The desire for humans to adorn themselves and their surroundings has always been a strong motivation for creativity. For whatever reason whether it be to demonstrate status, power and wealth, personal individual style or the recognition of an emotional, sentimental or nostalgic connection. The Jewellery and Silversmithing programme recognises these diverse needs and histories and asks you to make contemporary responses.
The Jewellery and Silversmithing degree* programme is designed to encourage students to learn and devise skills and processes, for using and manipulating materials, particularly metal in it’s various states. It is also designed to give jewellery and silversmithing students the opportunity to learn about ways to use traditional and new materials. It is based on a conviction that an understanding of studio materials results primarily from a tactile engagement with them. Jewellery is of course not limited to precious materials and increasingly students are interested in developing skills for working with a wide range of alternative materials.
The teaching team, are committed to supporting and guiding you towards developing and sustaining an inventive and individual approach to your creative practice. Students are free to express themselves through the design and realisation of: functional pieces, commissions, catwalk work, sculptural forms, installation and or conceptually driven outcomes etc.
A cross-disciplinary approach is encouraged and some students may wish to combine pieces with other materials and or disciplines. The artifacts produced and the design ideas generated communicate on many different levels. Students are encouraged to develop a strong concept 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 max and basic video editing.
Throughout the course and particularly in professional studies, students will also be expected to engage with the practicalities of sustaining a practice once they graduate and to foster an awareness of the need and means of setting up a studio/workshop, including protecting the health and wellbeing of both themselves and their colleagues, through the implementation of appropriate working practices.
Later in the course students will be asked to be pro-active in engaging with organisations and people outside the college to generate further opportunities for residencies or commissioning possibilities
Student on the BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing programme 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.
The use of precious metals and precious or semi precious stones in this day and age is a subject of much debate and our students are encouraged to be creative with an awareness of where their materials come from and to undertake their practice in an ethical and sustainable way. 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.
