The Guildford Institute

In the early nineteenth century poor rural workers were not well placed to raise the costs of emigration but, after the Swing Riots, there were a number of assisted emigration schemes in southern England. The Petworth and Dorking Emigration Scheme enabled eighteen hundred men, women and children to travel from Portsmouth to Upper Canada. Judith […]

X is for “Художницa” (Khudozhnitsa), the Russian word for ‘woman artist’. Expert lecturer Dr Louise Hardiman invites you to explore women’s art in Russia and the Soviet Union, beginning in the mid to late nineteenth century with the first women to train in art schools. She will then look at the world-famous Russian avant-garde, and […]

Autumn colours are beautiful in many parts of the world, particularly in forests and woodlands. In this course tutor Songül will demonstrate simple ways of capturing tree trunks and other forest elements using a warm colour palette. All levels welcome. A list of required materials will be provided.

Yinka Shonibare CBE RA is one of the UK’s leading contemporary artists. His interdisciplinary practice explores race, class, and cultural identity through a post-colonial lens. Curator Beth Hughes, who co-curated the exhibition ‘Criminal Ornamentation’ with Shonibare in 2018-19, will trace his practice from his early work to present day. This lecture is part of our […]

In this workshop you will learn how to paint an abstract seascape scene with a variety of acrylic paints and techniques, such as paint pouring. You will play with colour and movement to create a unique painting to take home with you. In a relaxed atmosphere, artist Laura will guide you step by step to […]

Join Laura for an afternoon of fun and creativity painting with coffee! In this workshop you will learn basic sketching techniques and how to paint with this unusual pigment. In a relaxed atmosphere, Laura will guide you step by step during the class to make sure you achieve a beautiful painting that will look and […]

Opened in 1900, the Paris Metro immediately became famous for its Art Nouveau entrances and designs. In the decades since 1945, the Metro has added further to its allure by incorporating signature artworks across the walls of the platforms and concourses of its stations. Famous artists from Picasso onwards have been invited to contribute to […]

Join guitarist Nicolas Meier and percussionist and drummer Demi Garcia Sabat, as they look at the drums and percussion in jazz and world music. They will explore sound, function and use of drums and percussion. Through jazz standards and world music songs, together they will take you on a journey around the world. Nicolas and […]

During this workshop you will create a landscape using needle felting. Arrange dyed, unspun sheep’s wool and other fibres into a picture and fuse the image into a textile using a barbed felting needle. This process permits more detail and control than traditional wet felting. Embellish with beads and embroidery. All materials and tools provided. […]

Johnny Douglas was a highly acclaimed composer, arranger and conductor who worked with many celebrities, had his own record label, and wrote the music for the 1970 film The Railway Children and for the Marvel Animation series which included Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Dungeons and Dragons and Transformers. Johnny’s granddaughter Louise keeps her much-loved […]

The second half of the 19th century saw huge changes – technical, social, and creative. The artistic movement that became known as “Impressionism” evolved out of these new developments. This lecture will trace how all these changes contributed and how Impressionism became a “doorway” through which the next generations passed, opening new ways of painting.

We are living through a period of rapid change as a result of the digital revolution and the rise of generative artificial intelligence. This has implications for the way we research, share and publish our family histories. Dr. Nick Barratt worked behind the scenes on the TV series Who Do You Think You Are? and […]

During this workshop you will create a simple picture using the traditional technique of wet felting. Arrange colourful dyed unspun sheep’s wool, begin the felting process with soap, hot water, and gentle rubbing, then shrink the piece by rolling and rubbing into a dense strong felt textile. All materials and tools provided. Suitable for all […]

In Victorian England, ‘genius’ was more typically attributed to men, since it was widely believed that women lacked the capacity for genius on the basis of their sex. Often overshadowed by their more famous husbands, women writers and artists contested this through their professional creative practices and partnerships. Focusing on artists Mary Watts and Evelyn […]

In this one-day workshop, artist and photographer Laura will teach you how to paint a realistic and detailed flower with acrylic onto a large canvas, focusing on details and colours. With step by step guidance, you will create a colourful and unique floral painting to take home with you. Suitable for all abilities. All materials […]