Blacksmithing:
BA Honours Artist Blacksmithing
Herefordshire College of Technology and Hereford College of Arts
Introduction
This unique course provides opportunities in a highly creative environment for learners to explore and develop the range of design, production and entrepreneurial skills necessary to become a practising artist blacksmith. It marries superb technical instruction in state-of-the-art forging facilities with dedicated studio workspaces within an art college environment.
Artist Blacksmithing is enjoying a renaissance not only in the traditional areas of domestic and architectural forge work but also within the gallery context and public arts arena thus demanding graduates with an innovative and clear design-led creative practice.
Artist Blacksmithing attracts ambitious and diverse learners from both the UK and abroad. It combines traditional blacksmithing skills with contemporary design in a way which is certainly unique in the UK and builds upon Hereford’s long history of design craft courses. Design skills are developed in a creative studio environment where you will have your own studio space, and where you can always rely on approachable and expert technical help across a wide variety of materials and processes, and easy access to tutorial support.
This degree is delivered by Hereford College of Arts, in collaboration with Herefordshire College of Technology. It is validated by the University of Wales.
Entry Requirements
- Students must demonstrate an understanding of the design process, a high level of commitment and curiosity within the field of Blacksmithing
- Minimum age 18
- Successful Portfolio & Interview
- 200 UCAS Tariff Points
- Mature learners with related experience
- English as a second language - minimum ELTS 5.0 at interview (and achieving 6.0 by the subsequent June)
Course Content
Year One - Level 4: Investigative, Experimental and Analytical
- Learners will be engaged in a wide variety of studio and workshop activities to introduce and develop a range of two and three dimensional processes, including the creative practice associated with traditional and contemporary approaches to artist blacksmithing.
- Learners will be encouraged to use creative thinking and experimentation, particular emphasis is placed upon the development of appropriate drawing, design, materials manipulation and specialist blacksmithing skills.
- Learners are introduced to the importance of a reflective, analytical and evaluative approach through personal visual research and learning journals.
- Learners will study cultural studies and discourse through a lecture and seminar programme in which issues of a broader cultural and contextual nature are explored.
Year Two - Level 5: Develop Ideas in Differing Contexts
- Learners will be encouraged to develop a creative risk- taking approach underpinned by thorough research and an independent analytical process
- A clear and defined pertinent resource base will be developed through an evaluative and reflective approach with learners making informed choices which will direct their creative practice
- Learners also have the opportunity to develop innovative solutions to ‘real’ design problems through the requirement to creatively respond to a range of different contexts
- Forge work practice continues to be supported by a series of advanced specialist workshops
- Learners produce a critical review and analysis of their progress to date and produce a statement of intent for their third year
- Learners will study cultural studies and discourse through a lecture and seminar programme in which issues of a broader cultural and contextual nature are explored
Year Three - Level 6: Personal Creative Practice
- The third year will provide the intellectual and creative space for learners fully realise their creative ambition evidenced through the production of a resolved body of work
- Emphasis will be placed upon the learners’ ability to demonstrate an appropriate level of professionalism, autonomous learning and the sophisticated resolution of ideas
- Learners will be required to refine and resolve their creative practice, clarity of intention is paramount and a rigorous approach to all aspects of practice is essential
- Learners will be expected to work in an increasingly self-directed manner to a professional level and will have the opportunity to produce a body of work for public exhibition
- Within Professional Practice, learners will be expected to undertake subject specific seminars related to the development of their business plan and market analysis depending on their projected career interests
- Learners will be required to undertake an in depth and critical analysis of an agreed area of study in the form of a dissertation
Progression Opportunities
The majority of learners will exhibit at New Designers in their final year which has successfully launched many into the professional world. Learners can also take on successful commissions whilst studying and many go on to set up their own professional design studios and workshops to produce major pieces of public artwork or objects for domestic, architectural or public environments.
Key Facts
Herefordshire College of Technology and Hereford College of Arts
Campus: Hereford College of Arts – Whitecross Road, Hereford & Holme Lacy – Rural Crafts Centre
Duration: 3 years
Attendance: Full-time
Course Fees: All new full time students at Hereford College of Arts pay a tuition fee of £8,000.00 (2011) per year (at present).
All fees are subject to change, please check with funding@hca.ac.uk and see the Finance for HE page of this website.
Application: UCAS application.
Contact:
Hereford College of Arts
Tel: 01432 273359
Email: undergrad@hca.ac.uk
You can find blacksmiths in the UK with The National Directory of Blacksmiths
