Fine Art with Foundation Year

Why study BA (Hons) Fine Art at BNU? Inspiring facilities As student studying fine art, you’ll be homed in a dedicated studio space. This will serve a space where you can explore your craft and cultivate your artistic practice. In addition, you'll enjoy access to a wide array of Art & Design resources, enhancing your creative journey.

You can take advantage of our Fashion and Textile workshops, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including screen printing, and letterpress equipment, knit machines and Dye Lab. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to explore your creativity in our 3D design workshops, where you can work with various materials such as ceramics, metalwork, and woodworking.

You'll also be supported to develop your photographic, as well as moving image techniques, in our industry-standard photography studios and wet darkroom. Additionally, you’ll be able to edit any video and photographic work with the latest Adobe Creative software in our dedicated Mac media suites. Our team of specialised technicians and demonstrators are readily available on-site to provide support and share their expertise whenever you require assistance.

Discover your career path Fine art offers a remarkable opportunity to embark on a global journey, from art galleries and exhibitions to immersive experiences and commissioned projects. Regardless of where you envision your artistic endeavours taking you, with BNU guidance, you can transform your creative ideas and concepts into a thriving career.

Being a part of the Art, Design and Performance School at BNU means you'll benefit from a hands-on course grounded in practical experience and complemented by contextual studies. You'll have the opportunity to engage with various courses across the university in collaborative projects. This will enable you to establish a diverse network, reflecting the realities of the real world.

Our Fine art degree empowers you to become a versatile artist, cultivating a distinct artistic identity and honing the research methods that best align with your unique creative vision.

Industry connections Your lecturers will provide you with current insight into the subject, as well as develop your learning through research, collaborative projects, industry briefs and external opportunities. This will help you refine your new skills, methods and knowledge to become critically engaged with your practice.

Due to connections with the Buckinghamshire Cultural Strategy Group, you could have access to involvement with professional exhibition or curatorial projects in collaboration with some of the county’s galleries and museums.

What will I study? Whether your passion lies in ceramics, woodwork, metalwork, sculpture, photography, video, painting, drawing, or any other artistic medium, your degree empowers you to craft compelling pieces that transcend individual media. As an artist, you are encouraged to flourish through collaborative projects with your fellow students, actively engage with the community, and partner with external organizations to expand and share your creative practice.

During your time studying this degree you’ll engage with cutting edge approaches to material and visual practices, as well as those that challenge the boundaries of the field. This is done through conceptual, theoretical, cultural, and ethical frameworks that underpin the contemporary arts, through practical workshops, studio-based practice and self-managed projects.

This course is also offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year is a valuable stepping-stone, enabling you to enhance your academic study skills, bolster your confidence, and identify your individual strengths and areas for growth as you prepare for progression into the fine art classes and undergraduate program.