Dedman education

Dedman education believes learning about Art is enhanced by people who practise what they preach. Many full-time staff lose touch with their subject, becoming administrators – referencing their own Art school experiences, perpetuating ‘the status quo’.

Alan Dedman began teaching with Kent Language and Activities Courses (KLAC). He provided Art tuition to complement a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) curriculum, catering for young people aged 5yrs to 18yrs. These courses are residential; Alan also worked in a pastoral capacity as a House Father, taking responsibility for the safety and well-being of children attending KLAC.

During the early 90s Mr. Dedman provided maternity cover at the College of North East London (CONEL) working on the pre-Foundation course, Foundation and GCE A level and GCSE courses. He also provided input to the Btec National Diploma in Design. CONEL is a multi-cultural community college, about 70% of the student intake consists of ethnic minorities.

In the late 90s he began teaching for the London Art College (LAC), a distance learning college, which has grown considerably with the advent of the internet. At the same time, he worked as a tutor within H M Prison service, teaching groups of convicted murderers at HMP Shepton. ‘The Mallet’ as it was known, was the oldest working gaol in the land – older than the Tower of London. It was furnished with a Napoleonic exercise yard and original solitary confinement pits into which ‘unrepentants’ were thrown. The Mallet was home to life sentenced prisoners including the Kray twins.

Dedman worked extensively across local Adult Education curriculums in Somerset and took a PGCE from Bath Spa University College in 2006. He taught in a part-time capacity for Bristol Cathedral School, has run courses in ‘Drawing from the Built Environment’ at the Architecture Centre, Bristol and presented drawing classes in local primary schools.

Alan produced residential sketching trips on the River Fowey in Cornwall. These weekend courses were based at Bodinick, where there is a ferry crossing. Students experienced the river and harbour from a motor launch, choosing sites for sketching and painting as they travelled about.

Dedman has contributed to public life drawing classes in London with ‘LifeDraw @ N4‘ at the Old Dairy Pub in North London and at the Rising Sun in Clapham. These sessions were open to the public on a drop-in basis. He provided tuition to learners from all walks of life, demonstrating how to draw the nude, providing feedback for students.

Alan organised his own life drawing classes in North Somerset, and has given lectures on creative thinking for the Microsoft Foundation in London, how artists have used the deceased in their work for National Gallery and Classical values in relation to post-Modernism at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Alan has created workshops for Barclays Bank PLC and participated in curriculum development at the University of the Arts, London (UAL), looking specifically at ways to incorporate mathematics into GCSE Art & Design. 

Alan Dedman provides one to one tuition on a private basis. He created a week’s Art syllabus for Josephine who came to Somerset from Nigeria. Jospehine specifically asked to do life-painting and to paint in the English landscape. He has also tutored young people learning English, on a home visiting basis.

Alan delivers life-drawing workshops at the White House, Badingham in Suffolk with RAS colleague Stephen Morris. If you are interested, please leave your details on the contact form below any of the blogs on this website. This will not be publicly visible – see privacy policy here.

Currently Alan Dedman provides online tuition for the London Art College and runs yoga classes for men Yoga for Blokes ^® offering blended sessions via Zoom, in local venues.

Dedman education is available for talks, workshops, private tuition and online tutorials. If you require further information, please leave your details on the contact form below. Your details will not be publicly visible – see privacy policy here.