High Impact Learning Experiences

Summer Arts in London

The Arts in London Program, which was established in 1972, is the oldest international study program at Southwestern University. Philosophically, the program emphasizes the essential interrelationship between all the arts. In this sense it is consistent with the goals of the School of Fine Arts that foster the integration of the various arts disciplines.

The program offers students the opportunity to study in an environment rich with resources in the arts. No other city in the world offers more than London in the way of music and theatre programming and primary source material in the visual arts, especially during the summer months. This affords students the opportunity to visit sites related to the history of the arts and to see, hear and experience contemporary artists and their work. This exposure to the various disciplines reveals related themes, expressive intent and formal attributes that encourage a more comprehensive definition of the fine arts.

In addition, the experience of studying in England provides students with a first-hand encounter with European culture. This emphasizes the link between their own culture and the art they produce and the culture and art of their counterparts throughout the greater Western world. Finally, by introducing an internship component into the Arts in London program, students will have further opportunity to explore in depth a particular field in the arts. The students gain not only practical skills that will serve them long after the program ends, but a gives them a deeper understanding of the professional world of the fine arts.