for my disabled son Tom so I am either caring or creating. Both feed into each other. I need the high of creating to counteract some of the low of caring. Similarly, a lot of the caring involves quiet contemplative moments where I think about creating. I can’t remember what I used to do before, but it couldn’t have been important.

Who inspires you as an artist?
There are so many…. Sandra Blow for her absolute commitment, Danny Fox for his story telling, Peter Lanyon for his love of paint and finally but fundamentally, Liz Hough and Ilker Cinarel who showed me how to add purpose, meaning and substance to my work and ultimately, changed my life aswell as my practice.

Have you always been interested in art, or was it something you came to later in life?
I started life drawing 10 years ago, simply to find a room where I didn’t have to talk about being a parent of a disabled child. I only started creating at this level once I had filled in my application for the PP programme. I thought I wouldn’t be chosen and decided that I needed to teach myself how to paint, I think it was my way of preparing for the disappointment. But as luck would have it……

What did you do before the Porthmeor Programme?
Caring for Tom and his brother and sister took up much of my time with ad hoc accountancy work and finally, the odd art class whenever I could fit it in. I had to give up my job when I had Tom which was miserable, as I was very career driven. This work ethic and stamina has filtered into my creating work and I now feel alive again.

What drew you to the programme?
It wasn’t done lightly. I knew if I was successful that it would involve paying for carers, relying on family, etc… etc…. there were so many reasons not to do it but I was desperate for guidance and to meet other artists that were like me.

What would you say has changed for you since the programme?
Everything. I no longer want to produce meaningless, pretty work. The medium also doesn’t matter to me anymore. I am showing you my life whether that is in paint, film, print, etc….. I am a fairly private person so am stunned when the abstracted shapes of a painting (after many layers), let you in.

What is your favourite memory of the programme?
I have painted my favourite memory in ‘Don’t open the window, Pat’. My fellow artist friend Pat would regularly hoist up the sash window in the back studio facing onto Porthmeor Beach. The resulting Atlantic gale would blow in and everything we were working on would take off, it was very funny – every time.

What advice would you give someone wondering whether to apply for the programme?
‘If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well’. If you are lucky enough to get the opportunity, then show your gratitude in your level of commitment. Above all, remain open minded.

What artistic achievement are you most proud of?
My care series which is a set of films and installations about my relationship with Tom and caring. I didn’t realise that I was carrying these around in my head. They have given me great pleasure in their creation and I use the resulting shapes and forms in my paintings. The films have also given my family and friends a glimpse of Tom and I that I wouldn’t have shown otherwise, this has unexpectedly led to a strengthening of my personal relationships.

Are you a full-time artist these days?
Yes, there isn’t time for anything else. And we regularly run out of milk in my house.

How has your studio space evolved since being on the Porthmeor Programme?
I didn’t have a space prior to the programme. Now, I have a studio next door to where I live for the daytime. At night, I work in the spare room next to Tom’s room, so I can also help him if he needs it. He is regularly covered in blue paint.

Have you taken any more courses since the Porthmeor Programme?
No, I only want to work on my own ideas at the moment but I still go to life drawing most weeks. I also try and get to St Ives every few months to film and sketch. It is my place of respite and where I am at my most creative, with no distractions and demands from my life.

What does the future hold for your art?
I am fairly ‘all or nothing’ in my life. I hope to continue in ‘all’ for the remainder of it.