Art and Design Textile Design

ART AND DESIGN TEXTILE DESIGN

WHAT IS TEXTILE DESIGN?
Textile Design involves the creation of forms, surfaces and images using fabrics and materials. Textiles can be developed into fashion design, interior textiles, as well as sculpture and wall hangings. In Textile Design you will be introduced to many traditional methods, but you will also be encouraged to explore experimental approaches. This subject is quite different from Textiles at GCSE; the emphasis is an Art & Design approach to Textiles.

WHY SHOULD I STUDY TEXTILE DESIGN?
If you enjoy working with fabrics and materials in a creative manner then Textiles is the subject for you. Textiles is a very hands-on practical course and can be very rewarding.

USEFUL SKILLS & INTERESTS
You should have a keen interest in textiles, fashion and interior and a good interest in the visual arts generally. You should enjoy image making in both 2 and 3 dimensions.

COURSE STRUCTURE & CONTENT
During the AS course you will be taught various textiles techniques including hand embroidery, couching, weaving, machine embroidery, appliqu, and fabric dying. You will also creatively explore materials use as wire, plastic and cling film. As you progress through the course you will learn how to explore your own personal ideas and develop your samples into final finished pieces. The course is made up largely of practical tasks, however, you will be expected to make notes and analyse art and design works which relate to your own projects. If you decide to progress to the A2 year, you will develop your skills further by producing more in-depth and ambitious work.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
All your work will be assessed by your subject tutor. At different times during the course you will be asked to hand in your work so that your progress can be monitored. You will receive feedback from your tutor, advising you on what to do to improve your grade. At the end on each topic you will submit your work for final assessment. The AS course is made up of 2 units. Unit 1 is your portfolio unit and here you will submit a folder of work for assessment. Unit 2 is externally set so you are given an exam paper with different projects to choose from. Following an initial period of preparation time in lessons, you will have a 5 hour exam which will focus on development work. You will then start a second period of preparation for this unit, the aim is that you will work to realise your ideas into a final piece. There is no revision as all the work is practical.

COURSE COMMITMENT
We expect our students to be well motivated and enthusiastic. You must attend all lessons and never book holidays in term time as this can seriously affect your overall grade. Each week you will be given a homework task which will underpin and reinforce ideas explored in lessons. You will be expected to spend 4 hours on homework tasks each week. In addition to your lessons you will have access to the Art and Design studios in Workshop time as well as in your Personal Study Periods.

COURSE COSTS
Art and Design can be an expensive subject to study. At Prior Pursglove College you will be given lots of materials free of charge. Depending on the Art course you take these studio items include materials such as charcoal and pastels, acrylic paint, oil paint, water based and oil based printing inks, paper, photographic chemicals, sewing threads, calico, silk, batik wax, fabric dyes and inks. We ask students to contribute 35 towards the cost of materials as you begin your course in September, this enables us to cover some of the costs of the materials we supply to you. You will also have free access to SLR and digital cameras, computers, sewing machines, darkroom equipment and printing facilities.

PROGRESSION ROUTES
Many students do decide that they would like to continue with their art studies at a higher level and there are a number of progression routes available to you. The usual route is to study a Foundation Diploma Course before applying to do Art and Design at degree level and we would recommend that students follow this line. However, we have had students who have wanted to apply directly to universities from A level and many have been successful in obtaining places.

Textile degrees can vary across the country; there are degrees in Textiles, Fashion, Interior Textiles, Applied Design and Surface Pattern and many, many more. Jobs in Textiles are equally as diverse.