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Art Foundation

Level 4 / 1 Year Full Time

The Foundation Diploma in Art and Design develops core skills and critical thinking and gives students experience of progression routes within art and design. Following a period of exploration, students specialise in an area they would like to pursue at degree level or within the world of work. The Foundation Course helps students find new and exciting ways of learning and encourages risk taking, experimentation and exploration of their artistic practice.

Free to applicants under 19 years on commencement of study.

''The teaching team bring their individual professional and creative practitioner skills to programme delivery for arts and media students at this experienced sixth form centre.'' - External Examiner

Assessment

This qualification has been designed around six fundamental skills areas which connect the objectives, teaching content and assessment criteria. The course is assessed using 6 assessment criteria. These are not a series of tasks that are done separately. A practitioner will use all of these six areas of skills repeatedly when developing their work. As such, each criteria are equally weighted, meaning they are given equal importance in a learners’ development.

These consist of:

  • Investigation: Skills for using investigation processes that are applied through practical and theoretical approaches.
  • Experimentation: Skills for engaging in processes of experimentation with concepts, media, materials and techniques.
  • Realisation: Skills for realising work using media,materials, techniques and processes.
  • Evaluation: Skills for using review of processes and practice to inform creative choices.
  • Realisation: Skills for realising work using media, materials, techniques and processes.
  • Communication: Skills for communicating, intentions through work, with consideration for the audience.
  • Self-directed practice: Skills for applying professional behaviours within creative practice.

Students submit a portfolio of evidence at the end of the course which includes a final major project and exhibition as their final assessment.

Skills and Careers Insight

Studying the Level 4 Art Foundation at Durham Sixth Form Centre offers a comprehensive and immersive introduction to the world of art and design. Learners experiment with diverse media, materials, techniques and processes across specialist skills areas. They investigate progression opportunities and develop a portfolio of work to support existing practice and progression while developing towards a specialist area of practice. There are additional opportunities for learners to engage in collaborative and professional practice through self-negotiated projects. Alongside these assignments learners are expected to complete directed tasks linked to progression and portfolio-building. Learners consolidate ongoing research and self-reflection through structured academic writing tasks and participate in regular life drawing classes.

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