“An unforgettable experience”: MA Fine Art Online students soak up Cornwall’s art scene
21 August 2024
The Fine Art MA (Online) group at CAST
This article was written by Fine Art MA (Online) student Dr Anupa Sahdev. She recently attended a Fine Art in-person event – an optional opportunity offered to all online students at Falmouth, either in Cornwall or elsewhere – and here she reflects on the experience of coming together with 27 other students, staff and creatives from across Cornwall.
Following a long train voyage from London, I was delighted to be welcomed to the tranquility and scenic sea views offered by Falmouth. The subsequent three-day residential workshop eclectically designed and organised by our Course Leader and artist Josie Cockram was a wonderful chance to meet and get to know faculty members and course peers in person, and to share ideas as well as creative and cultural experiences.
We had a brilliant few days together travelling between Falmouth, Helston and St Ives; one of my most memorable moments on the first day was participating in Dr Mohini Chandra’s photo workshop amidst the lush gardens at Falmouth's Woodlane campus, where we shared and explored personal photos from our phones, exploring and discussing what is unseen. The workshop was a wonderful way to not only meet and greet one another, but also to forge intimacy and collectively ‘arrive’.
The day continued to blossom through an enlivening field trip to St Ives, where we visited Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. I was particularly moved by the dreamlike views out to Porthmeor Beach from Tate, and the modern spiritual paintings in chromatic harmonies housed in the permanent collection. We had a fantastic tour of the St Ives exhibitions with curators Giles Jackson and Katy Norris. Meandering through the Hepworth Garden was a fine chance to reflect and enjoy the fusions of nature and sculpture, as well as to spark new conversations.
The next day offered a chance to participate in an exciting seminar, hosted by Dr Lucy Sames in Falmouth’s library, where I could freely explore my creative practice research and derive connections between themes. I enjoyed strolling through the eclectic and vast shelves of art books and choosing a selection to browse through. Whilst we explored, another group of students joined Tutor Srin Surti for a seminar in the campus gardens.
In the afternoon we joined other Falmouth students and staff for a special public lecture by Teresa Gleadowe, curator and Director of CAST – an innovative arts and science charity in Helston, housed in a magnificent 19th century building. It was inspiring to finish the day witnessing the wonderful and eclectic works from our first graduate showcase amidst the sunshine and cold beverages. Some of the tutors and students joined remotely on iPads, which worked well, too!
We spent the final day of the residency at CAST, and inspired by the MA’s ‘Sustainable Practice’ module, I opted into the workshop with CAST studio-holder Bronwen Buckeridge on listening practices. It was an unforgettable experience making ear cones, listening and responding to the wilderness of the nearby Penrose Estate. The workshop concluded with the group making sounds from nature-based objects evoking a sense of grounding and connection. Cornwall-based artist Nina Royle also ran a workshop at CAST exploring natural pigments and dyes and Simon Bayliss led a painting walk across the Penrose Estate.
The residential was a memorable few days of travel, site visits, creative methods and socialising. Course Leader Josie told me: “It was special to gather in Cornwall for our annual in-person residential. We had a brilliant few days together travelling around Cornwall and celebrating our very first graduates in the sunshine on the Woodlane campus!
Dr Anupa Sahdev is a student artist in her second year of Falmouth’s online master’s in Fine Art. Based in London, she explores how artistic practices can activate points of empowerment and care for clinicians within health systems. In her Final Major Project, she is developing a listening platform for clinicians where emotions and hidden feelings are heard and morphed into new modes of expression.
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