Fine Art Facilities
Introduction
Fine Art: Studio Site & Context, encompasses and celebrates a broad and open approach to all processes, drawing upon and utilising an expansive range of materials, media, concepts, and philosophies. There is no hierarchy of medium.
Facilities include:
Our excellent facilities include Sculpture workshops focusing on metal, wood, and ceramic workshops, alongside specialist equipment such as laser and water-jet cutters, VR, digital studios/photographic darkrooms, sound and video studios, and printmaking facilities.
The printmaking area is equipped for etching, linocut, monoprinting, silkscreen printing and riso printing. The metal workshop offers plasma cutters, welding and sandblasting facilities. The resin workshop includes a plaster and mould-making area and uses industrial processes. The kilns in the ceramics studio are also used for fusing glass.
The water jet cutter allows for even greater exploration and experimentation with metal, stone, glass, wood and felt. As well as the life room, the department also includes large and flexible studios for all year groups.
We are unique in emphasising the importance of life drawing as part of the weekly schedules, learning not just about drawing but the importance of ‘looking’.
Studio
Studio practice is at the core of our teaching. The studios are our powerhouse; a place where ideas are explored and developed through material practices - painting, drawing, print, sculptural practice, video, sound, installation, digital processes, and performance.
Life Drawing & Big Draw
Drawing processes are central to our teaching. Understanding ‘looking’ supports all studio work therefore Life Drawing is embedded in the levels 4 and 5.
Griffiths Studio
A professional-standard gallery that students can exhibit in and see work by leading international artists. This gallery also facilitates opportunities to work with performance art practices which are built into modules, and workshops with performance artists are offered to students at all levels.
Sound workshops (including music)
We provide workshops where students work with sound and instrument making, offering a broad perspective for future practice. Students who play instruments are encouraged to find an additional voice through their individual knowledge and through a regular scratch orchestra.
Print workshops (including Riso and Letterpress)
All students have induction and workshops covering a range of print processes including etching, screen printing and Riso. Through learning processes and supported by technicians we encourage an experimental approach to print where both scale and surface is explored.
Additional Workshop Information
There will be access to a range of technical facilities, with support available for technical concerns and communication with the academic lead when necessary. These facilities will enable all students to access opportunities for mixed media experimentation, including:
- Dark rooms
- Music and sound recording studio
- High-end scanning and printing
- Laser cutting
- Fabric printing
- 3D printing
- CNC milling
- Immersive and virtual rooms
Digital and new media workshops
Additional emphasis given to new media art, introducing workshops covering photography, audio, video, and other forms of digital media. Students have access to AV recording and editing hardware and software. Hybrid workshops combining analogue and digital skills allow students to experiment with esoteric forms of media. AI tools appropriate to Fine Art practice are discussed and evaluated. Workshops covering web-gallery curation and digital archiving encourage students to preserve and promote their work.
3D workshops
- Woodwork
- Metal
- Ceramics
- Sculpture (resin, latex, plaster)
- Glass
All students will experience 3D inductions enabling further exploration throughout the course. It is encouraged to see 3D areas as intersecting, allowing students to work between them all.
Gallery
