This film is part of Free

A Visit to an Art School

What do artists do all day? Join the art students of Manchester to find out.

Amateur film 1929 34 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for North West Film Archive

Overview

Pottery and fashion design, etching and metalwork, sculpting and woodcarving, painting and still life drawing - aspiring young artists and designers in Manchester improve their skills while pursuing their career dreams in this fascinating and beautifully filmed record from the inter-war years, shot by their fellow School of Art student George Higginson.

George Higginson (1895 - 1966) was a highly skilled amateur filmmaker whose work includes travelogues and award-winning scientific documentaries. Originally trained as a cotton engineer, he served in the army in World War One, before enrolling in his early thirties at Manchester School of Art; he later went on to teach drawing and painting at Bolton School for Boys.