Territories of Practice and The Fall of the Studio

On the Fine Art Programme at Chelsea, discussion between staff, students, alumni and studio providers has resulted in the formation of an evolving set of principles and guidelinesi for the use of studio space. These principles acknowledge that the main function of the studio is to support discourse where a strong, critical community of artists can be developed. As such our approach to the studio symbolises the philosophy of the Fine Art course - identifying and declaring the art school’s function. The paper will argue that accepted wisdom and conventions about the organisation of studios (and perpetuated by some of the recent alternative models of art education) may no longer be fit for purpose. This paper will expand on some of the principles. I will focus on the ambition that our approach to studio organisation provides a blueprint for how artists might operate after college providing a sustainable model for graduates.