If you’re looking for a creative experience enriched by world-famous artists and access to state-of-the-art facilities; if you seek the freedom to explore your own expression and creative potential in a beautiful setting and alongside like-minded people, then you need look no more; the Bath School of Art and Design (BSAD) at Bath Spa University is certainly worth your time.
The School fosters the creativity and ambitions of every artist, splitting into three departments and covering a diverse range of fields, including Art, Fashion, Textiles and Three-Dimensional Design, as well as Design and Contextual Studies. The School is committed to “Creativity, Culture & Enterprise”, striving to inspire students through a vibrant and dynamic academic environment.
The high calibre of alumni speaks for itself and is testament to the high standard of teaching found within the School. Famous names include Howard Hodgkin, Edward Piper, Peter Randall-Page, Laura Ford, Roger Deakins, and Salima Hashmi.
This exceptional quality and talent extends to the staff, of whom there have been many notable leaders of the art world, including Walter Sickert, Kenneth Armitage, Gillian Ayres, and Adrian Heath; as well as Dexter Dalwood, Keith Harrison, Mariele Neudecker, Maria Lalic, Gavin Turk all currently working at the School.
This distinguished Faculty and alumni network, along with the School’s collaboration with local and national corporations, means that students of BSAD are able to take advantage of the extensive web of creatives and industry professionals available to them.
These connections enable students to work on industry projects to expand their horizons and learn from the best in the field. Eventually, students move onto placements where they develop business plans and meet with industry leaders, capitalising on these links when it comes to finding employment opportunities after graduation.
When you join BSAD, you also become part of a richly diverse global community. Bath Spa welcomes students from all over the globe, taking great measures to ensure each student settles in and feels comfortable in the surrounding University environment.
Each student can enter the peer mentor scheme that ensures you have all the support you need during the initial stages of your course. Bath Spa also has a dedicated team who guides international students through the application process, also remaining to assist with any questions on living and studying in the UK.
Located in the historic city of Bath, the University’s surroundings boast striking Georgian features, ancient Roman baths, stunning rolling countryside, plus an abundance of theatres, galleries and museums. This historic backdrop of the UK’s only World Heritage city makes for an ideal environment to get the creative juices flowing.
While its location may be historic, the facilities at the BSAD are as modern as you’ll find. The school has invested £23 million in a new campus that plans to open in 2019. The listed building is being converted from a Sir Nicholas Grimshaw factory space and will house state-of-the-art facilities and open work space.
With building well underway, the School’s current campus in the heart of Bath houses studios with cutting-edge technology and design materials considered among the best in the world.
The exceptional equipment is used across the board from woodwork, to textiles, ceramics, fashion and digital technologies like those involved in 3D printing. Each student here will have their own personal workspace where they can dedicate time to projects and have the space to gain artistic clarity.
BSAD is committed to lifelong learning and dedicates itself to crafting outstanding postgraduate courses for students of all ages and backgrounds.
Passionate photographers, illustrators and graphic designers see their visions come to life on the MA Visual Communication. This practical hands-on course sees students build a professional and critical context of their work through utilisation of the School’s many workshops in photography, etching, letterpress, screen print, plastics, woodwork, paint preparation and casting.
This course will give you confidence in your abilities, equipping you with the skills needed to succeed within your chosen specialisation.
Both the MA Design: Fashion and Textiles and MA Ceramics not only allow you to explore your creative direction, but also place emphasis on the business side of the creative world, educating students on how to turn their passion into a living after graduation.
On top of design management and product development, modules also include marketing and business skills for ambitious designers and artists wanting to forge their own way in the world.
The more traditional MA Fine Art covers a broad range of disciplines from painting to Performance, encouraging students to critically engage with the process of making art. Through this examination, students are challenged to develop their own unique expression through their work.
Taking critical analysis to the next level is the MA Curatorial Practice. Perfectly blending theory and practice, the course examines the history of exhibitions, collections and research to explore curating, audience engagement and issues around collecting.
The School’s well-established relationships with a range of museums, galleries and contemporary art organisations of national and international significance add a level of depth few other universities can offer.
This widespread creative network combined with impressive teaching and facilities make for a perfect marriage when it comes to expanding your creative horizons at BSAD, no matter what your background or aspirations.
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