Public Speaking for Artists and Curators

Duration

Oct. 01 - Oct. 29, 2025

Enroll before

Sept. 29, 2025

Fee

189.00 € (incl. VAT)

Live sessions

2 hrs

Talking about art takes many forms, from studio visits and exhibition tours to public talks and interviews. Public speaking and exchanging ideas are fundamental to working in the arts. However, talking in front of an audience can often feel intimidating. How do we speak clearly and meaningfully? How can we convey complex art concepts to a broader audience?

This course offers practical tools and approaches to help curators, artists, or art critics talk about art with confidence, clarity, and imagination. Through improvisational exercises and inspiring examples—from bell hooks to Anne Carson and Christine Sun Kim—you’ll practice new ways of engaging audiences and keeping the conversation going.

Over four weeks, you will:

Apply storytelling techniques to craft engaging narratives
Learn how to communicate complex ideas clearly and with impact
Practice spontaneous speaking and responding to questions
Heighten your creativity and imagination when talking about art

Whether preparing for a presentation, panel, or informal conversation, you’ll gain confidence in your voice and find joy in talking publicly about art.

Image credits: Arts Practicum, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Session 1: Course presentation and introduction

Introduction to the program and course overview

This is a one-hour-only welcome session. The lecturer will introduce the program and participants will introduce themselves. No prior preparation is necessary.

Session 2: Speaking as Art

This week focuses on creative uses of voice and speech in the art world. We find various playful ways to get started with talking. We will explore:

A short history of talking in the arts
The politics of speech
Case studies of speech as a creative tool in art
Warm-up exercises: We will try out different ways of talking, starting with spontaneous ad hoc formats

Session 3: Speech as Thought

In the session, we will discover how we can expand what we think through speech. As philosopher Arthur Koestler says, “Ideas come while talking.”

Case study: performative lectures
Breaking the norms of public speaking
Writing a text to be read out loud
How to prepare for public speaking?

Session 4: Communicating Art

Let’s talk art! In this session, we focus on talking about art in the context of an exhibition—be it as a viewer, an artist, or a curator.

Should art be explained? If so, how
How to move thinking between people in a room
Ways to inspire and affect our audience
Creating a story with art

Session 5: Art in Conversation

Talking can be as simple as the art of conversation. This session focuses on how we can get dialogues flowing back and forth with others.

How to be a conversationalist?
How does collaborative talking work?
The various ways to conduct an Interview
Documenting talking

Language:

Classes are held in English

Time:

Video conferences run on Zoom every Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm Berlin Time CEST. Recordings will be available in case you miss a live session!

Format:

All classes are live, interactive and run in small groups to maximise your learning experience. Live captioning will be available during the video conference.

Materials:

Your content including class recordings, readings and presentations will be available on the Node platform as long as you wish.

Assignments:

Classes come with optional assignments and personal feedback to put your learning into practice. Please note that lecturers will give feedback only during the course dates.

System:

We will use Zoom for the live video conferences, please check Zoom's technical requirements here.

Certificate:

A downloadable certificate will be available after completion of the course

Questions?

Check our FAQ or contact us via this form

"super course, excellent teacher, I learnt a lot"

Jordi

"Test testimonial, everything was good"

Mario