turps correspondence course FAQ

What is the course?
The course is designed and structured to be delivered online so that painters, based anywhere in the world and at any stage in their career, can participate and receive informed, critical feedback from a mentor who is practising painter selected by Turps. Participants submit images of works and a short letter at five timetabled points across the year for their mentor to review and respond to. It is a very different type of feedback from the more conventional face-to-face tutorial conversations.

Why is the course structured into five intervals across the year?
The feedback from previous participants is that the structure and time scale of 5 reviews works best.  It gives enough time between deadlines to digest the review and to make either new work or significant changes to existing work.  By the end of the course, mentees will have five essays about their work that they can revisit at any time which we feel is very unique to our course.

How long is the course?
The course runs for 10 months from 1st September to 30th June but many participants choose to stay on for a subsequent year.

How long are the reviews by the mentors?
Reviews can vary in length as we concentrate on quality over quantity.  Each mentor has their own unique writing style and approach to composing reviews, so we allow that voice to come through in their writing. While there is no minimum or maximum word count, most reviews are between 1200-1500 words. 

Who are the mentors?
The mentors are all practising painters at different stages of their careers, with their own ideas about and interests in painting. 

Can I select my mentor?
Mentors are allocated once the deadline for applications has passed.  Due to the high number of participants, painters on the course cannot choose their own mentor.  Each mentor is allocated a specific and limited number of mentees.  The mentor allocation is decided by Turps Directors and the Course Leader and is based on multiple factors, such as the work and statement submitted in the application, what the painter is looking to get from the course and what stage they are at in their careers.

Will I only receive feedback from one mentor? 
No, you will be allocated a regular mentor who will work with you throughout the year.  They will write about your work for Reviews 1, 2, 3 and 5.  For Review 4, you will be allocated a guest mentor who will bring a different perspective to discussing your work.  This gives participants the opportunity to hear other opinions, and in some cases, mentors may disagree with or contradict each other.

Will I ever meet or speak to my mentor face to face?
The course is delivered online between artist and mentor, so there is no direct, face to face or instantaneous exchange.  Your mentor’s review will address any questions or issues you have raised in your letter, as well as offering a critical and measured evaluation of the work.  What we have found over the years is that mentor interaction with the artists in this way allows them to be much more objective in their response.  They look at the work, they read the text and they respond directly to that.  The dialogues that we aim to encourage between participant and mentor are not necessarily conversational in the sense that you message back and forth, but to encourage an extended discussion that spans the year.  This allows the artist to absorb what the mentor is saying and to respond, not only in the next letter, but also through the work that is being produced. The conversation supports the work being made in the studio, not the other way round.

How do I communicate with my mentor?
The process of communication is primarily through the written review process and through the Course Leader/Turps Education.  Mentees upload their images and their letter to the appropriate folder on the account by the deadline specified.  Mentors will look through the material that has been uploaded and write their review.  This review is then uploaded to the mentee’s online account by the delivery date. Mentees will need access to a laptop or a desktop when uploading images to the folder on the account.

What if I don’t understand something my mentor has written?
If you don’t understand a specific point or would like clarification on something your mentor has said you can email the Course Leader who will contact the mentor on your behalf.  There are several reasons for this process.  Firstly, it allows the Turps team to centrally monitor the exchanges between participant and mentor.  All the reviews that are submitted by the mentors are proofread and checked by one of the Turps team before they are uploaded to a participant’s online account.  We do this to make sure that a standard of quality that is expected of the mentors is being met and to ensure a level of consistency for the participants.  Secondly, the mentors are all practising artists with many other commitments, and so we also have to take the appropriate steps to ensure that they have sufficient time to write their reviews as well as having time between the review points. 

What if I disagree with what my mentor has said?
The structure of the Turps Correspondence Course means that you, as a practising painter, can choose to disagree with the advice of your mentor. When you upload your statement, you can raise any points from the previous review that you have found challenging and tell your mentor the reasons for this.   The mentor’s role is to advise, support and evaluate the work you present based on their judgement and direct you in a way that they think best serves you and the development of your work.  There may be stylistic differences between a painter and their mentor, but the course is designed to challenge participants, so you may be given responses that contradict your own presuppositions about what the work is doing and where it should go.  What we suggest is that if you have an immediate response for your mentor after reading your review, you write it down so when it’s time for the next upload you can use those initial thoughts as a way of composing your next letter.  The ethos of Turps, across the art school, magazine and gallery, is a dialogue from painter to painter.  There is no hierarchy within Turps, so we actively encourage lively debate and critical discussion around an artist’s work.  

What are the fees?
The fees for 2024/25 are £1,850.  The programme is run by Turps Education, a not-for-profit organisation set up to provide mentoring and practice based development programmes and resources for artists. All art school fees are directed back into funding these aims.

How do I apply?
The applications are processed via an online application form. Applications for 2023/24 are now closed.

Do I need to have a degree or relevant qualification?
No, Turps welcomes applications from artists of all levels and abilities.  Some participants are successful working artists with BAs, MA/MFAs, PhDs, while others have no formal arts education and have been working in other careers.  Please contact us if you are unsure if the course is right for you.

Is the course accredited?
No, Turps Education is not an accredited institution.  We are an independent, not-for-profit organisation. The course fees go back into running the art school. As a current Turps painter, you will be eligible to apply to certain prizes and competitions such as the Bloomberg New Contemporaries or Ingram Prize.

Can I apply for funding for this course?  Will I be eligible for student discount?
As we are a non-profit, artist-run organisation we are unable to offer funding, scholarships or subsidies to course fees. We are happy to support applicants with their applications for funding.  Usually this will be a letter of support or a letter confirming that you have been accepted on to the course.  If you are intending to apply for funding, we recommend you apply for the Correspondence Course as soon as possible to ensure there is time between your funding proposal being received and the course beginning on 1st September. As Turps is not an accredited institution, you will not be officially recognised as a student and therefore not eligible for any student discounts or benefits. 

English is not my first language, can I still apply?
Yes, but all correspondence and reviews are in English.

Are there any exhibition opportunities offered on the Correspondence Course?
No. This course is designed for artists based anywhere in the world, so each year we have a high number of artists participating in different parts of the world.  Turps does not have the resources to organise an exhibition that could accommodate showing the work of all participants.  However, in previous years, participants have organised their own shows independently of Turps and we encourage our mentees to arrange their own studio visits, gallery visits and curate exhibitions through peer interaction.