Teaching painting in art schools and academies has in recent years undergone several significant changes. As the barriers between media eroded into more fluid borders art schools have responded by adapting and evolving. Many painting departments have been absorbed into general fine art courses but specialist painting courses and pathways still continue to be developed. How have these courses defined and redefined themselves to reflect the current artistic landscape and how can painting maintain an identity within a general fine art course?
The conference addressed the historical, theoretical, pedagogical and continually shifting methods of teaching painting. It asked how and why our approaches to teaching painting have changed and developed and offers a platform through which practices and experience can be shared.

David Rayson's paper explored how the all-pervading and established model of the studio with an academic context - shape our teaching and learning environments, and ultimately: our ambitions for our future students. A recurring question was: how by creating studios and pseudo gallery spaces as facsimiles of the existing historical and commercial infrastructures – hinder or enable creativity, and new ways of thinking? It is ultimately this relationship between the private and public realm, that continues to fascinate Rayson, whether working in the studio, teaching, visiting students studios, or exhibitions.