Art and Design (Photography)

Course summary

The Art Department is built on the philosophy that each student has what it takes to be a photographer and brings with them experiences and individuality which set them apart. “You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” Ansel Adams. We offer an innovative curriculum set around key points of extra-curricular intervention, industry experience and collaboration. Beyond practical skills we are looking to identify, celebrate, hone and distil creativity, work ethic, cognitive agility, steadfastness and forward planning. We look holistically at each artist coming through the ranks and believe we imprint aptitudes and practical skills that increase a person’s chance of living a happy and fulfilling life; earning money and professional success is an important part but not the only goal. Self-fulfilling independence is the journey and the destination. Our young people have many contemporary challenges to contend with, including the continued development of AI and its effect on which jobs may become redundant in the future, the complexity of prevalent societal ethics like gender identity and more. Our curriculum is responsive to this too. Our staff (James Hutch, Georgina Chapman-Ross, Lucy Parker, Ruth Leach and Ross Holden) are all practising artists and photographers who bring their contemporary experience to this process.