Course Detail

Visual Arts

Level 3 - Art & Design Practice - Art, Graphics, Photography

  • Academic Year: 25/26
  • College 16+
  • International
  • Chester Campus
  • Crewe Campus

How to apply

The Course

Our Art & Design Practice course is an exciting and challenging option that will help you develop your creative skills further in industry standard studios and workshops. The course has three pathways to choose from.

Art (Crewe or Chester Campuses)

Do you have artistic flair and want a career that makes the most of your talents? This pathway could be your next step. It will give you the opportunity to gain experience working in a variety of specialist areas and prepare you in the best possible way for work and/or higher education. You’ll expand your skills and creativity and develop an understanding of the work of other artists and designers and how these can help inspire your own approaches to your work. The final part of the course will give you the chance to design a project working in your chosen specialism with your own ideas and themes. You will exhibit this project in the College End of Year Show. The course will help you develop your knowledge through practical projects, gallery visits, essays, workshops and residentials.

You course will include the following projects:

Year 1

  • Sep-Dec Project 1- Studio & Workshop project 50% art, drawing and painting workshops and 50% textile/fashion workshops
  • Jan-March Project 2 – Urban project – you can choose which medium to work in from now on – either art based, textile/fashion based or a combination of both
  • March-Jun Project 3 Final Major Project (FMP) with public exhibition – either art based, textile/fashion based or a combination of both

Year 2

  • Sep-Dec Project 1- Production – you can choose to produce either set design, props or costumes for the client’s touring production 
  • Jan-Jun. Project 2 FMP with public exhibition – you can choose which medium to work in – either art based, textile/fashion based or a combination of both

Graphics (Crewe Campus only)

What is Graphic Design? Graphic designers/graphic artists plan, analyse and create visual solutions to communications problems, generate and define concepts, research and explore art and style. They decide the most effective way of getting a message across in print, electronic and film media, using a variety of methods, such as colour, type, illustration, photography, printmaking, digital studies; Adobe Creative Suite: Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. This will also include various layout techniques. On this pathway you will work through a broad range of methods and processes that support all aspects of design and graphics for industry and higher education. You will cover a broad range of design and graphics processes and will have the opportunity to work on live client-led briefs, giving you a taste of the ‘real’ creative world.

In the second year, great emphasis is placed on building a successful portfolio ready for higher education or employment. The focus will be on your chosen specialist subject, resulting in a display of your final major project and best practice at the end of year course exhibition.

Photography (Crewe or Chester Campuses)

This pathway is designed to introduce you to a range of traditional wet-based photography through to digital applications. Through hands-on practical application you will produce work of a professional standard through the exploration of a range of genres including documentary, photojournalism, fine art, portraiture, fashion, landscape, commercial and advertising. Through experimentation you will be encouraged to generate imaginative ideas that are developed into final realised outcomes. You will have access to industry standard resources and software which will help prepare you for the profession. There is great emphasis on self-promotion, building a portfolio, exhibiting work and having a web presence.

You will experience working with a range of digital imaging hardware and software that will enable you to scan, manage and manipulate imagery. You will also undertake studio and location-based photography, learning lighting and exposure control. These workshops are supported by gallery visits, exhibitions, visiting photographers, location shoots and residentials.

Read more
Typically you will need 5 GCSEs at grade 4/C, including a 4/3 (C/D) combination for maths and English.
You could progress to employment in the industry to to a higher education course at the College. If you plan to progress to university, you will receive full support and advice from course staff in your application to university and in the preparation and presentation of your university interview portfolio.

Ready to apply?

Chester Campus
Starts : September 2nd, 2025
2 Years
Crewe Campus
Starts : September 2nd, 2025
2 Years

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