JOHN HALL VENICE The Gap Year Course For Students Of The Arts And Sciences January - March & The Summer Course - july 2017 LONDON VENICE FLORENCE ROME
What makes it worth coming on the John Hall Venice course? A lot depends on what you want to do with your time. There is so much opportunity and so many choices to make; your head must be spinning. Coming on our Venice course takes less than 3 months out of your year. Most universities and Oxbridge colleges are not against a gap year if time is well spent: the Venice course is well regarded. Different from the conventional art tour, the heart of the experience is living as a resident in the most beautiful and historic cities in the world, in the company of 30 to 40 like-minded gap-year students from around the globe. Over 9 weeks incredible friendships are made. In that time you will be amazed at what you can learn, whether it be any of the wide range of subjects that we cover art, music, world cinema or things you may never have thought of before global issues such as climate measurement, fundamentalism, the Arab world, the Origin of the Universe as well as cookery, photography, painting and Italian language. In addition to London, Venice, Florence and Rome our tour takes us to Padua, Vicenza, Ravenna and Tivoli. It is impossible to do what we do on the cheap. We bring in experts and arrange incredible private visits to St Mark s Basilica at night in Venice, the Sistine Chapel in Rome, making an inspirational experience that is absolutely impossible to get anywhere else. It s not something that any university could offer. It s a super team of intellectual and artistic giants who have been selected for their charisma as much as for their expertise. The best 9 weeks on your gap year
What is it? When and where? A two month pre-university gap year course in London, Venice, Florence and Rome. It is an inspirational experience, opening eyes, ears and minds. The John Hall Venice course runs once a year, from late January to late March. There is an introductory week in London, followed by six weeks in Venice, followed by the option of a week in Florence and six days in Rome. Added to the lecture room and on-site activities we also offer brilliant practical classes in studio life drawing and portraiture, painting, photography, cookery and Italian language. Who is it for? The course is for all students who are or might become interested in the experience we are offering. Our students are mainly on their gap year in between school and university and come from across the academic spectrum, from the classics to art history, from medicine to pure mathematics. Much of the content of the course is new to most. No one need feel nervous about seeming ignorant. Although the majority of our students are from British schools, there are also students from other countries, providing an international dimension to our community.
How we are different? Eight reasons to choose John Hall Venice Unrivalled access to some of the greatest art collections in Italy and London that includes private visits to London s National Gallery and the Queen s Collection; in Venice, private visits to St Mark s and the Fondazione Giorgio Cini; in Rome the Sistine Chapel. Some fantastic lunches included in Venice, Rome and Tivoli. Resident status in Venice you will be issued with the imob travel card that gives you free access to the public transport system in Venice (saving you a minimum average of 10 Euros a day and giving you special access to Venice s museum and public services system). This card is valid for three years and can simply be renewed on expiry. You will be a Venetian for life! The course gives a foretaste of a university style of living and learning. Art and photography classes as options. Taught from the bases of our resident English tutors in Venice and Florence (in Florence you can enrol for free classes with the Charles Cecil Studio. Breakfast AND dinner every day in Italy, avoiding a minimum expenditure of 25 Euros per day. Our staff of around 30 experts are all either rising young stars or already distinguished in their fields university professors, curators, critics, conductors, theatre directors, writers. We spend a meaningful period of time six weeks in one Italian city a memorable experience in itself. The John Hall Venice course has been one of my greatest inspirations. It is easy to perceive of the course as an extravagance or some kind of guilty luxury and, yes, it is a rare privilege to have attended but it is far more than either of those things; it is fundamental to who I am today. Arthur Laidlaw (2009), artist The lectures on the John Hall Venice course are given by tremendous teachers, who gave me new matters of interest. To have had the privilege to visit the Sistine Chapel and San Marco Basilica without the usual crowds that surround them are occasions that will remain in my memory for the rest of my life. Sonia De Brye (2011), law student and ballerina In 1978 I found myself on the John Hall course in Venice surrounded by a diverse mix of people, several are still close friends. Many years later, I find myself in Venice more and more often. In this city I got the first glimpse of the fact that the importance of art does not lie in a reverence for a fixed ideal of the original it resides in the fact that originality is a process that is constantly being re-negotiated. Adam Lowe (1978), Founder Director, Factum Arte Those precious, memorable weeks in Italy inspired what has become a lifelong love for art. I went on to work for many years as a curator before becoming a writer and editor of art books so it wouldn t be an exaggeration to say that they changed the course of my life. Jacky Klein (1996), Commissioning Director, Tate Publishing The course is the ultimate insider s view. For one magic winter you get to inhabit the city through private viewings of its many great sights and enjoy walks off the tourist trails. Ten years on, I remember those nine weeks with huge fondness, not only because of the knowledge gained, but the lasting friends made and the great fun had by all. Max Benitz (2005), Principal, Ingenious Ventures and author of Six Months without Sundays: the Scots Guards in Afghanistan Words cannot describe what a transformative experience John Hall was for me. The experience is a lifelong one mine continued this summer when I had an internship at the Venice Biennale, where among other duties, I entertained curators, artists and, best of all, my friends from John Hall. Tom Rosenblatt (2012), sophomore, Bowdoin College, USA It s more than 30 years since I went on the John Hall Venice course, and I still appreciate it every time I walk into an art gallery or visit Italy. It gave me a wonderful appreciation and knowledge of centuries of Western art and an abiding love of the country. I also picked up enough Italian to see me through many happy trips since. Mary Ann Sieghart (1978), journalist and broadcaster Venice and Italy changed the lenses through which I view the world. I want to repeat the Venetian Moment of my academic life, because it felt like an emotional and intellectual supernova. I want to experience again the sensation of standing on the cusp of something life-changing. Anand Piramal, (2003) Executive Director, Piramal Group, Mumbai
LONDON The London Week The London Week is a time for everybody to get to know one another before we all fly out to Venice. It consists of a series of lectures and visits to interesting places all around the city. The talks will give everyone an introduction to Venice and Italy but also present a few ideas to the group from experts who cannot get out to Venice but whose expertise we really value. We are mostly based right in the centre of London in our room at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, but will have one afternoon at Christie s auction house, which is only a few minutes away from the National Gallery. A LONDON DAY 8.45-10.00 Visit to the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace with Desmond Shawe-Taylor The Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family and one of the largest and most important art collections in the world. Desmond Shawe-Taylor is the Surveyor of Queen s Pictures and will show the group around their latest exhibition. 11.00-12.00 To the Studios of Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners, 14th floor Andrew Tyley: Architecture Today Andrew Tyley is Associate Partner at RS&H and will give a talk about architecture and the role RS&H has played in shaping the world we see and live in. At Christie s 14.00-15.00 Vivien Lovell: Public Art Today Vivien Lovell is director of Modus Operandi, which commissions art for public space on behalf of organisations such companies and councils. She will talk about art in public spaces worldwide. 15.15-16.15 William Lorimer: A view of the Commercial World the Auction House William Lorimer has been working with Christie s for many years. He will give a short history of the company, illustrated with amusing anecdotes 16.30-17.15 Professor Michael: Choosing Art History at Universities. Professor Michael is the Academic Director of Christie s Education and will give a brief talk about studying Art History at University 17.30-18.15 Hugh Edmeades: The Auction Challenge Hugh Edmeades is one of the leading auctioneers at Christie s and leads a classic icebreaker game with the group. 18.30-19.15 Drinks party at Christie s
VENICE
Venice was the greatest experience of my life and I can t imagine not having done it The VENICE Experience Spending six weeks in one of the most spectacular and romantic cities in the world, away from the pollution and clamour of any other big city is, in itself, an unforgettable experience. Sharing that amount of time with a large group of like-minded individuals who have come from all around the world, and being exposed to wonderful information and opinions from the world-class experts that we have gathered for you is unmissable! Very few people have the chance to have six weeks in Venice; you will! Your Home We live together in the Hotel Messner, a comfortable, family-run establishment that is two minutes from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, between the Grand Canal and the Giudecca. Well appointed and efficient, this becomes our home for all the time we are in Venice. The hotel restaurant, where we have breakfast and supper every day, provides delicious food for us that is included in the fees. Dining Venice has regained its reputation as an excellent city for dining. Although we eat every evening in our hotel, we are also free to choose to go out to any of the fantastic restaurants and trattorie of the city. ACADEMICS Our list of charismatic and qualified lecturers are available on our website. Although the programme is pretty rigorous there is no academic work to be completed during the course. Our experts are invited to bring their knowledge and experience to enrich you rather than test you! It is a new approach to learning; there is no syllabus, no written work or exams, you are liberated and free to take from the classes exactly what you choose. ACTIVITIES AND TRIPS In Venice you have the opportunity to take classes in Cookery, Painting and Drawing, Photography and Italian Language. There are sports grounds to play football on, a gym to join and the myriad opportunities to enjoy everything that this great city has to offer. We occasionally leave Venice to visit Ravenna, Padua, Vicenza and the islands of the lagoon. In our half term you will be able to go skiing in Cortina, take the night train to Vienna, visit Milan, Urbino, Naples or simply stay in Venice and relax!
A VENICE DAY 2 A VENICE DAY 1 09.00 Jacky Klein: VISIT the Guggenheim Collection This is a tour given by a previous curator at the Tate and Hayward galleries in London of one of the most incredible collections of Modern Art ever assembled. 11.30 Jacky Klein: The Biennale Phenonemon: Art at the Cutting Edge The Venice Biennale has been running every two years since the end of the 19th century and is the greatest exhibition of Contemporary Art from every country around the world.l 14.00 Peter Phillips: The Tradition of Classical Music in Europe: Chant and Polyphony in the Western tradition 14.30 Peter Phillips: Monteverdi and the Venetian Revolution 17:15 Italian Classes Italian Classes (extra cost) are for beginners and advanced students who may want to continue with language lessons. 18:30 Dinner 09.00 All meet in front of the Accademia Gallery Susan Steer and Louisa Warman: An Introduction to Venetian Painting: Visit to Accademia Gallery The Accademia Gallery is where the Venetian paintings from the 14th until the 19th centuries are exhibited. Our two art historians will lead a brief tour of the highlights of the collection. 12.00 Charles Hope: Art History: Giorgione and the limits of connoisseurship Charles Hope is one of the UK s leading art historians and will give a fantastic series of talks about Venetian art history Lunch 14.30 Jeremy Sams: Opera; Families...together and apart Jeremy Sams will break down opera to present it to us as a brilliant and captivating mode of musical entertainment that anyone can appreciate. 15.30 Geoffrey Humphries: Life Drawing and Portraiture class Geoffrey Humphries bohemian studio is where anyone who is interested in learning about or practicing their painting and drawing skills can go. No experience required! 18:30 Dinner 20.30 Film screening: Wadjda Throughout the course we will show a series of films from World Cinema that are chosen by our cinema lecturer as wonderful examples of non-hollywood film-making.
FLORENCE
The Florence Week Florence is the most famous city of the Italian Renaissance. Here, students can study at first-hand the progress of art out of the middle ages under the influence of Cimabue and Giotto, into the new perspective-dominated realism of Brunelleschi, Masaccio and Botticelli and on to the virtuosity of Raphael and Michelangelo the history of art as explained by the first art historian, Giorgio Vasari, himself a painter and architect in 16th-century Florence. There are no lectures and this week consists of a series of on-site visits to the museums, chapels, churches and gardens that illustrate the story of art in Florence. A FLORENCE DAY With Ben Street & Charlie Hall 09:00 Meet outside hotel for visit to Santa Maria Novella This great church is home to such memorable Gothic and Renaissance art works as Giotto s spiritual crucifixion, Massacio s Trinity, a fresco that changed the way we look at art, Ghirlandaio s depictions of the life of the Virgin and John the Baptist, paintings assisted by a young Michelangelo and a stunning architectural interior and exterior, designed by the young Alberti. 12.00 Meet outside hotel for visit to Rucellai palace (ext) and Rucellai chapel Buildings designed for one of the Florentine oligarchs, where pomp and circumstance blended with Renaissance idealism. The recently restored chapel is an absolute gem! 15.30 Meet outside hotel to walk to Brancacci Chapel The interior of this little chapel, frescoed by the Renaissance greats, Massacio and Massolino, is a moving evocation of the spirituality of the times and shows techniques that were groundbreaking. It is a chance to witness the art world changing before our eyes! 16.30 Art Class at Charles Cecil Studio In his wonderful studio the artist Charles Cecil teaches a style of drawing that has been handed down over the centuries. 19.00 Dinner
ROME
The ROME Week Rome is where the imposing remains of classical antiquity blend with the magnificent churches, palaces, fountains and piazzas of the Renaissance and Baroque popes and cardinals. Our visit to Rome includes the special privilege of a private visit to the Vatican Museums, to include Raphael s Stanze and the Sistine Chapel an unforgettable experience and the Villa Borghese Galleries, with masterpieces by Bernini, Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian. This week is all about the city of Rome. With no lectures, we spend our time visiting the great sites of history, from Ancient Rome to the city of the Popes and Princes in the 18th Century. This is where we end the course, with a sensational visit to the extraordinary gardens and fountains of the Villa D Este and finish with lunch next to the ancient temple of Vesta at the world famous Ristorante Sibilla. A ROME DAY With Frank Dabell & Charlie Hall 09.15 The Heart of Rome: The Pantheon; The Caravaggio chapels in Sant Agostino, San Luigi de Francesi and Piazza di Spagna area. 13.00 Lunch at Trattoria Moderna 15.30 Meet outside hotel to walk to the Vatican Museum: The Vatican Collections (Special Private Visit), Cortile Ottagonale, Antiquities Collections, the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel. Dinner independently Ravenna We travel back in time to the Byzantine age in Ravenna to see the most extraordinary mosaics in Europe that date back to before Venice was even thought about, to the 4th century, when Attila the Hun rampaged and Christianity was in its early years. A stunning feast for the eyes! Trips Away Tivoli Our final day of the course takes us out of Rome to the historic town of Tivoli, where in the 1st century AD the Emperor Hadrian built an incredible complex (since ruined and looted) and was the source of much of the water that was piped across the plains to Rome on the great aqueducts. We visit the Villa d Este to see the fabulous gardens that became world famous due to the hundreds of fountains built and which still work to this day. Then we have lunch in a restaurant in the shade of the ancient Temple of Vesta and overlooking the valley and waterfall of the Tiburtine Sibyl. Padua We take a morning trip to Padua to see some fantastic art, sculpture by the Florentine genius Donatello and frescoes by Mantegna and, of course, the ground-breaking genius of the early 14th-century Giotto in the recently restored and renovated Scrovegni Chapel. It is an amazing experience for everyone and also a chance to see a great, bustling city on the Italian mainland that is very different to Venice. Vicenza This is the city that Andrea Palladio, the world s most influential known architect, lived and worked for most of his life. We will all know the style that he used because it is still followed today but it was in this beautiful town that he became famous. We travel for a day to look around this beautiful place and privately visit some of his most memorable buildings.
SUMMER COURSE 9-30 july 2017
The SUMMER COURSE Created and run by Charlie Hall and John Hall Venice, it is an exciting concept that caters both for those interested in art and the art world, whether as university students or students between school and university, and those who want to spend three weeks in this extraordinary city with a group of like-minded individuals. The Venice Biennale is the world s leading exposition of Contemporary Art, whether in a national pavilion in the Giardini, the Arsenale or in one of the many off-site pavilions scattered all around Venice, in palaces or churches. You will be taken around the exhibitions by our team of international experts. Venice has a tradition of contemporary art activities, from the Biennale, the Architecture Biennale, the Venice Film Festival, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and Francois Pinault s two major collections of contemporary art at the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana and the Prada Foundation. NOTHING CAN COMPETE WITH MEETING MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE ART WORLD FACE TO FACE IN THE EXTRAORDINARY ENVIRONMENT OF VENICE. Venice in the summer is hot and wonderful. All lectures take place in air-conditioned rooms. Added to the impressive list of lectures there will be a comprehensive introduction to Venetian art given by Charlie Hall, Director of the course, that includes tours of many of the great churches and galleries of Venice, to see paintings by Giovanni Bellini, Titian, Carpaccio, Tintoretto, Veronese and Tiepolo amongst others. There will also be a series of talks on Italian cinema given by Xan Brooks, film critic for The Guardian, and on The Literary Image of Venice, given by author and resident of the city Gregory Dowling. COOKERY, PHOTOGRAPHY, PAINTING & DRAWING, ITALIAN LANGUAGE Superb classes in photography and art are included, and there are classes in cookery and Italian as optional extras. There is plenty of free time at the weekends so students can get the vaporetto to the Lido to enjoy the fantastic beaches. While we are in Venice we will have the opportunity to take part in the feast of the Redentore. A chance to experience one of Venice s most genuine festivals, celebrated with a stunning display of fireworks. On the Saturday night everyone gathers in boats in the bacino of S. Marco and in restaurants and cafes on the waterfront and eats and drinks as the fireworks explode in the sky above. We will visit the Accademia Gallery, home to Venetian painting, from the 14th century to the 18th century, we will have private visits to the Basilica San Marco at night to see the 8,000 sq m of golden mosaics and the treasures of the republic kept therein, and to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection to see one of the most exceptional collections of 20th century art every gathered by a single person. Jacky Klein: Executive Editor at Tate Publishing, broadcaster (The Nation s Lost Masterpieces, BBC4) and writer ( What is Contemporary Art? A Children s Guide and Grayson Perry ) Conrad Shawcross, RA: Contemporary artist, sculptor Adam Lowe: Director of Factum Arte, Madrid, creating museum-quality replicas of historic art and artefacts Tom Young: Painter, living and working in Beirut Xan Brooks: Author and Film Critic for The Guardian and The Observer A VENICE DAY 10:00 Ben Street lecture What s Art For Ben is an art historian, broadcaster and writer; he also teaches at The National Gallery in London and leads tours in America and Europe 11:30 Louisa Buck tour of the Venice Biennale show in The Giardini or The Arsenale Louisa is a columnist for The Art Newspaper and has written several books on Modern and Contemporary Art. She was a judge on The Turner Prize 15:30 Ben Street Who s Afraid of Modern Art? Ben takes us through the emergence of what we now know as Modern Art ; from Marcel Duchamp s Conceptual art to the Abstract Expressionists and beyond. 16:45 Xan Brooks Italian Cinema Xan has written about film for magazines and newspapers for 20 years and takes us through the emergence of Italian Cinema, Bertolucci, Pasolini, Fellini, to Scorcese etc 18:00 Tom Young - Painting Class An optional class for those who want to enjoy painting Venice in the company of Tom, who lives in Beirut and has been a landscape painter for over 20 years 20:00 Dinner in the hotel Every evening dinner is served at our hotel. Students can choose to eat out but dinner is included in the fee 21:30 Film Showing In the week that Xan is speaking he will introduce a relevant film from Italian Cinema
Classes offered Cookery (x 5) Italian Language (x 10) Painting & Drawing (x 5) Photography (x 4) Gap Year Course Schedule January 23 January 24 January 29 January 3 1 February 4 February 5 February 13 February 17 February 28 March 1 March 7 March 11 March 18 March 23 March 24 London Week Course begins Drinks party at Christie s Depart for Venice First Day of Venice Course Trip to Ravenna Party in Venice Day in Padua Half Term Carnival Martedi Grasso Tour of Glass workshops in Murano Trip to Veneto to Palladian Villas Depart for Florence Depart for Rome Trip to Tivoli final lunch at Ristorante Sibilla Course ends Summer Course Schedule July 9 July 10 July 14 July 15 July 30 Fly to Venice, check in and registration Course begins Boat trip to Torcello and Burano Redentore Festival Course Ends. Dates, Fees, Booking, Further Information The course runs from the last week in January to late March each year. For detail of dates, fees, booking and further information, please see our website or contact our office. Any potential student or parent who would like to speak with a former student or parent, should contact Vicky Gillions in our office, who will put you in touch with someone. Contact Vicky Gillions, Maketing & Course Manager, The John Hall Venice Course, c/o 9 Smeaton Road, London SW18 5JJ Telephone: +44 (0)20 8871 4747 Email: info@johnhallvenice.com Website: www.johnhallvenice.com Photography by: Mark Smith and Tobin Mills Design by: anton-jacques.com JOHN HALL VENICE