New Fine Art Degree Launched at Shetland College UHI

The Creative and Cultural Industries department at Shetland College UHI are now taking applications for a new BA (Hons) Fine Art degree, which will start in September 2016.

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Work by Anna Clark for the Degree Show 2015, Orkney College UHI

The degree compliments the well established BA (Hons) Contemporary Textiles and provides a local progression route for the National Certificate Art and Design Portfolio course. The programme has been developed across the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and will be taught in Shetland by professionals with expertise in their field. Students will be able to draw on the wider UHI Fine Art teaching team as some modules will be networked via video conference technology. This will enable student group discussion and expertise to be shared across the UHI network. Furthermore, students will benefit from an exciting programme of visiting speakers as well as have the opportunity to go on an annual study trip to a major cultural centre.

The course aims to develop a strong technical and conceptual framework in an experimental and supportive environment to enable students to become professional artists using the media of their choice. Students can choose to specialise using traditional or new media in both two and three dimensions including painting, drawing, lens based media, printmaking and sculptural studies - all of which are underpinned by contextual and critical studies. As students progress through the course they will identify their specialist interests to develop a body of work towards their final Degree Show.

The course is suitable for applicants with diverse experience, including Advanced Higher art students in secondary schools; students progressing from NC Art and Design courses and mature students who have relevant experience and interest.

Roxane Permar, BA (Hons) Fine Art Site Leader, said “We are delighted to finally be able to offer this course, which will provide a much-needed opportunity to study art to a higher level than ever previously offered in Shetland. I am sure it will contribute very positively to the future development of visual arts here. Our team looks forward to working together with our future students and is excited by the prospect of working with arts agencies, communities and colleagues from across the UHI network”.

To find out more about the course and to apply online visit the Fine Art course page.

The degree compliments the well established BA (Hons) Contemporary Textiles and provides a local progression route for the National Certificate Art and Design Portfolio course. The programme has been developed across the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and will be taught in Shetland by professionals with expertise in their field. Students will be able to draw on the wider UHI Fine Art teaching team as some modules will be networked via video conference technology. This will enable student group discussion and expertise to be shared across the UHI network. Furthermore, students will benefit from an exciting programme of visiting speakers as well as have the opportunity to go on an annual study trip to a major cultural centre.

The course aims to develop a strong technical and conceptual framework in an experimental and supportive environment to enable students to become professional artists using the media of their choice. Students can choose to specialise using traditional or new media in both two and three dimensions including painting, drawing, lens based media, printmaking and sculptural studies - all of which are underpinned by contextual and critical studies. As students progress through the course they will identify their specialist interests to develop a body of work towards their final Degree Show.