A Level Art History: Critical & Contextual Studies

Art & Design / Full Time / A Levels and Equivalent

A fascinating subject that explores works of art that have been produced through the ages and, through these, what artists have tried to tell us about their worlds and lives. You will be encouraged to develop your writing skills and explore creative ways in which to present the outcomes of your research. It is an open and welcoming course for those who appreciate art in which, after an induction into the main ideas, issues and methods of art history, you can explore your own interests and focus on areas of interest that arise as you learn more about the subject.

Art History is a subject that can be helpful to any student who wants to apply to an art or humanities related degree course, but it combines well with any A Level. You are also able to combine it with any other Art and Design subject.

Our art department provides a calm and friendly place to work. We have a dedicated classroom with its own library, various materials and equipment including laptops and the range of resources available across the department.

You will discover through formal lectures how art history reflects comments and interprets social and historical events.

Through practical assignments, you will develop innovative opportunities to acquire critical, contextual and curatorial knowledge, understanding and skills in appreciating artefacts, texts and images within particular cultural environments, alongside relevant practical investigations. The option provides for a broad range of intellectual and practical learning experiences through a variety of lively and creative strategies for developing and presenting personal, practical, critical and contextual responses.

These outcomes could take the form of gallery guides, exhibition brochures, magazine spreads, newspaper articles, documentary television scripts and factual or fictional discussions or exchanges between artists, craftspeople or designers using a range of communication methods.

It is necessary to emphasise that this option is different from traditional approaches to the history of art and learners are required to provide evidence of achievement across all four assessment objectives.

The first year of the course consists of a variety of activities that will help you with your Personal Investigation in the second year. You will be taught how to research and analyse works of art. You will be encouraged to work independently throughout, researching relevant topics that personally interest you.

Progression onto Year 2

Progression to the second year of this A Level course will be dependent on having made satisfactory progress in the first year of the course, as well as commitment throughout the year and the maintenance of attendance in line with the college expectations.
The Year 2 A Level course consists of two components: coursework (Personal Investigation) and exam project. There is a basic exam board requirement for there to be some written content in the coursework component. In the second year you will be further developing your researching and analytical skills and exploring your ideas to a high standard.

Final Assessment at end of Year 2

This will include a final outcome and evidence of background research. The topic for the exam project is based on a theme chosen from a paper set by the exam board. It will culminate in the production of an outcome produced under 15 hours of supervised time at the start of the summer term. Both components will be internally marked and externally moderated.

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 Study is set weekly initially 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. Your course sketchbook will be assessed regularly for reflective, thoughtful, analytical critical evaluation and annotation with emphasis on the development towards a final piece, through 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 there will be an expectation to contribute to these during your lessons.

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

Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above (including Art) and English (Lang. or Lit) at grade 6. You do not need a GCSE Art and Design qualification in order to do this course. However, you will be expected to effectively translate your creative skills through the visual presentation of your work.

Art History will provide you with a strong set of skills such as researching, presenting written and visual work, analysis of images and texts and attention to detail. These can be applied to a range of careers in the art world and beyond. Art History is considered as an academic A Level; the equivalent of other humanities subjects such as History, English Literature, Philosophy etc. Therefore, alongside art courses, it can support university entry into a wide range of degree options.

Most universities offer courses in Art History and a significant number of our students go on to study this subject. Others have gone onto degrees in fine art, history, religious studies and sociology amongst many others.

Awarding Body:
Eduqas

To obtain more information about this course, please call: 01208 224000 or email enquiry@callywith.ac.uk