Textiles & Fashion
Course Overview
The course is essentially concerned with Art and Design (Textile Design) exploration offering broad opportunity to explore all areas of textiles, areas of study include:
- fashion
- costume
- digitally or traditionally printed and/or dyed fabrics, garments and materials
- interior design
- constructed textiles (knitted, woven, embellished or combined with other materials)
- textile installation
- accessories.
However, in keeping with developments in contemporary Texiles, you are encouraged to explore a range of media and experimental approaches including digital technology to facilitate an engagement with more ‘cutting edge’ methods of visual expression. This is likely to involve a study and exploration of more innovative conceptual approaches to visual communication common to the expanded field of art practice today. This will also incorporate an emphasis on the value of drawing to record the creative process interpreted through a wide range of media.
The overall aim of the course is therefore to encourage an adventurous and enquiring approach to art and design which is informed and developed through an in-depth study of both historical and contemporary art practice. In turn this should enable you to embrace and explore a range of ideas in your work of both a personal and an objective/analytical nature and, in so doing, harness a meaningful appreciation of visual culture.
Examination Board:
EDEXCEL
Entry Requirements:
Grade 4 in Art GCSE. It may be possible to study Art without GCSE however you will be required to share examples of your work and this will be assessed.
You must have the required qualifications for the Advanced Pathway.
Course Level:
A Level – Level 3
Assessment Objectives
Assessment Year 12: Foundation skills portfolio
The course will start similar to a foundation course and allow you to develop and reflect on the core elements within art, you will explore a variety of Textile mediums such as traditional textile methods such as; free machine embroidery, batik, devore, silk painting, appliqué, dyed fabrics, printing methods, pattern cutting, fashion illustration digitally & drawn and garment construction. You will then choose two mini projects in a specialism of your choice fashion, costume or interior design to explore until December. From December the course is comprised of one internally assessed component, the ‘Personal Creative Enquiry’; this component requires you to keep a working journal/ portfolio which can be defined as a combination of a sketch-pad and a diary comprising of drawings, paintings, photographs, textile samples, written notes documenting ideas and other visual research materials on your personal topic. The progression of your work at all stages will be nurtured and stimulated by an organised
extra-curricular enrichment programme to include both UK and European gallery and practical workshop visits.
Year one of this two course will consist of:
This is an internally assessed unit that will support the work undertaken in year 13, in which you will generate and develop ideas through the skills you have built up in year 12 and further disciplines such as digital fashion/interior portfolio. You will also research artist/designers and their work and experiment with media and processes before producing a personal final outcome based on themes negotiated between yourself and staff. Students can select from the following themes: ‘Collect, Select, Arrange’; ‘Natural Formations’; Ephemeral; Obsessions; Reflection; Ethereal; mundane; juxtaposition; Taped, Tied and Bound; transition; looking through; society today; altered state; it’s in the detail, and narrative, these change to reflect fashion seasons ternds.
Assessment Year 13
A Level
Year 13 Component 1 Personal Creative Enquiry 60% of A Level This is an internally assessed unit in which you continue to build upon and develop the ideas pursued during Year 12 through drawing, textile methods and other disciplines such as fashion, costume, textiles or interior design. You should also research both historical and contemporary designers and their work and experiment with media and processes, before producing a personal final outcome based on themes negotiated between yourself and staff. In addition this component demands evidence of written communication showing research and understanding of an Artist or related Art/fashion Movement in the form of a 1000 words (minimum) of continuous prose which could take the form of an illustrated essay. you will also create a digital portfolio to support your university/ foundation course applications.
A Level Component 2 Externally Set Assignment: 40% of A Level
You will be required to select a single question from a set paper. You will have an extended period between February and April during Year 13 to prepare research and develop a personal response culminating in a 15 hour practical examination set over several days.
How will I be assessed?
Is there anything else I should know?
The skills that you will learn in this subject, such as independent research, close reading, analysis and evaluation of material and assimilation of material into a formal essay are desirable skills for universities. English Combined is therefore an ideal companion to History, French, Psychology, Religious Studies or any of the Science subjects.
Progression Routes
Naturally English Combined will be appropriate for students who wish to progress to study a form of English at university. It also provides many of the skills desirable for degrees in History, Law, Anthropology, Criminology and Teaching.