Level 3 Art & Design

This exciting two-year course is equivalent to 3 A Levels and will allow you to express your imagination and unlock your creativity through a range of artistic disciplines. You will be able to specialise within your preferred medium, allowing you to hone your skills, interpret briefs with creative freedom, and build an impressive portfolio. The course will allow you to be immersed in all aspects of the creative process, including idea generation, research gathering, experimentation, and review and development of more resolved outcomes. We collaborate with a number of local organisations to give you the opportunity to work on exciting live briefs and exhibitions.

The creative industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK, generating more than £100 billion a year to the UK economy and employing more than two million people. This means there are lots of exciting career opportunities in this market. This creative course will enable you to develop skills and knowledge within a variety of art and design disciplines, allowing you to progress on to employment or further study.

During your course you will take part in exciting enrichment activities and develop an outstanding portfolio of work. This will enhance your employability and help you to impress at future interviews within education or employment.

This course covers diverse disciplines and genres to nurture your skills and creativity. From studying the works of influential historical and contemporary artists, to fine-tuning your research skills, this course provides a wealth of inspiration. Engage in a wide range of artistic practices, including 2D art (drawing, painting, printmaking), textiles, 3D art, ceramics, graphic design, photography, and contextual studies. You will have the opportunity to specialise in your chosen medium, tailoring your practice to align with your future career aspirations, as well as developing an outstanding portfolio of work that will enhance your employability and help you impress at future interviews.

This forward-thinking course works with numerous practicing artists, including our own artist in residence. Our tutors have a vast range of experience in the industry across disciplines including fine art, fashion and textiles, 3D and ceramics, graphics, media, and photography. You will also have the opportunity to take part in guest lecture workshops with employers, as well as completing live briefs for local community groups and employers.

To maximise your artistic potential, you will carry out a work placement in a field of your choice. Past students have undertaken enriching roles at galleries within Warrington Museum, or even put their practical skills to the test at venues such as Blakemere Craft Centre, enhancing their communication, teaching and problem-solving skills.

You will also have the opportunity to take part in competitions, with previous students taking home a variety of coveted titles in the past. You will also be able to exhibit your own work in popular venues, which will look great on your UCAS application and even on your CV.

You will be allocated a progress coach who will provide you with support to help you succeed on your study programme and progress on to your chosen career or progression path. We have a team of staff dedicated to providing learning support if required, as well as a Welfare Team that is on hand to offer guidance, support and help when needed.

Additionally, eligible students can access a wide range of finance and funding support to help them during their time at college.

Click here for learning support: https://wvr.ac.uk/college-life/learning-support

Click here for finance support: https://wvr.ac.uk/college-life/financial-support

The art department are very proud to be working alongside University of Arts London, who will be the awarding body for this qualification.

Throughout your course you will study in our state-of-the-art, specialist creative arts workshops and media studio as well as our fully equipped Apple Mac computer suites. Our workshops contain all the latest materials related to fine art, textiles, printmaking, and ceramics. You will learn from highly experienced tutors, alongside our artist in residence, who has a wealth of relevant industry experience. Our tutors have a breadth of specialist knowledge in a wide range of related disciplines within both art and design and digital arts, which will enhance your technical skills and knowledge.

Local and national trips are continually organised to inspire your artistic journey. Previous students have visited Berlin, New York, and Barcelona to view works from internationally renowned artists. You will also have the opportunity to visit The Tate Gallery, Manchester City Art Gallery, Whitworth Art Gallery, Museum of Science and Industry, and the Natural History Museum, to enhance your creativity.

You will need a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English and/or maths, or you will need to have successfully completed a level 2 course. If you have not already achieved a grade 4 in your GCSE English or maths, you will be required to work towards either a functional skills qualification or a GCSE in English or maths as part of your study programme.

The college provides some specialist art equipment and materials, but students are expected to purchase their own sketchbooks, folders, and basic art kits. These can be bought from the college art shop. Students will also be required to pay for printing of work as and when required.