The course is divided into 3 parts:
Part 1: Diagnostic Investigation into Creative Practice
You will have an introduction to a wide range of creative practices. This will give you the chance to try different disciplines. This part of the course is about exploration and experimentation.
Part 2: Developing Specialist Practice
In part 2 of the course you will reflect on the knowledge and skills you have developed in part 1. Through a range of activities you will start to think about your own creative ambition. You will consider your own work in relation to your chosen specialist practice.
Part 3: Consolidating Practice
This part of the course gives you the opportunity to take control of your own learning. You will come up with an idea for a project proposal. You will research, write and evaluate your proposal. From this you will produce a body of work for your final assessment. This work will also become part of the college's end of year exhibition.
Pathway and specialist option information:
Art
The art pathway has 4 specialist options:
Drawing and Conceptual Practice
Drawing is not only a research activity or preparation for another medium. It is developing it’s own diverse identity within fine art. Artists who use drawing create work in a variety of different ways. These include making individual works, books, film, animation, sound, installations and objects. In this specialist option, the idea comes first and then you find a way to express it.
What you can expect:
- A series of projects that reflect current art ideas
- Weekly seminars based on readings. These encourage you to engage with critical theory and contemporary issues surrounding art
- A program of lectures and exhibition visits
- To collaborate with the sculpture group on an exhibition. This will help you begin to learn how to curate a show, hang work and write a press release
Painting
This specialist option is about exploring the subject through the medium of paint. It also covers the expanded field of painting and new developments in the subject.
What you can expect:
- Regular presentations, talks, gallery visits and studio crits
- To gain a stronger contextual understanding of your work
- Projects that are with historical content and allow you to use mixed media
- Materials and methods workshops
Photography and Time Based Media
This specialist option covers a broad range of approaches to making art. These include analogue and digital photography, animation, installation, moving image, performance, projection, sound and video.
What you can expect:
- Projects that are concept based allowing for individual interpretation and outcome
- To explore the photographic process
- To be able to experiment with a range of cameras and projectors
- To work with old and new technologies
- A program of lectures and exhibition visits
- To learn new skills and build on existing ones. For example - cyanotype, photo polymer etching and screen-printing. How to process and develop in a darkroom. An introduction to video and editing and working in a digital darkroom
Sculpture
The sculpture specialist option is practical, theoretical, diverse and conceptual. Artists making sculpture use a wide variety of materials and processes. Sculptors are involved with object making, installation, interactive art, socially engaged practice, kinetic work, sound, film, performance, exploring site and presentation.
What you can expect:
- To learn processes such as casting, mold making and wood construction
- To be able to use the open access 3D workshop
- Projects that reflect current art ideas
- Projects that encourage you to think about the big ideas that sculpture deals with. These are the object, space, site, installation and audience
- A program of lectures and exhibition visits
- To develop ways of working that allow you to express your ideas as an artist
- To collaborate with the drawing and conceptual practice group on an exhibition. This will help you begin to learn how to curate a show, hang work and write a press release
Communication
The communication pathway has 3 specialist options:
Animation and Film
This specialist option has a focus on sequential images, animation and moving image. It also engages with narrative and documentary filmmaking.
What you can expect:
- To look at narrative structures and visual devices to help with the art of storytelling
- Projects that encourage you to create your own stories. You will also look at the interpretation other peoples’ texts
- To focus on all areas of the preproduction process. Including scripts and treatments, character development and casting, storyboarding, environment and set design
- To learn about the ‘rules of cinema’ and gain an understanding of film language
- To learn about storyboarding and how to communicate to an audience
- An introduction to production techniques and methods. These include the animatic, stop motion and 2D animation, live action, video editing, compositing and sound design
- Projects supported by workshops, presentations, tutorials, group discussions, technical demonstrations and contextual references
Graphic Design
A desire to communicate is central to graphic design. It is about new ideas and developing innovative and effective ways of communicating.
What you can expect:
- Projects that look at problem solving, the use of language, organisation of information, narrative structures and understanding an audience. These are the fundamental concerns of graphic design
- Projects that encourage exploration, research and discovery
- An approach to working that reflects the professional design world
- To engage with a wide variety of approaches. These include animation, drawing, film, photography, printmaking, 3D and typography
- Studio discussions and presentations that encourage you to look beyond the design world
Illustration
Illustration is about the communication of ideas through image making and the use of text.
What you can expect:
- To use drawing on a daily basis to research, develop and record ideas
- Projects that reflect the range of practice in the professional world
- Projects that allow you to work in a variety of different media, both 2D and 3D
- To look at ways of exploring ideas, storytelling and constructing images
Design
The design pathway has 3 specialist options:
Design for Theatre, Screen and Performance
Covers a wide range of subjects including:
- Costume design and making
- Immersive theatre
- Live performance
- Film production design
- Make-up and prosthetics
- Performance art
- Prop making
- Puppetry
- Technical effects
- Theatre design
What you can expect:
- An introduction to narrative, creating characters, spatial, lighting and sound design
- To work both on your own and within a group
- To be able to use our open access 3D workshop and performance spaces across the university
- To learn making skills
- Regular lectures and talks from industry professionals
- Trips to galleries and theatres
Textile Craft
Textile Craft will encourage you to explore materials and design. You will do this through making and experimentation. It is about investigating the possibilities of surface, fabric, form and construction.
What you can expect:
- Projects that will challenge ideas and beliefs about materials
- To look at a range of potential uses for materials. This could be decorative or commercial. You will look at digital design, installation, sculpture, performance and film
- To experiment using a range of different processes. These will include drawing, collage, stitch, print, knit, casting, moulding and constructing
- An emphasis on practical work and making in the studios. You will also use the Foundation technical workshops
- The use of sketchbooks and sample books to develop ideas and concepts
- To build an awareness of sustainability within textiles. This will include using the Wilson Road Garden to grow and make materials for construction, dyeing and printing
- Skills workshops, contextual lectures and research visits
3D, Product and Spatial Design
This covers the following areas:
- Architecture
- Design craft
- Fashion accessories and footwear
- Furniture
- Industrial, interior, product and spatial design
- Jewellery
What you can expect:
- To be able to use our open access 3D workshop
- To learn new skills and build on existing ones through workshops and from tutors
- To use design sheets and model making to present ideas
- To take part in discussion groups
