Challenging Conventions: Reflections from our FAD Symposium

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Friday 27 February at The Manchester College for our Foundation in Art & Design Symposium. It was a day full of open conversations where everyone’s shared commitment to the future of Foundation education was made abundantly clear.

Foundation Art & Design has always been a space for experimentation – many students view it as a year to test ideas and build creative confidence. But in an educational context where reforms and policies are constantly shifting the tides, how do we sustain that spirit while responding to the realities of modern creative practice?

Chris Roberts, Head of Curriculum at UAL’s School of Pre-Degree Studies, leads one of the largest Foundation cohorts in the UK – nearly 1,000 students. With 25 years’ experience in Foundation education, his session explored what it means to deliver at scale while maintaining depth and individuality.

As Chris puts it, the challenge is understanding “how to deliver Foundation curriculum at scale, working with learners from a range of backgrounds and nationalities.” His talk reflected on cross-course collaboration and interdisciplinary projects to keep delivery ambitious and responsive.

Alongside him, Yvette Blundell centred the conversation on identity. As Fashion and Textiles Curriculum Leader at UAL’s School of Pre-Degree Studies, Yvette’s practice focuses on embedding students’ lived experiences within studio culture. Yvette emphasised “the value of celebrating students’ lived experience within a playful and experimental studio culture.” For Yvette, fostering reflection and peer learning is essential to helping students develop creative confidence and articulate their ideas with clarity.

From One Sixth Form College, Darren Simons and Lloyd Evans shared insights from the development of their FAD Media Practice pathway. Reflecting on its first two years, they posed important questions about widening participation and preparing students for progression, demonstrating how adaptable curriculum structures can strengthen routes into the creative industries.

The key message is pretty simple: “FAD can be open and adaptable.”

Marc Dodi and Joe Frazer from Big Creative Academy challenged traditional disciplinary titles in their talk, Beyond the Label. They explored how shifting the focus from fixed pathways to identity and social practice can give students greater ownership and room to grow as creative decision makers.

For them, “dropping rigid labels doesn’t cause chaos - it actually gives students more ownership, more equity, and more room to grow.”

Georgina Hooper, Head of Learning for Creative Industries at Brighton MET College, examined student agency through the lens of industry collaboration. Sharing the case study of a student-led Young Artist Collective, she illustrated how genuine autonomy develops when students are given real responsibility and space to navigate uncertainty.

Throughout the day, discussions highlighted innovative delivery models. More than anything, the symposium reaffirmed what makes Foundation stand out. It’s a space for students to focus on that early experimentation that shapes a lot of their skills, while equipping students with the adaptability needed for an evolving creative environment.

We’re grateful to all our speakers and delegates for contributing to such honest and energising conversation. The future of FAD feels collaborative and full of possibility!