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Artist Designer Maker
Artist Designer Maker: Glass and Ceramics BA (Hons)
Artist Designer Maker: Glass and Ceramics BA (Hons)

Artist Designer Maker: Glass and Ceramics BA (Hons)

  • ID:US440035
  • Level:3-Year Bachelor's Degree
  • Duration:
  • Intake:

Fees (GBP)

Estimated Total/program:
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60
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100
Visa
20
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1

Admission Requirements

Entry Requirements

English Requirements

  • ​IELTS with an overall score of 6.0 and at least 5.5 in each component 
  • PTE 56 with no less than 51 in each skill.

Other Requirements

Portfolio requirements

We’ll invite you to an informal interview to talk about your work, where we would like to see evidence of your creative potential. Previous experience in glass, ceramics or making is not essential.

Please prepare a portfolio of work you have completed so far. We are not looking for perfection as we appreciate you are still developing work. Your portfolio should be simply mounted and include:

  • Art and design work completed in or outside of your studies
  • A variety of art and design work – we want to see a range of styles and technique
  • Ideas that didn’t work
  • Research: for example sketchbooks, scrapbooks of things that inspire you or design sheets
  • Photographs of 3D, and large 2D, work are acceptable
  • A USB stick or online link with any digital and screen-based work
  • Uncompleted or work in progress is also useful to see

If you are an international applicant, please send a link to your online portfolio.

 

Course Information

This exciting new course embraces the possibilities of making for both art and design. Glass and Ceramics are a focus but you can work in other materials, for example, wood, metal and plastic - as well as digital media. You will work in excellent individual student workspaces in studios in National Glass Centre and FabLab, bringing you into contact with professionals in the field as well as opportunities such as external competitions and exhibitions.

More info: Click here

Year 1 (national level 4):

Focus on skill acquisition to introduce a broad base of techniques:

  • Ceramics: throwing, glazes, hand building, slip casting, decals,mono-printing, press moulding
  • Glass: glassblowing, kiln casting, stained glass, glass painting, sandcasting, sandblasting, glass cutting, gluing and construction
  • Finishing techniques: grinding and polishing, wood finishing, metal patination
  • Digital crafts; for example rhinoceros, tinkercad, blender, fusion 360, 3d printing, water jet cutting, laser cutting
  • Wood and metal - basic skills
  • Artists talks and visits will provide examples of professional careers and practice verbal presentation skills
  • Aspects of historical and contemporary artist designer maker contexts
  • Academic research, referencing and writing skills

Core modules:

  • Studio Techniques for Making (60 credits)

Explore a variety of processes in glassmaking, ceramics, wood, metal and digital fabrication. Experience the value of team-work in shared studio spaces. Organise schedules for different making processes and accomplish new tasks to deadline. Learn traditional making techniques, as well as more recent developments such as waterjet cutting, 3D printing and laser cutting. Enhance your knowledge by researching technical processes used by other artists, designers and makers.

  • Ideas Into Practice (40 credits)

Gain the ability to use 3D design software and traditional drawing as tools to develop, research and design ideas. Explore the basic aspects of both traditional and digital drawing. Investigate processes of model making, testing of materials, and thinking skills to generate two bodies of work in response to a project brief. Gain a greater understanding of what different material processes have to offer you and advance your technical and manipulative skills.

  • Key Themes for Art, Design and Making (20 credits)

Develop your knowledge and understanding of the historical and contemporary contexts of art, design and making. Explore the work of significant key practitioners - artists, designers and makers. Understand the development of Modernism, Abstraction and Post Modernism and their relationship to movements in contemporary art, craft and design. Learn how to communicate your understanding and build your confidence in research skills, writing and presentations.

Year 2 (national level 5):

Focus on development of professional transferable skills, understanding of contexts of practice and broader cultural issues, and of independent study and skills acquisition:

  • Continuing skill acquisition, including printmaking for glass and ceramics, advanced ceramics techniques, and digital skills
  • Applying for ‘real world’ opportunities like competitions, exhibitions and work experience
  • First semester: Focus on work in place, space and context through developing a project in response to a specific place, purpose or audience
  • Design boards, visualisations and sample making
  • Second semester: planning, executing and evaluating a self-directed project for exhibition at a professional public gallery - usually at Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
  • Opportunity to study abroad including USA, Australia or Sweden

Core modules:

  • Making for Place, Space and Audience (40 credits)

Develop a project that investigates space, place, context and audience. Explore different modes of practice including socially engaged, site-specific and site-sensitive and working to commission for clients. Identify and use appropriate skills and techniques in the manipulation of materials for a particular place, space, or context. Learn analogue and digital (Rhino) model-making skills and develop testing methodologies to explore your ideas at smaller scale. Develop confidence to pitch your ideas to intended audience and potential clients and learn how to use analogue and digital skills (Illustrator) to create a design board that charts your ideas visually.

  • Making for Exhibition (40 credits)

Exhibit your work in a professional gallery (either online or in the gallery). Explore your creative potential and extend your technical abilities through the creation of a body of work. Develop, implement and reflect upon your own work, and exhibit as part of a group show hosted by Shipley Art Gallery and Museum in Gateshead. Expand your knowledge of project management through helping to organise and curate the exhibition.

  • Dialogues in Art, Design and Making (20 credits)

Develop your academic skills, including researching, reading and writing. Build on your writing skills and plan a written argument. Hear from professional artists through the weekly 'Creative Lives' programme. Gain a unique insight into professional artists' practice and possible career pathways.

  • Collaborative Creativity (20 credits)

Negotiate a relevant placement where you will position your practical and creative skills, build networks and begin to identify relevant professional pathways. Alternatively, work with fellow students from across our different Arts disciplines to create a group negotiated creative outcome.

Final year (national level 6):

The final year is geared towards the exhibition of a professional body of work at National Glass Centre:

  • Experimentation, visualization, testing in order to develop a professional and resolved body of work for exhibition
  • Refinement of making skills, finishing techniques, presentation methods and consolidation of ideas in a final body of artworks
  • Research and write a critical dissertation relevant to students’ individual studio work and/or career goals. Also, focus on establishing a professional identity and career plan
  • Research career options, understand the nature of the sector the student aspires to enter and in turn develop a relevant career plan
  • Develop online portfolio or drawings and finished work

Core modules:

  • Experiment Visualise Prototype (40 credits)

Experiment with a range of materials and processes. Make a body of test pieces while developing a specialised understanding of your materials and the technologies required to develop your ideas into an object. Record your research and experimentation in a testing folder to provide a solid reference for future work. Explore how to realise your ideas in two dimensions through drawing and other image making processes, and through computer aided modelling. Produce a professionally presented portfolio of images and design proposals to display a clear narrative on the development of your ideas. Present a prototype artwork or object.

  • Refine Resolve Exhibit (40 credits)

Explore your creative potential and extend your technical abilities to a professional level. Create work with a high degree of sophistication and conceptual rigor for online exhibition. Benefit from further opportunities to exhibit within the National Glass Centre and elsewhere. Plan a scheme of work and manage your personal project. Set and achieve goals, culminating in the production of a body of work with a personal creative identity.

  • Dissertation: Your Creative Context (20 credits)

Research and write a dissertation of 3500-4500 words that relates to themes and issues relevant to your studio practice or your career ambitions. Demonstrate coherent specialist knowledge and understanding of the historical and contemporary themes/practices relevant to artists, designers and makers and how these relate to your own independent work. Evaluate the creative context in which you hope to work in the future and develop your understanding of the professional world in which you hope to work.

  • Professional Practice: Planning Your Creative Career (20 credits)

Develop a career planning portfolio which will help you launch your professional career on graduation. Understand where your practice is placed within the creative industries and prepare yourself to enter your chosen sector. Research the requirements and principles of self-employment and graduate employment. Explore methods of recording and promoting your work and understand the principles of how to cost work realistically. Learn how to produce a range of presentation and communication materials appropriate to present your practice in a professional manner to your intended audience.

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Career Opportunity

Career Opportunity

A key difference between University lecturers and school or college teachers is that university academics undertake research, as well as teaching, in order to advance knowledge in their subjects. Your lecturers will use the experience and knowledge that they gain from this in order to support you to achieve your goals. You are likely to benefit from research in a number of ways including:

  • Publications by your lecturers in your module reading lists
  • Lecturers giving presentations on their artworks and projects and discussing them in seminars
  • Invitations to visit exhibitions by lecturers
  • Opportunities for you to work alongside your lecturers on research projects
  • Presentations by external contacts made by your lecturers through their research
  • Presentation by PhD students about their research

Ability to settle

Overseas Student Health Cover

Insurance-Single: 300 GBP/year

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