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City/State: Venice, Verona, Florecne, Siena, Naples, & Rome |
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Country: ITALY
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| Art History Abroad (AHA) |
St Andrews Castle
Suffolk
UNITED KINGDOM
IP33 3PH
Phone: +44 (0)1284 774 772
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Program description: |
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Six weeks travelling throughout Italy to study works of art at first-hand and in context with expert tutors is a unique opportunity. An AHA Year Out course is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Using art and architecture as a source, the course is ultimately about Civilisation and as such it fills in the gaps left by the specialised nature of education today. Students return with a life long ability to enjoy art and the tools with which to develop a cultivated mind.
The course is run four times a year: Late Summer (Aug-Oct), Autumn (Oct-Dec), Spring (Jan-Mar), Early Summer (Apr-May). It is restricted to 27 students, to ensure that teaching groups never exceed 9. We travel through the country, staying in Venice (10 nights), Verona (4), Florence (10), Siena (4), Naples (4) and Rome (10). We make day trips to at least six other cities along the way, such as Arezzo, Padua, Pisa and Pompeii.
The course is open to all of an enquiring mind. Students are generally aged between 18 and 25, with the majority on a gap year before university. No formal qualifications required and there are no exams however, we are happy to write references which are well received by universities and employers.
Tuition
The course is taught entirely on-site, with a typical day split into morning and afternoon tutorial sessions (visiting 2-4 sites in each). Our close visual experience of paintings, sculpture and architecture acts as a natural springboard for cultural discussion. One of the highlights of the course is undoubtedly our private visit to the Vatican museums, including Michelangelo’s Sistine chapel completely empty of tourists.
AHA tutors are perhaps our strongest selling-point for the course. First and foremost, they are art specialists. With degrees and in many cases further degrees in art, art history or related fields, tutors are chosen for their intellectual flare and their ability to wear their academic laurels lightly. All share a real love of Italy, with many having spent time living in the country. As well as teaching for AHA, many of our tutors are involved in exciting art-based careers in the UK such as journalism, fine art and work in prominent galleries and museums. Some of our tutors are recently out of university while others are older. AHA actively nurtures the rich variety of academic backgrounds, interests and ages within the tutoring body. We believe this is the best formula for encouraging knowledge and interest in others as well as great discussions around the dinner table, genuine enthusiasm and a zinging energy within the course.
Other aspects included in the course
Within the fees, money is set aside so that whenever tutors spot exceptionally good opportunities such as opera tickets, a football match, film screenings or a wine tasting, we can enjoy these together as a group. This sort of flexibility allows us to get the most from our time in Italy.
Drawing:
AHA provides each student with a sketch book at the start of the course. We ensure that there is a practical artist among the tutors at all times, ready to offer instruction to any of those wishing to improve their drawing skills. No formal art qualifications are required. Many students use their sketchbooks as journals for their time away, filling them with postcards and ticket stubs as well as their artistic exercises.
Italian Lessons:
AHA schedules in three Italian conversation lessons at the start of the course, in Venice. These lessons are designed to offer a basic range of expressions, to help our students feel better mannered during their time in Italy and from which they can develop.
Music:
AHA provides each student with a CD compiled with music to accompany the artworks we visit. Beginning with simple monastic chants and ending with vibrant opera, the music is chosen to enhance our visual experiences.
Pastoral care
Tutors oversee the smooth running of all other aspects of the course. Four tutors (a mix of male and female, at any one time) typically accompany a course of 27 students. Tutors speak fluent Italian. All are friendly and approachable and they travel with the group and stay in the same hotel as students. We conduct all manner of risk assessments and ask for feedback in a continuing effort to fine-tune the course.
Free Time
We are careful to ensure that there is sufficient free time on the course. There is plenty of time each day for lunch and students have at least two free sessions in each of the major cities for further exploration, shopping or rest.
Accommodation
AHA selects its hotels on the basis of an excellent location and an authentic character. Many of our hotels are run by families that have a long-standing relationship with us. In Florence we stay at one of the last of the Edwardian ‘Room with a View’ type pensione, complete with a 15th century loggia. Down below, the Santo Spirito church provides a backdrop for markets in the piazza. In Naples we stay in the university district, bustling with student cafes, opposite the mighty façade of the Gesu Nuovo church. Students generally share rooms in groups of 2-4.
Eating
Most would agree that one of the finest aspects of Italy is the food. Our breakfasts are taken at the hotel, while lunch depends more on the day’s teaching. If we are on the move together and the weather is fine, we often enjoy a picnic alfresco. Otherwise students are free to find their own lunch, with tutors delighted to recommend good, cheap spots. Tutors and students enjoy eating together most evenings though students are free to go their own way should they wish. We choose restaurants that are character-filled and inexpensive. Experience means that we have the luxury of frequenting some gems off the beaten track. Evenings are full of fun and lively discussions of the day’s events. We suggest that students bring £27 per day to cover lunch and supper and occasional spending.
Carpe deum
The course offers a wonderful chance to engage with all the vivacity, style and drama that we associate with Italy. As we travel, a magical sense of shared experience begins to build within the group and it is our experience that many life-long friendships are forged. Consequently, we have a variety of alumni events for students we have known over twenty years and increasingly we are offering short breaks to more remote parts of Italy for alumni to enliven their working lives.
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General program information: |
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Program open to: Everyone
Age range: 18 - 25
Travel to site: Group Travel
Is opportunity more independant or group orientated: Group
No. in group: 27 maximun, 9 per tuition group
Living arrangements on the program: Group living
How long does the program last?: 1-3 Months
What are the dates of this program: Spring Year Out COurse: 21 January - 3 March 2008
Early Summer Year Out Course: 16 April - 28 May 2008
Late Summer Year Out Course: 18 August - 20 September 2008
(ext. to Sicily 20 - 27 September 2008)
Autumn Year Out Course: 3 November - 15 December 2008
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Cost or price of this program: |
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£6100
What is included in the fees?
The following are included in the fees: accommodation in Italy, tuition in small groups of eight (230 hours on-site), all transport within Italy when connected with teaching, train travel between cities, all museum entrance fees, notes, reading lists, history of music CD, drawing tuition and basic Italian classes. Also included is our private visit to the Vatican Museum and a weekly evening entertainment. Flights are purchased separately by an ATOL registered agent. The total monies paid will not exceed the fees stated below. The only items not included are insurance, lunch and supper.
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Terms: |
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Throughout the year
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Qualifications required: |
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No qualifications required, open to all.
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