Ceramic objects are some of the oldest manmade artifacts known. This incredibly versatile material has been used to make everything from functional domestic wares, cups, plates and teapots to the outer surface of the space shuttle, from medical scalpels and the most expensive musical instruments to bricks and sanitary ware. The properties of pottery enable the making of beautiful sculptural forms and the design of layered complex decorative and functional surfaces.
The metamorphosis from wet clay to ceramics through fire is fascinating and has captivated people throughout the ages. This material is increasingly widely used and is more relevant today than it has ever been.
At Plymouth College of Art it is possible to become a skilled specialist practitioner in this wonderful material whether it be through hand skills such as throwing, coiling, pinching or slab building or methods of batch producing pottery such as mould making and slip casting. Students are also encouraged to develop the surfaces of their work through experimentation and mixing of their own glazes or the use of a wide range of different firing techniques such as gas reduction and raku.
This BA (Hons) Ceramics course* is designed to encourage students to learn and develop skills and techniques, for using and manipulating clay in it’s various states. Assignments on the course are based on the conviction that an understanding of your studio materials results primarily from your tactile engagement with them.
The teaching team, are committed to supporting and guiding you towards building and sustaining an inventive and individual approach to creative practice. Students are free to express themselves through the design and realisation of: functional ware, public realm, sculptural artifacts, installation or conceptually driven outcomes.
A cross-disciplinary approach is encouraged and some students may wish to combine clay with other materials and or disciplines. Students are encouraged to develop a strong conceptual base to underpin their particular area of practice. Ongoing input from the Contextual Team will help them to achieve this and to understand the context within which their work sits. Students will also be expected to develop their visual awareness and communication skills via the many possible definitions of what can constitute “drawing”. Expression through the use of digital technology is encouraged and there will be given opportunities to train in the use of such software as Adobe Photoshop, inDesign, illustrator, 3D Studio Max and basic video editing and web site design.
In preparing for the future students will also be expected to engage with the practicalities of workshop practice, fostering an awareness of the need and means of the day to day maintenance and management of a studio including the protection the health and wellbeing of both themselves and their colleagues and potential employees, through the implementation of correct working practices.
As the course progresses students will be asked to be pro-active in engaging with organisations and people outside the college to generate their own opportunities for free lance design work, exhibitions, residencies, commissioning possibilities and gallery outlets depending on career interests.
Student on the BA (Hons) Ceramics degree will be part of a larger group comprising the other material practitioners across our range of Craft courses. Together you will respond to themed modules in your chosen material practice. Along the way students will gain skills that contemporary practitioners need in order to develop and sustain their practice after graduation and into the world of employment or self-employment. Excellent workshop facilities give the opportunity for a rich exploration of materials, enabling innovative and contemporary practice using specialist craft skills, which are celebrated and shared by expert practitioners.
“Transferable” skills that give students the ability and the flexibility to move into related areas of the creative industries are a strong element of these programmes.
The themes you will be exploring include:
- Studio Practice
- Design for industry
- Public art, commissioning, awards and external design briefs
- Digital processes
- Interdisciplinary practice
- Installation and conceptual practice
- Sustainability and emotionally durable design
- Curation and exhibiting
- Drawing development, visual thinking and visual communication
- Critical, Contextual and Historical Studies
Underpinning all these themes will be professional and entrepreneurial skills, with opportunities for external placements and internships at home or abroad.
Making has an intrinsic value in our lives. We at PCA recognise the potential of tacit knowledge and the enhanced understanding of the world that comes through our knowledge of material practices. We wish to champion these skills and benefits that are so special and rare in a “virtual world” whilst also embracing digital technology as another craft skill. The nature of contemporary craft practice has been rapidly changing throughout the last few years. Many other influences have been brought to these disciplines and we embrace these new ways of thinking and encourage the innovative use of materials in interdisciplinary as well as in “traditional” ways. We have highly skilled lecturers and technicians who have a great deal of experience across the crafts disciplines and all are inquisitive about making and its relevance in today’s society.
At PCA we have a strong interest in the sustainability of craft practice In 2009 we held our first International Crafts Conference called “Making Futures-Crafts in the context of Global Sustainability agendas”. This has enabled the compilation and generation of a great deal of networks and research, making sure that we are at the centre of debate and developments in this area.
To be successful in today’s creative industries you need to be resourceful, adaptable and resilient. These courses are designed to engender these qualities but also to give you the specialist skills and knowledge to take forward your creative practice into the future.
All the College's Higher Education provision is validated by the Open University.
