A Summer Dialogue Worth Having

Every summer, like clockwork, I find myself at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition — part ritual, part inspiration, part art-price guessing game. This year’s theme, Dialogues, couldn’t have felt more fitting. Not just for the art world, but for those of us in language education, where dialogue is quite literally our currency.

The Summer Exhibition is a glorious jumble of styles, sizes, subjects — and prices. I think most people who go make a sport out of guessing how much each piece costs before peeking at the label. “£6,000 for that?” you’ll inevitably hear someone mutter, while another swears they saw something similar in a skip down the road. This year I nearly did the unthinkable and bought a piece — a (very amusing to me) print by David Bray. It was (relatively) affordable, and for a moment, I imagined it on my wall. I didn’t buy it. But I thought about it seriously, which is a step closer than usual.

What I love most, though, is how the exhibition sparks conversation — real, spontaneous, unfiltered dialogue. You hear it all around: families debating abstract pieces, tourists asking what something means, Londoners quietly judging in the corners. For language learners, it’s a dream. There’s vocabulary everywhere, ideas to chew over, and characters galore to observe. If you’re brave enough to eavesdrop, it’s a crash course in natural spoken English.

From a teaching point of view, I always leave with ideas. The way the curators bring such different works together — paintings, sculptures, installations, prints — it’s a reminder of the beauty of juxtaposition. Of letting things speak to each other. Of creating space for meaning to emerge, rather than always needing to explain it.

And then there’s the setting. The Royal Academy’s grand, airy rooms make even the most bizarre artworks feel important (a post-it note with the word ‘beautiful’ stamped on it, anyone?!). The whole experience feels like a celebration — of creativity, expression, and the joy of not always understanding everything straight away.

So, if you're in London this summer, I can't recommend the Summer Exhibition enough. It’s a true institution — weird, wonderful, and wildly unpredictable. Whether you're a language learner, a teacher, or just someone who enjoys a good debate about whether that painting of a cactus really is worth £42,000, there’s something there for you.

Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching for your wallet. Or wondering if it’s time to start painting.

Daniel Studholme