Course description

Keen to use the arts in a positive and therapeutic way with others? Achieve your ambitions by studying on this innovative four year course which includes a Foundation Year.

• Our Foundation Year provides you with a firm grounding in the skills and knowledge you need and introduces you to the subject area; enabling you to achieve your honours degree in four years
• Gain exciting practical experience through completing work placements with our partner organisations
• Advance to one of our acclaimed masters degrees if you would like to register and go into practice as an arts therapist
• The Foundation Year course leads on to the full Creative Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing

If the arts have played a vital role in your own personal development, why not harness your creativity to make a difference in other peoples’ lives? Our pioneering BA (Hons) Creative Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing with Foundation Year shows you how.

Beginning with a Foundation Year

Starting at foundation level is ideal if it has been a while since you were in formal education; are planning a career change; would benefit from a more gradual introduction to university level study; or do not meet the entry requirements to join our three-year honours degree directly.

It gives you an insight into the therapeutic arts and working with people, as well as supporting you to develop the skills you need to achieve your goals.

On completion of the Foundation Year you will then commence study on the full BA (Hons) Creative Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing degree.

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

How you will learn

The course balances classroom-based theory sessions in the form of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and exercises with practical sessions involving studio, performance, and exhibition work. The focus is on developing your transferable skills so that you can adapt to varied and changing circumstances. Work-based learning and placements are a key part of your learning experience too, allowing you to develop your skills in working with people of differing ages, identities, backgrounds, and abilities.

Throughout the course, you have access to guidance and advice from a personal academic tutor, and will also benefit from practice-focussed support sessions for academic skills, self-care, and employability.

How you are assessed

During your foundation year you will be assessed mainly by coursework, and with some in-class tests.

For the remainder of your studies you'll be assessed in a variety of ways to help you develop a compelling skill-base. These include academic papers, reflective essays, exhibitions, performances, reflective journals and diaries, videos, and production projects. In some assessments, you will be able to choose how you are assessed, allowing you to work with your strengths.

Who you will meet

You will learn from highly experienced academics who are committed to supporting your success. All specialists in their field, they include active researchers, authors, Arts and Health Practitioners and Community Artists, qualified Arts Therapists, Musicians, Composers, Performers, and professional artists, all with outstanding professional networks. We pride ourselves on offering a supportive and engaging learning environment.

The team includes Dave Home.

The team also includes Keziah Smith, a qualified Art Psychotherapist who lectures on the MA Art Therapy and BA (Hons) Creative Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing programmes. Keziah has worked in a variety of settings including for the NHS within CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) and within specialist residential services with young people who have experienced significant trauma and those that care for them. More recently Keziah has set up mental health support within schools, working therapeutically with both young people and school based staff, as well as providing training, consultation and supervision.