Art and Design at university; for past, present, and future students and parents

[PhotoDad]

I've been on a wonderful thread about applications for art/design applications for the coming academic year, and I thought it might be useful to have a more general place for people at different stages of the process to share advice and hints. The normal MN advice about universities is often not applicable to these subjects!

I'll keep this short because I personally don't like huge posts that appear at the top of each page, but I'll add some starting thoughts below. I know that there's a huge range of experience here and a lot of support, so please do ask questions, or share triumphs and disasters.

The original thread is here:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4626697-2023-uni-applications-for-those-pursuing-art-and-creative-routes

Oh congrats to your DD, @sansou! DD's best friend is hoping for illustration at Brighton or Edinburgh but hadn't heard back from either of them last time I spoke to her. DD is hoping she will go to Brighton as they will be able to visit each other.

Well done to your DC @sansou. Exciting times ahead for them.

Can I join? DD has applied for Illustration at Edinburgh, Dundee, Leeds Arts & Falmouth (online course which has plusses and minuses for her as an autistic and socially anxious soul)… and also Communucation Design at Glasgow but she only applied for that one as a filler as she really doesn’t want to spend two years also studying photography and Graphics as well before she can specialise in Illustration.

She has an offer from Leeds in hand ( officially conditional but effectively unconditional as she already has required UCAS points)… we know very little about the uni or the city so are heading to an offer holders event next month…

She had an online interview for the online course at Falmouth… and pretty much decided she would want to do what they call a part time course rather than the full time one she applied for. ( part time is over 3 years as normal, full time is accelerated and only over 2 years and the work expectations sound like too much for her). That would be a direct application and the deadline isn’t until 7th September so she’s keeping that as a back up plan. My concern is that she currently socialises rarely outside school, and without a course to physically attend, she’s going to lose even that part of social activity… she will love it, don’t get me wrong, but I worry how healthy that is long term… mind you, her long term ambition is as a free lance or independent artist which would have minimal social interaction!

Nothing yet from the other three…

Edinburgh is her first choice, partly because she’s more familiar with the city, but we don’t hold much hope… not only is it ridiculously competitive ( last year over 600 applicants for 30 places we were told at open day), but she seems to have had technical issues submitting portfolio so it was effectively submitted late once those issues were sorted out…

Personally I think Dundee is a good fit for her and not too far from my Mum which could be helpful. And she says it’s her second choice so 🤞

It’s all the more complicated by the fact that she doesn’t feel able to live in student accommodation or on her own yet, so I’ve committed to effectively moving where she goes, or at least commutable distance… I will also have to be her taxi if we’re not close… At least initially till she finds her feet… obviously not an issue for the online option, but I need to downsize anyway..

So about to put house on the market even though I don’t know where we’re moving too yet!

Apologies for the essay!

Welcome @TalkedTooMuchStayedTooLong. It's really interesting to hear about the online courses; I hadn't even considered something like that as an option for dd. Dd has also applied to Edinburgh and Dundee only. She is not convinced she actually wants to go to uni, so we will see how it goes. The odds are so against them for Edinburgh and dd is very stubborn on what she wants to produce, so her portfolio wasn't as varied as applications might like. Wish they would get back to her soon though. We are also considering moving house and just stalling to see what dd decides to do. You have a head start on us on that front!

Welcome @TalkedTooMuchStayedTooLong, has your daughter considered doing an Foundation Art Diploma first? It's free for under 19s and would give her an extra at home.

@Soma, yeah we’ve discussed that, but from her autistic/ anxiety perspective that would mean having to get used to somewhere new for a year and then doing it all over again for her BA… plus she’ll be 19 before college would start and the Scottish courses are already 4 years anyway…

I’m trying to persuade DD to do a foundation and stay at home another year. At the moment she’s interested at doing Illustration at York Art John, it’s close but not close enough to commute.

There isn’t really a foundation option in Scotland as @TalkedTooMuchStayedTooLong said, the courses are 4 years long and unis say this includes a built in foundation year as the cost year. But of course no one moves after first year and it’s not a freebie. I believe that if Scottish students apply to a foundation in England, they’d have to pay fees.

I'm a big fan of an art foundation year, can't believe that there still aren't course fees for it at our local university. DD1 did an art foundation year and it pushed her out of her comfort zone artistically. It gave her a bonus year before going away to uni too which helped with her confidence as she is a home bird at heart. DD2 has a place on the same course for September. She's more fine art than DD1 but I think it will push her to use new materials and techniques too.

DD's doing her foundation at the moment. It has given her so much confidence, both in her work and socially, and has given us an extra year with her, which I'm very grateful for. We live in York, so @HatchetJob feel free to ask if you have any York related questions.

Her art teacher suggested one was a waste of time. I need to try and get her alone and see if she can change her opinion for DD.
DD is in no way ready to leave home soon. Another year would help. We have an art college and the fact it’s free is amazing.
we are in Teesside so not far, I know people who commute both ways but probably too far for her on a daily basis.

DD has had a no from Edinburgh unfortunately, but we hadn’t held too much hope tbh…and another no from Glasgow which was expected and she had no intention of going! She has also decided she doesn’t want to go to Leeds despite an unconditional offer, as it’s too unknown and too far away from the rest of family… I must say I agree with her, I would have made it work if she’d wanted to go but it would’ve put us too far away from my other two children in my opinion, and indeed too far from my Mum (we lost my Dad last year so she’s on her own and obviously not getting any younger).

We’ve heard back from Falmouth (online course) post interview and her deciding their three year course would suit her better… they have offered her a place for that course without having to go through the application process so that’s good to have in the back pocket.

So she really wants a yes from Dundee now so 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Dd has had an offer for direct entry into second year at Dundee (fine art) and an offer for Edinburgh too. She’s going to need to do some thinking as she’s not completely sold on university, but I think she’ll go! Thats all she applied to now so no more waiting!

@TalkedTooMuchStayedTooLong Fingers crossed for Dundee.

That’s great @FriendlyLaundryMonster… congrats to your DD… my DD has just today ( not long after I posted I think!) received an unconditional offer from Dundee ( first year in her case) so we’re delighted!

My daughter has an offer for Edinburgh as well but it's conditional on meeting the entry requirements of ABB which is quite tough.

@CowCowSheep dd’s is conditional too. Fingers crossed! She’s predicted the grades, but who knows.

DD hasn't heard back from Edinburgh, but it wasn't her first choice, so she's going to firm Wimbledon, which has always been her preferred course.

Congratulations to all your DDs on the offers. It's great when a plan comes togther after the stress of the portfolios and interviews.

It's definitely not an easy option!

DC is in 2nd year at Goldsmiths and the work demands are really high, both academic and practice. So far it has been a vibrant, challenging and fun experience too.

How exciting for all your DC! Congrats on all the offers.
DS in final semester and in the throws of his final studio module, sorting their degree show and organising a publication for it.
Grad job starts Sept. Also been offered a grad internship by the uni, 120 hours in the year, which is hoping to run along side his full time job! Desperate to keep the making going. Will involve curating exhibitions near his job location.
There has been a lot of welding this term! And electronics and rhino software. Not sure what to expect at the show!

@Lottsbiffandsmudge Thar sound like a lot of fun (and work). I also have a ds in the past year of his degree, so it’s all change for both of mine.

That sounds like the ideal combination of internship and job. Congratulations to your DS. It's encouraging to hear things coming together for our artists.

I guess it's impossible to know who will be able to keep making but I know that's the dream and it's our job to support them isn't it?

There is work in the arts still although competitive. I was in Tate Modern last week thinking about what the creative sector adds to our economy and culture...

Totally. DS grad job is not in the arts, but in marketing. They loved his creative way of thinking when he interned. He thinks very differently about things. Creativity is still valued.
His GF will be working ft in a service industry job, and growing her fledgling illustration business on the side.
They will be in different places too..but both v determined. Thats what counts.
DS Fine Art degree has been about so much more than just art and making. He has learnt and developed so many transferable skills..

Well done on all the offers and to @Lottsbiffandsmudge DS, you must be really pleased and sounds like he grabbed every opportunity going and then some.