Education Secondary and Creative Arts Practice

This contemporary creative arts degree is based on the fundamental principles of professional, practical studio practice supported by theory, interdisciplinarity, and entrepreneurship.

We assume that you're primarily a practitioner, driven by the desire to create in a variety of media. The majority of your time will be taken up with creating in a studio or workshop; however contextual, critical and reflective thinking will be required and encouraged – practitioners don't create work in a cultural vacuum.

The course encourages and supports cross-fertilisation of ideas and collaborative practice across subject areas. The multidisciplinary nature of the course places you in a unique position to combine practice and theory from both areas of study in radical and innovative ways.

Throughout the programme you'll also engage in public exhibitions, publishing or performances. Alongside these professional opportunities, in your final year, you'll be encouraged to develop opportunities relating to your future career.

The Professional Practice modules in years two and three aim to help you develop the practical, professional skills you’ll need to flourish in the industry, including social networking, photographing your work, creating digital portfolios, applying for competitions, marketing, creating a web presence, setting up a business, working on commissions, pricing your work, approaching galleries, exhibiting and fundraising.

The course’s inherent multidisciplinarity and the experiences you will encounter working with a variety of materials and contexts, will broaden your skill-set and enhance your employability, enabling you to work confidently across a range of scenarios.

Year one
We’ll encourage you to experiment in a number of disciplines, gaining extensive knowledge and fundamental skills. You’ll also study context and theory, supported by lectures and seminars that will develop your understanding of current and historical debates in art and design practice.

You’ll choose modules* from two of the following four core subject areas:

• 2D (Painting and Drawing)
• 3D (Ceramics and Sculpture)
• Graphic arts
• Mixed Media Textiles
• Live Art.

Optional modules include Photography, Moving Image, Printmaking and Ceramics. Alongside these subjects you’ll attend contextual studies lectures that will introduce you to the history of creativity and culture.

Year two
You’ll have the opportunity to specialise in one discipline, or continue with two areas of study. Contextual studies lectures continue and will examine current thinking and debates around aesthetic theory. During the second part of the year you’ll begin a programme of professional practice, with opportunities to publicly exhibit your work.

Year three
In your final year you’ll continue to develop your practice to produce a body of work for public exhibition at the school degree show. You'll also complete a dissertation on a subject of your choosing. Professional development opportunities will encourage you to expand your skills in areas such as web design, marketing and project management. By gaining the necessary expertise, you’ll maximise your potential as a creative practitioner after graduation.

_{*For a full list of available modules, please see the programm document on this page.}

You’ll be assessed entirely by coursework such as portfolios, exhibitions, written papers and live presentations. There are no written exams.

You'll be taught by practising artists, sculptors, designers, writers and performers who have excellent research profiles in exhibition, publication, recording and performance.

You’ll learn through through practical workshop sessions, individual supervision, seminars and lectures. You’ll also have access to an extensive weekly programme of visiting lectures from practising artists, curators, critics and gallerists.

You’ll have the opportunity to study in a wide range of locations around the world. Our students have completed exchange programmes in a variety of countries including Spain, Sweden and the USA.

You'll have the opportunity to undertake group study visits to London and major exhibitions in cities across the country. In recent years, overseas study trip destinations have included Venice, Berlin, Paris and Barcelona. where students have visited international artists and designers' studios.

You can also apply to study abroad as part of the Erasmus+ scheme. Previous students have studied in Japan, China, Australia, the USA, Taiwan, Switzerland and Germany. Please note that study visits and overseas study may incur extra costs on top of your course fees.

There are opportunities for you to undertake work placements as part of the professional practice programme, and you can also take the Professional Placement Year between your second and final years of study.

The optional Professional Practice modules in your second and final years give you the opportunity to exhibit / perform / publish at a host of sites, both in and outside of the University. Our students have done so at the University Theatre, Walcot Chapel, 44AD Gallery, Royal United Hospital, Michael Tippet Centre, American Museum, Bath Artists’ Studios, Holburne Museum, Centerspace Bristol and Bargehouse London.

You’ll graduate with a broad portfolio of expertise to accompany specialist knowledge in your particular field(s).

The majority of our graduates will progress to art-related employment or self-employment, whether as a studio-based artist, public artist or in the realm of arts management or arts administration.

The course also attracts many students wishing to pursue a career in art education.

We’ll encourage you to participate in competitions such as the Porthleven Prize and the Gane Trust Travel Grant among many others.

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

As a BA Creative Arts Practice student you’ll benefit from access to comprehensive digital workshops and specialist art and design facilities, including:

• Our student service point at Locksbrook where you can purchase subsidised art and design materials, hire out equipment for free and collect Library resources
• Access to our well-stocked Library at Newton Park
• Specialist technical workshops across all of art and design
• Access to studio space where you can work on projects and refine your practice.

You’ll have access to an excellent range of studios and workshops in painting, sculpture, textiles, photography and printmaking.