Yinka Shonibare RA, Cathie Pilkington RA, Jennifer Gilbert and Hettie Judah discuss how relevant formal art training is to the recognition of artists in the art world today.

Artist Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, artist and Keeper of the RA Cathie Pilkington, and gallerist and curator Jennifer Gilbert examine how the art world defines, engages with and values art made by artists with and without formal training. The event will be chaired by art critic and author Hettie Judah.

For generations, an artist’s art school has influenced their standing and reputation in the art world. Yet throughout art history, many artists have developed their practice outside of formal institutions. Methods such as self-teaching, community or intergenerational sharing of knowledge and, more recently, collectives and supported studios have produced an array of creative talent.

Taking place at the Royal Academy, home to both the RA Schools and the Summer Exhibition, the world’s oldest open submission exhibition, this discussion explores the definition and value of formal and non-formal training and considers how the art world engages with those who have developed their art practice in different ways.

‘RA Schools Students in the ‘Schools Life Drawing Room’. Photo: Catherine Garcia’