Explore your creativity and master traditional and digital making skills, using a range of materials, including glass and ceramics. Utilise outstanding facilities at National Glass Centre and FabLab. Participate in competitions, public exhibitions and even live commissions. Become an artist, designer, maker and work in diverse art, design and making contexts.
Overview
This exciting course embraces the possibilities of making for both art and design. Glass and Ceramics are a focus but you can work in other materials too, for example, wood, metal, plastic, and digital media. You'll work in excellent individual student workspaces in National Glass Centre and FabLab, bringing you into contact with professionals in the field, and will be able to take advantage of opportunities such as external competitions and exhibitions.
Why us?
- This course has 100% Overall Satisfaction (National Student Survey 2022)
- Our graduates embark on a diverse range of careers including professional artists, community artists, academics and teachers
- Studying at National Glass Centre puts you at the heart of an international network of creative professionals
- National Glass Centre is also home to the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, which has a 50-year history of showing cutting edge contemporary art
- Learn both traditional and modern making techniques and have access to world-class production facilities
- Meet internationally renowned, high-profile artists and designers currently working in the glass, ceramics and making fields
- Be part of a supportive creative community and be encouraged to become nationally, even internationally, networked during your time on the course
- Develop your confidence, problem-solving skills, communications skills and professionalism so that you are well prepared to enter the professional world
Course structure
Your first year will introduce you to a range of traditional and contemporary craft skills, through staff led demonstrations and seminars as well as hands-on making. You'll learn making skills, ideas development and about key subject themes – all of which will prepare you for self-negotiated projects in your second year where you'll learn about making for particular contexts as well as for exhibition. You'll start to identify your own voice through your work as well as considering debates in the subject and professional practice. The final year is significantly about developing your degree show work, reflecting on your practice, critically positioning your work and importantly planning for your future career.
While building the core skills of being an artist, designer or maker, this course also offers the chance for you to develop a broader range of skills and attitudes that can allow you to work in other areas. These include: creative thinking, team working, presentation skills, writing skills, research skills, digital skills, and time management.
Throughout the course, you’ll be assessed through a range of studio practice, visual research – sketchbooks, technical notebooks, and contextual files, your professional development portfolio, written assignments and presentations to fellow students and staff.
Facilities
You'll work in excellently equipped studios based in the National Glass Centre and FabLab, giving you access to many events and exhibitions as well as visiting professionals (including artists, designers and makers). You’ll be allocated your own workspace, in our open plan working areas which facilitates the learning community and allows students to learn and share knowledge freely.
Career ready
We aim to develop you as a graduate who has the skills to work in diverse art, design and making contexts.
You are likely to develop a ‘portfolio career’ that might involve a mix of working as an artist for gallery exhibitions, a designer making work to commission for specific contexts, and a maker who can fabricate work for yourself or others.
‘Real-world’ experiences for employment
Professional ‘real-world’ experience is central to this course. This could include the chance to show your work in public exhibitions, undertake internships, work on real commissions, and competitions – all of which will help you to build a professional CV.
Our modules mirror the approach that professional artists will need to take in their careers. These aspects of the course will present you with challenges through which you can build experience and confidence for your dynamic career in the creative industries.
Industry links
Our links with the arts and creative industries are key to giving you the real world experience that will help your future career. Our current links include Sunderland Arts Studio, British Ceramics Biennial, Arts Council England, Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA), National Association for Ceramics in Higher Education (NACHE), Equal Arts, Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA), and Nissan.
Our students have progressed from our Glass and Ceramics studios to work with Wanganui Glass School New Zealand, Devereux and Huskie Glassworks, GLASSTORM UK/Danish Studios, Angels' Share Glass, Cumbria Crystal, English Antique Glass, Antony Gormley Studio, Crafts Council, Sorrel Foundation, British Ceramics Biennale, and Hepworth Museum.
Join award winners
We encourage students to take part in competitions and they’ve had considerable success:
- Sienna Griffin Shaw, First Prize and Best Craftsmanship Award, Stevens Architectural Glass competition 2017
- MA graduate Jade Tapson, who took the Student prize at the 2017 British Glass Biennale
- Dawid Stroyny, joint winner in The Glass Prize, Other Glass category for 2017
- Neil Edwards, Highly Commended, Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) Glass Prize and Graduate Review 2017
- Sienna Griffin-Shaw and Jonathan Michie, both shortlisted Gillian Dickinson North East Young Sculptor of the Year 2017
Sunderland Culture
Sunderland Culture is a collaboration between the University, council and the city’s key cultures organisations. This partnership brings big-name creatives in contemporary visual arts, glass, ceramics and performance to the city; showcases exciting local talent; and gives our students unique experiences including exceptional career-enhancing opportunities.
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