Fine Art with Foundation Year

If you don't meet the entry requirements for our BA (Hons) course, or you’d like extra preparation before starting degree-level study, we recommend you join the foundation year – which has been designed to encourage exploration and experimentation.

Studying Fine Art develops the imagination practical and critical skills needed for an ever-changing world. This course will help you develop your individual art practice and build your networks to open up future professional opportunities.

How you learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Based in our bespoke studios, workshops, and digital spaces, you’ll become part of a dynamic and collaborative learning community. Together, you’ll undertake creative adventures, explore possibilities, and challenge conventions.

Through our teaching, we help you unlock your potential to contribute as a creative thinker and doer and apply your knowledge to art practice, culture and society.

You learn through:

Key themes

Throughout the course, you’ll develop your making and thinking skills using a diverse range of creative processes, media and software – and you’ll explore ideas and practices through workshops led by skilled tutors and technicians.

Activities include painting, print, sculpture, installation, photography, moving image, performance and interaction, art writing, site-specific and socially-engaged/participatory work, and other forms of contemporary art practice.

You’ll learn different methods for research, understanding how artists work and think, and how research supports the development of contemporary practice. By collaborating with others, you’ll build confidence in communicating ideas and sharing your work with audiences.

At every step, we’ll help you position your practice in relation to real-world opportunities and challenges, so you can create work for particular contexts and participants through exhibitions, screenings and other live projects with external partners.

Course support

We’re a dedicated, qualified, and highly experienced teaching team, with world-leading research and recognised professional creative reputations, who take the time to get to know you.

Throughout your learning journey, you’ll experience a range of dedicated personal, academic and career development support, such as:

The course develops strategies of attention, empathy, imagination, courage and resilience in the face of an uncertain future.

Applied learning

Your course has been designed to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful.