MODULES
Year 1
CORE MODULES
Contextual Studies 1
Contextual Studies in the first term equips you to understand the history of fine art, fine art technology, graphic design, design interaction, illustration, animation, photography and creative writing and its relevance today. The module comprises thematic lectures, seminars, screenings and field trips as well as keystone research and writing skills such as the use of citation, referencing and academic integrity appropriate to undergraduate study. The module content will support development of your practical work on the adjoining modules. At the end of the module, you would have developed the skills for analysing and contextualising your own work, and that of your peers.
Practice 1
The module serves as a rigorous introduction to a creative practice, an overview of fundamental skills that will enable experimentation and application, developing their own working practice. The module aims to provide you with an introduction to practical and critical study, to understand the role of research in creative practice and in supporting the development of creative projects. The approach aims to imbue an experimental and open-minded attitude that enhances levels of production, strengthens adaptability, personal confidence and the ability to creatively solving visual ideas. Through experimental and production of work, you will understand your work in relation to research and feel empowered. The module allows you to discuss and develop your work with the help of group critiques and views of others in the enhancement of ideas through to creative outcomes.
At the end of the module you will be able to begin to self-manage the development of a creative practice, and to disseminate ideas.
Experimentation and Application 1A
The module introduces you to a range of processes and practices, skills and knowledge, through a series of workshops and projects. The module equips you to discover a range of techniques working within context of your discipline and support their developing practice.
The module focuses on process, developing skills and practical knowledge encouraging you to discover a range of creative ways of working within the context of your discipline as well as extended practice supporting your developing practice. The module is backed up through regular group tutorials.
Experimentation and Application 1B
The module introduces you to a further range of processes and practices, skills and knowledge, through a series of workshops, projects and electives to extend their practice.
Technical introductions and workshops enable you to broaden the scope of your skills and practice, as well as specific workshops pertinent to contemporary processes and methods, including a range of analogue and digital tools.
These skills and processes are introduced and discussed in relation to the development of a visual language applicable to contemporary fine art, graphic design, illustration, photography and animation practice.
The module allows you to present your work to audiences, testing your ideas and concepts, receiving feedback feeding forward to your practice and to level 5 of study. Cross-disciplinary exhibitions are encouraged as well as inter-disciplinary discourse.
The module Practice into Research supports the module, and allows you to contextualise your practice in a form of a presentation of your work.
Research into Practice 1
You will begin to establish an intellectual framework within which you can begin to understand a relationship between theory and your own practice. You will begin to contribute critically in the seminars, in relation to contemporary and historical research methodologies. The module is supported by one-to-one tutorials. At the end of the module, you will have developed the skills for analysing and contextualising your own work, to be applied further in second year of your study. The outcome of this module is both a presentation of your practice or research area and a written work.
The lectures are complemented by tutor led discussion focusing on student work in progress, interrogating the practical work within the context established by the lectures in order to promote deeper understanding and extend creative ambition.
Professional Life 1 (Mental Wealth)
Developing the key psychological and physical determinants of human performance are increasingly critical for successful graduate-level employment, entrepreneurship and career progression in the 4th industrial revolution.
This module will provide you with the opportunity to identify the skills, competencies and experience required for successful development to, and in, a range of potential future career areas.
Herein you will begin to recognise the areas for your own personal professional development (including emotional, social, physical, cultural and cognitive intelligences) through taught and workshop activity.
Central to the developmental process is for each student to cultivate the reflective skills, openness and self- awareness to enable themselves to assess what they are doing, identify areas for improvement, and confidently receive and give constructive feedback. You will additionally develop knowledge of strategies to advance your own physical intelligence through 'life style' and 'self-care' approaches to inform their health and wellbeing.
Having acquired understanding of the key developmental areas, you will have opportunity to join in-house activities as a trainee, mentored and supervised by students from higher years. In this position you will learn and begin to apply the cognitive, cultural and social intelligences developed elsewhere in your studies (and from external activities) as required in the workplace, namely cognitive flexibility, emotional resilience, motivation, ethical decision-making, managing your audience, coordinating with others, negotiation, creativity, active listening, attention, problem solving, research, synthesis and analysis.
Year 2
CORE MODULES
Contextual Studies 2
At Contextual Studies Level 5, you will consolidate and continue to advance the theories and research methodologies introduced at level 4. In addition, you will begin to build a critical thinking and understanding of contemporary art and design production, dissemination and reception within an expanded field. By addressing the historical, political, economic, social, environmental and ethical aspects of art and design, this module aims to equip you with the main discussions concerning these issues, and the space to test their understanding of them in relation to art and design practice (your own, and that of your peers).
The module develops your advanced conceptual skills and analytical abilities, research and writing skills appropriate to the study of art and design at this level, feeding directly into key studio project across the year so that the research methodologies we develop may be tested and deeper connections between practice and theory explored.
The module is further supported making use of the opportunities for the first-hand encounter with visual art and design available in London art galleries, museums and art institutions.
Practice 2
The module enables students to expand on the skills and knowledge from level 4, encouraging students to take risks, try new things, not to be afraid of learning through mistakes and failure to develop their practice. This, in turn, will help students to begin to define their individual approach to fine art, fine art technology, graphic design, design interaction, illustration, animation and photography.
The emphasis of this module will be on research and the development of a body of references that supports practice-based outcomes, supported by Contextual Studies module.
Advanced Experimentation and Applications
The module builds on the technical processes introduced through workshops and technical demonstrations at Level 4, focusing on developing your advanced technical skills and locating your work in relevant professional and creative contexts. The module equips you to experiment with and make appropriate use of materials, processes, and technologies, showing understanding of quality standards and attention to detail.
The module delivery includes advanced workshops / masterclasses by tutors who are working in the industry /industry connections/ visits to industry or e.g. professional production companies.
The module supports development of work in other level 5 modules.
Advanced Practice
The module will allow you to develop your practice as an artist, design thinker, illustrator, animator and photographer. The module develops an individual working practice supported by group seminars and one to one tutorials. It also introduces you to working collaboratively via presentation of work at the end of year showcase.
The module enables you to expand on the skills and knowledge from level 4, encouraging you to take risks, try new things, not to be afraid of learning through mistakes and failure to develop your practice. At the end of the module you will be able to begin to self-manage the development of a creative practice, install and exhibit your work, and disseminate ideas to audiences.
The module will prepare you to undertake an independent project in their discipline of fine art, fine art technology, graphic design, design interaction, illustration, animation, photography in level 6.
Research into Practice 2
The module continues to build students’ critical thinking and understanding of contemporary art and design production, dissemination and reception within expanded field. The module aims to equip students the space to test their understanding of theories and debates in relation and reference to their own work and practice.
Students will draw connections between theoretical approaches and students’ own practice in a form of a written piece of work/ document.
At the end of the module, students will produce a 200-word critical rationale in preparation for student’s choice of a level 6 research into practice route.
Professional Life 2 (Mental Wealth)
Developing the key psychological and physical determinants of human performance are increasingly critical for successful graduate-level employment, entrepreneurship and career progression in the 4th industrial revolution.
This module will provide students with the opportunity to apply several of the skills, competencies and experience required for successful development to, and in, a range of potential future career areas.
Herein they will advance the areas identified at level 4 for their own personal professional development (including emotional, social, physical, cultural and cognitive intelligences) through taught and workshop activity.
Through engagement with the Career Passport, students will reflect on the success of the strategies that they employed to further develop their reflective skills, self-awareness, ‘life style’ and ‘self-care’ approaches and where necessary improve their approaches.
Students will have opportunity to select an in-house microbusiness/ life briefs and commissions to join in the role of ‘Producer’. In this position they will take on a specific production role, working collaboratively with peers and academic staff on a live project. In doing so they will apply the cognitive, cultural and social intelligences learnt elsewhere in their studies (and external development) required in the workplace. In addition to the intelligences developed in the level 4 Mental Wealth Module, students will also focus on service orientation, self-discipline & management, reaction & response time, cognitive & muscle memory, managing stress, critical thinking, Complex problem-solving, research, synthesis & analysis.
Main topics of study:
The module will enable students to apply and develop further a variety of skills-based competencies explored at level 4, including self-awareness and regulation; mindfulness; emotional resilience; motivation; ethical decision-making; active listening; self-discipline and management; attention; reaction and response time; cognitive and muscle memory; managing stress; physical resilience; subject knowledge. Students furthermore rehearse and apply these skills in their creative practice modules. Students will also apply and develop new competencies including cognitive flexibility; managing an audience; co-ordinating with others, negotiation; creativity; leadership and entrepreneurship; service orientation; critical thinking; complex problem solving; research synthesis and analysis.
- Working on client briefs / competitions /commissions to a professional outcome that meet the need of the client/ commissioner / audiences
- Considering their practice through project work that will have positive social impact on the wider society
- Attending and engaging in the cluster employability initiative Detour Ahead: Roadmaps for the Art and Design Industry. Detour Ahead programme includes a week of inter-disciplinary practitioners talking about their route to professional success. The week also includes professional practice knowledge such as copyright and licencing, freelancing, tax, giving the level 5 students more in depth understanding to apply for their own professional life.
- Application of creative coding for visual practitioners
- Performing roles and responsibilities of creative teams including communication, co-ordinating with others, negotiation; creativity; leadership and entrepreneurship; critical thinking; complex problem solving; research synthesis and analysis.
- Developing and editing creative industries CV and cover letter and the format and tone of this for potential work placements and experience over summer break between level 5 and 6
- Creation of a digital public profile
Optional Placement
OPTIONAL MODULES
Industrial Sandwich Placement
Year 3
CORE MODULES
Practice 3
This module is about preparing you to be fine artists, designers, illustrators, animators and photographers.
The module does this by introducing choice. We ask you to reflect their idea of what your own practice might be, filling gaps of knowledge or extending their skill set. It's about you setting the terms and direction of travel, exploring in an extensive and critical way.
The work in this module will be developed through extensive research and practical testing of ideas and processes, informed by critical, contextual, historical, conceptual, economic, social and ethical research.
Self-critique and responsiveness to the views of others is important part of the module in the development of your ideas and proposal.
At the end of the module you will have proposed and refined your own agenda for term 2 negotiated body of work to be presented at the degree showcase at the end of the academic year.
Research into Practice 3 – Extended Research Project
The modules in level 6 are designed to be inclusive to your discipline, and respond to differentiated assessments needs. The Extended Research project route is aimed as a specific route to those fine art, fine art technology, Illustration, graphic design, design interaction, animation and photography students whose professional practice aims are not covered in e.g. the Global Photography (documentary in nature) and Contemporary Practice in Fine Art (assessed by an exhibition).
The Extended Research Project route allows you to contextualise your practice through the study of an area of art and design or of a subject that provides potential content for your practical work.
You will develop skills in negotiating and making use of research resources, formulate a research proposal and plan a research strategy. You will be expected to demonstrate an ability to synthesise and analyse ideas and apply them constructively to understanding your chosen subject while, at the same time, developing knowledge which will contextualise and support your own practice. You will also gain skills in writing and presentation. The outcome will be a written project, which articulates the findings of your inquiry. Key here is that you develop a study of an area of art and design or of a subject that provides content for your practical work.
Research into Practice 3 – Graphic Design, Illustration and Animation
The modules in level 6 are designed to be inclusive to your discipline, and respond to differentiated assessments needs. The graphic design, illustration and animation Research into Practice route is a group research project, responding to the working practices and visual culture of designers, illustrators and animators.
The Graphic Design, Illustration and Animation Research into Practice module is a project that aims to test all of the research methods and critical thinking skills you have acquired from level 4 and 5, and contribute them to a group research project that is informed by a shared subject (which is negotiated annually). As well as demonstrating through writing and discussion a level analysis of visual and theoretical subjects appropriate to your final year of study, the aim of this module is to augment academic practice (research, writing, discussion, presentations) with material research based on studio practice (experimentation, skill development, iterative design and illustrative processes and techniques).
As individuals, you will present your response to the shared research subject together with a supporting document that captures the key research, analysis and argumentation that links theory to your own design, animation or illustration practice. You will also produce a final outcome based on this presentation, which is public-facing and utilises appropriate media. Each student's response will depend on their position as a graphic designer/illustrator/ animator who is aware of key design, illustration and animation concepts and who understands their responsibilities in a contemporary society.
Independent Major Project Part A
This module is about preparing you to be fine artists, designers, illustrators, animators and photographers. You will produce an independent negotiated project, that enables you to work towards your own agenda and own it. The module allows you to develop and apply advanced creative processes to a professional outcome showcased at a public exhibition of the work at the University. This readies you for your next objective; employment or postgraduate study.
Independent Major Project Part B
This module is about preparing you to be fine artists, designers, illustrators, animators and photographers. During part B of the Independent Major Project, you will finalise the production of the independent negotiated project, culminating in a presentation at the degree showcase.
The module allows you to develop and apply advanced production methods to a professional outcome showcased at a public exhibition of the work at the University. Each student will contribute towards planning, production and curation of the Degree Showcase. This readies them for their next objective; employment or post graduate study.
Professional Life 3 (Mental Wealth)
Developing the key psychological and physical determinants of human performance are increasingly critical for successful graduate-level employment, entrepreneurship and career progression in the 4th industrial revolution.
This module will provide students with the opportunity to apply the full range of skills, competencies and experience required for successful development to, and in, a range of potential future career areas.
Herein they will advance the areas identified at level 5 for their own personal professional development (including emotional, social, physical, cultural and cognitive intelligences) through taught and workshop activity.
Through engagement with the Career Passport, students will reflect on the success of the strategies that they employed to further develop their reflective skills, self-awareness, ‘life style’ and ‘self-care’ approaches and where necessary improve their approaches.
Students will have the opportunity to select an in-house microbusiness / life briefs and commissions to join in the role of ‘Manager’. In this position they will oversee the successful operation of the enterprise, coach and mentor students new to the programme and lead those working in ‘producer’ roles. Working collaboratively with peers and academic staff, they will ensure the effective delivery of a live project by managing people and physical resources. In doing so they will apply the cognitive, cultural and social intelligences learnt elsewhere in their studies (and from external activities ) required in the workplace.
Students will have the opportunity to enter external facing industry / live briefs such as D&AD New Blood Awards, AOP Student Awards, Sony student competition, Lensculture, Life Framer etc. in order to leverage their raise and improve their employment prospects.
