OCA Painting alumna Carolyn Corlett has started her own Art Centre with a friend and they now have City and Guilds accreditation. They run City and Guilds art and design courses and also workshops covering various techniques. They are based in Sherborne Dorset and growing all the time.
"I set up South West Art Courses Ltd in June 2022 with a friend and we gained City and Guilds accreditation in the September. We are the only centre in the area, where a mature student can attend on a part-time basis and gain an accredited art qualification. We also run many day workshops teaching various creative techniques, and also have drop-in sessions where people can come and practice, with tutors on hand. My BA in Painting from the OCA was vital to us getting our accreditation. It also gave me the confidence to apply in the first place! Although I had been painting for many years before embarking on the OCA course, the skills I developed studying the BA have been invaluable in teaching the City and Guilds course. In particular, the knowledge I gained from researching contemporary practice and the skills I developed in evidencing my own practice for assessment have enabled me to advise and support our learners on their journey."