Friday Evening — Setting the Scene

• An illustrated evening talk drawing on selected artefacts and archives from Edward James's Surrealist collections, with a special focus on Leonora Carrington, Leonor Fini, Man Ray, Max Ernst, and Dalí. This sets the imaginative scene for the weekend and introduces key Surrealist tropes and preoccupations.
• How do Surrealist ideas connect to our current era? Together we explore how poetic and imaginative forms can help us navigate extraordinary times — finding resonance between the 1930s avant-garde and the world we inhabit now.
• Learn to mix and paint up cyanotype solution onto paper in preparation for Saturday's work.
• Begin the collaborative Exquisite Corpse drawing: each participant draws a head, folds the paper to conceal their contribution, and brings it to the workshop the next morning — secret and sealed.

Saturday — Light, String and the Subconscious

• The folded drawings are passed on and the next section added, keeping each contribution hidden. The full reveal is saved for Sunday.
• Using Surrealist imagery as a starting point, participants work with string, thread, cut-outs, and acetates to compose and expose cyanotype prints. The photographic alchemy of sunlight and chemistry becomes a tool for the subconscious.

Sunday — Myth, Plant and Landscape

• The Exquisite Corpse drawings are finally unfolded and shared — a joyful, surprising, and often uncanny collective creation.
• Referencing folklore and myth, we explore the alchemy of botanical inks and living plant colour — painting into and collaging with the cyanotypes made on Saturday to build layered, richly textured works.
• We step out into West Dean's gardens to gather impressions directly from the landscape through frottage: rubbings, textures, and marks drawn from bark, leaf, and stone. These are brought back into the studio to develop pattern and motif through close observation.
• The final session draws all the elements — cyanotype, botanical colour, collage, frottage, and Surrealist thinking — into a coherent body of work. Time to reflect, discuss, and consider where these ideas and techniques might take your own practice next.

What You Will Gain

• A rich insight into the Edward James archives and their Surrealist legacy
• Hands-on experience with cyanotype, botanical inks, frottage, and collage
• An understanding of Surrealist tropes, exercises, and techniques as a living creative resource
• A body of finished and exploratory work to take home
• A springboard of ideas and material for further independent practice
• Time and space to develop your own creative voice in a stimulating, supportive environment

Included

All specialist materials will be provided, including cyanotype chemicals and papers, botanical inks, wax, collage materials, tracing papers, and a range of other studio consumables. Shared tools and equipment will be available throughout the weekend, and selected archive materials from the Edward James collections will be used to inspire the creative process.

What students need to bring

• A sketchbook or notebook for ideas, observations and notes
• Sketching materials such as pencils and pens
• Scissors and a glue stick
• An apron or old clothes suitable for studio work
• A camera or smartphone for recording work and gathering inspiration (optional)
• Any personal imagery, papers to collage with, any old books, photographs, photocopies, found papers, maps, text fragments, or ephemera that you may wish to incorporate into collage work (optional)

Available to buy

A good variety of art materials are available to buy at the Garden's Gatehouse Shop.

Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration  
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-9pm (attendance is essential)

Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am-5pm  
Morning session: 9.15am-12.45pm including coffee/tea break  
Lunch break: 12.45pm-2pm (lunch included)  
Afternoon session: 2pm-5pm including coffee/tea break  
Teaching finishes: 5pm    
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Departure day - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)  
Teaching finishes: 3pm  

Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am.
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.

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