Silvie Jacobi’s artistic research stands out as both timely and vital, particularly in its focus on the evolving landscape of art education and the underexplored role of place and time. At a moment when visual arts education is shifting rapidly—marked by the rise of alternative learning models and the academisation of traditional art schools—Silvie’s work promises to offer essential insights into access, equity, and the future of teaching in the arts.

Her ability to bridge academic inquiry and artistic practice is not only rare but urgently needed. By challenging prevailing norms around research and practice in visual art education, Silvie brings a radical and necessary perspective to the field.

Through her work with the Freelands Foundation—including a residency, curated programming, and a co-authored essay on painting pedagogy—Silvie has consistently demonstrated intellectual depth, creativity, and a commitment to meaningful collaboration. Her contributions are of lasting value to the sector.

— Henry Ward, Director, Freelands Foundation (2025)

“Since Silvie’s appointment as Director of the London School of Mosaic in 2021, we have witnessed a remarkable and sustained transformation in the organisation. Her leadership has brought much-needed structure and professionalism following a period marked by informal practices and limited governance capacity.

Silvie has successfully delivered major projects, including the undercroft development, and significantly improved financial management, reporting accuracy, and overall communication. Despite difficult external circumstances—particularly in dealings with Camden Council—Silvie has demonstrated unwavering persistence and commitment.

Although still early in her leadership career, Silvie consistently exhibits exceptional aptitude, resilience, and deep institutional knowledge. Her contribution is both rare and invaluable, and we strongly believe she should be fully supported and empowered by the LSM board to ensure the continued success and sustainability of the organisation.”

— Seva Phillips, Chief Innovation Officer, Figurative (2024)

“Art education has a definite impact on artists' sense of place and their spatial relations. Exploring where and why artists choose to locate is the first step in describing an art scene ethnographically. Silvie’s research considers coming to and going through art school as a crucial inter-subjective learning environment. Artists learn not just to engage with place through spatial and relational practices, but gain a sense of mobility and transnational flows in a globalized art world. This book is the first time the art school has been studied this way in the nascent field of art geography, blending the tool kits of human geography and urban studies. This is timely against the backdrop of worldwide university closures of physical space and cost intensive fine art courses as a triumph of managerialism and business-case over education. This volume helps highlight how investment in this form of education has an important capacity for nurturing art scenes and feeding into the community at large.”

— Paul Haywood, Dean of Academic Services, Central Saint Martins (2020)