Art Foundation at Glamorgan is a highly popular and exciting one year course, seen as one of the strongest Art & Design courses in the UK.
Essential Info
This one-year foundation art course, considered one of the strongest of its kind in the UK, is ideal for artists and designers who wish to develop their creative talents and artistic skill. The course is an invaluable opportunity to explore an array of art and design disciplines and practices, allowing you to progressively build essential skills before pursuing your specialist career.
Brochure Download
Download our FAQ information sheet detailing frequently asked questions from applicants for the Diploma in Foundation Studies – Art and Design.
FAQ Information Sheet (PDF, 100KB)
Please note: If you are interested in applying to this highly popular course, you can apply direct to the University by completing our online application.
What You Will Study
Designed around three distinct stages of development, this dynamic art & design course begins with broad ‘taster’ studies allowing you to experience a variety of art & design specialism. Accumulation of skills and knowledge acquired lead to a final major project and end of year publically viewed exhibition.
You will be encouraged to develop a rich visual language and emphasis is on analysis, creativity and experimentation. The art foundation course also aims to develop your practical and critical awareness of the contemporary visual world and related contexts.
Stage One (Exploratory Stage)
This stage will introduce students to the following core elements of Art & Design:
- Media techniques and processes
- Diagnostic drawing projects
- Research techniques
- Photography
- Design studies
- Digital media
- Making and construction
Stage 2 (Developing Specialist Practice)
The second stage allows students to be introduced to a wide range of different types of art & design. Students are challenged to think creatively as they are encouraged to overlap and incorporate different aspects of art and design to produce innovative work. Options include:
- Animation: This option can also cover/lead to 2D illustrative, 3D model making, game design and computer generate animation.
- Fashion and Textiles: This option can also cover/lead to fashion, textiles, accessory and jewellery design and Costume.
- Fine Art: This option can also cover/lead to painting, sculpture, ceramics, film, time based media and printmaking.
- Graphic Design: This option can also cover/lead to hand generated graphics, computer generated and motion graphics and fashion promotion.
- Illustration: This option can also cover/lead to hand generated illustration, computer generated, publishing, concept and editorial.
Stage 3 (Confirmatory Stage)
In the final stage, you will continue to focus on a specialist area as you work towards a final year exhibition This extended period of self-directed work will require your use of skills, knowledge and experiences developed throughout the course.
- Final Project
- End of Year Exhibition
How You Will Study
Starting at the beginning of September each year, this foundation art course starts earlier and completes one week later in comparison to your typical university degree course giving you a total of 36 weeks of study (30 hours per week).
Foundation art is taught through a variety lectures, tutorials, workshops, demonstrations and guest speakers. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a city visit overseas and make regular trips to museums and galleries.
The climax of the course is an end of year student exhibition that is open to representatives from the art and design industries, schools and the general public.
Teaching Quality
“It is evident from the programmes statistics, that this is a very strong programme, and in the experience of this examiner at several comparable university programmes in the UK and abroad, that this is one of the best in its full range of pathway choices offered, and overall intellectual engagement, and quite exceptional standards of work consistently produced.”
Laurie Donnison
External examiner, Edexcel 2010
How does this course make me employable?
By the end of this foundation art course you will be equipped with an impressive set of qualities that are highly sought after by employers, many of whom you might not necessarily relate to art and design.
The course will help you demonstrate a number of competencies and transferable skills including the ability to work independently, organisation and planning, self-motivation and self management, and visual presentation (to name but a few).
Possible Career Options
From concept artists and creative strategists to graphic designers and potters, our alumni hold positions in variety of industries locally, nationally and internationally.
Due to the progressive nature of the course many foundation art graduates have continued onto prestigious undergraduate art degrees in the University of Glamorgan and across the UK. Many also opt to undertake teacher training courses and continue to spread their good practice and enthusiasm for art and design.
Booklet Download
This booklet provides a great overview of graduate work featured in a recent anniversary exhibition and highlights the areas of work/positions many graduates now hold.
Foundation Art Exhibition Booklet (PDF, 5MB)
Additional Information
Facilities
From a traditional darkroom with digital suites to a fully equipped lighting studio and 3D workshop, students studying art with the Faculty’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences get the opportunity to work in dedicated studio spaces allowing them to produce a high standard of work that the University can be proud of.
Art and Design courses occupy purpose refurbished accommodation at the main University campus in Treforest. Foundation accommodation comprises eight design studios, photographic darkrooms and lighting studios, 3D workshop, kiln room, plaster room, and printmaking studios.
Students have the opportunity to work closely with colleagues on University degree courses at the Atrium and in Treforest. Students also enjoy the wider benefits of a University campus, such as improved refectory services, student union, University library, sports facilities and clubs.
