The John Hall Summer Course
Imagine spending three weeks in Venice, Italy, experiencing the best of the art world, with tours of the great churches and galleries lead by international art experts; it sounds like a dream trip for most of us. For university students who are interested in the art world, the John Hall Venice Course – available in a summer version for the first time this year – makes this once-in-a-lifetime trip a reality.
Over the three weeks, participants have the opportunity to learn about Italian cinema, modern art and sculpture, Italian cookery, photography, painting classes, and take part in the feast of the Redentore festival.
Helena Barham, who is studying biochemistry at the University of Exeter, took part in the John Hall Venice Course in 2016. “Two things really stand out from this experience for me; being in such an extraordinary city, and the amazing, crazy friends I made,” she says.
Helena had been focusing on science subjects at school, and this course opened her eyes to a new world she’d never discovered. “The John Hall Venice Course pushed me to explore completely different subjects, from architecture to portraiture to the Renaissance. We had some fantastic lecturers specialising in a whole range of subjects,” she adds.
When asked for a favourite memory from the experience, Helena finds it difficult to choose just one. “I have so many memories that I will cherish forever, from the notorious trips to Piccolo Mondo (Venice’s only nightclub), to the private tour of San Marco, to the endless parties. One of my favourite memories was a weekly tradition I had with a friend, wandering for hours around the city alone with our cameras (and often getting lost) before meeting up for a glass of wine and cicchetti (snacks) to compare our photos, sketches and stories.”
Helena says she feels privileged to have had the opportunity. So, would she recommend it to others? “Absolutely!”