This course will provide you with an intensive, creative experience in which to develop your work and ideas. Over an exciting 10 month programme, you will gain clarity about your creative interests and your individual strengths. Many Portfolio candidates are eligible for an Adult Learning Loan.
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Overview
This course is designed for mature students (21+) who wish to return to, or explore, creative education to develop their artistic potential. It is embedded in the large and vibrant curriculum area of Foundation Diploma in Art & Design.
This Level 3 course is delivered over a two-day teaching week although students must also commit to undertake approximately five hours of additional flexible study from home.
Often developing ideas and building practical skills alongside the full-time Foundation Diploma students you will bring valuable life skills and reflective abilities to your studies. You will have the opportunity to experiment in studio and workshop practice across a range of disciplines including drawing, textiles, printmaking, small metals, 3D, ceramics, multi-media/digital and photography.
A range of exciting diverse projects will allow you to explore a variety of approaches to visual thinking and ideas development. You can then experiment with different techniques and ways of working in order to focus your own artistic practice. You will learn how to take responsibility for researching, developing and realising your ideas within your emerging personal visual language and move towards your own specialism.
What our students do
What you will learn
In the first 6-8 weeks, you will explore a range of exciting projects and tasters, working with a multi-disciplinary approach to extend your creative practice in experimental and innovative ways. Immersed in exploratory activities, you will develop skills, learn new techniques and processes and, most importantly take creative risks and begin to find new ways of seeing.
You will enjoy longer projects with the freedom to develop your ideas whilst continuing to explore a range of process workshop opportunities. You will develop your skills and creative identity across a range of multi-disciplinary activities, producing work towards consideration of your creative progression goals.
This is an opportunity to combine all your thinking and practice in initiating and developing a final major project within the area of your choice at level 4 (first-year degree level). With confidence in the skills that you have learned, you will write and then realise a personal project over a series of 10 weeks working towards a personal goal of experimental or ‘finished’ work which will be showcased in a public exhibition.
Many Portfolio students fuelled by the Portfolio Course make applications, supported by your personal tutor, to progress internally onto one of our many Undergraduate Courses during this period.
I was challenged in ways I never anticipated, met wonderful people, received excellent tuition, and created work I never knew I was capable of making. I was fully supported and encouraged to keep going and experiment, along with having a good measure of fun!
Alithea Waterfield - Progressed to BA (Hons) Fine Art, Hereford College of Arts
Creative learning
Our College Road Campus and our Folly Lane Campus will be your learning environments where you will be taught through studio-based tasks as well as within workshop environments, including our digital skills centre. Teaching and Learning is a two-way process involving whole group activities such as life drawing, mid-group sized workshops and lectures, small peer group critiques and regular one-2-one tutorial sessions with course tutors. There are also external visiting lecturers and alumni alongside a carousel of HCA degree lecturer input within projects.
Being open-minded and curious are the key ingredients to the development of any skills and creative risk-taking without fear of failure is encouraged. The whole of HCA is a supportive community where you are continually encouraged to seek out your creative voice through activities varied in their content and timespan, building confidence to be the best version of yourself.
Hereford College of Arts has a diverse mix of students, including people with different learning styles and needs. We have a positive, inclusive atmosphere where all of our students are able to access support for their studies. Find out more here.
The Foundation and Portfolio studios at College Road will enable you to have your own workspace across the length of the course, you will also have access to degree level facilities and technical demonstrators within the workshops of Ceramics, Print, 3D, Textiles, and Photography. Alongside this there is superb access to the new Digital Skills Suite where you will have access to our digital demonstrators teaching across the Adobe software suite. Our impressive specialist library runs an open access policy ensuring access to a wealth of historic and contemporary knowledge.
Application process
Before you apply, we recommend coming along to one of our open days to experience the unique creative community here at HCA. Here you and your family can meet tutors, explore the college and our facilities and learn more about careers in art, design, media, digital, music and the performing arts.
Course application forms are available from the autumn term onwards online here, or alternatively from the Careers Centre at your school. The deadline is normally 31st March, however, we will usually consider late applications.
Students must share a portfolio of work and discuss their creative ambitions at interview.
Due to the level of critical research and evaluation on course, we prefer for students to hold a minimum GCSE grade 4 or above/ O Level C or above or equivalent in English.
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Apply now, start in September
Applications are open now. You can apply directly to HCA on our online application by following the link below.
If you want to arrange an informal chat before applying, you can email course leader Darren Williams (d.williams@hca.ac.uk).
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