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Summer Program

Applications for Summer 2024 are now open! Apply Here

Hone your art world knowledge and boost your business skills through a hands-on boot camp.

Are you keen on curating or perhaps a budding entrepreneur?

The Summer Program in London is a new 4-week program geared at those looking to enhance their professional acumen and prepare for undergraduate study within the wider creative industries. With London as the backdrop, Summer Program students will have the chance to explore one of the greatest art cities in the world while creating a portfolio of work that will propel them forward in college applications and their future career. Through a choice of projects and peer-to-peer mentoring under the guidance of world-renowned faculty including curators, authors, and art historians, students will undertake topically-led briefs and real-world scenarios. Students will leave having gained substantial hands-on experience in a chosen field and be able to demonstrate their aptitude in seeing a project through from ideation to completion.

Projects include:

Curator
Students will work in small groups with a professional curator and Institute faculty member to create a small exhibition display from inception to opening night. It’s a chance to learn about the art world ecosystem and the various roles that curators play.

Entrepreneur
Overseen by an entrepreneur and with the involvement of the Institute’s Enterprise Studio team, students will work in small groups through a series of live competitive tasks to flex their skills in research and development, sales and marketing, operations and business planning.

The intensive program combines engaging expert-led sessions with site visits, workshops, and group activities alongside thorough independent research – ultimately preparing participants for the next step in their academic and professional journey. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore areas such as curation and business development, while spending the summer in the heart of bustling London.

Highlights

  • Visits to London’s major cultural venues like Tate Modern and Tate Britain, National Gallery, Somerset House Studios, and Wellcome Collection.

  • A day trip outside of the vibrant city of London.

  • Professional development gained through agenda-driven project briefs.

  • A dynamic combination of collaborative group work and self initiated research, culminating in a tangible output.

  • A network of industry experts, academics, and peers.

  • Opportunities to explore London in the midst of summer.

More Information

  • Who is it for?

    Who is it for?

    Please note, Curator and Entrepreneur pathways are not accredited. The Global Art Market Summer Study Abroad course is accredited through the University of Manchester. For more information on this program, please refer to the Summer Study Abroad tab below.

    All applicants must be at least 18 years old by the beginning of the program and currently enrolled in, or considering enrolling in, an undergraduate university program.

  • Dates

    Dates

    Summer 2024
    Session 1: June 4 – June 27, 2024
    Session 2: July 2 – July 25, 2024

  • Tuition

    Tuition

    £5,950​ (Early Bird rate of £5,450​ if application submitted by March 1st.)

    Deposit
    A £1500 Tuition Deposit will be due upon acceptance of offer to hold your space in the program.

    Optional Accommodation
    Sotheby’s Institute of Art has secured a limited number of housing accommodations for students participating in the Summer Program in London (for an additional accommodation fee). If you are interested to secure one of these accommodation spots, you can submit your interest for this accommodation option on the program application. This accommodation is provided on a first come, first serve basis. Program participants are only secured an accommodation spot upon submitting full payment for the accommodation fee in the amount of £2500, billed at the time of program acceptance.

    Sotheby’s Institute of Art accommodation is at capacity for Session 2 (July). If you wish to be added to the waitlist, please indicate this on your application (or contact studyabroad@sia.edu).  In the event additional accommodation becomes available, our Admissions Team will be in contact with those added to the waitlist on a first come, first served basis. Please note: if you are offered a space, full payment will be requested immediately to confirm the space.

    Sotheby’s Institute of Art accommodation is still available for Session 1 (June); students who require accommodation can switch Sessions. Please contact studyabroad@sia.edu if you wish to do so.

  • Location

    Location

    Our London Institute is situated in Bedford Square with the British Museum in the neighboring square. Sotheby’s auction house, the National Gallery, and the Royal Academy of Arts are a short walk away. The Institute is also close to Mayfair, the traditional center of the London art market where many dealers and galleries are located.

    Residential students are provided single rooms with a private en-suite bathroom, but live within flat “clusters” with other Summer Program students, sharing a kitchen and common area. This allows Summer Program students to get to know the other students on their pathway in addition to those studying at the Institute and throughout London’s many educational institutions. Residential students have full access to other facilities within the residence, including but not limited to a gym, cinema, quiet study area, social spaces, and laundry facilities. The reception staff provide assistance and support 24/7, and the buildings are equipped with CCTV.

  • Projects

    Projects

    Curator
    F
    or aspiring curators, producers, and exhibition designers.

    Entrepreneur
    For budding entrepreneurs with plans for creative and social enterprises.

  • Questions?

    Questions?

    Send an email to studyabroad@sothebysinstitute.com to receive further details about this program.

  • Summer Study Abroad

    Summer Study Abroad

    The Global Art Market
    This foundational course uncovers the art world ecosystem, introducing the key concepts, individuals, and business models that underpin the global art market and wider creative economy. Guest speakers include artists, art historians, entrepreneurs, and other experts working within the art world, and study trips include Sotheby’s Auction House and Margate, an epicenter of the emerging British Contemporary Art scene.

    Students successfully completing this course will be awarded 20 UK credits from the University of Manchester (20 UK credits = 5 US credits / 10 ECTS credits).

    Dates
    Tuesday, July 2 – Saturday, July 27 (Session 2)

    Tuition
    £5950 (Early Bird rate of £5450 if application submitted by March 1)

    Deposit
    £1500, due upon acceptance of offer

    Optional Accommodation
    Sotheby’s Institute of Art has secured a limited number of housing accommodations for students participating in the Summer Study Abroad Program in  London (for an additional accommodation fee). If you are interested to secure one of these accommodation spots, you can submit your interest for this accommodation option on the Summer Program application. This accommodation is provided on a first come, first serve basis. Program participants are only secured an accommodation spot upon submitting full payment for the accommodation fee in the amount of £2500, billed at the time of program acceptance. 

    Application
    Interested students can apply under the Summer Program 2024 application by selecting Session 2 and The Global Art Market as their project selection. Applicants will be prompted to upload a current copy of their unofficial undergraduate transcript in order to apply for this program.