Fine and Decorative Arts in the V&A - starts October

Course Programme (may be subject to change)

1. The Classical World [taught in the classroom]
2. The Not-So-Dark Ages
3. Early Medieval and Romanesque
4. High Culture of the International Gothic
5. The Renaissance I: Culture, Theory and Form 
6. The Renaissance II: Blossoming Virtuosity
7. Baroque Splendour and the Joy of Rococo
8. Neoclassicism and Historicism
9. Victorian Revivalism
10. Arts and Crafts and Into the Modern

Viv Lawes (Sky Arts/Sotherby's Institute/etc) is an author, journalist, lecturer and curator with over 25 years’ experience in the art market.

Viv studied History at York University and graduated with an MA in Fine and Decorative Art from Sotheby’s Institute in 1997, where her thesis focused on the textile trade between England and India/ China in the 17th and 18th centuries. She is Senior UK Consultant for Singapore-based gallery One East Asia and has curated numerous exhibitions of Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art in London since 2011. She has written catalogue essays for many Southeast Asian contemporary artists, including Chang Fee Ming (Malaysia), Jane Lee (Singapore) and Andres Barrioquinto (Philippines). She recently co-authored a forthcoming book on the late Singaporean artist Teng Nee Cheong (1951-2013).

As well as teching at the Sotheby’s Institute Viv lectures at the City & Guilds of London Art School, L'Institut d’Etudes Supérieures des Arts (IESA) and the University of the Arts, London. She is also a NADFAS-accredited lecturer, travelling widely in the UK, Europe and Asia.

As a journalist she has written for many national and international arts publications, including The Art Newspaper, Antiques Trade Gazette, The Guardian, Art + Auction, Country Life, The Royal Academy Magazine and the British Antiques Dealers Association annual handbook. She is currently in the finishing stages of writing a book, Horse: A History of Equine Bronze Sculpture, for the Sladmore Gallery, London.

We asked last year's students to give anonymous feedback on this course and this is what they told us:

• "Superb."
• "Excellent."
• "I have signed up for more classes and would recommend Viv, she’s brilliant."

And overall all adult education students in 2023-2024 rated our courses as excellent with a score of 4.7 out of 5.

Thank you to everyone who completed the annual survey.

Rate Categories and Discounts

Standard Rate

• Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.

Internal Rate

• Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
• People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
• Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
• Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
• Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School

Associate Rate

• Austrian Cultural Forum staff
• Co-operative College members
• Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
• Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
• Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
• Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
• Friends of the Royal College of Music
• Harrods staff
• Historic Royal Palaces staff
• Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
• Members of the Friends of Imperial College
• Members of the Kennel Club
• Members of the London Zoological Society
• Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
• Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• National Health Service (NHS) employees
• Natural History Museum staff
• Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
• Royal Geographical Society staff
• Science Museum staff
• Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
• Students (non-Imperial College)
• Teachers and other staff of UK schools
• The American Institute for Foreign Study
• Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
• Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
• Victoria and Albert Museum staff

Late enrolment

It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.

Friends and Family Scheme

This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.

Enrolment via the blue booking link is open. Early-bird discounts are available until the end of 30 September 2024

Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:

• Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
• If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.

When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:

If you have any questions about the content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Viv Lawes, v.lawes@imperial.ac.uk

If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk