What will I study?
Art and Design: Textiles aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to successfully progress onto higher or further education courses in Fashion, Textiles or other Art disciplines. Students have access to an exciting array of equipment and technologies to refine their ideas towards producing a personal outcome. Over the duration of the course students will develop fashion design ideas, which may include digital designs with Photoshop. Students use research and problem-solving to independently develop ideas. Analysis of visual imagery helps students to interpret visual language and use it to communicate complex and personal concepts. The course requires students to make in-depth personal and imaginative responses to chosen themes and has a strong academic element through the critical evaluation of the work of artists and designers. Students learn how to develop ideas in response to contextual studies through exploration of media, techniques and processes.
• Component 1:
Personal Investigation (60%)
The coursework includes a ‘Personal Investigation’ through sketchbooks and outcomes, and a written ‘Personal Study’.
Component 2: Externally Set
Assignment (40%)
The examination includes sketchbooks and outcomes completed from January to April with a 15 hour exam to produce final outcomes.
Both components involve creative problem solving which requires students to undertake investigative and research work in addition to experimental exploration, looking at alternative ways of finding a solution. Sketchbook work needs to be informed, purposeful and extensive. Students must work with independence carrying out in-depth research from a range of primary sources, critiquing and referencing their experimentation before developing their final responses. The independent and open nature of work is demanding. Therefore, students must be prepared to be committed, self-motivated, and innovative risktakers.
Where will it lead?
This course can lead onto a wide range of Art and Design degree courses at university. In the past our students have gone on to study courses in Fashion: Design, Buying and Management, Styling, Tailoring, Communication and Textile: Design, Print, Surface Design, as well as Make-up Design, Costume Design, History of Fashion and many more.
Links with other courses
Art and Design: Textiles is complementary to most subjects but in particular; Media, English, Psychology, Film Studies, History, Drama, Classical Civilisation, Fine Art, Photography and Graphics.
