Studying Art and Design

Each year class sizes differ, but we usually enrol roughly 30 students. Occasionally you need to work in project groups of 5 or 6, but most often you will be working on your own projects in our studios with other creative Foundation students. It is a friendly and supportive environment where you have your own workspace to explore your creative ambitions.

The learning is highly varied, intended to show you all the creative ways that art, design and media can be expressed. There is some research, because you need to know how and why things have been created, which will deepen your thinking and creativity. There are mini projects that are like taster sessions, so you get to try all different disciplines which will expand your skills and horizons. You have plenty of time to express your own ideas through sketching, drawing, painting, photography, digital and film and making by hand to bring your visions to life. You get to meet many different lecturers from different courses who give talks and tasks to help you grow creatively, to open your mind to all the possible routes within the creative industries.

Sketchbooks are really important, this is where you document your research and ideas for your project as well as recording your progress. As a record of your creative process when working on projects, the more creative they are (filled with life and colour, ideas etc) the better. We also encourage you to buy the art & design materials that you like to work in (pens, paper, paint etc), but you don’t need to buy everything (or all at once).

Students can progress onto any one of the following pathway degrees here are University of Staffordshire. These are: Fashion, Animation, Cartoon & Comic Arts, Fine Art, Product Furniture Ceramics, Automotive & Transport Design, Architecture, Graphics, Illustration, & Photography.