Providing Professional Practice for Artists and Designers

Subject:
Art & Design

Led By:
Mary Ward Centre (MWC)

Project Partners:
Cockpit Arts, Havering College of Further & Higher Education, King's Place Euston, Open University and The British Museum

Online materials:
Project report - to follow
To find out more about the course, click here

Photography by Robert Taylor  www.taylor-photo.co.uk/

Outline:
This report outlines the challenges to developing and validating a new FdA, in terms of industry engagement, funding policy and regulations, work based learning, and the experiences and successes of students studying on pilot programmes.

MWC - a small and friendly adult education college, working with adults of all ages and abilities - had identified the need for an alternative to the usual BA Arts progression route.

This had emerged, partly due to a perception by students, that a BA is no longer value for money. Additionally, many students who hold a degree in another subject area and are seeking to retrain in the arts, or those who are older learners, do not feel they can afford the time to study for another degree.

The impact of the recent ELQ policy had effectively barred retraining at degree level for all but the wealthy and many students wanted to skip the process and progress straight to employment or self-employment as an artist. Others are looking for a faster route.

Creative Way funding supported MWC in their work to develop a new course, which would provide both creative practice development, and the skills for business necessary to become a professional arts practitioner.

Main contact:

Sharon Fuller, Head of Art - sharon.fuller@marywardcentre.ac.uk / 020 7269 6041