Teaching

Academic teaching, guest lectures, and creative workshops

Academic Teaching

I'm a Teaching Fellow at the Courtauld Institute of Art, where I have co-convened the MA in Buddhist Art History and Conservation, and am an Associate Lecturer in History of Art at the Open University. Over the past decade I've also taught at SOAS University of London, Sotheby's Institute of Art, and Fulbright University Vietnam, working across undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

My academic specialisms are Southeast Asian and Buddhist art histories, transcultural and global art historical frameworks, and postcolonial visual culture. I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations, and have particular experience teaching academic and public-facing writing, including exhibition reviews, curatorial texts, and research-to-writing skills.

My academic writing has appeared including South East Asia Research and Trans Asia Photography Review, alongside book chapters and exhibition essays. A full list of publications is available on request.

I hold a PhD from the University of Leeds, funded by the AHRC, and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Guest Lectures & Public Speaking

I'm available for guest lectures, seminars, and invited talks: particularly on art history, visual culture, motherhood and creativity, and writing about research for public audiences.

Recent invitations include the University of Strathclyde, the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, and the V&A Museum.

Workshops & Creative Sessions

Alongside my academic work, I run creative writing and art history workshops for general audiences, see below for current and upcoming sessions.

  • mother and child

    Picturing Mothers - Motherhood in Art History

    Motherhood has long been one of the most powerful and complex subjects in art.

    How has motherhood been represented, idealised, politicised and reimagined through art across cultures and history? And what do those images tell us about power, gender, identity and belonging?

    Picturing Mothers is a half-day workshop tracing the different constructions of motherhood through visual culture, from ancient fertility figures to contemporary works exploring labour, care and resistance, and inviting you to reflect on how these images shape our understanding of what it means to be a mother, to have a mother, to picture a mother.

    Location: Live online via Zoom

    Subscribe to be first to hear new dates
  • louise bourgeois maman spider

    Our Animal Selves

    Once upon a time I wrote, I am no more animal than when I am nursing.

    And now, I am wondering where thinking with the animal would lead us?

    So this one-off workshop invites us to explore our own animality.

    In this session, we will dive into the evocative world of Louise Bourgeois, whose sculptures and drawings use the spider as metaphors for motherhood, protection, resilience, and the complex dynamics of womanhood and familial bonds.

    Learning more about her work, we will also use these images as visual prompts to reflect and explore our animal selves through guided creative writing and discussions.

    Thursday 5th November 10am - 11am, UK Time

    Online/ Zoom

    This is a live experience and will not be recorded. This is intentional: the discussion and intimacy of the group is central to the workshop. Slides will be shared with all participants afterwards.

    Tickets

    Please choose the tier that reflects your current circumstances.

    Spaces are limited

    Book a Place Now
  • Joanna Wolfarth writing a book proposal

    Research to Writing Boot Camp

    A 4-week programme designed for anyone who needs help shaping their ideas and research into something with clarity.

    Whether it’s a potential book, an essay, a research proposal or simply exploring an idea that you’re not sure what to do with, I can help you:

    - find the core of what we’re writing

    - untangle all the material and make it usable

    - decide on a form (book? essay? pitch?)

    - start writing, with momentum

    - get detailed feedback and mentoring if you want it

    The boot camp will go live in the autumn.

    More information here

    If that sounds like something you might be interested in, you can sign up here to register your interest:

    Join Waiting List

  • "Your perfectly curated session was so ideally pitched and felt like a real treat! I also felt very held and that was your incredible facilitating/hosting. I am really grateful."

    —Picturing Mothers Workshop Participant

  • "Thank you for the art history context to the imagery - this was so useful to someone like me who loves art but didn't study it. The whole course was accessible and unpretentious".

    —Picturing Mothers Workshop Participant

  • "A huge thank you for this morning's workshop. I absolutely loved it! It was a brilliant overview of representations of the mother/feminine in art history and the way you set up the activities and hosted the discussion was very accessible to people without any art history background. It was really good to hear the views of other people attending, too - it obviously gathered thoughtful participants. The 3 hour format worked really well, though I could happily have attended three days on this!

    —Picturing Mothers Workshop Attendee

  • "‘A brilliant combination of formal observation and emotional connection, the ways in which Joanna steered us into thinking about artworks as portals into other’s experiences while reconsidering our own, was a brilliant way to spend an evening. The sessions flew by."

    —Picturing Mothers Workshop Participant

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. I give guest lectures, seminars, and invited talk, particularly on art history, visual culture, writing, motherhood and creativity. Recent invitations include the University of Strathclyde, the National Gallery, and the Whitworth. Get in touch with details of your event and I'll let you know if it's a good fit.

  • No. My workshops and creative sessions are designed to be accessible to everyone, whether you have an academic background or are simply curious. What matters most is a willingness to look closely and think alongside others.

  • Both, depending on the session. Some, like Thread & Thought, run online via Substack; others, like Picturing Mother, are live workshops online with set dates. Check each listing for details, or get in touch if you're not sure which would suit you.

  • Yes, alongside my university teaching, I offer one-to-one support and mentoring for writers and researchers working on a project, particularly around shaping research into writing. This sits alongside my editorial work, so do get in touch if you're not sure whether you need editorial support, teaching support, or both.

  • Yes, I welcome invitations to speak about my research in Southeast Asian and Buddhist art history, or about Milk and the cultural history of breastfeeding. Get in touch with details of your group and what you're hoping to cover.

  • Not at all. The workshop explores how motherhood has been represented and constructed through art across cultures and history. It's relevant to anyone interested in these ideas, regardless of their own experience of motherhood. It is designed for anyone interested in art, history, feminism, visual culture, motherhood or identity. You don't need any prior knowledge of art history, just curiosity and an openness to discussion.

  • All ticket holders receive access to the live session, a private course page with optional summer reading materials, a curated book list, and online creative prompts to explore in your own time before and after the session.

    The Supporter ticket (£120) includes everything above plus a developmental edit on a piece of writing of up to 1,000 words produced in response to the course. Limited to 5 places.