Dundee’s Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies is the venue this week (July 14-18) for an Edinburgh College of Art (eca) summer school course – the first time one of its courses has been held outside the capital.
Acting Principal, Professor Malory Nye said the Institute was honoured to host it, particularly as the College had chosen the Institute as its first-ever location choice away from Edinburgh since the summer school was established 20 years ago.
“We have built a good relationship with the College and we have visited it with students from the UAE so we are honoured and delighted to be involved in this way this year,” said Professor Nye.
“A suite of rooms will be available around our central courtyard and we think that will provide an ideal, peaceful setting for those taking part. The summer school is for people of all different backgrounds and levels of ability and it regularly attracts students from all over the world. We expect seven students will come to the Institute for the five-day course. We hope they enjoy their visit to the Institute and we will do all that is possible to make it a memorable time.”
Geraldine Prince, eca’s Head of Continuing Studies, said, “We have always had many students who come to Edinburgh from north of the Firth of Forth and we have thought for a long time that we should take the Summer School to them. We have been establishing a very good academic relationship with Al-Maktoum Institute and we are delighted they agreed to host this exciting week. The Institute makes a great contribution to Dundee and this is a unique opportunity to build firmer friendships between our two cities and colleges.”
The one-week course, devoted to ‘Creative Image Making’ will cover working with drawing and painting materials, learning how to experiment with composition, colour and form to create striking, unique images. Students will be shown how to work in a sketchbook and to make finished artworks in the studio by Joan Smith, whose family roots are in Monifieth.
“The Institute provides a pleasant, peaceful setting for the course, a real haven in the heart of Dundee” said Joan.
The course runs at the Al-Maktoum Institute on Blackness Road from July 14 –18, 2008 between 9.30 am and 4 pm.
