Art Foundation course - I'll tell you how good it is when I have a uni place! (Courses)

Member Name: hulahoop

Product:	Courses
Date:	01/12/00 (291 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An excellent experience for anybody

Disadvantages: Can put people off in a short space of time

The foundation course for art is something that is very individual to every university. Other places call it different things like Year Zero or Access Courses. They do different things, but all of the above have the same overall aim - that is to provide you with enough experience and a decent portfolio of work to be able to get into your desired university.

I started this course in September, so you could argue that I cannot talk about it until the whole thing is over, but I feel it helps to show a perspective as I am studying the course.

The course starts in September, and is easy to get onto - you need very little experience in art - and then finishes in May. The university helps you with UCAS forms or other application methods in order to get into whatever it is you want to do.

The Eldon building is situated next to Winston Churchill Avenue, which is about 2 minutes walk away from the City Centre, and the Central Library, the university's Frewen Library and the Student Union. The Eldon building also has its own excellent library, which is a little disorganised, but holds vast amounts and wide varieties of resources.

It is currently being extended so that all of the art degree students dotted around Portsmouth can fit into this nice new building. The new equipment and facilities may attract you to the university, but recent funding difficulties may also deter you (detailed in Jellybead's opinion).

The Foundation course takes on around 150 students from the ages 16-21 - 16 year olds do a 2 year Btec course, which is basically the same thing, and over 21s do an access or mature student course so that they don't have to be put with the young 'uns!! There is often competition for space in the first few weeks of the foundation when these 150 students try to fit into the relatively small studios, but inevitably people who realise that art is not just a dossy subject leave, providing more space.

You
start by doing one introductory week long course exploring the colour theory, having been put into a group of about 20 people. Following that you stay in that group and do week long projects in 3-D design, Communication Studies, Fashion and Textiles, photography, Fine art and Illustration. In these you are given a brief and have studio time available in college between 9-5 from Monday to Friday. Your tutors help you along with your project, and as you build up skills, confidence and knowledge, your work and portfolio hopefull improves. There are times when tutors are not there, and they can often seem a little disorganised, but generally very friendly and approachable.

After this 7 week period you have a week in which to finish off any unfinished work. Finished work is assessed, with your own input, and given a mark of either pass, merit, distinction or referral (there are no fails!!). Then you decide on two options from the things you have done.

Meanwhile, throughout the beginning part of the course there are lectures and tutorials on one day a week, which teaches basic history and theory in art. We have had lectures about 'Blade Runner' the film, the Bowler hat, Marcel Duchamp's ready-mades, masculine identity and media manipulation of artists. It is all pretty interesting and different stuff, and the lecturer is a very nice helpful man. During this time you take notes and prepare a dossier which is handed in towards the end of the first term. I have gained a lot from this history and theory, from general knowledge to simple mental stimulation.

After the review and the options process you go on to do two weeks each of the options you decided upon. I have done Communication design and am currently doing fashion and textiles.

The skills I have obtained from this course have just been expansions of skills I already have. However I have a much deeper knowledge of myself and my strengths and weaknesses, as well as confi
dence. The course is excellent in teaching you how to organise yourself and be imaginative, as well as putting your ideas and resolutions across to large groups of people, which I have been scared of previously. If you do enough work your portfolio will be great, and entry should be easier into universities, obviously depending also on your own talents. Universities look for a lot more than painting or drawing abilities in students these days, but few will take people who do not have the foundation experience.

Finally you take one last option which you undertake for the whole of the January to May term. This involves a more indepth project which should hone down research skills.

Meanwhile students are applying for their universities in December and February through UCAS, which keeps people busy, and thinking forward, rather than focusing on the present too much.

Students are also asked to do Key Skills assessments in the course, which involves maths, english and computer skills. This is apparently worth an AS level.


Overall I would say that the Foundation Year experience is invaluable. People who are just not sure what to do after college should go and do it, simply because it gives youa whole year to stop and think, and practice skills in art, socialising, organising or whatever. I will take so much away from this course, along with good memories and interesting ideas.

The course is free, and there are oppurtunities for people to get grants and funding because materials can be expensive. There are also trip oppurtunities - I am going to Amsterdam in January which is £95 for 5 days, including travel! Yippee. A Paris trip is also available.

People who are not from Portsmouth can go into Halls of Residence, because although this is a Further Eductation course rather than a Higher Education course, we are still considered as members of the university.

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