BA (Hons) Art and Design Practice

CORC315
Concept Development and Practice

This module provides students with the opportunity to critically review their practice & to develop a strategy for making future work. It encourages creative risk taking & exploration of new modes of expression whilst increasing an understanding of professional contexts. Students will be encouraged to develop an autonomous approach to their creative practice focussing on developing the ability to learn independently. As part of this process, students will be required to produce a formal statement of intent which will form the platform & remit for further research enquiry & concept development within this module. A more rigorous approach to contextual referencing & research pertinent to individual creative practice is essential. Students will therefore need to adopt a responsible attitude towards time & project management that demonstrates effective prioritisation & good organisation. The ongoing compilation of a learning journal is imperative & should incorporate the aims & objectives of their practice & continually record contextual & practical research, application, analysis & evaluations.

CORC316
Dissertation

The module will be a natural continuation of the work undertaken at level 5 and is seen as an opportunity, for the student, to employ and extend academic and intellectual skills within a framework of independent study. This module allows students to undertake an extended research project into a topic of relevance to their practical discipline. It should support and inform the development of a logical argument which explores and debates theoretical, historical and critical issues relevant to contemporary practice; it can also focus more clearly upon issues of relevance to professional practice, for example through the development of a suitable case study. It can be presented as a traditional Thesis text of 6000-8000 words with appropriate visual illustrations. Or alternatively as a Critical Commentary on Practice - An opportunity for a student to select a body of work from their recent studio practice, and critically reflect upon that body of work using 6000-8000 words. If you choose to write a Critical Commentary on Practice you will be expected to create an extant body of practical studio work, specifically for the Dissertation module, that will only assessed for this module.

CORC317
Negotiated Extended Practice

This module will provide the intellectual & creative space for students to fully realise their creative ambition evidenced through the production of a comprehensive body of work. Particular emphasis at this stage of the course will be placed upon the student's ability to demonstrate a high level of professionalism & good project management; including the facility to work independently. This module requires the student to 'assemble' a body of work that will underpin the next stage of their creative development & enable them to establish a professional career in the creative arts sector. Individual practice should therefore clearly evidence appropriate levels of sophisticated research, highly resolved concepts & creative productions & awareness of contemporary practice including an understanding of commercial opportunities. At the end of this module students will work with academic staff organising & curating an final exhibition of work exhibited within a specified venue.

CORC318
Professional Practice

This module will provide students with an understanding of, & confidence in, a range of issues which will directly affect them during their search for future employment, & the subsequent development of a career. It will, for example, deal with issues about marketing, finance & personal development together with issues relating to legislation affecting the profession, & develop the student's understanding of their responsibilities with legal, moral & ethical codes of practice. The ambition of the module is to support & enrich the student's understanding of current practice within their chosen specialist field through the exploration of different employment models, from self-employment & freelance to private companies & public bodies operating within the creative industries. A central element of research & reflective analysis will ensure personal engagement with the wider world of entrepreneurship, proactive job seeking or job creation. It will also address the nature of contemporary mixed income stream working in a rapidly evolving labour market.