Frequently Asked Questions

No matter what your skill level, no matter what your background, SARA will help you grow and improve. SARA has helped students fresh out of high school, students with years of training at other art schools and universities, as well as professional painters. Because it is a small school, everyone at SARA gets intensive individual attention. Everyone’s progress and development is closely monitored and the instruction they receive is tailored to their individual needs. No one slips through the cracks. You do not need to be concerned about your skill level when you begin your studies. It is not your skill level or natural talent that will determine your success as a student, it is your determination, passion and dedication. If you are concerned that your lack of skill might keep you from being accepted, please visit our Before and After gallery. What is important for us is your attitude. With the right attitude we can help you to amazing results.

Yes, SARA is officially recognized by the Swedish National Board of Education and is overseen by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education (Myndigheten för Yrkeshögskolan). Swedish students are therefor eligible for CSN student loans.

You should apply to ET0010, the first one-year program.

They rent a room or a flat. In some cases two or more students rent an apartment together.

Many work as fine artists, both full-time or part-time. Others work in the area of game design or film, as tattooers, illustrators for books and magazines, etc. The skills and knowledge you acquire at SARA are valued in many industries so your choices are many. Have a look at our After SARA  page for more information.

SARA uses the comparative method to teach its students because the comparative method prepares them to work easily in any possible situation.  Most schools of realistic art use the sight-size method to teach their students despite the fact that it is limiting and requires a very specific set-up for it to work. There is no sight-size at SARA.  We want our students to work freely and confidently anywhere, in any circumstances and in any scale/size.  Read more on our Comparative method page.

SARA takes pride in making the extra effort to foster each individual student’s personal voice while they learn within the larger academic framework. We want our students to grow into themselves, not develop a “look” to their work that can be attributed to a certain school. At SARA, our goal is to help students maintain their passion, purpose, and voice, while they learn technique.

Art materials are not included in the term fee, SARA has a small selection of materials for sale at the school, but students are free to buy their materials anywhere.

In the first year of study, the students use mainly pencil, charcoal and paper and the estimated cost for this would be around 2000 SEK for the year. In the second year of study, the students generally start painting and use materials such as paint, brushes, oil, solvent and canvas, so the estimated cost would be around 3500 SEK for the year depending on quality and quantity. The third year is about the same as the second year but depending on quality and quantity of materials, an estimated total cost would be around 5000 SEK for the year.

SARA staff and students come from all over the world and are from all kinds of artistic backgrounds and ages. Many students think of the school as a home away from home. They cook most of their meals here and enjoy hanging out after hours to sketch, socialize or watch a movie together on our giant projection screen, only leaving when it’s bedtime.  SARA is a small and rather intimate school, so we all feel like a bit of family here. Have a look at our Student Life gallery to get an idea of life at SARA.