Art and Design Foundation Diploma unit details

Researching, Recording and Responding
You will develop research journals, sketchbooks and a portfolio of art, design and media work that reflects your personal strengths. You will manage your time and develop strategies to support your progressional aims. You will also practise presentation skills through mock interviews and scenarios. Presentation techniques can subsequently be applied in formal interviews. You will be able to apply the understanding and skills you develop in this unit to support your progression to further study and to your art and design practice.

Media Experimentation
A world of new possibilities, avenues for explorations and alternative approaches can become available to you. When working with different media, you will gain knowledge of how to use specialist workshops and should learn about relevant health and safety procedures. You will also learn about technical information on media, techniques and processes.

Preparation and Progression
Develop knowledge to enable you to consider the progression opportunities available from specialist pathway through research, applied critical judgement and the identification of personal goals. The understanding gained will help inform your preparation for progression.

Information and Interpretation
Develop an understanding of the key concepts which influence the creative intentions and practices of contemporary artists and designers. It will also encourage an awareness of environmental, global, social and political references which have impact upon and can affect developments in areas of art, design and communication.

Personal Experimental Studies
You will instigate experimentation that challenges preconceptions and personal sensibilities in visual and material awareness, in 2D and 3D in time-based media. You will undertake continuous analysis and critical reflection to enhance and enrich this practice. The understanding gained will be used to intuitively reflect on the potential in using alternative and unfamiliar combinations of media and processes, and their relationship to observing and recording sources and subject matter.

Extended Media Development
The various qualities of different media, applications and techniques have influences on the development of the form, content and purpose of images and objects created. You will proactively reflect on and critically evaluate the effectiveness of media within the context of your studio practice and the development of your own ideas.

Final Major Project
In this unit you will draw upon the summation of knowledge and skills acquired during your foundation experience. You will have the opportunity to foster and promote innovative ideas and practical work whilst extending your potential contextual and technical abilities in preparation for your progression to higher education. You will be encouraged to adapt and extend personal ambition whilst understanding the professional.

Note: All units are subject to change in order to keep content current.