Art and Design

Course summary

A Level Art and Design provides you with exciting opportunities to develop your personal responses to ideas, observations, experiences, environments and cultures through practical artwork and critical and contextual studies. Initially, you will be exposed to introductory workshops exploring techniques and media such as drawing, printmaking, painting, mixed media, textiles, sculpture, photography and digital work, coupled with in-depth historical and contextual analysis. You are encouraged to pursue independent lines of investigation linked to your workshops and will be expected to visit art galleries and museums to inform the contextual element of the course. The course is suited to those who have a passion for art and design, who are committed, creative and self-motivated. You will also need to have a willingness to develop work independently, exploring a range of ideas, materials and techniques. You will need to be organised with resources and materials, supplying your own specialist equipment to complement the facilities in the sixth form studio. Component 1: Personal Investigation Following on from the skills based workshops, you begin an independently devised Personal Investigation which continues into Year 13. For this, you are required to conduct a practical investigation into an idea, issue, concept or theme, supported by written material. The investigation should be a coherent, in-depth study, covering all the assessment objectives, that demonstrates your ability to construct and develop a sustained investigation from an initial starting point to a final realisation. Component 2: Externally set assignment The second component is the Externally set assignment, following receipt of the paper in February of Year 13 you will consider and select a starting point. You will produce a practical investigation into your chosen theme, ensuring you fulfil all of the assessment objectives. Preparatory work should be presented in any suitable format, such as mounted sheets, sketchbooks, workbooks, journals, models and maquettes. Following the preparatory period, you must complete 15 hours of unaided, supervised time, where you will produce a finished outcome or a series of related outcomes, informed by your preparatory work.