Art & design, access to he diploma level 3

2. Course description Summary: This course provides an excellent preparation for study on a wide range of art degree courses. Course description: Do you enjoy drawing, being creative, thinking about the visual? Would you like to extend your ideas and develop a range of skills? Are you interested in eventually studying for a degree in art and design? If you have had some recent involvement with art and design, and enjoy independent learning this could be the course for you. You will spend two days a week in our well equipped studios working with enthusiastic and committed tutors, who are all practicing artists, across a range of disciplines. You will also study Contextual Studies for 2.5 hours/week which will help prepare you for the theoretical element of all degree courses. It will include lectures, discussion groups, essays and practical work. Our aim is to help you develop a critical awareness of why you do what you do rather than just showing you how to do something. The course is divided into three stages: The first stage introduces you to skills and new ways of thinking about observation drawing, painting, textiles, 3-dimensional design, printmaking and an introductory project. The project will help you to develop, analyse, evaluate, sustain and resolve your ideas. The second stage consists of a thematic and self-elected project, which you can develop in any media or direction than you wish in consultation with your tutors. The third stage consists of a final major project which gives you the opportunity to design, plan and take much more responsibility for the direction of your work. As part of the course there are study trips to galleries and museums.