A Level Textiles

Art & Design / Full Time / A Levels and Equivalent

This creative course introduces the learners to key skills and knowledge fundamental to the world of Art and Design Textiles. It also explores many skills which are transferrable to other areas of study. The course gradually builds around each student, to meet their creative interests and needs, and prepares them for further study at university or for the workplace.

This course starts with a project exploring the key skills and principles in art and design, e.g. mark making, line, tone, colour, pattern and texture. During this time, you will learn how to use the Bernina 1008 sewing machines that we use at the college. You will learn how to use both the standard and free motion sewing feet. You will learn how to mix and apply colour to fabrics and collage various materials together to create textile artwork. You will explore mark making with paint, dye and stitch (both hand and machine stitching) to create pattern, texture, line and tone. You will use these mark making techniques along with free motion embroidery to develop your drawing and observational skills. You will complete this introductory project by creating a textile panel which encompasses these foundational skills.

Over the course you will build a comprehensive textiles vocabulary to help you find your own voice within the subject and will take part in a number of textile workshops. You will work on your own personal projects, inspired by various inspirational sources. Workshops are structured to familiarise you with different techniques including appliqué, Bondaweb fusing, collaging, couching and cording, heat transfer printing, weaving, fabric manipulation, screen printing, use of soluble fabrics, and repeat pattern design. We will also explore how contemporary and historic textile makers communicate ideas.

Working in sketchbooks, you will evidence your evolving skills and knowledge, textiles terms and ideas, documenting and constantly reflecting on your creative development through your own personal annotations. There is a fundamental emphasis during this course to critical reflect on the progress of your own work and critically analyse the work of other artists and designers. Understanding the work of other’s, their context, personal themes, motivation, use of processes, materials and techniques is vital to development of your own creative practice.

Over the course you will get assessed across four main assessment criteria: A01 Contextual understanding, A02 Creative making, A03 Reflective recording and A04 Personal presentation.

By the end of the first year, you will have produced a body of coursework, which explores personal ideas through to a final outcome. The second year builds on your learning in the first year. There is one personally negotiated, more focused coursework project and one exam project. In addition to designing and making, there is a written element to the second year of the course where your learning will be supported by group presentations and contextual lectures preparing you well for Higher Education.

Towards the end of the course you are given eight weeks lecture time to prepare for a 15-hour exam. The preparation time forms a personal project responding to a chosen exam theme; the 15 hour exam time is used to create a final piece which resolves this project.

Component 1: Personal Investigation
Internally Assessed.
60% of A Level.

The Personal Investigation consists of a major in-depth, practical, critical and theoretical investigative project/theme based portfolio. Learners will be required to carry out an extended critical and contextual analysis (1000 word minimum requirement).

Component 2: Externally Set Assignment
Internally Assessed.
40% of A Level.

Learners will be required to independently develop a personal response to one of a varied range of stimuli. Learners will develop their response during a preparatory study period culminating in a 15 hour sustained focus study.

The Art Department is friendly, supportive, ambitious and hardworking. Achievement in this subject relies heavily on your attendance, punctuality and commitment to learning, both independently and within lectures. You will be encouraged to try a broad range of approaches, which you will then refine into ways of working which suit your individual interests, acquiring and developing specialist skills in your chosen discipline. Independent work is fundamental to the course; at least 50% of all work assessed should have happened outside the classroom.

Homework is set weekly. Initially it is set by lecturers and will be tightly specified and closely linked to class workshops; it will be monitored regularly. As the course develops you will be required to set your own homework/independent work based on agreed learning needs. Your ongoing work will be assessed in lessons through focused 1:1 discussion. Sketchbook work will be assessed regularly for reflective, thoughtful, analytical critical evaluation and annotation. Emphasis is upon the development towards a final piece, through observation and technical, aesthetic and conceptual refinement.

You will also be assessed against how your research of art, craft, design, media and technologies in contemporary and past societies and cultures improves your own understanding and practice.

Discussions and presentations are a vital part of our assessment process and you will be expected to contribute to these during your lessons.

Independent practice will be supported through PowerPoints, worksheets and other guides available through our Sharepoint course. We also provide further support through focused boards on Pinterest. College trips to visit museums and galleries will be offered and we encourage our students to visit galleries both locally and nationally to support their work.

The basic requirement is five GCSEs at grade 4 with a grade 4 or higher in an Art based course (to include English Language or Literature at grade 5 or above). A keen interest in drawing to indulge your creativity, as a design stimulus and as a means of gathering creative ideas and making them visible, is absolutely essential.

No previous experience with a sewing machine is necessary, but a willingness to learn how to use this tool carefully, safely and effectively to create a range of textile artwork is essential.

You can progress directly to a wide range of degree courses in preparation for a career in textiles, fashion or interior design. Past students have successfully applied to all of the following: Textile Design, Fashion Design, Costume Design, Interior Design, Jewellery Design, Fashion Marketing and Merchandising, and Fine Art Textiles.

Awarding Body:
Eduqas

Any enquiries about the course please contact amyscragg@callywith.ac.uk (Textile Lecturer)