Drawing upon 12 years of experience and success at Newlyn School of Art, we are now re-imagining what mentoring can be for artists today.
Led by Jesse Leroy Smith, accompanied by an array of art professionals, the year will be made up of four 3-day dynamic and social sessions, culminating with a major curated group exhibition. Participating artists also will leave the program with the solid foundations for launching their own project independently.
A core group of 30 mentee artists will benefit from a year of sessions held in Newlyn, Brighton and Bristol, gallery visits, artist talks, evening meals, and the opportunity to make connections within the industry as well as the following new initiatives:
100 Mentors
Participating artists will have access to 100 Mentors, a huge online resource featuring 100 filmed interviews, guided creative projects, practical initiatives and a structure for research and professional practice.
100 mentors provides insight to exhibitions, curated projects, galleries and residencies, and provides artists with the tools, inspiration, knowledge and guidance needed to establish the most exciting direction forward. This ambitious resource includes interviews with highly renowned artists and leaders of the industry such as:
Writer, Curator and Art Critic: Sacha Craddock, Musician and Art Historian: Dr. David McAlmont, Head of MA Slade: Nadia Hebson, DJ, Curator and Writer: Martin Green, Cast Cornwall, Acme Studios, DACS the Design & Artists Copyright Society, and more.
With filming across the UK and Europe, 100 Mentors is set to be a generous, expansive and ahead-of-the-curve online resource for emerging artists.
Think Tank
Each participant will be asked to plan a personal project with a venue, audience and budget in mind. Each project will be discussed as a group to realise its aspirations and exploit its full potential. 15 minutes of each 1:1 tutorial will be dedicated to the Think Tank project, ensuring that all the groundwork is in place for the project to take place after the programs completion.
1:1 Tutorials
Participating artists will benefit from hour-long in depth, one-to-one tutorials with a new Mentor each session. This is an opportunity to scrutinise your practice, ask questions and hear fresh insights from established artists. These tutorials are a rare and invaluable way to gain honest and informed feedback, and to reflect on your practice. 15 minutes of each 1:1 tutorial will be dedicated to your Think Tank project.
Vibrant Artist Events
Friday evenings will be dedicated to vibrant public events hosted by the group of participating artists and renowned guest speakers, held in inspirational venues. Participants will have the opportunity to instigate inspiring conversations and interaction with other artists, curators, galleries and creative professionals, as well as gain the experience of planning and hosting a public event.
Group Crits
Over each weekend the 30 mentees will be split into 3 groups, with a lead tutor, to discuss each other’s work. Here, participating artists will gather radical perceptions of their work, revealing how external audiences may interpret it. The group will explore every stage of the work: what is informing it, the effectiveness of chosen materials and processes, how it’s presented and shared with audiences.
Exhibition Planning
Between sessions 3 and 4, participating artists will have a one-to-one zoom call with Jesse Leroy Smith to discuss their proposal for the final group exhibition. By questioning what you want to achieve and how to best use the venue, you gain the constructive experience for future shows, proposals and applications.
The Exhibition
The Mentoring year culminates with a group show in an impressive public gallery co-curated by Jesse Leroy Smith, a guest curator, and technicians. Participating artists will engage in all aspects of publicity, artist writing, funding, revenue and audience development.
Our Mentoring exhibitions have gained a reputation over the years, attracting those who want to see fresh dynamic talent. Throughout the exhibition weekend, participating artists and mentors will be discussing the artworks and encouraging visitors to participate. These conversations will inform written reviews of your work, to be paired with professional photographs of the show, and equip you with vital resources for applying to further shows and opportunities.
Alumni
Newlyn School of Art Alumni have gone on to win respected national art prizes, undertaken prestigious residencies, joined galleries around the country, collaborated for exhibitions and public projects, and have had their work covered in the press, TV and national newspapers. Our alumni have also been accepted as members of well-known art societies and studio complexes. Most continue to maintain relationships with fellow alumni, mentors, and arts community based here in Newlyn.
Our Mentors
Whilst our Mentors are exhibiting nationally, internationally and undertaking residencies, they are also often responsible for initiating projects that explore new forms of curating, collaboration, education and professional support. They are proactive in stimulating a wider approach to the Arts and are ideally placed to share their knowledge and help emerging artists foster their own paths.
Mentors we have worked with in the past include:
Dr Ginny Button, Mercedes Smith, Andrew Litten, Sam Bassett, Kate Walters, Jessica Cooper, Jacques Nimki, Liam Jolly, Dan Pyne, Marie Claire Hamon, Nina Royle, Seamus Moran, Mona Osman, Donna Mclean, Carlos Zapata , Sarah Poland and visiting artists with international reputations.
Funding Support
One young artist, aged 18-35, per year is supported by the Toby O’Brien Foundation.
Find out how to donate or apply for a grant here.
2025/26 Course Dates
Session 1 Fri 28 - Sun 30 November 2025
Session 2 Fri 20 - Sun 22 February 2026
Session 3 Fri 22 - Sun 24 May 2026
Session 4 Fri 25 - Sun 27 Sep 2026
We offer everyone interested in applying for the course a free 45-minute one-to-one Zoom call with the Lead Tutor. Simply fill in our Application Form embedded below and we will contact you about arranging an informal interview. Alternatively, if you have any questions you can get in touch via Contact Us.
To see some previous Mentoring end-of-year show catalogues and other materials, please see the below links:
EPOCH 2023/2024 - Mentoring Instagram page
PULSE 2022/2023
RHIZOME (short film), 2021/2022
PANDEMONIUM (short film), 2020/2021
XVI 2019
AQUARIUM 2018
RAW RICH 2017
CANOPY 2016
COLLIDER 2015
SHOWROOM 2014
Click here to view all Year Long Courses
