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A Level Art & Design: Fine Art

Do you enjoy drawing? Would you like to improve your skills and knowledge? Would you like the opportunity to see and understand the world in a different way? This course offers you the opportunity to develop creatively, either as a personally enriching interest or as part of a progression towards a career within the creative industries.

Key information

Art & Design / Full Time / A Levels and Equivalent

Why choose this course?

The course starts with a range of varied and challenging workshops which develop key skills and knowledge fundamental to the world of Art and Design. The course gradually builds around each student, to meet your creative interests and needs.

What will I learn?

You will begin the course with varied approaches to observation and drawing through which your visual understanding will improve. During a series of workshops you will explore a range of two-dimensional materials and approaches, such as tone, mark making, ink, mixed media, colour and painting. The workshops are structured to encourage personal confidence in your own preferences and interests. You will explore how a range of modern and historic artists have communicated ideas through their imagery and techniques.

Your sketchbook documents your evolving skills and knowledge along with new artistic terms and ideas, which you will record through your own style of note taking. By the end of the first year you will have developed a body of work which explores personal ideas through to a final outcome.

The second year builds on your learning. There is one personally negotiated, focused coursework project and one exam project. Experimental drawing practical workshops are held throughout the year, encouraging you to take risks and work in new and different ways.

As well as being creative, there is a small written element. The second year is supported by group presentations, strengthening your analytical skills through both discussion and written work, preparing you well for Higher Education. Towards the end of the course you are given eight weeks lecture time to prepare for a 15 hour exam. The preparation time forms a personal project responding to a chosen exam theme; the 15 hour exam time is used to create a final piece which resolves this final project.

Component 1: Personal Investigation

Internally Assessed
60% of A Level
The Personal Investigation consists of a major in-depth, practical, critical and theoretical investigative project/theme-based portfolio. Learners will be required to carry out an extended critical and contextual analysis (1000 word minimum requirement).

Component 2: Externally Set Assignment

Internally Assessed
40% of A Level
Learners will be required to independently develop a personal response to one of a varied range of stimuli. Learners will develop their response during a preparatory study period culminating in a 15 hour sustained focus study.

Assessment Arrangements

The Art Department is friendly, supportive, ambitious and hardworking. Achievement in this subject relies heavily on your attendance, punctuality and commitment to learning, both independently and within lectures.

You will be encouraged to try a broad range of approaches, which you will then refine into ways of working which suit your individual interests, acquiring and developing specialist skills in your chosen discipline.

Independent work is fundamental to the course at least 50% of all work assessed should have happened outside the classroom.

Homework is set weekly. Initially, it is set by lecturers and will be tightly specified and closely linked to class workshops; it will be monitored regularly. As the course develops you will be required to set your own homework/independent work based on agreed learning needs.

Your ongoing work will be assessed in lessons through focused 1:1 discussion. Sketchbook work will be assessed regularly for reflective, thoughtful, analytical critical evaluation and annotation. Emphasis is upon the development towards a final piece, through observation and technical, aesthetic and conceptual refinement.

You will also be assessed against how your research of art, craft, design, media and technologies in contemporary and past societies and cultures improves your own understanding and practice.

Discussions and presentations are a vital part of our assessment process and you will be expected to contribute to these during your lessons.

Information & Support

Independent practice will be supported through PowerPoints, worksheets and other guides available through our Sharepoint course. We also provide further support through focused boards on Pinterest. College trips to visit museums and galleries will be offered and we encourage our students to visit galleries both locally and nationally to support their work.

What will I need?

Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above and a 5 in English (Lang. or Lit). A satisfactory portfolio of Artwork must be presented at interview, and you will also require a keen interest in drawing to develop your creativity, as a design stimulus and as a means of gathering creative ideas and making them visible is absolutely essential.

Where will it take me?

A qualification in Fine Art is highly valued by many universities and employers alike. As a ‘classical’ ‘creative’ subject it is applicable to almost any progression in Art and Design. It is also an excellent subject to complement many courses, such as Architecture, Interior Architecture, History of Art, Film, Prosthetics and Theatrical Makeup, Art Therapy and Education.

Additional Information

Awarding Body:
Eduqas

Further Information

To obtain more information about this course, please call: 01208 224000 or email enquiry@callywith.ac.uk

From the course

Jenna Dolly Georgia

Jenna

Progression: Fine Art - Bath Spa University

Courses studied: A Level Fine Art, Geography, History and AS Graphics & Illustration

Extra activities: Duke of Edinburgh Award 

How are you finding your course/experience at university?

Starting university during a pandemic has been difficult, however I have felt so supported by the network at Bath Spa, since September, we have had a mix of online and in person teaching. These in person workshops and tutor sessions have been so helpful especially for such a practical course. When the third lockdown hit in January, I felt prepared for what was to come, as I had already experienced working from home during the first lockdown, finishing my foundation course. Although this was such a big change to the way I would normally work as an art student, the weekly online workshops and talks with the techs and tutors allowed me to continue to work effectively. Although this has been a very different year, I have met a fantastic group of people on my course, engaging with others in the studio has really helped me get through this first year, working together during workshops and group crits.

How did your time at Callywith influence and support your choice of/ transition to university?

I felt I had full support from lecturers to pursue the art foundation course, there were also lots of opportunities to find out about universities, from talks, tutor sessions dedicated to writing a personal statement and the UCAS fair helped me to gain a better understanding when choosing the right course and university. When applying during my foundation course, I found the whole process of writing a personal statement and applying a lot less daunting as I had already been supported with this.

What do you enjoy in particular about studying Art?

I really loved the Fine Art course at A level, I felt I gained a lot more confidence to try new processes and develop my own style. Exploring techniques in drawing and painting such as colour theory, tonal studies, mark-making to name a few, allowing the artwork you make to be more structured in technique. In my second year, I took AS graphics and illustration to gain a better understanding of the digital side of art, something which is really useful to know during your time at university. Printmaking was a great process which I have learnt so much from as this is an area of art that I am really excited to explore. In my second year, I went on the Berlin study visit which really helped to create the basis of my graphics project, where I took photos and visited various galleries. Working on my own practice now, I rely on these skills every day that I picked up during my time at Callywith, printmaking is a huge aspect of my work and exploring this during second year really enhanced this. My lecturers also gave me the confidence to try new things and further explore projects, this has really helped me, as a first year, you are encouraged to work independently.

How have your A Level studies helped you in your degree?

During my foundation, I found that we did similar work to A levels but in much more detail, the foundation course helps you to refine your skills through the pathway stage helping to see which areas of art and design you are most interested in. I found this helpful and exciting as I could focus all my time on art without dividing my time between other subjects. Whilst at Callywith, I explored new processes such as printmaking and working digitally, now at university, I have explored even more processes within printmaking, as well as attending workshops in wood, metal, sculpture and ceramics. As I already had this knowledge of working with new materials and processes, I was prepared when I started Uni. After studying A level History and Geography, this helped me to bring context to my practice. I enjoy using the theme of the environment in my work, studying Geography allowed me to link in specific and relevant facts, adding structure to the projects I work on.

What are you hoping to do in the future?

I am really excited by the idea of continuing to work on my own practice, after attending talks from artists and third year students, I look forward to working creatively. Whether this is for myself or as part of an organisation, I am also excited to further develop my practice through a masters, where I can specialise in a specific area of art.

Dolly

Progression: Architecture - Cardiff University

Courses studied: A Level Fine Art, History and Maths

Extra Activities: Holocaust Trust Ambassador and Young Curator’s Programme

How are you finding your course/experience at university?

I’m thoroughly enjoying my first year at University, although the pandemic has prevented many of my practical workshops, I’ve learnt a plethora of new skills and techniques.

How did your time at Callywith influence and support your choice of/ transition to university?

Callywith was extremely helpful with my next steps after college, with my Foundation application and also my University one even after I had left.

The extra-curricular opportunities Callywith offered helped immensely in my university application, I became a Holocaust Trust Ambassador providing me with the opportunity of visiting Auschwitz 1 and Birkenau in Krakow and I also was a part of the Young Curator’s Programme during my time at Callywith.

My love for art and my confidence in the subject grew so much whilst a student at Callywith with the help of my lecturer, applying the techniques learnt in first year to my own self-led projects in second year. These skills have helped greatly at University allowing me to have a more creative approach to my science-based course.

What are you hoping to do in the future?

After finishing my Masters at Cardiff University, I am hoping to work in a number of practices abroad and to complete the RIBA Part 3 which will allow me to be fully registered as an architect.

Georgia

Progression: Mechanical Engineering - Swansea University

Courses studied: A Level Maths, Physics, Fine Art and AS Further Maths

Extra Activites: Netball Academy

Previous School: Plymouth High School for Girls 

How are you finding your course/experience at university?

My first term at uni was entirely online with the exception of a couple bits of lab work that needed to be done and then the second term was completely virtual. I spent both terms up in uni halls, doing lots walking and running on the beach to keep myself active. I'm looking forward to finally doing some in person labs next year!

What do you enjoy in particular about studying Maths?

I found the A Level Maths Lecturer at Callywith and how he delivered the material, the best part of the course. Everything was explained so thoroughly and concisely that it made perfect sense.

There were also weekly drop in sessions and workshops that my lecturer ran that I found extremely helpful and was an opportunity to ask questions on work covered in the lesson or simply just a quiet space to work. I always felt supported by my Maths Lecturer and I liked how organised and structured the course was.

I chose to study mechanical engineering at university as I wanted to keep my options open as much as possible, as I wasn’t sure which engineering discipline I wanted to specialise into just yet. I looked through the modules of different engineering courses and decided that mechanical engineering would give me a taste of a bit of everything including coding, materials, CAD design, mechanics, industrial processes and lots more and therefore was best suited for me.

So far, my favourite modules have been fluid mechanics and design and materials. My materials lecturer is very funny and reminds me of my old Physics Lecturer, Dave, who always made physics enjoyable and memorable!

How have your A Level studies helped you in your degree?

Maths is a key building block for any engineering degree, so it was really important that I was fully confident in it and it set me up really well for my Engineering degree.

My Maths and Physics A Levels have helped me massively at university. A large portion of my first term was going over A Level content so I frequently referred back to my A Level notes and textbooks. Even now, everything that I learn in engineering is just building on the foundations put in during my A Levels.

What are you hoping to do in the future?

In the future, I plan on joining the Royal Navy as a Marine Engineer Officer. I’m fascinated by ships and propulsion systems and would love to travel the world and explore new places and I think the current advancements in naval technology and autonomy are extremely exiting.

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