Foundation Art and Design

THE FIRST STEP ON THE WAY TO GETTING YOUR BRITISH UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE

Course length

FULL-TIME — SEPTEMBER–JUNE

Start date

September

Language

ENGLISH

Tuition fees

GBP 5600 / year

how to apply

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About the course

One of the most exciting things about the art and design of tomorrow is that we don’t know what it will look like. However, we can be fairly certain that it won’t look like the art and design of today. So, if there is a job description which is common to all artists and designers it is that they have to be able to create things that people have never seen before; new images, new objects, new environments and new situations. In order to do this, students need to be able to move beyond their preconceptions. To surprise other people students first need to be able to surprise themselves. The Foundation programme at BHSAD establishes the conditions in which this can happen.

The emphasis early in the course is on arriving at ideas rather than beginning with ideas. Arriving at intention through exploring formal and material possibilities. Various constraints are employed which serve to deliberately limit the students possibilities in order to focus their inventive potential.

COURSE OUTLINE

The course develops the student’s understanding of the world of art and design. Students examine where their strengths and interests lie through an engagement with practical projects, problem solving and critical thinking. The course is studied in three stages. It gradually moves from being predominately staff led during Stage 1, to a situation where students are able to develop projects wholly independently by Stage 3. This emphasis on developing independence is a vitally important preparation for degree level study.

The course is taught in English. English language tuition is an important part of the programme with a particular emphasis on the use of a specialist art and design vocabulary. Students attend twice-weekly English classes.

What makes the course unique?

BRITISH EDUCATION

Foundation Diploma students enter a creative studio environment that adheres to a British model of tuition for Art and Design education, one that favours autonomous decision making. This educational system contributes to their creative liberation, leading to confident, motivated and capable students. The system allows them to develop their creative individuality and prepares them for progression onto British undergraduate programmes.

PORTFOLIO PREPARATION

Students work to create a subject specific, yet distinctly personal portfolio of art and design work. Foundation students are assisted by experienced tutors to develop an extensive portfolio through which they may apply for one of our British Bachelor degree programmes. Developing the skills required to create a professional portfolio are universally applicable, this is an absolute essential for preparing to gain employment within the professional art and design industry.

CULTURAL STUDIES

Regular gallery and museum visits are used to develop students cultural and contextual awareness and to help develop their visual language. Each year the Foundation course organises a week long cultural visit to a European city. This is a hugely rewarding and culturally rich experience for all who attend.

ACTIVE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

Our English tuition is based on advanced techniques, taking into account the lexicological specifics of the art and design. Particular attention is paid to the development of students' spoken language and their ability to effectively express their thoughts and ideas. Our Foundation students attend twice-weekly English classes prior to taking the international IELTS exam, which is a prerequisite for transition to the British undergraduate programmes.

FINAL EXHIBITION

All students participate in the annual exhibition, in which they present their final independent project within their chosen pathway: Fine Art; Fashion and Textiles; Communication Design and Three Dimensional and Spatial Design. The exhibition is often the first time that students have shown their work publically in a professional context. This exhibition, the culmination of a very intensive year, is open to the public and is consistently well attended.

Experimentation the key to creativity

Students are allocated dedicated studio space and have full access to the range or workshops across the school including 3D, printmaking, ceramics, fashion, photography, darkroom and digital workshops. Foundation students develop an experimental methodology towards processes, materials, and mixed-media making. Students have access to more than 600 Apple Macintosh and PC computers plus the HP computer lab to assist them to embody their boldest ideas in the digital sphere. We also have 3D printers, a modern laboratory for work with 3D graphics and the Roland DG Academy Printing Laboratory, which gives students access to large-format printers and plotters to realize ambitious projects.

WELL-EQUIPPED STUDIOS AND WORKSHOPS

Experimentation and creative risk taking lead to originality and innovation. Foundation students develop inventive working methods and the confidence to experiment and combine creative techniques and processes. Foundation students understand how to express themselves creatively and developing a broad range of technical skills. Students are challenged to step out of their comfort zone, by doing so Foundation students truly begin to achieve results far beyond their expectations.

GUARANTEED PROGRESSION

Upon successful completion of the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design students are guaranteed admission to their choice of BHSAD’s programme of British undergraduate courses.

Professional Practice

During Stage 1 a wide range of professional artists and designers are invited to visit the course to speak about their work. Through this series of lectures students begin to understand what it is like to work in the contemporary art and design industry. Students develop an understanding of the different disciplines within art and design and the different demands and requirements of each field of practice. These talks, help students make decisions about their future careers by informing their choice of specialist pathway and decision of which BA programme to apply.

Research Skills

Through a series of focused projects, students develop the research skills necessary to independently explore ideas, a vital skill for progression to BA study. These projects enable students to widen their understanding of contemporary art and design practices and to become skilled at presenting their work to an audience.

Program Structure

Stage 1

Introduces students to a series of strategies and attitudes through which they begin to engage with a broad range of ideas, media and workshops. Students are asked to suspend their judgement and to challenge their preconceptions through a series of intensive challenging projects.

These projects require students to work outside their comfort zone, encouraging them to arrive at ideas through mindful play and experimentation. Students attend relevant practical workshops, developing key skills such as drawing, idea generation, research and problem solving. Structured projects allow students to experience a broad range of creative activities in order that they make an informed decision of which specialist pathway to enter.

Stage 2

In Stage 2 students study within a specialist pathway. The specialist pathways are: Fine Art; Fashion and Textiles; Communication Design and Three Dimensional and Spatial Design. An understanding of contemporary practice is emphasised so that students can make informed decisions regarding their future careers and their progression to the range of the School’s art and design BA courses.

Through a series of creative projects students develop a greater understanding of their chosen field and its related disciplines. As Stage 2 progresses the projects become increasingly focussed towards specific degree applications. Within the Communication Design Pathway this would mean students identifying as Illustration or Graphic Design specialists; within the Fashion and Textiles pathway students identify as Fashion or Textile specialists and within the Three Dimensional and Spatial Design Pathway students identify as Product Design, Jewellery or Interior Architecture Design specialists.

Stage 3

In Stage 3, every student proposes and executes an independent project culminating in a body of work for a public exhibition in a professional context. Students receive intensive critical feedback during this period, thus allowing them to refine and realise their ideas to a high standard. Stage 3 is delivered and examined at the same level as the first year as a BA (Hons) programme.

By the end of the stage and the course, students have developed a sophisticated understanding of their chosen subject, refined their research, problem solving, planning, organisation, analytical and practical skills to degree level. They are perfectly placed to successfully progress onto the BA degree programme of their choice.

Tutors

Elena Gatsenko

Ekaterina Kumanina

Vincent Glover

Tatiana Lantseva

Andrey Petranin

Admission requirements

Period of study

Full-time — 1 year

Tuition fees

Full-time: GBP 5600 / year*

Students as a rule pay their tuition fees once a semester, that is, twice a year, but at their request can choose to pay on a monthly basis.

You will be expected to meet additional costs which may arise as a result of materials, art supplies and consumables you may need for your projects, as well as printing and copying services and other types of services and consumables. Their list and the amount of costs depends upon the requirements of your course and the nature of your projects. Additionally during your time at BHSAD you may be recommended to visit museums, art galleries and other venues as part of your learning and there may be a cost for such visits which you should also budget for.

BHSAD Foundation students are sent an equipment list

* This proposal does not constitute an offer, the prices are subject to change. Cost of services and conditions of their provision will be specified in the contract.

Required documents

- Online application form
- Copy of previous education certificates and academic qualifications.The following documents can be submitted: high school diploma, college degree diploma, higher education or BA diploma
- 2 photos 3х4 cm
- Copy of your passport
- Personal statement

Entrance tests

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students applying for Foundation Art and Design (FAD) and Year 1 of British higher education (BA (Hons) programmes) need to complete the following:

- English exam (in the absence of an IELTS certificate) — See section on English
Entry Requirements)
- Portfolio review (See section on Required Portfolio)
- Interview (See section on Interview Procedure)

Required level of English

The minimum entry requirement for prospective students during the preliminary examination is pre-intermediate to intermediate English. As part of Foundation Art & Design course the students undergo intensive training in groups of respective levels (from Pre-Intermediate to Advanced). After the training the students take the IELTS test which is a prerequisite for moving to the Year 1 of BA degree.

The test is carried out in several stages or modules:

Listening (listening to recording played once) – 10 questions, 15 minutes. Examples: audio, task, answers;

Grammar test – 55 questions, 40 minutes, based on Murphy English grammar in use Intermediate;

Reading apprehension – 2 parts, 20 questions, 30 minutes, no electronic version, usually printed and adapted;

Essay writing – 45 minutes, 200-250 words on a topic proposed; e.g. Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in?

The total test duration is 2 hours. A 10-break is given before the essay writing.

Required portfolio

A1 portfolio

* 15 – 20 pieces of design / art work
** Sketchbooks any size (maximum of 3)

*The range of design / art work in your portfolio should cover a broad spectrum of media, materials and approaches. When building your portfolio include a range of drawing, painting and photography, also other forms of art and design work you have created, such as 3D design, sculpture, collage, decorative art, design, web-design, film or animation.

**Sketchbooks are an important part of the interview, tutors would like to understand your experience of art and design project work, how you generate and develop your ideas, your use of research and your visual language.

Present examples of the best and most recent projects, reflective of your creative abilities. Include original artwork such as drawings and paintings as well as large format digital prints of digital design and photographs. Animation and video work should be presented on a portable hard drive, files should be compatible with Apple operating systems.

Please ensure you clearly label your A1 portfolio and sketchbooks with your full name, in Latin text. Digital files should also be organized into a separate folder on your portable hard drive, be clearly labeled with your name and the title of any specific project.

The student should present their portfolio, which should feature samples of work from the past several years.

Your portfolio should contain a range of visual material, including sketchbooks, research, developmental work, finished two-dimensional works and photographs of three dimensional pieces or two dimensional pieces which are too large to include in the portfolio.

We will look for:

Drawing
Making and crafting skills
Use of a range of media, materials and approaches
Experimental approach to media and materials
Development and process
See the guide Preparing For Interview
Try to show us your best and latest works, which fully showcase your creative abilities. There are higher expectations as regards conceptual and technical abilities of students applying for BA Year 1, compared to Foundation applicants.

Interview procedure

During the interview, the student will be asked a number of questions to assess their knowledge and understanding contemporary art and design about their education and professional experience to inform the ultimate decision about their admission to the programme. Be ready to tell us about yourself, about your engagement with art and design and the projects you are presenting.

Prospective students will be asked questions regarding their educational and professional backgrounds in order to make final decision about admission onto the course.

Application deadline

1 round (20.05.2019 - 26.05.2019)
2 round (24.06.2019 - 30.06.2019)
3 round (15.07.2019 - 21.07.2019)
4 round (12.08.2019 - 18.08.2019)