Bringing together research specialists and international scholars from various disciplines through symposia, seminars, workshops and lectures in Japan and UK.

Art School Futures: What does it mean to be an Art Graduate in 2013?

This one-day international collaborative symposium that established the relationship and later joint Global Art Joint Project of the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, established in 2015, in collaboration with the world’s top art institutions: the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris; Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London; and the School of Art Institute of Chicago. 

Initiated by the International Department of Central Saint Martins and written by Keith Whittle, and co-organised with Professor Sakaguchi and Linda Dennis, Tokyo University of the Arts, Painting Department, brought staff, students and graduates from two of the world’s leading Fine Art Programmes; Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, UK and Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan, together with established British and Japanese artists, curators and art project managers to discuss support for emergent art practice, new and recent graduate artists’ work, ideas, connections and careers within the contemporary art world.

Highlighting regional, national and international contexts and situations; Japan-UK, and drawing upon personal accounts based on the professional experience of individual guest speakers, including graduates of both schools. The symposium explored opportunities to pursue career ambitions in the art world; how these opportunities have been devised; and how, future ambitions can be supported and new opportunities created through practice-led peer-to-peer networks, co-developed programmes, events and collaborative projects.

The symposium offered delegates a unique opportunity to meet and ‘network’, to learn from each speaker’s professional experience and knowledge, whilst also benefiting from shared discussion with peers and counterparts on the day.

Speakers included: Satoka Inaba (Public relations 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo); Julia Lancaster (Residency and Projects Manager, ACME Studios, London); Kate Cooper (Co-director Auto-Italia, London); Yusuke Nishimura (Artist, Assistant Professor Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Painting); Sumiko Kumakura (Cultural Policy and Arts Management Advisor, Professor, Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Musical Creativity and the Environment); Graham Ellard (Research Leader, School of Art and Professor of Fine Art, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London). 

Special thanks to Professor Sakaguchi and Linda Dennis, Tokyo University of the Arts, Painting Department, Mark Dunhill, Dean, Central Saint Martins, Professor Graham Ellard and the International Office, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London. 

Image: Symposium Presentation by Auto-Italia, 2013. Copyright and courtesy Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design and Tokyo University of the Arts