September 2025 - LinkedIn Live
For quite some time, graduates of How to Do Semiotics in Seven Weeks have been asking how they can take their grasp of the discipline and application of semiotics to the next level.
We’ve been thinking about this and it led us to developing a Masterclass.
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘masterclass’? You might think of a top musical maestro getting a group of terrified students to play to him on demand. One description I found when researching these phenomena is: “A masterclass is a one-off, special event, taught by someone who’s expert in a subject matter, and hopefully charismatic!” So, no pressure, then!
After a masterclass participants should walk away energized with new perspectives and insights. The best learning happens when you and your students are ALL in discovery mode.
After 50,000 hours of practising, 300 commercial projects and an obsessive focus on all things semiotics: relentlessly reading, writing and absorbing - Chris has a lot to share on this topic.
This is a chance to gain the tacit knowledge and one to one contact time that you won’t get elsewhere – and each morning or afternoon is a capsule packed with wisdom in and of itself.
Over a summer weekend in West London, Chris Arning, offers his first masterclass to the world. Across two full days, one half day and two creatively challenging evenings, Chris will put you through your paces. The masterclass will consist of a series of analysis sprints, group critique sessions, role-plays and interactive exercises where we will learn together.
Through these various learning formats, we will upskill you as a semiotics practitioner: honing your interpretive skills, giving theoretical depth; rethinking hot topics in the world of semiotics.
As always, with Chris, this will be done through a mix of personal anecdotes, commercial case studies, critical commentary on visual culture but with an eye on instructional design and rigour and he will be sharing his passion for language, design, visual culture and creativity throughout.
Welcome Inspiration (9.00-9.30)
MORNING SESSION
Interpretive Amplitude
(9.30-12.30)
Open vs Closed Texts
Factors to consider in interpretation
Justifying one's interpretation
Jaguar ad and other 'open texts' in focus
Mini debate role play in semiotic interpretation
LUNCHTIME + Mini-tutorials
(12.30-14.00)
AFTERNOON SESSION
Semiotic Square
(14.30-17.30)
How the SS is a cat's cradle of tensions
How the Semiotic Square plots ideology
How the Semiotic Square plots identity
How the Semiotic Square plots narrative
Interactive exercise on news discourses
Closing Inspiration Session (17.30-18.00)
EVENING – The Social Programme
Involving food, poetry and music
Opening Inspiration (9.00-9.30)
MORNING SESSION
Semiotics and AI
(9.30-12.30)
LLMs as pure discourse
Uses in the semiotic analysis process
Aesthetics and symbolism of AI
Some future scenarios for semioticians
Prompt engineering for creativity
LUNCHTIME + Mini-Tutorials
(12.30-14.00)
AFTERNOON SESSION
Selling Semiotics
(14.30-17.30)
Semiotics and the business environment
Semiotics and the value proposition
Semiotics and Content Marketing
The visual argumentation and rhetorics in presentation
Justifying your semiotic findings
Closing Inspiration Session
(17.30-18.00)
EVENING
Food, Drink, Open Mic
Semiotic Field Trip (10.00-13.00)
London Underground posters
Competition to code find
Photography competition
Well, we are expecting a varied bunch:
You may be a course Alumni wanting to take the next level course
You may have read semiotics at university and now want a refresher
You may be an independent who wants to be more self-sufficient
You may be a junior person doing semiotics, needing inspiration
You may be an academic transferring over to the brand space
Whoever you are, you will have a base level of learning but will be hungry to learn more.
You may want to take stock of what you do or want to refresh the way you do things.
Or you may crave a stimulating and nurturing semiotic sanctuary where you reflect on your practice with like-minded individuals and have access to an expert for any burning questions.
Whatever your motivations, if you want to improve your grasp of semiotics and get better at it, there’s a place for you on the masterclass. We only have 9 places so it will be a select group.
The Masterclass will take place on 17th, 18th & 19th July in West London, at the legendary Westbourne Studios, the first ever Semiofest venue - a state-of-the-art office, studios and workshop space, under the famous Westway right by vibrant Portobello Road in Notting Hill!
It’s conveniently located from Europe: 20 mins from London St. Pancras, where the Eurostar gets in. Internationally: it’s just 5 mins on the Hammersmith & City line from Paddington, where the Heathrow Express alights, so you are only 35 mins away from Heathrow airport arrivals.
So get an injection of enthusiasm and a dose of fresh inspiration and join us. The cost for the Masterclass with Chris including social programme will be £1200 + VAT* but with a 25% discount - so £900 + VAT if you’re an Alumni of How to Do Semiotic is Seven Weeks*
The Masterclass is officially a pilot and Chris will be trying out some new formats. However, whilst this is the first time these modules appear together, the material itself is tried and tested.
Part of the reciprocal agreement in taking part in the class is your feedback post event - so that we can all get better!
For any enquiries, please contact Pavla Hind on pavla@creativesemiotics.co.uk.