BA (Hons) Artist Designer Maker: Glass and Ceramics

Program Overview

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This exciting degree in Art, Design, and Making at the University of Sunderland embraces the possibilities of making for both art and design. Students will develop their confidence, problem-solving skills, and professionalism through hands-on making, traditional and modern techniques, and access to world-class production facilities. Graduates embark on diverse careers as professional artists, community artists, academics, and teachers.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview

You'll work in excellent individual student workspaces, bringing you into contact with professionals in the field, and will be able to take advantage of opportunities such as external competitions and exhibitions. Applications will still be considered for direct entry to Year 2 and Year 3.

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Key Objectives:

• Develop your confidence, problem-solving skills, communications skills, and professionalism so that you are well prepared to enter the professional world
• Our graduates embark on a diverse range of careers including professional artists, community artists, academics and teachers
• The University has been awarded 5-star Clean Green Ceramics Sustainability Certification, making Sunderland the only university in the UK to be awarded Clean Green Certification for ceramics.
• Learn both traditional and modern making techniques and have access to world-class production facilities
• Meet internationally renowned, high-profile artists and designers currently working in the glass, ceramics and making fields
• Be part of a supportive creative community and be encouraged to become nationally, even internationally, networked during your time on the course

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Please note:

This information was accurate at the time of publication. We recommend checking the University of Sunderland website for the most up-to-date information.

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Outline

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Course Structure:

• Year 1: Introduces you to a range of traditional and contemporary craft skills through staff-led demonstrations and seminars as well as hands-on making.
You'll learn making skills, ideas development and about key subject themes – all of which will prepare you for self-negotiated projects in your second year where you'll learn about making for particular contexts as well as for exhibition. You'll start to identify your own voice through your work as well as considering debates in the subject and professional practice. The final year is significantly about developing your degree show work, reflecting on your practice, critically positioning your work and importantly planning for your future career.
• Year 2: Focuses on development of professional transferable skills, understanding of contexts of practice and broader cultural issues, and of independent study and skills acquisition.
This includes continuing skill acquisition, applying for “real world” opportunities like competitions, exhibitions, and work experience, with a semester focused on work in place, space and context through developing a project in response to a specific place, purpose or audience.
• Year 3: This is geared towards the presentation of a professional body of work for public exhibition at your degree show.
The year focuses on experimentation, visualization, testing in order to develop a professional and resolved body of work for exhibition, refinement of making skills, finishing techniques, presentation methods and consolidation of ideas in a final body of artworks, as well as researching and writing a critical dissertation relevant to students’ individual studio work and/or career goals. You will also explore career options, understand the nature of the sector you aspire to enter and develop a relevant career plan, with possibilities to develop online portfolios or drawings and finished work.

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Module Information:

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Year 1:

• Studio Techniques for Making (60 credits): Explore a variety of processes in glassmaking, ceramics, wood, metal and digital fabrication.
Experience the value of team-work in shared studio spaces. Learn traditional making techniques, as well as more recent developments such as waterjet cutting, 3D printing and laser cutting.
• Ideas Into Practice (40 credits): Gain the ability to use 3D design software and traditional drawing as tools to develop, research and design ideas.
Explore the basic aspects of both traditional and digital drawing. Investigate processes of model making, testing of materials, and thinking skills to generate two bodies of work in response to a project brief.
• Key Themes for Art, Design and Making (20 credits): Develop your knowledge and understanding of the historical and contemporary contexts of art, design and making.
Explore the work of significant key practitioners - artists, designers and makers. Understand the development of Modernism, Abstraction and Post Modernism and their relationship to movements in contemporary art, craft and design.

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Year 2:

• Making for Place, Space and Audience (40 credits): Develop a project that investigates space, place, context and audience.
Explore different modes of practice including socially engaged, site-specific and site-sensitive and working to commission for clients. Identify and use appropriate skills and techniques in the manipulation of materials for a particular place, space, or context. Learn analogue and digital (Rhino) model-making skills and develop testing methodologies to explore your ideas at smaller scale. Develop confidence to pitch your ideas to intended audience and potential clients and learn how to use analogue and digital skills (Illustrator) to create a design board that charts your ideas visually.
• Making for Exhibition (40 credits): Exhibit your work in a professional gallery (either online or in the gallery).
Explore your creative potential and extend your technical abilities through the creation of a body of work. Develop, implement and reflect upon your own work, and exhibit as part of a group show hosted by Shipley Art Gallery and Museum in Gateshead. Expand your knowledge of project management through helping to organise and curate the exhibition.
• Dialogues in Art, Design and Making (20 credits): Develop your academic skills, including researching, reading and writing.
Build on your writing skills and plan a written argument. Hear from professional artists through the weekly 'Creative Lives' programme. Gain a unique insight into professional artists' practice and possible career pathways.
• Collaborative Creativity (20 credits): Negotiate a relevant placement where you will position your practical and creative skills, build networks and begin to identify relevant professional pathways.
Alternatively, work with fellow students from across our different Arts disciplines to create a group negotiated creative outcome.

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Year 3:

• Experiment Visualise Prototype (40 credits): Experiment with a range of materials and processes.
Make a body of test pieces while developing a specialised understanding of your materials and the technologies required to develop your ideas into an object. Record your research and experimentation in a testing folder to provide a solid reference for future work. Explore how to realise your ideas in two dimensions through drawing and other image making processes, and through computer aided modelling. Produce a professionally presented portfolio of images and design proposals to display a clear narrative on the development of your ideas. Present a prototype artwork or object.
• Refine Resolve Exhibit (40 credits): Explore your creative potential and extend your technical abilities to a professional level.
Create work with a high degree of sophistication and conceptual rigor for online exhibition. Plan a scheme of work and manage your personal project. Set and achieve goals, culminating in the production of a body of work with a personal creative identity.
• Dissertation: Your Creative Context (20 credits): Research and write a dissertation of 3500-4500 words that relates to themes and issues relevant to your studio practice or your career ambitions.
Demonstrate coherent specialist knowledge and understanding of the historical and contemporary themes/practices relevant to artists, designers and makers and how these relate to your own independent work. Evaluate the creative context in which you hope to work in the future and develop your understanding of the professional world in which you hope to work.
• Professional Practice: Planning Your Creative Career (20 credits): Develop a career planning portfolio which will help you launch your professional career on graduation.
Understand where your practice is placed within the creative industries and prepare yourself to enter your chosen sector. Research the requirements and principles of self-employment and graduate employment. Explore methods of recording and promoting your work and understand the principles of how to cost work realistically. Learn how to produce a range of presentation and communication materials appropriate to present your practice in a professional manner to your intended audience.

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Assessment

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Assessment will take place through a range of methods, including:

• Studio practice
• Visual research – sketchbooks, technical notebooks, and contextual files
• Professional development portfolio
• Written assignments
• Presentations to fellow students and staff

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Teaching

You will also have the opportunity to learn from visiting artists and designers.

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Careers

• Fine art
• Ceramics
• Glass
• Design
• Education
• Publishing
• Curation

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Other

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The course also provides opportunities to participate in a range of other activities, such as:

• Exhibitions
• Competitions
• Field trips
• Guest lectures

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Disclaimer

It is recommended to visit the university website for the most current information regarding the program structure, admission requirements, and fees.

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The annual, full-time fee for this course is: £9,250 if you are from the UK/Europe £16,000 if you are an international student (EU nationals will receive a £5,750 scholarship to reduce their fee to £10,250) Tuition fees for part-time students are £6,935 per 120 credits. Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.

• The discounted fee will be reflected in your offer letter.
Learn more in our Help and Advice article.