Art Foundation Course Aaaaargh

[MoominMammasHandbag]

DD want to do some sort of Art degree and has decided on a foundation course to help her choose which area. But she wants to do it at university, rather than the local college. We are okay with this. Problem is, apart from the well known London colleges (which she has decided not to apply to) where is good for Art?
Most Russell Group type places don't even do Art, and the odd ones that do don't seem particularly inspiring. DD wants a city type experience, somewhere that will give her lot of options as to the degree she can then choose. Predicted As and B, but then is this even relevant as they will probably go on her portfolio?

moomin, you dd is not wasting her time if she's pursuing something she enjoys. i studied textile design at uni and have since worked as an in-house designer for 12 years and have had a craft pattern book published. dh lectures in illustration but is a portrait painter by trade, and has a commission for the national portrait gallery being unveiled in december, so yes, working within the arts can keep the wolf from the door.

(doesn't however keep you in house points while at secondary school though, as dd's place only seem to recognise sports achievements )

Loving the encouraging advice on here. I wasn't even allowed to do A level art as I was 'too academic' despite my GCSE display being the best in the year and the final year stuff largely A level standard. I did an academic degree and had a career in the City, which after having a child resulted in me having a breakdown. I'm now looking to follow my heart to art after over 20 years and all this advice is fantastic! I'd love to know more from those upthread who have recently begun to do something creative - OP if you think I'm hijacking I can start another thread? Hopefully its still helpful?

Herethere me too exactly the same. I pursued an artistic career regardless although would have LOVED art school

Amazing how you can bump into kindered spirits on mn! Do you have any advice noddy?

[I would like to know how I get back into study/what course I do. Do I need to do an A level? Do I need to make it up as I go along until I have a 'portfolio'? Should I be aiming to get onto a foundation course? Agghh]

I did a boring science degree, but I would love to do an art foundation. It is my if-I-win-the-lottery fantasy :)

Lots of people in my family and lots of friends did art/design/architecture. All the ones with a bit of get up and go have good (although mostly not very lucrative, afaik) careers.

Yes Here, I am another one who wasn't even allowed to do GCSE Art because I was considered too academic. I really want my children to study things they have a passion for.
DH and I were both shunted down the Science route by well meaning working class parents who could not conceive of someone getting a job with an English or a History degree (unless it was teaching). I remember my careers teacher basically telling me I was too common to do law.
Hijack away Here, it is great to have a thread about people choosing creative courses and careers.

My son is at university doing film production and the whole art school looks amazing. I would recommend to anyone looking at Arts subjects AUB. I am completely self taught. What area are you interested in?

Ha Moomin my careers officer told me I was too poor to do law so I did it anyway just to prove a point I think! What a great parent you are. I want the same for my DDs.

As to my interests noddy that's the problem, I'm not sure. I love being creative but have had limited opportunity to express it over the last 20 years. I was good at (and loved) drawing and painting at school but have done almost none since. I'll occasionally visit one of those pottery painting places and hijack the kids fun by taking too long over something I need to get just right!! I've developed an interest in photography but my technical skills are almost non-existent and what I produce is hardly original, I do love it though. I do get lots of positive feedback about my shots. I've also done some more random things at the far edges of creativity - sewing stuff - fancy dress outfits, cushions etc. and some rather lovely paper cutting pictures using a butterfly hole punch (inspired by Joanne Tinker meets notonthehighstreet gifts!!!) In a way I just want to go back and study it all, to have all those avenues opened again which is why I'm stumped as to how to go about it!

Yes, I enjoy a bit of an arty/crafty dabble myself. My kids are all really good at Art (known as the arty family at Primary school) so I kid myself they get it from me.
I think I fulfil a lot of my creative urges with my gardening, which is kind of like painting in 4D, the fourth dimension being how colour and form changes over time (DD rolled her eyes at that one).

Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham all come to mind as decent Northern Unis when I was looking. Not sure about anywhere else.

We don't have a single person who did Art among our friends and acquaintances (mostly scientists) and everyone is keen to tell us that DD is wasting her time and will end up on the checkout in Tescos with a massive debt.

That's really nasty and quite ignorant. Yes Im a graphic designer and occasional illustrator. Also have done some photography commissions.

Yes it keeps the wolf from the door

Im self employed which is great although not for everyone. But can fit it around children that way while still getting the creative outlet and earning.

Plymouth College of Art?

Don't know if it's been mentioned but Falmouth is worth a look. I have a friend there doing foundation this year and is loving it. Falmouth

My daughter is looking at degrees in an art specialism and, on open days, the lecturers almost without fail tell you where the staff studied. The reputable colleges carry kudos, in the same way (as others say) as the reputable Universities.

Look for the facilities, the lecturers bios and the destinations of leavers. If there is a chance (possibly not at this time of year) go to a show of work. If there is a preferred destination for a degree, consider a foundation there, although cost may prohibit that.

Tell them - if she ends up on a Tesco till with large debt it won't matter a jot it will be the cheapest degree ever because the debt will never have to be repaid if she doesn't earn over £21k!

My daughter gets this all the time. Thank goodness we support her talents and ambitions.

I agree about gardening, also interior design. I designed our last 2 gardens and renovated our flat then our house. That's where I channeled my creativity and what I spent any spare time doing when I was still working. If you have that eye you can just see what works and what doesn't. How to fill a space, what looks good together and what doesn't.

Kez, It is very wearing isn't it? I feel like it is somehow implied we are feckless fools, indulging our little princess.

DD2 is only 14 but proper top rank academically (talking all A*s if she puts her mind to it). She is always, always drawing and sketching and her work is incredible (even better I think than DD1's at that age). She is in her own words "The girl everyone in Art hates because the teacher is always going on about her work". I expect that if DD2 chooses the Art route instead of Medicine or Maths or something, we shall never, ever hear the end of it.

I agree here. I renovated a house from scratch about 15 years ago and it increased massively in value and people just seemed to like it. I then did 2 more in a very similar style and sold them quickly too. I have been doing it ever since. You can learn a lot along the way and good builders and engineers are a wealth of info.

Moominmama, it is so so wrong to think jobs don't exist. I studied fashion, spent 10 years as a designer, and now teach it. There are loads of jobs in design. And I mean design, not fine art. By that I mean, Graphis design, textile/fashion design, product design. They all have very high job take up after degrees.

I only know about textiles, but it is a huge huge industry with tons of jobs

here I've just started a (second) creative degree and there is quite a diverse mix of people - not all have been recent school-or-foundation-leavers, by any means.

I've been doing evening classes for several years, and there are ex business people who haven't really done anything you'd call 'creative' since schooldays, but they hold their own.

I'd suggest going to a couple of open days and talking to the lecturers (it's all about filling the courses and your money is as good as anyone else's - as long as the basic enthusiasm/talent is there).

I'm restricted by location so have no idea how it works at the higher-ranking institutions, but I'd say definitely don't get hung up thinking everyone is some sort of budding Picasso - they really aren't!

And diarise the degree shows in May/June, to give yo an idea of the types of work the different courses can produce.

Also, some FE colleges run Access to Art courses, whch are great for people like yourself, who might like to do something creative but don't know which avenue to pursue.

Oh yes product and industrial design. If one of your daughters is quite academic as well wanting to do something artistic that could be an option at some point.

And architecture.

Yes I agree, was thinking of suggesting architecture or industrial design to her.

I did a fine art degree at Edinburgh College of Art which is now part of Edinburgh Uni. It is a four year degree course with the first year constituting a foundation year although quite a few students fron England did direct entry into second year after doing a foundation year closer to home. It's in a great location in the heart of the town and is quite diverse and international these days.
In Scotland people don't tend to do a foundation at one place then move on, they do all four years at the one institution, ther would be nothing stopping someone from England or Wales doing that too.

We haven't even considered Scotland to be honest. It is something to think about.