To examine the role of art in culture and investigate how theory and practice are connected, Sharjah Art Foundation is offering intensive two and three-day courses about visual literacy and research methodologies for university students and emerging and mid-career artists.

On weekend evenings once a month, from September 2024 to January 2025, participants will study how art is defined, presented and received through careful reading, critical thinking and analysis. Instructors will present texts, films, performances, archives, posters, comics, songs and literature to expand participants’ knowledge and guide them in questioning and interpreting different genres and artistic approaches. Dialoguing with these complex ideas will in turn help participants to ground and enrich their own practice.

Focusing on different concepts and research methodologies, each course, offered in either Arabic or English, aims to empower participants to create powerful and meaningful work by helping them understand its cultural impact.

Interested artists and students are welcome to register for one or more of the free courses. No prior academic experience is necessary. The only requirement is that participants commit to attending all three days of the course(s) in which they are enrolled.