Study Textiles and Design

Shetland College United Kingdom

Art/Design and Craft National Certificate

The course will let you explore a variety of art/design and craft skills. It will offer you excellent foundation on which to develop your creativity. It will also give you the opportunity to develop a portfolio of work in order to gain access to Higher National Diploma and Degree programmes. This is a one-year full-time course where you will participate in practical studio activities. If you cannot attend full-time you may want to consider studying part-time. You may be able to select your choice of units from the list and come into college when they are running. This course is suitable for school leavers and mature students.

No specific academic qualifications are required. However, you will be asked to show evidence of creative ability in a folio of art and design work. The Art lecturers will advise you on how you can gather this together.

Many of our students who have studied on this course, are now studying on higher education courses, ranging from fine art, sculpture drawing and painting, and craft design.

The course consists of a series of Scottish Qualification Authority units, which encourage you to develop your own ideas and be experimental in your approach.

The course covers the development of drawing, painting and design skills including figure drawing. You will expand your ideas further through the use of sketch books and projects in a variety of art and craft applications ranging from ceramics to experimental print making.

Study and research space is available within the department library, where you will have access to the art and design reference library, PCs and the Internet.

If you are interested, any of the Art lecturers would be delighted to discuss the course with you and show you around the studios.

Contemporary Textiles

Diploma of Higher Education This course will further develop your design craft and textile skills. When you complete the course you will have the following options open to you

Self employment
Employment within a local business.
You may gain employment as a designer/technician, as the course provides training

in computer-aided design and manufacturing systems.
You may continue your education at degree level at other institutes.

The course is aimed at the aspiring designer/makers wishing to develop new ideas and produce top quality products. Core activities of the course will include visual studies, craft design, and making skills. You will spend time studying market research, marketing, business studies and professional practice to encourage skills in developing new markets. This is a two-year course. In Year 1 the units provide an introduction to the materials, methods, skills and concepts and vocabulary appropriate to design practice. In Year 2 you will refine and develop your selected specialist skills in craft and textiles, selected from your previous studies. Greater emphasis will be placed on a personal approach to projects where you will be encouraged to develop your own individual style.

If you wish you can study part-time and do the modules of your choice.

Well equipped modern studios and library research space is available within the department. You will have access to computer aided design systems, and the Internet. Lecturers and technicians are available for support. We always advise anyone thinking about the course to come in for a visit, see the department and have an informal chat first. One of the important things to discuss is your portfolio of work.

Disability is no barrier to this course, and anyone considering the course who has learning

difficulties will receive specialist support and teaching. All you have to do is ask and help and

support will be given. Diploma of Higher Education in Contemporary Textiles Shetland is a group of wild and rugged islands with dramatic sculptured cliffs and sheltered voes

which provides an inspirational location for aspiring designer makers. Working from a remote

location is becoming an increasingly attractive and viable option, with the full exploitation of

technology to enable participation in the world market. The course is based on the belief that in order for students to be prepared for the demands

of employment within the field of craft and textiles in the twenty-first century they need to have expertise in a range of core skills and to have the intellectual development to explore and apply these in the creation of visionary new products. The course team believes strongly that visual studies are the inspirational basis for good design and that the skills of observation, analysis, reflection and recording are integral to all aspects of the design process. The realisation of design ideas depends on a high level of skill in manipulation and production as well as knowledge of processes and materials. The course therefore places a strong emphasis on the teaching and learning of textile and craft skills and the opportunity to practice and enhance technical ability.

We believe that designer makers need to be aware of economic considerations and to be equipped with business and computing skills. They also need to develop their personal and professional capabilities to take advantage of opportunities to market their product.

The course programme aims to produce designer makers who have well developed problem solving, cognitive and conceptual abilities: who are aware of the changing environment and the demands of the market place in relation to this: and who are self directing and motivated.

For more information contact:

Maggie Marr

Shetland College

Gremista Industrial Estate

Lerwick

ZE1 0PX

Tel: 01595 771000/771503

Fax: 01595 694 830

Email: Maggie.Marr@shetland.uhi.ac.uk

Website: www.shetland.uhi.ac.uk