Short term stays
studio arts in Barcelona

Only have 4-6 weeks?

This option is a more affordable, yet intense and a concentrated way of savoring the course. Overseas students on short stays do not need to apply for a student visa, and can use a 3 month tourist visa instead.

Being part of the course

Students, who embark on a short term stay integrate entirely with the student-group on Metàfora’s Studio Arts Programs and can participate in all scheduled classes and activities

Exhibition experience

Short term students are welcome to apply for participation in the off-campus exhibitions organized by Metàfora. Metàfora collaborates with a range of galleries and institutions around Barcelona.

Short Term stays on Metàfora’s Studio Arts Programs

Not everybody has the possibility ‘to tear out an entire year of the calendar and fly off to Spain’. We understand that.

Therefore, we offer the possibility of shorter stays on Metàfora’s Studio Arts Programs. This option is a more affordable, yet intense and a concentrated way of savoring the course. Overseas students on short stays do not need to apply for a student visa, and can use a 3 month tourist visa instead.

In this data sheet you can find detailed information about the course. Have a look at the different tabs and let us know if you have any questions.

You can contact us on + 34 933300089 or MSA@metafora.org

Typical Week

TYPICAL WEEK

An overview of classes and contents

In addition to weekly tutorials and theoretical classes, the program offers a different Tools and Techniques class for students to attend every day. These optional classes lasts for the whole block, and students choose the classes they are interested in at the beginning of each studio block.

Some Tools and Techniques classes are repeated both in the mornings and afternoons, and full time students can chose between the two sessions. During the evenings and weekends students focus on their individual studio work, with the flexibility to work in their studios throughout the day.

The table below illustrates a typical week on the course.

At the end of each Block, students have a a few class-free days where they focus their attention on finalizing their artworks with the support of optional extra tutorials and technical help.

The last week of the Block consists of artwork presentations and evaluation interviews held between the students and their tutors.

Monday
·
9’30-11’30
RECENT ART HISTORY

12’00-13’30
TUTORIALS

·
·
14’00-14’30
ASSEMBLY

14’30-16’30
Drawing

16’30-18’30
Paint Lab
Optional consultation

14’30-16’00
CRITICAL THEORY
Class for 2nd-3rd level
·
·
After hours
Studio Work

Tuesday
9’30-13’00
PAINTING ELECTIVE (1)
Tools & Techniques

Detailed description available in the following tab.
·
·
14’00-16’00
LIFE DRAWING

·
16’30-19’30
PAINTING ELECTIVE (2)
Tools & Techniques
·
After hours
Studio Work

Wednesday
9’30-13’00
SCULPTURE ELECTIVE (1)
Tools & Techniques

Detailed description available in the following tab.
·
·
14’00-16’00
SCULPTURE LAB
Optional consultation
·
16’30-19’30
SCULPTURE ELECTIVE (2)
Tools & Techniques
·
After hours
Studio Work

Thursday
9’30-13’00
PRINT MAKING / DIGITAL IMAGES
Tools & Techniques

Detailed description available in the following tab.
·
·
14’00-17’00
THINKING AND MAKING
Workshop for 1st level
·
17’00-18’30
À-LAB · PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Class for 2nd-3rd level

·
After hours
Studio Work

Friday
9’30-13’00
WRKSHP
Workshop for 2nd-3rd level

Detailed description available in the following tab
·
·
·
·
After hours
Studio Work

Weekend
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Studio Work
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·

Classes

Recurring Activities for all students

In addition to the individual studio work which unfolds throughout the course, every block students have a selection of workshops to choose from. These elective classes are added to the weekly schedule of mandatory classes especially for the level they are on, as well as a series of core activities such as:

Weekly group tutorials or individual tutorials

In small groups of up to 8 students who share similar ideas, techniques and/or artistic interests. Metàfora’s Studio Arts Program has the privilege to count with a set of extremely skilled teachers and talented tutors. We take pride in working with artists who are the cutting edge of Barcelona’s art scene, with experience both in teaching and as artists.

Students have several scheduled group meetings per block and at least one individual meeting with the in-house tutor.

Weekly Paint and Sculpture Labs

An optional weekly consultation space, where you can ask your painting or sculpture teacher anything related to the technique. It is recommended to book your slot in advance.

Extra tutorials

Towards the end of each block all students have the possibility for having extra tutorials with their personal tutor, and other tutors and teachers on the course.

End of Theme Presentations and Discourse Reviews

At the end of every studio block, all students on the course present their artwork to their personal tutors and the rest of the group of students and tutors.

These weeks are among the most intense and inspiring moments of the Studio Arts Program, bringing the group together in all senses through debate and celebration of creativity. The idea behind the presentations or the “Crit” is that students work on preparing a piece of finished artwork and show it in an “exhibition like” format.

Evaluation Interviews

At the end of each Block, once the presentations are over, students have a one-on-one evaluation interview with their tutor. In this meeting they look back on the block together, and discuss work and progress and the proposed grade for the presentation.

Course Contents per Block

Note: The program presented here may be subject to minor changes.

BLOCK 1:
5th September – 14th October

Course specific classes, Foundation Program (Year 1)

Theme: Scale is a Dynamic Concept

Every week we expose the student to different currents in Recent Art History. This class is obligatory for students on the Foundation program and open to all students. It is necessary to have passed this class to access the 2nd Year of Metàfora’s Studio Arts Program. This class gives the students a grounding in the most influential themes in contemporary art since 1945.

Scale is a Dynamic Concept (Recent Art History, Diana Padrón)

In this block we will explore the notion of Modernity in the avant-garde artistic of Abstract Art in the first half of the Twentieth Century up to the end of the 1970’s. From the late 19th C to the mid-20th C, primarily in Europe, we will examine the key modernist “isms”: Impressionism, Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Suprematism, Purism, Constructivism, and Socialist Realism, as well as the rise of abstraction culminating in Abstract Expressionism. Finally we will look at how conceptual ideas filtered through the notion of land(scape) changing the definition of what an art work could be, much like the readymade had done earlier in the century, but in addition expanded the boundaries of art in terms of the material used and the siting of it. Whilst the key element of land art was often its monumentality and its position in a site-specific context, it also related closely to conceptual art in that the planning and photo documentation of execution and final results could often be exhibited in a gallery context, even if the work itself was located elsewhere.

At the end of the block students are asked to complete small test to demonstrate their knowledge on the material exposed. This class is obligatory for all Foundation students, and for Certificate and Diploma students who did not complete them during their first year.

Thinking and Making Workshop: Contemporary Painting and its Discourse

During every Block students on the Foundation Program have a compulsory workshop which helps students answer conceptual questions materially and material questions conceptually, so as to encourage them not to see a divide between art theory and art practice.

Contemporary Painting and its Discourse (Michael Lawton)

Some people want to start painting, but don’t know what to paint. Some people know what they want to paint, but don’t know why. This session introduces the topic of why we choose to paint today and suggests approaches for thinking about painting.

This contemporary painting class is about situating painting in a contemporary context. It helps with both practical questions such as how to work using imagination, abstraction, and combine colors but also theoretical questions such as what does it mean to make painting today, and what makes a painting look contemporary.

Course specific classes, Certificate / Diploma (Years 2-3)

Critical Theory: Postcolonial Theory

This class introduces students to the theory, philosophers and thinkers that have been, and are still, the most influential on contemporary art, aesthetics and visual culture.

Postcolonial Theory (Lucia Piedra Galarraga)

WRKSHP: Installation and Sound

A practical class that ensures students are challenged and exposed to new methodologies even when they are in the 2nd or 3rd Year of the Studio Arts Program.

Installation and Sound (Laura Llaneli)

Sound art is an artistic discipline in which sound is utilised as a primary medium or material. Like many genres of contemporary art, sound art may be interdisciplinary in nature, or be used in hybrid forms.

Most of the time, when we do artistic works we give all the importance to what refers to the visual. We think about the video before we think about the sound or how we should place the speakers in the room, for example. This workshop is focused on opening the listening to understand that sound is a very useful tool in our projects.

À-Lab: Studio and Gallery Visits

Once a week we have a class which is dedicated to getting to know the local art scene, while at the same time helping students to develop and refine their artistic discourse: talking about art and getting to know local and no-so-local artists.

Open to all students, but obligatory to all 2nd and 3rd year students.

Tools & Techniques for all students (years 1, 2-3)

Painting Urban Landscapes

Increase your confidence and skills by working through a full range of techniques and aspects of painting with watercolor and drawing. With exercises in color mixing, applying paint and using water washes, and along with plenty of tips, learn how color and composition can transform your painting.

Work the urban landscape using perspective, gesture and expression in painting, light and color and perspective; these exercises are designed to extend each student at their own level, both independently as well as one-on-one.

Clay Sculpting

Technical workshop to understand the characteristics of the clay as a sculpting material. The aim is to make several sculptures using clay in different ways. Modelling solid sculptures and making thin works with internal skeleton required. Instructions for drying, painting processes using specific ceramic enamels, and cooking on the kiln.

Introduction to Digital Photography

This course will introduce participants to photography in the context of contemporary visual culture. Each class is divided into two parts. The first one is informative and the second one is a practical exercise. The classes will be open to specific suggestions from one week to the next. For example, composition, lighting, staged photography, etc… could be considered if enough students are interested. The aim is to make students curious about the medium, and if possible, start specific projects related to some of the themes.

Drawing and Space

Students are invited to draw in various spaces within the school’s premises. The main proposal of this workshop is to show how simple architectural or structural elements of the room can suggest interesting and creative forms to appear.

Life Drawing

These classes form “the basics” for understanding model drawing: construction of the body, anatomy, composition, body expression. Over the academic year this class is a weekly ongoing event, and Piotr makes the most of this different dynamics to help students to develop their own expression and language in drawing.

BLOCK 2:
18th October – 25th November

Foundation Program (Year 1)

Theme: Only the Necessary

Only the Necessary (Recent Art History, Diana Padrón)

In this block we will pay attention to how Minimalism and the conceptual art movement of the 1960s and 1970s completely transformed our understanding of space and materials. Based primarily in New York, the artists involved started creating objects out of raw materials that consisted of basic geometric forms. The goal was to eliminate any kind of reference to the outside world in order to create works that referred only to themselves. For the conceptual artists, this meant that the idea itself could be the work of art. Artists: Frank Stella, Kenneth Nolan, Agnes Martin, Mary Corse, Carl André, Anne Truitt, Richard Serra, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, James Turrell. When referring to Anti-Form or Post-minimalist works, we will take a close loo at the work of artists such as Eva Hesse or Lynda Benglis as well as: Giovanni Anselmo, Jannis Kounellis, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mario Merz, Josef Kosuth, Robert Barry, Yoko Ono, Lawrence Weiner, Art & Language, Jirí Kovanda, Jenny Holzer amongst others.

Thinking and Making Workshop: Sculpture

Sculpture (Marc Larré)

Certificate / Diploma (Years 2-3)

Critical Theory: The Use of Semiotics for the Understanding of Visual Art

This class introduces students to the theory, philosophers and thinkers that have been, and are still, the most influential on contemporary art, aesthetics and visual culture.

The Use of Semiotics for the Understanding of Visual Art (Rubén Verdú)

One of the ways to crack the mechanics of communication is to analyze the inner works of the sign. Wait… communication? Why should we care? If anything, art is, above all, the manipulation of the sign, we could even say that art is the manipulation of the sign to the most extreme. The study

of meaning-making is at the core of all this. We are going to venture ourselves into how this works, into the multifaceted mechanics of semiotics and its entrapments, especially its entrapments, because at the end, as you will see, it is the entrapments that we love to delve in.

WRKSHP: Four Paintings and a Virginal

A practical class that ensures students are challenged and exposed to new methodologies even when they are in the 2nd or 3rd Year of the Studio Arts Program.

Four Paintings and a Virginal (Michael Lawton)

In this class students will be asked to answer a weekly question by making paintings, thinking about what it can be used for, and what it can’t; when is painting an appropriate medium to work with? If the answer is always, then what does it sound like when we speak in painting?

À-Lab: Make MACBA Yours

During the first block we will make the most out of our collaboration with Barcelona’s Contemporary Art Museum, MACBA. Every we go there to explore the collection in under the title “Make MACBA Yours”.

Open to all students, but obligatory to all 2nd and 3rd year students.

For all students (Years 1, 2-3)

Painting the Model

Piotr Perski will demonstrate fundamental techniques and guide you through a series of exercises to help you understand the structure of the human body, exploring ways of seeing the body in three dimensions.

Piotr’s innovative and entertaining methods will give you a solid start in understanding portraiture and basic painting. Throughout these classes you will work with live models and printed images of the human body. Students will use acrylic paint, explore “a la prima technique” and do a full colour large scale painting on canvas or wood.

Molds and Casting Techniques

In this class students will gain understanding of why, when and how to make a mold. The class will cover the different type of molds and their uses and the focus is on learning the process, step by step, of obtaining a good rigid or flexible mold. We will be working on testing diverse types of resins, choosing the right one depending of our project. there will be one part dedicated to understanding of the chemical reaction with hardeners, working and cure time, mixing ratio and managing methodology. Naturally, this block of classes include a range of items around safety habits for preserving health.

Print Making

This workshop is dedicated to different printmaking techniques such as Screen Printing, Woodcut and Linocut, and Monotypes. We will learn concepts like image transfer, print edition, numbered copies, types of inks and supports, framing, and value on the market. There will even be a paper making lab. Students learn to use both traditional and contemporary tools, with the goal to gain basic skills for a professional edition project. Usually we end up with a “Printing Market Exchange” among all the participants.

Drawing Patterns and Geometric Forms

Working on the series of geometric patterns with ruler and handmade compass , overlap ( transparent and opaque forms), rhythm, movement and direction, order and balance, scale, composition

Life Drawing

BLOCK 3:
16th January – 22nd February

Foundation Program (Year 1)

Theme: The Ground on Which We Stand

The Ground on Which We Stand (Recent Art History, Diana Padrón)

During this block we think about site-specificity, or not. About where we are, what is happening there, what is happening to the whole planet perhaps.

The ground on which we stand is changing because of what we as a species have done to it.

But also, (politically speaking), where does this land stop and another begin. Who decides that?

Can an artwork be specific to where we are now, and intended to be shown in a specific place, that
tells me a story of ours, whilst also reflecting on what it is like to be living now, and so people from anywhere can appreciate it, whilst still feeling local?

Thinking and Making Workshop: Site-Specific Installation

Site-Specific Installation (Anna Irina Russell)

Certificate / Diploma (Years 2-3)

Critical Theory: Queer Theory

This class introduces students to the theory, philosophers and thinkers that have been, and are still, the most influential on contemporary art, aesthetics and visual culture.

Queer Theory (Ariadna Guiteras)

WRKSHP: Ecofictions

A practical class that ensures students are challenged and exposed to new methodologies even when they are in the 2nd or 3rd Year of the Studio Arts Program.

Ecofictions (Paula Bruna)

Decades of science fiction cinema have formed an archive of images of possible futures that forge the collective imagination. In view of this, we ask ourselves: how does science fiction cinema deal with environmental conflicts? What eco-social futures are possible according to this imaginary? To what extent are the futures that are being proposed to us conditioned by the current model of social organization and the idea of progress of modernity? Why is it so difficult to think about non-apocalyptic futures? Can we imagine alternative scenarios to those proposed?

In this workshop, we will deal with science fiction as a tool for the analysis of contemporary socio-environmental problems and for the forecast of the possible future scenarios. Through the viewing of movie clips, and with the support of selected texts, we will analyze the relationship between futuristic cinema and the way in which we imagine the future. We will learn formulas to expand the imaginary of what is possible beyond dystopian visions, and we will apply them in the construction of our own imaginaries through collage and stop motion animation. At the end of the workshop, students will create their own “animated ecofictions”, that is alternative imaginaries that seek to respond to the apparent limitation of our society when it comes to imagining a non-apocalyptic future.

À-Lab: Career and Presentations

For all students (Years 1, 2-3)

Academic Drawing and Painting

Join this workshop focusing on still life and portrait in drawing and acrylic paint where Piotr Perski will group personal objects from his home into still life arrangements, creating the subject matter for blocks of classes.

Piotr will demonstrate his own and other artists’ methods of painting, their ideas on composition, how to approach the subject, lighting and shadows, colour mixing and paint application.

Under his guidance the class will work on their own still life, with the opportunity throughout the workshop for one-to-one discussions and assistance.

Constructing with Wood

This is a useful workshop involving participants in making big structures and furniture on wood. It is all about cutting, carving, sanding, joining, polishing and varnishing. This workshop often ends with fun design of useful elements for the school, such as big tables for coworking, outdoor chaise-longues, stools and benches, shelves for garden plants. The class teaches students to work with solid blocks of wood, using chisels, gouges and sanders, and students become familiar with both hand-tools as well as power-tools. A basic safety course is included in this course.

Introduction to Video Editing

The classes will teach you to import and organize your footage, to trim clips and add them to a timeline, the use of multiple tracks, the use of video effects and transitions, and everything you need to get you started!

We will work with Premiere Pro, After Effects and other similar programs.

We recommend to bring your laptop.

Drawing and Performance

During this workshop, students work with the limits of the human body. They will learn how to design the performance with the body movement and body radius in the form of group and personal interventions.

Life Drawing

BLOCK 4:
6th March – 19th April

Foundation Program (Year 1)

Theme: The Trivial and the Meaningful

The Trivial and the Meaningful (Recent Art History, Diana Padrón)

This block examines the explosion of the mass media and its expression in Pop art and those movements that relate to and derive from the consumer’s society emerging in the mid and late 20th c. as well as the Information Age and Postmodernism.

Thinking and Making Workshop: Collage

Collage (Michael Lawton)

Certificate / Diploma (Years 2-3)

Critical Theory: Optopia

This class introduces students to the theory, philosophers and thinkers that have been, and are still, the most influential on contemporary art, aesthetics and visual culture.

Optopia. The Evolutionary Stages of Visuality (Rubén Verdú)

What role will the image play in a future that is increasingly determined to overcome the limitations of the human species? What promotes and motivates the prolific mediation of screens? Why this type of mediation and not another? Any answer to these questions draws, right from the start, a scenario of possible futures that will have a great impact on all those disciplines that give the visual phenomenon a central position in their practices. It is crucial, therefore, to understand the processes that leads us to privilege everything that stimulates the eye and, of course, to understand why it is so configured and not otherwise.

WRKSHP: Artist Books

A practical class that ensures students are challenged and exposed to new methodologies even when they are in the 2nd or 3rd Year of the Studio Arts Program.

Artist Books (Anna Pahissa)

À-Lab: Link Seminar

Link Seminar (Laura Llaneli)

Open to all students, but obligatory to all 2nd and 3rd year students.

For all students (Years 1, 2-3)

Painting Self Portraits

Paint in oil and acrylics layers using various techniques such as transparent and opaque acrylic, over-painting, painting monochromatic studies, using colour backgrounds, stencils and masks, on different supports including paper, canvas, wood, metal, transparent plastic in small size.

Introduction to Metal Work

This class teaches students the exciting melting and joining process of the ARC welding. Be familiar with electrode rods, the power station and its three wires, and with grinding and polishing machines. Students practice of the starting spark, running a weld bead, cleaning and polishing the joint. Naturally, the class includes security systems and personal health protection while welding by making a small metal sculpture.

Introduction to Stop Motion

In this eye-opening workshop students learn how to use Stop Motion to produce artistic projects. We look into early cinema, the uses of stop motion in contemporary art and also, why not, advertisement. With basic equipment, like mobile phones, we discover apps and software available to make our lives easier. At a later point students work with Premiere or iMovie to produce projects more professionally.

Drawing Gesture and Movement

A gesture is an action that has significance: the gift of bunch of flowers, or the movement of the pencil on the sheet of paper. Drawing gesture is the action of the hand and drawing tool as they follow the movement of the eye while it scans the figure.

The activity of looking is selective and goal-directed: the eye darts over the field of vision, seeking and selecting pertinent features in the field, and dovetailing these with the mind’s means of making sense of them.

Gestural drawing is one that follows the eye’s search for meaning; it should be quick, seeing and placing the whole figure almost at once.

Life Drawing

BLOCK 5:
24th April – 7th June

Foundation Program (Year 1)

Theme: Body and Limits

Body and Limits (Recent Art History, Diana Padrón)

This block aims to give an introduction to Performance and Body Art practices mostly characterized by their rejection of a clear narrative, the use of chance-based structures, and direct appeal to the audience altogether challenging the conventional values of more traditional art forms.

Thinking and Making Workshop: Performance

Performance (Laura Llaneli)

One of the most popular classes, this workshop is taught by artist and in-house tutor Laura Llaneli. In this module students are encouraged to experiment with the body in all its facets: through examples of artist who work with time, space and context, students test their own and others limits.

Certificate / Diploma (Years 2-3)

Critical Theory: Art & OOObjecthood

This class introduces students to the theory, philosophers and thinkers that have been, and are still, the most influential on contemporary art, aesthetics and visual culture.

Art & OOObjecthood: Greenberg, Fried, Graham Hartman (Michael Lawton)

Recent trends in philosophy seek to update the ways through matter, objects, bodies –in a word, reality, can be took in account in thinking. These have also entailed a powerful effect on refreshing the ways artists focus on the material layer of the art, after some decades of discursive and linguistic prevalence. Graham Harman, a major figure of the so-called OOO (Object-Oriented-Ontology), has even declared concerning the possibilities of acquiring real knowledge of reality that “aesthetics is the root of all philosophy”.

WRKSHP: Walking

A practical class that ensures students are challenged and exposed to new methodologies even when they are in the 2nd or 3rd Year of the Studio Arts Program.

Walking Workshop (Marc Vives)

À-Lab: Make MACBA Yours

Open to all students, but obligatory to all 2nd and 3rd year students.

Make MACBA Yours (Marc Larré)

One of the most important missions of an art school like Metàfora is to show its students not only to make art, to talk about art and to reflect on it. It is central that, as promoters of contemporary art, we sometimes pull the students out of the studios and present them with the contemporary context, the art scene.

As part of our studio arts program, we organize periodical visits to the temporary art exhibitions and the permanent collection, but also a more direct activity which we have baptized “Make MACBA Yours”.

For all students (Years 1, 2-3)

Abstraction and Scale

How to create an abstract painting with deep personal and aesthetic idea? How can a scale of the painting change its perception and why?

During these workshops Piotr Perski will give a historical background and basic tips and rules related to abstract painting. He will will start each painting day with a discussion of a painting and then a demonstration of how that painting is done along with thoughts, theories and ideas that are behind its execution.

Students are invited to create abstract pictures from the personal aesthetic idea and philosophical or literature interests in big scale format with previous analysis of micro and macroscopic pictures of a nature or cosmic space.

Land Art

Oriol Texidor, in-house tutor and the artist who will be giving this workshop often works in land art, amongst other things.During these sessions he will explain what land art is and guide the students to create their own artwork.

Land art, variously known as Earth art, environmental art, and Earthworks, is an art movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. As a trend, “land art” expanded boundaries of art by the materials used and the siting of the works. The materials used were often the materials of the Earth, including the soil, rocks, vegetation, and water found on-site, and the sites of the works were often distant from population centers.

Screen Printing

In this workshop students learn the whole process for a screen printing edition, from preparing the photolith, coating the screen, exposing it to the light, developing, registering the support and printing. We will print on paper but also on different supports such as canvas, t-shirts, wood, glass or metal. Advanced students will learn the CMYK technique! Usually we end up with a “Printing Market Exchange” among all the participants.

Drawing Portraits

During these workshop, Piotr Perski will teach portraiture (basic structure), parts of the face , lines and emotions, natural expression , likeness in a half-length portrait.

He will show students how to create a series of group portraits or family portraits working with unusual materials such as old photos, tracing paper, paper plates and napkins. The portraits can depict not only the physical realistic aspects of the model, but can also integrate personal feelings, senses, and attributes.

Life Drawing

Credits and Diploma

CREDITS AND DIPLOMA

Assessment and evaluation

Even if Metàfora is an independent institution, its Studios Arts Programs operate according to habitual university-level accreditation norms. Short term students can request a detailed transcript by the end of their stay. The transcript is issued only to students whose attendance to the course complies with formal attendance-indications.

The transcript reflects hours (ECTS credits) and grades of all the classes which the student has attended. The transcript also reflects studio work and programmed activities like Art History and presentations.

Credits are calculated according to ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), where 1 ECTS credit equals 25 hours of the sum of lective hours + homework. As in all universities and schools for further education in Europe, a full time academic year counts 60 ECTS. This includes all education activities, individual studio practice, writing and academic work, exhibiting and preparing final dissertation (3rd year project).

Classes, for which the student has been absent for more than 20% will not appear in the transcript.

Dates

COURSE DATES

Students can start on Metàfora’s Studio Arts programs at any moment during the year if places are available. We recommend that students on longer stays (Foundation Program or Training Program) begin their studies in September or January.

2022-2023 Long term / full semesters

Academic year	5th of Sept 2022 to 7th of Jun 2023
Autumn Semester	5th of Sept to 25th of Nov 2022
Winter-Spring Semester	16th of Jan to 7th of Jun 2023
Calendar Year 2023	16th of Jan to 24th of Nov 2023

SUMMER BLOCK 2023

Summer Block, Full Option

3rd to 27th of Jul 2023

2022-2023 Short term stays

Studio Block 1	5th of Sept to 14th of Oct 2022
Studio Block 2	18th of Oct to 25th of Nov 2022
Studio Block 3	16th of Janto 22nd of Feb 2023
Madrid 2023	23rd to 25th of Feb 2023
Special Workshop / Reading Week 2023	27th of Feb to 5th of Mar
Studio Block 4	6th of Mar to the 19th of Apr 2023
Studio Block 5	24th of Apr to the 7th of Jun 2023

Application

Apply Now!

Metàfora’s student population is rich and diverse in age, previous fields of experience and level. Our students come from all over the world, and we are interested in candidates who contribute to the community through active participation in all our activities.

Once you fill in the form on this page you will be taken to the application page where you will find detailed instructions and the application form.

Please prepare your application material on beforehand. You will need a brief CV, a short motivation letter etc. It is a good idea to have them saved somewhere and simply copy-paste into the actual form.

Fees

Fees and scholarships

The fees of Metàfora’s Studio Arts Programs are paid at different moments and are divided into different concepts: Reservation Fee (due upon admission) tuition and personal studio space (optional) due 2 weeks prior to course start.

Academic Year
(Five studio blocks)

6.296,40€*

Reservation fee: 1.490€
* with Metàfora’s Award scheme

Full price Academic Year: 6.996,00€

One or more Studio Blocks

1.296,00€*

Reservation fee: 850€
* with Metàfora’s Award scheme
(only one award available per student).

Full price, one Block: 1.440,00€

What is included?

Accomodation:
Accommodation is not included in the fees.

Tuition:
25-30 weekly hours of workshops, classes, tutorials etc.

Personal studio space:
Students have individual studio spaces of 6-8 m2 and access to a range of large “project rooms”, available upon reservation.
The personal studio space is optional. If the student does not want to make use of a studio on campus, Metàfora will discount 850€ (765€ for continuing students) of the fees for a one year.
This reduction from the fees is of 130€ for a single studio block.

The studios are closed during August. Continuing students are offered safe storage space for their belongings over the summer.

Materials:
Sample materials are available in all Tools & Techniques classes at no cost for the students. Materials needed for the individual studio practice runs on the student’s account.

Studio space or storage over the summer for continuing students:
If a students wishes to use the studios over the summer between two courses (and is not signed up for the Metàfora’s Summer Program) he/she can do so, paying an additional fee of 260€. This fee is reduced to 195€ if accompanied by early bird payment of the reservation fee for the following year.

Off Campus exhibitions: Metàfora organises 4-6 off-campus exhibitions every year in galleries and art institutions around Barcelona. Students are invited to respond to Open Calls organised by inhouse tutors. Some of the off-campus exhibitions may involve a small contribution of approx. 50€.
Metàfora organizes orientation regarding set-up and contributes with drinks for the opening reception.

Open studio exhibitions: All students get to show their work in our two large Open Studio exhibitions (November and June). In these are shows there will normally be the most part of 300 visitors, press coverage etc.

Payment conditions:
Please see here for the entire list of Metàfora’s payment conditions

Course dates and length

Academic Year or Semester Stay:

Academic Year, September to June
Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
Calendar Year, January to November
Blocks 3, 4, 5, 6, 1 and 2
Autumn Semester, September to November
Blocks 1 and 2
Winter-Spring Semester, January to June
Blocks 3, 4, 5 and 6

Short Term Stay:

Block 1:
Beginning of September to mid-October
Block 2:
Mid-October to late November

December:
Class-free

Block 3:
Beginning of January to mid-February
Block 4:
Mid-February to late March
Block 5:
Beginning of April to mid-May
Block 6:
Mid-May to late June

Summer Program:
Month of July

Deferring course start

Defer the beginning of a course or change course:

If the student wishes to postpone his/her start in the course or change to another course, the amount paid for reservation of registration and registration remains valid for a maximum of 12 months counting from the beginning of the course in which the student originally enrolled.

During this period, the student may opt for other courses (subject to admission and availability of places). In the event that the price of the new course does not coincide with the course chosen initially, the student will pay the difference. If the chosen course has a lower value than the one paid, the remaining amount will be saved for another Metàfora activity, for a maximum of 12 additional months. In no case will the amount paid to date (or part of it) be returned.

To postpone the start of the course or change to another course, it is essential that the student inform Metàfora by written notification at least 6 weeks before the beginning of the course for which he / she originally enrolled.

Cancelling enrollment

Involuntary interruptions of studies:

In case of accident or illness during the course, studies may be interrupted for a maximum period of 12 months. It is essential to present a medical certificate in this regard. During this time the acquired economic commitment remains valid without any surcharge.

Voluntary interruptions of studies:

Once the course has started, there is no possibility of returning the tuition fee (or part of it) if the student wishes to cancel or postpone his/her stay at Metàfora.

In case a student decides to interrupt the studies voluntarily, he/she loses his place in the course and must comply with the acquired financial commitment. In no case will interrupting the course voluntarily leaves the student exempt from the financial commitments contracted.

If the student wishes to resume the studies in the future, he/she must restart the application and enrollment payment procedures again.

Payment conditions:
Please see here for the entire list of Metàfora’s payment conditions

Reservation fee and remaining fees

Reservation fee:

When a student submits an application to Metàfora’s Studio Arts Programs, he/she will be prompted for a brief online interview. Once admitted to the course, it is essential to pre-enroll by paying the reservation fee.
Metàfora does not guarantee the place without the payment of the reservation fee.

This payment will not be refunded under any circumstances.

For Metàfora’s Studio Arts Programs, a letter of admission is required to pay for the reservation. Upon being admitted, the participant will receive an invoice in which the amount and a payment term are specified. If this deadline is not met (and Metàfora does not receive notification of the delay in writing), the student may lose the place and go on to the waiting list.

If the student wishes to cancel or postpone their registration, said payment will remain valid for a maximum of 12 months, counting from the beginning of the course in which the student originally enrolled (see “Deferring course start”).

Tuition payment:

The remaining tuition fee for Metàfora’s Studio Arts Programs must be paid at least 15 days before the start of the course.

If the student does not make the remaining payment within this period, they may lose their place in the course and go on to the waiting list. For bank transfers it is essential to send proof of payment to Metàfora within the deadline.

Once the course has started, there is no possibility of returning the enrollment (or part of it) if the student wishes to cancel or postpone his / her stay at Metàfora.

The remaining tuition fee can be paid in installments. Please see the section “Paying in installments” for details.

Payment conditions:
Please see here for the entire list of Metàfora’s payment conditions

Paying in 3 Installments

This option carries 5% increase of the remaining fees

Installment 1:
50% of the remaining fees due 15 days before the beginning of the course
Installment 2:
25% of the remaining fees due once a third of the course has transcurred
Installment 3:
25% of the remaining fees due once two thirds of the course has transcurred

_______

Example of payment in 3 installments:

Academic Year
with Award Scheme reduction,
Total fees: 6.296,40€

Reservation fees: 1.490€

Remaining fees: 4.806,40€*

Installment 1,
due 23rd of August: 2.523,36€

Installment 2,
due the 1st of December: 1.261,68€

Installment 3,
due the 1st of February: 1.261,68€

______

*
5% increase, total: 240,32€

____

In all cases where a student pays the remaining fees in installments, he/she will remain liable for the payment of all installments, even if he/she should decide to interrupt the studies before the end of the course.

Payment conditions:
Please see here for the entire list of Metàfora’s payment conditions

Paying in 8 Installments

This option carries 8% increase of the remaining fees

Monthly installments of the fees.
The last installment must be paid max. 6 weeks before the end of the course.

_______

Example of payment in 8 installments:

Academic Year
with Award Scheme reduction,
Total fees: 6.296,40€

Reservation fees: 1.490€

Remaining fees: 4.806,40€*

Installment 1,
due 23rd of August: 648,86€

Installment 2-8
due on the 15th every month
for 7 months: 648,86€

______

*
8% increase, total: 384,51€

____

Payment conditions:
Please see here for the entire list of Metàfora’s payment conditions

Award Scheme reduction

What is Metàfora’s Award Scheme?

Metàfora is a small independent institution and we understand that for some students funding is a difficult issue. For this reason we give out our Award Scheme discount to students who need it on their first academic year at Metàfora.

When do I have to pay the reduced fees?

To be eligible for the Award, the reservation fee, plus the remaining fees or the first installment (if the student has opted for this) must be paid six weeks in advance of course start. If the student is admitted closer to course start than six weeks, the fees must be paid in maximum one week from the moment of admission.
If the fee is not paid by the due date, the Award Scheme reduction will be disesteemed and the student must pay the unreduced fees of the course.

Can I get the discount for several studio blocks?

The Award Scheme is available only once per student. This means that, unless the student initially has indicated the number of single blocks for which he/she wants to signs up, the following single studio block he/she signs up for will not carry the possibility of the discount.

Can I get the discount as a continuing student?

A continuing student is someone who has already spent one academic or calendar year on the course. The following courses are substantially discounted and are not eligible for the Award scheme.

Click here to open the application form for Metàfora’s Award scheme

Continuing students
Academic Year

5.520,00€

A students is considered continuing
after one year on the program
(Award Scheme not available)

Continuing students
One or more Studio Blocks

1.049,40€

A students is considered continuing
after one year on the program
(Award Scheme not available)

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY ABOUT US

“…I was searching for an environment to explore my creative practice and Metàfora is the perfect place to do this. I felt it was important to choose a school which was far removed from my familiar surroundings, so Barcelona, Spain was the perfect setting…”

Stella Vassiliou, Australia

“… Every month invited speakers gave a first hand experience with the art scene of Barcelona and ideas of how to start working on one’s own artistic career. This was really helpful for me….”

Evelina Jagminaite, Lithuania