The Foundations of Art Foundation

This evening is John Leggott College's Open Evening. We have been chatting to people about our Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media.

"What IS Art Foundation?!" 

Has been the main question we've been asked today. In this post, we are hoping to answer that question as simply as we can.

It's a place to discover who you are as a creative individual, after you've completed your A-Levels. An Art Foundation is typically a full-time, year long course for people who are hoping to go on to study an art subject at University.

Here at John Leggott, you attend the studios Monday-Friday 9am until 4pm and are expected to be studying and creating work during this time, either in tutor-lead workshops or independently.

Taken from our website, below is a further description of what to expect:

You will gain an insight into the specialist disciplines that exist in art and design. The programme is usually aimed at students who have completed a Level 3 qualification, who wish to define a subject specialism area of study and explore a range of areas (eg painting, drawing, life drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, graphic design, 3D Design and textiles) before deciding upon a pathway specialism.

Encouraging you to think critically, you will become ideas focused and develop creative approaches to problem solving through meaningful experimentation and lateral thinking. The course’s attention to drawing as a key skill for artists and designers will aid this development.  

Our team of experienced and dynamic art and design professionals lead a range of diverse projects at the beginning of the course. As the course progresses the focus is on you as an independent and creative learner. Your award will be achieved at the end of the course as a result of a project you will invent and execute.

So? The future. University and beyond? 

Not always. Some students who study Art Foundation are doing so to build an artist portfolio for going on to be an apprentice, or to use in the future after a gap year. Luckily, here at John Leggott, we are very focused on the future destinations of our students and believe in "the bigger picture" of education. We have a department who specialise in destinations and create links locally and nationally for our students to explore. In the Creative Arts department, we continually build links across the country to art industries, exposing students to the possibilities of their creative future opportunities.

The last two weeks our students have visited two cities and an arts venue, to introduce them to their current brief as well as familiarising them with University cities and career pathways.

At The Harley Gallery and Studios, we met numerous arts workers who gave talks on professional practice. Louise Presley introduced students to Hope and Elvis who run workshops from their Harley Gallery studios. It's a diverse place where the students really had their eyes opened to the opportunities lying ahead.

leaflets taken from our Professional Practice trip to Harley Gallery and Studios, Nottinghamshire

While in Lincoln, students started their trip at The Collection and Usher Galleries, where we all met Ashley Gallant who spoke of his journey into his current role at The Collection. It was eye-opening to some of us to consider working with other people's work is an artform in itself; collecting, networking and curating exhibitions for the general public.

In Sheffield, students got to explore the brand new Going Public exhibition; a city-wide project taking over some of the main galleries and smaller exhibition spaces across Sheffield.

All these visits were designed to ensure students got the most out of each trip, with the vision of Art Foundation at their core; to introduce, nurture, enable and expose individuals to the possibilities of their creative futures.

But.... Uni?!

If University is your desired path, We will support you in your UCAS application and advise you throughout the application process to allow you to select the most appropriate BA course to back your ambitions. 

We have excellent links with universities, who we are in contact with to come and discuss options and portfolios with our current students. 

Past students have gone on to study a vast variety of creative courses at universities such as Central Saint Martins, Brighton, Falmouth, Nottingham Trent, Goldsmiths and Bristol. 

We have a 100% success rate, 100% pass rate and 330% of our students have achieved a Distinction in their year with us. 

We are the 5th best performing 6th form creative art department in the country and the best performing 6th form art department in Lincolnshire, meaning we have tonnes of experience, knowledge and reasons for you to come and study your Art Foundation here. 

What else?

We go on a city residential each year, designing the trip around major art exhibitions and events, as well as giving the students time to explore future opportunities such as universities in that city.

We have lots of upcoming artist talks, where artists have been chosen to fit specifically with the point of study, or to help improve portfolios, or to encourage particular individuals on their chosen pathways. These artist talks don't always feature on other Art Foundation course, so our students deem themselves very lucky to have direct contact with people making a living out of their talents and skills. Today we welcomed Jo Smith, a textile artist from Grimsby and we'll be writing a blog post specifically about her impact on the course, next week.

Be sure to stay in touch with us, so you can be aware of what an Art Foundation course can be for you. Follow us on instagram @metanoia.jlc.art for daily updates from our students.