Foundation Degree Fine Art and Material Practice

The Conservation and Education Centre at the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site remains open to students.

You will have private access to the zoo grounds during lectures, to carry out your observations and data collection, but as more animals are moved, this will gradually be carried out at the Bristol Zoo Project. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

At Bristol School of Art, creativity is more than a subject - it’s a way of life.

Our Foundation Degree (FdA) Fine Art and Material Practice, awarded by the University of Gloucestershire, is designed to help you discover, shape and confidently express your creative identity as a professional artist or maker.

Find Your Creative Voice

Based in the vibrant cultural heart of Bristol, this course offers an inspiring and supportive environment where your ideas can flourish. Whether you see yourself as an independent artist, a collaborative maker, or working within the wider creative industries, this degree gives you the skills, confidence and insight to build a sustainable and fulfilling creative practice.

We champion curiosity, experimentation and bold thinking. Through dialogue, critical reflection and hands-on exploration, you’ll be encouraged to question contemporary art practices and explore the diverse cultural contexts shaping art today.

Make, Test, Explore

Material practice is at the core of everything we do. By actively engaging with materials, processes and ideas, you’ll develop your own distinctive methodology and creative voice.

You’ll have the freedom to experiment widely and specialise in areas that excite you, including:- drawing, painting and printmaking; sculpture, ceramics, small metals and textiles; photography and moving image; and digital practices, including Adobe Creative Suite.

A Supportive and Inclusive Community

We are proud to foster a welcoming, inclusive and collaborative learning environment. Our teaching is grounded inequity, ecological responsibility and sustainable creative practice. You’ll be supported not only in developing your artistic work, but also in growing academically and professionally. Here, you are part of a creative community that values experimentation, dialogue and mutual support.

Real-World Experience, Real Opportunities

Your future matters to us. That’s why employability and transferable skills are embedded throughout the course. Alongside developing creative and critical thinking, you’ll gain practical experience in professional practice and self-promotion; exhibition curation; collaborative projects and public showcases of your work in off-site venues

Grow in Confidence and Independence

As the course progresses, you’ll work with increasing independence and ambition. Advanced modules help you refine your conceptual and technical skills while deepening your understanding of how artists contribute to cultural, social and commercial contexts, both historically and today.

Assessment is continuous and supportive, based on portfolio submissions, presentations, critiques and written work. There are no written exams, your artistic practice remains at the heart of everything you do.

The Foundation Degree is a recognised qualification, equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. Many students choose to progress onto our one-year BA (Hons) Fine Art and Contemporary Arts Practice(Level 6) to achieve a full honours degree.

If you’re ready to experiment, challenge yourself and develop a confident, professional creative identity, we’d love to welcome you to Bristol School of Art.

No items found.

Study Modules

FM4001

Context and Investigation 1: Key Concepts and Skills

keyboard_arrow_down

Understanding the context of an artwork or artefact. This module aims to de-mystify key theories and concepts that you will encounter as part of your journey and will help to see your own practice in relation to these contexts of practice. Drawing will be used as a practice-based methodology to investigate current themes and ideas alongside introductions to research and academic study stills.

001: Assignment (2000 words or equivalent) 50%

002: Portfolio ( 2000 words or equivalent) 50%

FM4002

Studio Practice 1: Discover your Practice

keyboard_arrow_down

"Discover your Practice" is a module that introduces you to a wide range of creative practices and processes which encourages you to explore new materials, techniques and concepts in your studio practice. From paper, clay and fabric to plaster, paint and wire, you will experiment, play, investigate and make work. This module is designed to equip you with practical and methodological skills to research, develop and realise ideas. This is a fun and fast-pace module that will challenge and expand your understanding of creative practices whilst preparing you for future projects.

001: Presentation (Viva), 3200 words or equivalent 80%

002: Assignment, 800 words (or equivalent) 20%

FM4003

Studio Practice 2: Develop your Practice

keyboard_arrow_down

Building on Studio Practice 1, this module introduces you to managing a self-directed project and related activities such as using primary and secondary research to identify a focus for a practice-led enquiry, developing a methodology that allows open-ended experimentation and risk-taking, whilst generating outcomes that push the boundaries of your thinking. Throughout the module there will be opportunities for group discussions and 1:1 tutorials to provide valuable feed back and encourage ongoing reflection and collaboration with our peers. As part of this project you will research and discuss the ecological impact of a selection of materials and processes relevant to your practice and the programme of workshop inductions continues throughout this module.

001: Portfolio, 3000 words or equivalent 75%

002: Assignment, 1000 words or equivalent 25%

FM4004

Professional Practice: Meet the Artist

keyboard_arrow_down

The aim of this module is to bring you in contact with artists, makers and creatives, introducing you to the wide range of professional practices within the creative sector. You will discover Bristol's artist studios, project spaces, galleries and museums, where you will discover the contexts and communities artistic work thrives and how this scene is subject to constant change renewal. This module will bring your awareness to peer support and networking and practicalities of creative practice. Your will research an artist or environment of practice and present your findings in a creative outcome. This module will inspire and encourage you to make your own connections within the Bristol (or local area) arts scene!

001: Portfolio, 2400 words or equivalent 60%

002: Group Presentation, 1,600 word or equivalent 40%

FM5004

Professional Practice: Off-site Event

keyboard_arrow_down

This module will lead to a collaboratively organised off-site arts event and/or exhibition. As a live project, this module will provide real-world experience in project management such as finding a space, budgeting and fundraising, marketing and project realisation. This module will challenge you to work as part of a group, share responsibilities and identify individual ways to contribute to its success. The nature of the event (which could be a conference, festival, open studio, workshop(s), exhibition showing individual or jointly made work - or a combination of these) will be a starting point for discussion in seminar sessions which will also support your planning, marketing, documentation and evaluation process.

001: Display, Show or Performance, 2500 words or equivalent 50%

002: Portfolio, 2500 words or equivalent 50%

FM5003

Studio Practice 4: Consolidating your Practice

keyboard_arrow_down

This is a studio practice module that allows you to focus on resolving your increasingly ambitious ideas into artefacts, objects and art works that communicate your concerns with clarity and confidence. With guided and independent studio sessions and access to relevant workshop facilities, your practice will become largely self-directed and build on ideas and skills developed as part of the previous studio practice modules.

001: Portfolio, 5,000 words or equivalent 100%

FM5002

Studio Practice 3: Understanding your Practice

keyboard_arrow_down

This module will help you clarify what motivates your work and provide you with opportunities to expand and deepen your understanding of your practice. In guided and independent studio and workshop sessions, you will develop a self-initiated project. Through this practice-led research, i.e. trailing, experimenting, figuring out, projecting and making, theoretical and professional themes and concerns will emerge. Regular discussion with peers and tutors and critical reflection will inform and challenge your ambitions and intentions.

001: Portfolio, 3750 words or equivalent

002: Presentation, 10 minutes or 1250 words equivalent

FM5001

Context and Investigation 2: Key Concepts and Skills

keyboard_arrow_down

This module continues to explain and discuss themes and theories, relevant for makers and artists with emphasis on how they relate to your own practice. The aim is to deepen your understanding of the ideas that inform current art and making practices and how artists position themselves in these contexts. In lectures, seminars and through practice-led research, you will develop your research skills and your understanding of how artists can communicate research outcomes. You will be asked to produce written and creative responses to several themes and topics, including self-initiated research linked to your studio practice. You will produce a small publication to share your work.

001: Portfolio, 2500 words or equivalent 50%

002: Assignment, 2500 words or equivalent 50%

Course Video

*This programme is subject to validation and delivery approval by the University of Gloucestershire.

APPLICATIONS FOR SEPT 2025 ENTRY ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS COURSE.APPLY VIA UCAS FOR FULL-TIME STUDY_(FULL-TIME)APPLY ONLINE FOR FULL-TIME STUDY_(FULL-TIME)APPLY ONLINE FOR PART-TIME STUDY_{(PART-TIME ONLY)}SGS Level 3 Guarantee Offer Scheme

Campus:

Queens Road Campus

Level:

Foundation Degree Level 4 & 5

Full-time Duration:

Full-time Fee (Per Year):

£9,000

Part-time Duration:

Part-time Fee (Per Year):

£4,500

UCAS Application Code:

FA01

UCAS Entry Tariff:

Entry Requirements

Level 3 qualifications and GCSE English and Maths grade C or 4. SGS recognises the individual nature of each application and our typical offer should be viewed as a guide. SGS welcomes interest from mature applicants who may not have the standard entry requirements. We will consider evidence of your relevant personal, professional or educational experience where it demonstrates an ability and potential to succeed on the course. Please include details of any relevant experience in your application. If English isn't your first language you will need to undertake an IELTS qualification achieving an overall grade of 6 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent)

CONTACT ADMISSIONS

Awarded by the University of Gloucestershire Awarded by the University of Arts London

Course info last updated:

February 26, 2026

Full-Time

Part-Time

Delivery Format

The delivery format for your degree-level programs is primarily face-to-face and in-person sessions. However, there may be some hybrid sessions offered occasionally, mainly for flexibility purposes, such as tutorials or for larger events like visiting lecturers. Additionally, it's mentioned that all degree programs are well-supported by Virtual Learning Environments, which include Teams or Google Classroom.

Additional Cost Information

No items found.

Similar Courses

No items found.