Children's Book Illustration Summer School

The information below is for the 2021 summer school; the Children’s Book Illustration Summer School 2024 is subject to change.

Three-day Writing for Picturebooks Summer School

You will arrive at our Cambridge campus with a rough picture book manuscript (suggested maximum of around 500-600 words) for this face-to-face Summer School. Through lectures, workshops, one-to-one feedback and group critiques, you’ll revise, trim and polish the manuscript, while exercising and improving your writing skills.

Key topics will include: where stories come from, story structure, visualising text, leaving room for illustrations, voice and dialogue, and working with an editor.

You will receive feedback from esteemed MA tutors and illustrators/authors Pam Smy and Shelley Jackson, author/editor Deborah Chancellor, authors Greg Gormley and Sean Taylor, illustrator/author Margaret Sturton and Editorial Director Sue Buswell (Anderson Press).

Five-day Illustration for Picturebooks Summer School – Main Group

You will arrive at our Cambridge campus with a picture book manuscript (suggested maximum of around 500-600 words) for this face-to-face Summer School. Through lectures, workshops, one-to-one feedback and group critiques, we’ll explore the illustrative potential of each participant’s manuscript.

Key topics will include: The role of materials, character design, creating sense of place, the dummy book format.

You will receive daily feedback from esteemed MA Children’s Book Illustration staff and practicing illustrators Pam Smy, Alexis Deacon and Shelley Jackson. Notable guest speakers include illustrator/author Melissa Castrillon, agent Jodie Hodges (United Agents), and Sophie Stericker, who has over twenty years’ experience as a Creative Director, plus an international lecture series (via Zoom) by children’s book superstars Júlia Sardà, Carson Ellis, Sydney Smith and Laura Carlin.

Five-day Illustration for Picturebooks Summer School - Advanced Group

Important: Please see 'Entry requirements' below

You will arrive at our Cambridge campus with a picture book dummy or portfolio you’d like to polish through expert feedback for this face-to-face Summer School.

You are invited to attend lectures on the role of materials, character design, creating sense of place, and the dummy book format with the Main group to refresh or extend your knowledge, but will also improve your craft through one-to-one feedback and group critiques from MA Children’s Book Illustration staff, notable guest illustrators Sydney Smith (via Zoom) and Melissa Castrillon, agent Jodie Hodges (United Agents), and Sophie Stericker, who has over twenty years’ experience as a Creative Director.

You are invited to spend time in the inspiring Cambridge School of Art print room with expert guidance from MA tutor John Williams. The international lecture series (via Zoom) by children’s book superstars Júlia Sardà, Carson Ellis, Sydney Smith and Laura Carlin is also included.

We invite summer school alumni, MA CBI alumni, and those already working in the field or having completed an illustration degree to apply. As this track is limited to ten participants, you will need to submit a portfolio or dummy book with your application. Those not accepted onto this track will be invited to join the Main Group.

Two-day Designing for Picturebooks Summer School

£240/£216 with student discount

You will arrive at our Cambridge campus with a rough picture book dummy, including text and sketches for artwork, for this face-to-face Summer School. You’ll receive one-to- one feedback on your dummy books from MA tutors Pam Smy and Shelley Jackson, Walker Books Art Director Nghiem Ta, and designer and illustrator Arthur Vergani.

You will learn about picture book production and the industry, while reflecting on and revising the layout, typography, and other design decisions of your own work. The weekend will culminate in a ‘cover meeting’ led by Walker Books Executive Art Director Ben Norland.

Ten-day Writing, Illustrating (Main Group) and Designing for Picturebooks Summer School

£1,100 / £990 with student discount

This Summer School option includes all three of the Summer Schools (Main Group for Illustrating for Picturebooks), running back-to-back for ten consecutive days. Please see other descriptions for complete details.

There is a £100 discount for taking all three together.

Ten-day Writing, Illustrating (Advanced Group) and Designing for Picturebooks Summer School

£1,150 / £1,035 with student discount

This Summer School option includes all three of the Summer Schools (Advanced Group for Illustrating for Picturebooks), running back-to-back for ten consecutive days. Please see other descriptions for complete details. There is a £100 discount for taking all three together.

Accommodation

Please make your own arrangements regarding accommodation. There are a number of options located near ARU to suit a range of budgets. The Travelodge on Newmarket Road, Cambridge, is a five- to ten-minute walk from our campus. Our campus address is East Road, Cambridge, CB1 1PT.