Discover and develop your own perspective and ideas within contemporary art. Explore your creative interests across a broad range of Fine Art practice and work collaboratively with peers and professional artists in our artist community. Graduate well prepared for a creative career with a strong portfolio of work that will impress prospective employers.
Overview
Britain’s creative industries are worth £92 billion, employ two million people and are growing twice as fast as the rest of the economy. This course will give you the skills to join this growing industry.
The tradition of art runs deep at Sunderland, but we don’t stand still. We’ve built on this history and experience, adding innovation and modern teaching approaches to create a course that gives our graduates the edge.
Our Fine Art team, all working artists, have a wealth of professional practice and subject expertise to help you realise your art aspirations. Guided by these experts you'll have the freedom to explore your creative interests across a broad range of Fine Art practice including painting, printmaking, digital photography, film, sound, drawing, sculpture and performance.
Working collaboratively, you’ll learn to see the bigger picture and will develop highly adaptable skills, alongside your technical abilities. Throughout the course you’ll work towards live outcomes, building your confidence as an artist to promote yourself, your art and to understand the impact you can have as an artist in society.
Why us?
- Our Art courses are ranked 7th in the UK (The Guardian University league tables, 2022)
- Work in your own individual generous size studio space with access to well-equipped workshop facilities which replicate real-life artist working environments
- Building skills for your career is embedded in the course, with opportunities for collaborative working, public exhibitions, participatory arts or exploring Fine Art in society
- You'll have access to resources to explore everything from painting, sculpture, traditional print, 3D printing, glass, ceramics, textiles and self publishing
- Create and publish your own artist book showcasing your studio practice; this will be invaluable for promoting your skills to future employer
- The prestigious Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art is now based at the University so you will see the latest contemporary art exhibitions
Facilities
This course is based at the Priestman Building, the main base for art, design and performance on City Campus. Thanks to a major renovation programme, the Priestman Building provides an excellent teaching space and resources as part of a vibrant and creative learning environment.
Facilities include:
- Three art and design galleries
- Art, design and fashion studios
- Wood, metal and print workshops
- Performing Arts spaces
- Wacom Cintiq design studio
Career ready
Fine artists gather skills that are essential to the world of work. Creative thinkers are called for in a range of sectors beyond the creative industries thanks to the range of transferable skills. This course is an opportunity for self-development and exploration. We’ll support you to develop your professional practice, build your confidence as an artist to promote yourself and your art, help you to understand the impact you can have on society, and explore where your art can take you.
Professional Portfolio
To enhance employability, we encourage you to develop a Professional Portfolio throughout your time at university.
This includes an online art blog and art book publication of your work, with an artist statement and a CV – this will be invaluable for promoting your skills to future employers.
Career options
We aim to prepare you to become a confident professional, with transferable skills. Increasingly, creative workers follow a ‘portfolio’ career comprising a range of roles such as teaching in schools, colleges and universities; artist residencies; creative practitioner; and as a practising fine artist. This makes for a really flexible lifestyle enabling you to extend your professional contacts, build your artistic practice and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
Many creative workers are self-employed, and this course provides sessions on becoming self-employed and our ‘Creative Lives’ lecture programme offers case studies of creative careers.
Our graduates
Destinations for Fine Art graduates also include public arts, curating and other areas within the creative industries. Some of our graduates work as artists and show their work in commercial galleries. Others have gone on to work in museums, galleries, and many different types of employment and self-employment. This course will encourage you to consider employment options both in the creative sector as well as in other types of industry. A number of our students have chosen to progress to postgraduate courses, such as our MA Visual Practice course, Teacher Training PGCE, PCET SCITT teacher training courses.
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.
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.