Anatomy of an Art School
Friday 10 April 2026 09:30 - Saturday 11 April 2026 17:00
Location: Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1JQ
Anatomy of an Art School is a two-day public forum exploring what defines an art school and how creative education evolves in a changing world.
The forum brings together artists, educators and researchers from across the UK and beyond. Using Gray’s School of Art as a starting point, the programme opens into a wider conversation about studio culture, artistic lineage, architecture, place and the future of higher education.
Across keynote talks, provocations, panel discussions and performances, contributors will examine how learning environments shape practice, how traditions are challenged and reworked, and how institutions respond to social and economic change.
The forum marks the culmination of the exhibition Never Make a Head Bigger than a Melon, while the wider Gray’s 140 Years programme continues through to November 2026.
Register
Cost to attend: £10
Programme
The forum marks the culmination of the exhibition Never Make a Head Bigger than a Melon, while the wider Gray’s 140 Years programme continues through to November 2026.
Friday 10 April 2026
- 09:30 - Registration and Coffee
- 10:00 - Welcome Remarks (Bart Grabski & Helen Fothergill)
- 10:15 - Exhibition Context (Judith Winter)
- 10:45 - Provocation One (Dan Allen)
- 11:30 - Live Performance in the Sculpture Hall (Ash McNaughton)
- 12:10 - Informal Networking / Lunch
- 13:30 - Provocation Two (Gavin Butt)
- 14:05 - Provocation Three (Michael Archer)
- 14:40 – Coffee Break
- 15:00 - Provocation Four (John Walter)
- 15:35 - Provocation Five (Tim Ingold)
- 16:15 – Live Performance (Tako Taal)
- 16:30 – Informal Networking
- 18:00 – 20:00 – Bar School by John Walter at Faffless, Golden Square
Saturday 11 April 2026
- 09:00 - Registration and Coffee
- 09:15 - Welcome Remarks (Dan Allen)
- 09:25 - Provocation Six (Regina Sipos)
- 09:55 - Provocation Seven (Jaana Erkkilä-Hill)
- 10:35 - Breakout Sessions
- Workshop - Chiara Croci
- Tour – Gray’s Students (Gallery, Level 2)
- Panel Discussion – The Building is a Curriculum (Penny Lewis, Sanchez, Philipp Sack)
- 12:00 – Shared Reflections (Rachel Thibbotumunuwe)
- 12:20 – Lunch
- 13:20 – Reflections (Dan Allen)
- 13:45 - Provocation Eight (Andrew Bracey)
- 14:10 - Provocation Nine (Philipp Sack)
- 14:50 – Breakout Sessions
- Workshop – Sarah Perks (Seminar Room)
- Tour – Gray’s Students (Gallery, Level 2)
- Workshop - Désirée Coral
- Panel Discussion – Practice-Led Research: How Has It Changed the Art School? (Ash McNaughton, Marie-Chantal Hamrock, Sarah Pedersen)
- 16:15 – Shared Reflections (Rachel Thibbotumunuwe)
- 16:45 – Closing Remarks (Judith Winter, Sally Reaper, Dan Allen)