In the complex web of the art world, writing and communicating ideas around art and artists is an important skill. You cannot escape it: from social media posts, blog content and press releases to full news articles, features and reviews in publications, the art industry is full of texts about works, their meanings and their relevance.

This 90-minute workshop is aimed at aspiring young writers, artists and art enthusiasts who want to refine their writing skills and learn more about the art writing industry. The class will go through the writing process from start to finish including finding and pitching ideas; developing and structuring a story; and promoting and maximising on your content. The workshop will focus on writing about art and culture from the Middle East, looking carefully at popular artists and recurring themes as well as important things to consider and pitfalls to avoid. Despite the regional focus, the skills taught in this workshop are broadly applicable to all areas of visual art.

The class will include examples of good and bad practice and give each participant an opportunity to write and receive feedback on a short article. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and ideas to the class.

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Aimee Dawson is the Associate Digital Editor at The Art Newspaper. She specialises in art and culture from the Middle East and North Africa having studied a BA in Arabic and Middle East Studies and an MA in contemporary African and Asian art. As well as The Art Newspaper, she has contributed to a number of publications including Harper’s Bazaar, The Art Gorgeous, Tribe, Ibraaz, Reorient, Mada Masr and MOJEH. Aimee was also the writer-in-residence for Shubbak Festival of Arab Culture and Nour Festival of Arts in 2015.

She regularly gives talks on the subject of art journalism, with recent events including The Art Newspaper Live: 2019’s Biggest Stories at London’s Arts Club and The Changing Face of Journalism at Aesthetica Magazine’s Future Now symposium.

A special thanks to The Arab British Centre for hosting this event.

AWAN Festival is produced by Arts Canteen and supported by Arts Council England.