ABOUT THE COURSE

This progressive and unique student-centred fine art course enables you to develop, define and perfect your skills as a professional artist at one of the top creative universities in the UK.

The course embraces all possible forms of artistic mediums and while you will be given opportunities to familiarise yourself with contemporary and historical art and their theories, you are also encouraged to find your own unique voice in art.

You will work in an environment in which we will support you to nurture and cultivate your artistic potential, and grow into confident makers and thinkers who will be able to navigate through contemporary art and its related fields such as art curation, art education, and art criticism.

Our dedicated studios in the School of Art, Design and Fashion are equipped to enable you to accomplish your talent through craft. You will be allocated personal studio space and have full access to a range of dedicated workshops including a sculpture workshop with metalwork, welding, woodworking and casting equipment; a print-making workshop with intaglio, dry point, etching, silkscreen, woodcut and letterpress facilities; a digital print workshop with high-quality large-scale print facilities, high-end scanners and the latest software; and photography darkrooms and studios.

You’ll also have the opportunity to use our media academy facilities, which boasts Mac suites with the latest design software, as well as a media store containing high-definition cameras, video cameras and sound equipment.

The course’s strong industry and community links has allowed previous students to engage in an ambitious programme of professional development alongside their own individual artistic practice by developing an online portfolio and designing and running a group exhibition at a professional gallery within the city.

Suitable roles for graduates include:

• Curator
• Gallery assistant
• Art Co-ordinator
• Art Therapist
• Art Critic
• Writer
• Film-maker
• Video editor
• Art studio technician
• Community art project manager
• Art teacher (after further study at PGCE level)

We have strong partnerships with regional and national arts agencies. You will have opportunities to exhibit your work in professional art galleries, run curatorial projects, deliver educational workshops and provide arts-based therapeutic workshops within the local community.

We have a vibrant programme of visiting speakers and regular live art events, which bring artists and performers into the fine art studios to perform just for you, while the professional development unit in year two provides a unique opportunity to work alongside professional artists and curators to organise and curate a show for a public space in Southampton city centre.

We also work with partners such as Lower Hewood Farm arts organisation to offer an ‘artist in residence’ experience for our students, so they can test ideas in a rural environment where students and professional artists can come together to concentrate on their creative activities.
IMT Gallery in London has been showcasing challenging artworks for the last ten years, and now works closely with Solent students, while Southampton-based ‘A Space’ provides residencies and other professional and creative opportunities for our students and graduates.

The University’s Showcase Gallery also offers an opportunity to work at the gallery whilst studying, which offers invaluable insight into how a gallery operates and the role of an arts administrator. We also run a graduating student residency at Showcase, where selected artists from our third year graduates receive professional exhibition space.