home

=FdA Contemporary Crafts Practice=

Course Leader: Ashley Heminway

Contemporary Crafts is a diverse and exciting sector of the visual arts, which encourages creative thinking through direct practical engagement with materials and processes. This course allows students to work with mixed media including ceramics, metal, plastics glass and textiles and provides them with a strong basis of skills to establish themselves as a practitioner. Making is taught alongside research, ideas development, IT and professional practice to develop self-management and skills necessary for employment within the creative industries. Tutors and visiting lecturers are practicing designer/makers as jewellers, ceramic artists, fabric and textile designers and glass artists, who exhibit and sell work within the professional arena.

Ceramics, metal and mixed media including plastic, glass and constructed textiles can be undertaken, individually or in combination. Interdisciplinary practice links the specialism’s including mould making, printing processes and computer-aided design, and allows for research across the areas. Practical work is supported by practice led research and cultural and critical studies which facilitate and inform developmental thinking within studio practice. Personal and professional practice runs throughout the course and provides practical guidance and experience to locate and promote skills and work within a professional context.
 * Areas of study **

The beginning of the course involves a series of inductions into workshops, which then allows students to progress to more self-directed study, allowing development of specialist areas of interest. Throughout, students are guided and supported by group debate, individual tutorial guidance and specialist seminars. There is also an organised study visit; past students have visited Rome, Paris and Istanbul.
 * Course structure **

During year 2 students will complete a program of self-directed work experience, which will be linked to areas of interest. Students have worked with international ceramicists and jewellers in the UK and abroad, with the Craft Council, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Imperial war museum and also with local galleries and charitable organisations. Second year students enter the Pewter Live competition organised by The Worshipful Company of Pewterers in the City of London and have won many prizes including the Best College entry. The year will culminate with an exhibition of carefully curated work, which students must approach in a professional manner demonstrating good organisational and planning skills.

Y ear 1 // • Personal and Professional Development // // • Practice-led Research // // • Computer-aided Craft Design // // • Ceramics // // • Interdisciplinary Practice with Mixed Media // // • Metals // // • Cultural and Critical Studies // // • Independent Project // Y ear 2 // • Professional Practice // // • Practice-led Research // // • Specialist Studio Pathway // // • Cultural and Critical Studies // // • Exhibition project //
 * Syll abus **