Why study Fine Art, Graphic Art or Art, Craft and Design? Art and design allows development of creativity and artistic expression, and is one of the only subjects to be almost entirely practical. Art and design is vital in today’s ever-changing world, where aesthetics are equally as important as function. Indeed, art surrounds us in our everyday living environment; from the buildings we live in, mobile phones, and the clothes on the high street. Students studying art will explore and develop their artistic skills in a variety of disciplines. Learners will also develop their ability to analyse artwork and think critically about the creative world and apply that knowledge to their projects. The course is designed with further education in mind, so that students who wish to pursue a career in art and design have the skills and knowledge required; many students do continue into highly successful careers in the widely increasing creative industries. Features of the course: Students will produce practical and critical/contextual work in one or more areas including painting, drawing, mixed media, sculpture, installation, printmaking, film, animation, video, photography, lens-based and/or light-based media. Graphic art students will follow the same course but will produce their development and final pieces using the computer program Photoshop. Their outcomes will be of a graphic nature such as stamp presentation packs, posters or calendars. Art, craft and design students will follow the same course but will produce their development and final pieces using their chosen specialism in either fine art, graphic communication, textile design, three-dimensional design or photography.