When & Where

  • Orange calendar icon 2 September 2024 - 25 June 2026 ( 490 hours, 70 weeks )
  • Orange map marker icon Chelsea Centre

Quick Facts

  • Availability Yes (course free to 16-18 year olds)
  • Course Code C24CRDA03A
  • Suitable For This course is free for 16-18s

What you will learn

This diverse two year course provides you with the opportunities to explore the rich and diverse world of the creative industries through fields such as Art, Design, Sculpture, Illustration, Fashion and many others. As a complementary programme to the Centre’s suite of specialist L3 Extended DIplomas this allows you a journey of creative discovery to establish where you may wish to specialise in higher education or industry. This programme will enable you to make full use of all possibilities and will unleash your creativity through a broad range of technical tools and resources from fundamental hands on activities to the use of digital technologies. The centre is based in Chelsea SW10, an area renowned for artistic practice. We are near to the National Museums and Galleries in Exhibition Road and Hyde Park: Victoria & Albert Museum, Science and National History Museums, and The Serpentine Galleries. Our studio spaces are light and spacious equipped to develop practical and theoretical art & design skills. You will learn through collaborative and individual projects, exploration and discovery that focus on helping you to establish your creative voice. . Small class sizes ensure all students are supported to develop their knowledge, skills and interests. Study visits are organised to museums and galleries to support learning and teaching and the practical curriculum engages with a range of making and experimentation with materials and visual language. Learners are encouraged to reflect on their practice to develop a range of critical and communication skills. The Creative Practice course teaches students to be observant, flexible, practical, and critical and to develop valuable industry relevant skills like collaboration, planning with each other, managing your own time and communicating ideas effectively. The course has close links with the Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, with whom we collaborate on Art Workshops and study visits.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Understand a specialist industry practice within the creative industries
  • Use research to influence activities within a specialist industry practice
  • Propose a self-initiated creative investigation within a specialist industry practice
  • Understand creative intention and purpose within a specialist industry practice
  • Understand how visual language is used to communicate ideas and concepts within a specialist industry practice
  • Use reflective practice to inform and direct activities within a specialist industry practice

On successful completion of the course, you will achieve the following qualification: Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication [UAL]

Class format and activities

The class will be based in a well-equipped studio in a specialist centre where you will be supported to explore a range of media and approaches by expert lecturers. Industry relevant briefs will be delivered that will allow you to explore your personal voice supported by individual tutorials with lecturers. You will work with like minded peers in your group to develop and share ideas and occasionally achieve projects together. Alongside this you will have a range of technical workshops in support of your studies together with progression activities to support you develop an understanding of your eventual specialist area. You will have access to 24 -7 learning with a blend of in college practical activities and workshops supported by dynamic online resources via Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams. Your learning is further enriched with a range of study visits to museums and galleries. Set projects that will develop your skills and independent thinking that is required to progress to degree courses, apprenticeships or appropriate entry level roles within art & design industry. Assessment Methods: You will be assessed through a total of 6 units over two years. At the end of each year following two units you will produce a final major project with a grade of Pass, Merit or Distinction. In the final year this grade will be your award for the Qualification and will be on the basis of your own self chosen unique project. All assessment is through the work you produce, research, sketchbooks and practical work. Assessment will be supportive with deadlines towards the end of each term in which individual feedback will be given to support your next steps.

Entry requirements

You will need four GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English or Maths. If you are under 19 and are yet to achieve your GCSE English or maths at grade 4 you will be provided with the opportunity to study these. This is an important and mandatory requirement of your Study Programme and non attendance will result in withdrawal. Entry can be supported for students applying from alternative routes where a full package of GCSEs may not have been studied. For further information please email the course contact.

What you need to know before you enrol

This is an exciting course that will encourage you to experiment with a range of different specialist areas, techniques and ideas. You will need to be enthusiastic and welcome the opportunity to try new and interesting experiences!

What you need

In this diverse course there will be various modest equipment & material needs as we progress through the course that will be individualised for need you will need to maintain a sketchbook and/or blog of your work.

What you can do next

On successfully achieving the L3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design & Communication you can progress onto Morley Higher Education courses or higher study at other organisations as well as Apprenticeships or entry level roles in the creative industries.