Creative & Digital Arts - MK College

SUBJECTS

Creative & Digital Arts

“Creativity takes courage”

– Henri Matisse

Ask anyone who has a creative job, they will tell you that the number one thing that keeps them going is their passion for their art.

It takes a determined individual to turn what they love into their career, but that’s what makes it worth it. After all, what’s the point in spending the rest of your life doing something you don’t wholeheartedly love?

When you study a creative subject at Milton Keynes College, you don’t just get a qualification. You get a deeper understanding of the origins and the techniques that are embedded in your chosen specialism. You get access to industry-standard facilities and work experience opportunities not available in most education settings outside of college.

Most importantly, you will grow and develop as an artist, finding your voice, and learning how to craft a career from what you love.

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Creative & Digital Arts

Creative & Digital Arts Course Information

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Intermediate or Advanced?

You may have seen our courses split up into Intermediate and Advanced. Here’s the lowdown on what they mean…

Intermediate

This level of study is equivalent to Level 1 & 2.

This will offer you a dedicated support system to prepare you for progression. You will develop your knowledge, skills and confidence in your chosen specialism, encouraged by your tutors and peers. Your experiences will enable you to decide what you want to do next, whether it’s an apprenticeship or an Advanced (Level 3) study programme at College, you will discover the wide range of options open to you.

Advanced

This level of study is equivalent to Level 3.

Put your passion for your chosen subject into action with a variety of work experience opportunities. You’ll put your skills and knowledge to the test by taking on work experience in your chosen industry, getting an insight into what life in that career will be like. You’ll develop your learning at College, taking full advantage of our industry-standard facilities. Professionalism is a must for advanced programmes, as you will be making contacts and opening doors for yourself which could lead to something extraordinary.

Higher

This level of study is equivalent to Level 4, 5 & 6, and is only for people who have already completed an Advanced (Level 3) qualification (BTEC or A Level or equivalent).

Take your career to the next step with undergraduate qualifications, from HNCs to BA Degrees. Focus on your specialism, developing advanced technical, practical and research skills to prepare you for a fulfilling and successful career. With expert lecturers, small class sizes and access to facilities mirroring industry, get ready to become an expert in your chosen field.

Art & Design

Whether you see yourself as an illustrator, a designer, or you just know that you want to dedicate your career to art, it’s important to gain a wide selection of skills across art and design, which you’ll do through a variety of projects. Working on live briefs from the industry, you’ll focus on how you can use your creativity and passion to craft yourself a career that you will love.

Creative Digital Arts

The Intermediate Creative Digital Arts course provides you with the perfect opportunity to try your hand at a combination of creative and digital disciplines, and work out the field you want to progress into. The variety of course content will enable you to let your individuality shine through, and to experiment with different graphics and photography techniques. Once you have mastered the basics, you will have the choice of progressing on to study at Advanced level, within Graphic Design, Photography or Art & Design, where you will further your technical and practical skills in these specialisms.

Graphic Design

From magazines and billboards to this online prospectus, graphic design is everywhere and plays a vital part in the way businesses operate. From developing your technical skills in Adobe Suite to preparing your portfolio ready to go out to industry, you will work on projects briefed by real employers and take workshops with guest lecturers to ensure you are ready to take the graphic design industry by storm.

Photography

From configuring lighting to directing models, photographers do a lot more than just being behind the camera. Professional photographers could be capturing anything from products to pets, to political revolutions. Photographers can work from anywhere, whether it’s a studio, a wedding, or a completely different country. From traditional film cameras to digital, there is plenty of different equipment to get to grips with, as well as software to develop your images and tell the story.

Fashion & Textiles

From designing bespoke textile patterns, fashion illustrations to garment making, there are so many opportunities in this industry to be discovered. Creativity and innovation are required to work your way into this competitive industry. Whether your interests lie in high fashion, interior design or costuming, you will develop a wide range of hands on technical and digital skills to get you ready to break into this competitive industry.

Foundation Arts Diploma

If your goal is to study an art specialism at university, this course will offer you bespoke learning and technical skills in order to progress to higher education.

The Foundation Arts Diploma is equivalent to a Level 3 & 4, and offers you an exciting taste of all different areas of art & design, helping you to make informed decisions about your next steps.

What are the career opportunities?

Studying creative subjects enables you to develop a whole host of transferrable skills. Communication, resilience, and the ability to think outside of the box, as well as technical skills. It’s important to think about your personal goals and what you want your career to look like. Jobs you could get include:

  • Concept Artist
  • Graphic Designer
  • Illustrator
  • Fashion Designer
  • Photographer
  • Studio Manager
  • Magazine Designer
  • Art Director
  • Pattern Designer

What are the steps to get there?

Once you’ve completed your Advanced (Level 3) qualification, there are lots of different options open to you. What you choose to do depends on your goal – have you got your mindset on a certain specialism, or do you want to develop more technical knowledge first? Your options are:

Undergraduate Study

Got a specialism in mind? This is your perfect chance to study what you love further – whether it’s Graphic Design, Fashion Merchandising or Multimedia Studies. You can continue your studies at Milton Keynes College through progression onto our HNC in Photography, HNC in Art Practice or HNC in Graphic Design. Alternatively, your qualification will give you UCAS points to apply to university.

Employment

You could search for an entry-level position with a company, where you will take the next step on your career journey. You could start out as a studio assistant or as a junior at an agency, or you could even start your own business offering your services to other businesses.