When & Where

  • Orange calendar icon 2 September 2024 - 25 June 2026 ( 540 hours, 35 weeks )
  • Orange map marker icon Chelsea Centre

Quick Facts

  • Availability Yes (course free to 16-18 year olds)
  • Course Code C24TDDE01B
  • Suitable For This course is free for 16-18s

What you will learn

This two-year course provides you with opportunities to explore the rich and diverse world of the creative industries through the lens of three dimensional design. This includes fields such as architecture, interior design, furniture, and product design. 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. This includes model making, drawing, 3D CAD, 3D printing, and Adobe Photoshop. 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, The Design Museum, and the Chelsea Design Centre. Our studio spaces are 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 support learning and teaching and the practical curriculum engages with a range of making and experimentation with materials and visual language. 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 industry partners with whom we conduct live projects, visits, and work experience placements

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Apply an understanding of specialist industry practice to a creative project
  • Produce a self-initiated project proposal
  • Use research to inform and direct a creative project
  • Use technical skills and materials associated with a specialist industry practice
  • Resolve problems within a creative project
  • Use specialist practice visual language to communicate ideas and concepts
  • Use specialist presentation techniques to present ideas and outcomes
  • Apply reflective practice to a creative project
  • Student produce a specialist portfolio to support progression to degree courses, apprenticeships or appropriate entry level roles within the creative industries

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

As part of a close knit group you will work in a supportive atmosphere learning through practical workshops, individual tutorials, exciting peer to peer work and class critiques. You will also have access to 24 -7 learning with a blend of in college practical activities and workshops supported by dynamic online resources via Microsoft Teams. Your learning is further enriched with a range of study visits to museums and showrooms. Industry engagement and live projects develop the skills and independence required to progress to degree courses, apprenticeships or appropriate entry level roles within industry. Assessment Methods: Achievement on the course will be measured by completion of projects, course units and the final major projects. Your progress towards achieving the learning outcomes will be reviewed throughout the course. At the start of the course you will have an opportunity to discuss these with your tutor and set your own personal targets, linked to the learning outcomes and future goals. In order to ensure you make the best possible progress on your course, you will have regular constructive and supportive feedback from your tutors.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have at least 4 GCSEs (including English and/or Maths grade 4, or equivalent, or IELTS Level 5). We welcome, but not exclusively, applicants who have studied creative subjects previously. If you are under 19 and are yet to achieve you 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

You need to be aware that this is a fast-moving, proactive and forward-thinking course, you will be expected to put time in outside of course hours to achieve a high standard of work. We provide full support to students who need extra help in any aspect of their studies, for example to dyslexic students.

What you need

You need a positive, can-do attitude with plenty of enthusiasm for the creative industries. You will be eager to learn, bursting with potential and ready to challenge your understanding of the world in which we live. Collaboration will be necessary as a part of this program, so you will be capable of playing a key role in group work. You will need to have access to a computer at home (PC or Mac) and we recommend you have your own laptop that you can bring into college.

What you can do next

Progress to degree courses, apprenticeships or appropriate entry level roles within the creative industries.