Art and Design (Fine Art)

Course summary

If you enjoy being creative, want to improve your practical application and enhance your analytical, communication and research abilities, then Art and Design is the right choice for you. The wide range of skills you stand to gain will not only complement other subjects but are qualities you can draw upon in life outside of school. Students without a GCSE in Art and Design have been admitted onto the course in the past and have been very successful. Art makes self-starters and emotional intelligence: Studying Art is unique in the sense that you will have the freedom to set your agenda and follow your interests, rather than follow prescribed topics as in other subjects. You will have to make independent decisions and will be expected to engage frequently and thoughtfully in self-reflection. You will also need to be brave in exposing your creations and accepting criticism. You will work in teams, which will require consistently good communication. Arts students are highly sought-after by employers: Many employers now actively seek those who have studied the arts. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was fond of saying his success was due to his hiring artists fascinated by technology rather than computer specialists. Top talent management agency, The Curve Group, specialising in financial and business services, observes that employees who have obtained arts degrees develop more quickly in their professional roles and are more likely to display qualities of discipline and self-confidence, as well as the ability to accept criticism. Arts ‘reach the parts other subjects can’t reach’: The arts develop the broader dimensions of the human being – mind, body and soul. The arts can express the inexpressible and make sense of things that otherwise do not seem to. This can be very fulfilling and helps us function as human beings – which can only be good for society as a whole. You will draw, print, photograph, animate and develop your filmmaking skills. You will research the work of other artists, architects, designers, photographers and film directors. You will undertake a thematic project which will focus on your interests. The theme is set by you in discussion with your art teacher and this will reflect upon and respond in some way to your own life and the world you live in. The coursework element is accompanied by a related written study consisting of between 1000 and 3000 words. The study focuses on links between work produced by you and that of a range of other art practitioners from a broad field including fine art, photography and filmmaking. For the exam, you will be encouraged to research and develop a response to a given theme which should be personal and deal with issues relevant to your times.