Inside Out: Alternative Models of Art Education

A panel discussion

Susannah Haslam, Mark Rohtmaa-Jackson, Elina Merenmies and Annebella Pollen explore radical approaches to art education with reference to both historical and contemporary alternative models.

This panel discussion explores radical approaches to art education, both historical and contemporary, through a panel discussion by artist-educators who have shaped alternative models, and researchers who have studied them. Chaired by Dr Susannah Haslam, Mark Rothmaa-Jackson discusses the LungA School (Seyðisfjörður, Iceland), Elina Merenmies the Free Art School (Helsinki, Finland), and Annebella Pollen the history of the Kibbo Kift.

The conversation explores how alternative art education interacts with mainstream systems, behaviours and pedagogies. In their discussion, the panel raises fundamental questions about what makes a school. Is it a building, a curriculum, a community, or a set of values... reflecting on the role of students as co-authors of their learning environment. They consider the tension between autonomy and structure, the balance between freedom and being disciplined, and how resourcefulness, collective care, and site-specific tools can redefine what a school can be.

About the contributors

Dr Susannah Haslam is a theorist, writer and lecturer in critical theory/experimental humanities at the Royal College of Art, London, studying love as a condition for critical pedagogy. Susannah’s research asks about the relationship between love and work: examining loving and equitable relationships between arts and humanities, cultural institutions and infrastructures. They have a collective and collaborative practice where they frequently work with artists, scholars, organisers, policy makers and both education and cultural institutions; writing on art education and its alternatives.

Elina Merenmies is a fine artist based in Finland who works with ink, tempera, and oil paints – engaging with and reshaping a long artistic tradition. Her interdisciplinary approach has led her to collaborate with poets, photographers, and musicians; employing experimental working methods on several occasions. She has taught Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki (2000–2012), and later at the Free Art School from 2013, where she has been Headmaster since 2020.

Prof. Annebella Pollen is a Professor of Visual and Material Culture at the University of Brighton where she researches undervalued archives and untold stories in art and design history. She is also the author of several books including Mass Photography: Collective Histories of Everyday Life (2015); The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift: Intellectual Barbarians (2015), and Art without Frontiers: The Story of the British Council, Visual Arts and a Changing World (2024).

Dr. Mark Rohtmaa-Jackson is an American-British artist and curator, and the Director of the alternative, experimental art situation ‘LungA School’ in Iceland. They have held teaching and curating positions at numerous galleries and schools. As an artist Mark has worked primarily with collaborative, intermedia practices, including as part of Plastique Fantastique from 2011 to 2020. They live and work in Seyðisfjörður, have a PhD and have published a book on curating.

This presentation was recorded during ROOM, a one-day gathering that took place on 7 June 2025 marking the tenth anniversary of Freelands Foundation and the first activation of its new home on Errol Street. The day was dedicated to exploring, gathering and sharing, while serving as a blueprint not only for mapping the potential of our new space but for outlining a vision for the next decade of the Foundation’s work.