Courtauld Institute hosts Articulation public speaking competition
The Courtauld Institute was pleased to host 18 schools for two London Heats of the Articulation prize this month.
Articulation is a national public speaking competition for young people aged 16 –19, adjudicated by leading arts and media professionals. Participants deliver a 10-minute presentation on a work of art of their choice. Adjudicators ask each student a question and give feedback on their presentation, selecting one speaker per heat to progress in the competition.
The first heat was adjudicated by Katherine Davies, Art Historian at the Courtauld Institute, and Dr Jack Hartnell, Head of Research at the National Gallery. Presentations were on works by artists from Antony Gormley to Henri Rousseau. First place was awarded to a student who spoke about Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (2021).
The second heat was adjudicated by the second by Alex Bispham, Art Historian at the Courtauld Institute, and Alan Crookham, Chief Librarian & Archivist at the National Gallery. Presentations included works by David Hockney, Käthe Kollwitz and John William Waterhouse. First place was awarded to Victoria, who spoke about Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) (1991).
Victoria told us, ‘I found “Untitled (Portrait of Ross in LA)” on the internet a couple of years ago, and it really stuck with me. I thought about it often. Writing the speech challenged me, because I had to engage with Félix Gonzáles-Torres himself, not just his art – a lot of my time was spent looking at memorial pages and old posts – it was a lot more personal than what I was used to. But all of the worries I had about giving the speech left me when speaking, because I realised that this was an artwork I was passionate about and just wanted to share really. I’m very excited about the next stage of the competition and where it might take me.’
Alex Bispham said, ‘It was such a privilege to spend a Monday afternoon in January watching ten passionate and motivated students present works of art that held such meaning for them. I was introduced to unfamiliar works and taken on new journeys with some of my favourites. It was not just the variety, but the high calibre of presentations that was so special, as I left feeling motivated about the power of art to speak to all of our experiences. After the agonising task of selecting winners from among this group, my co-adjudicator, Alan Crookham at the National Gallery, and I are excited to watch the next round!’
Both heat winners now progress to the London Final, taking place at the V&A in March, where a London regional winner will then go on to compete against speakers from across the UK at the National Gallery.