<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">UAL Foundation Diploma (Pre-Degree)</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> Level 3 and 4 is an exciting course, aiming to help students find their creative medium and experiment with different art-based subjects before university. This could be to gain the experience required to complete a specific degree course, or simply to develop their skills and build on their existing knowledge, creating a portfolio for the future. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The course is aimed at developing individuality and encourages creative and visual thinking through to Level 4 with a variety of materials and approaches. This gives learners the chance to pursue a creative focus, developing a more in-depth understanding of a subject to determine which area of study they may want to specialise in. This often leads to our students studying at the most prestigious art-based universities to further their careers and passions.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Our current </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">UAL Foundation Diploma</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> learners have been working hard on a project in which the students were given two randomly generated words which they had to base their project on. This gave the learners creative freedom, allowing them to develop a theme using their own artistic individuality with a medium of their choice.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">We interviewed 4 students who have completed this project to find out how they have found the course so far, as well as how it has benefitted them to make sure students are well informed about their options before making decisions about their future.&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><strong>SIENNA</strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Sienna, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma</a> student, was recommended this course by her Sixth Form lecturers as it gave her the opportunity to develop new skills and further her knowledge of the subject. The theme of her final piece was about past societal opinions and what was classed as peculiar, and comparing this idea with the diverse and accepting society nowadays. This project gave her a better understanding of her preferred medium which she plans to develop within a Fine Art degree at university.</p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Sienna standing next to her final project&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="70b3e329-460b-4752-ac04-e0650b048fd5" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><strong>AMY</strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Amy, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; target="_blank">UAL Extended Diploma student in Art, Design and Communication</a>, chose this course due to the advanced equipment available and the specialist workshops that vary in skill and ability, adding “I have loved it so much so far! The tutors have both been extremely supportive, helping me to further adapt and expand my ideas to produce well thought out and compositional work.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Amy’s two randomly generated words were ‘deficient’ and ‘abrasive’, and after much research, she decided to base her final project on the negative opinions surrounding homelessness. She explored Maslow’s Law of Needs theory and determined that homeless people lack the same opportunities because of their status in society due to preconceptions of their background. With this in mind, Amy created a suit jacket, playing into the idea of employment for the homeless to symbolise that they deserve the same opportunities in life.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">After this course, Amy plans to progress to university to either complete a Fine Art course or an Art Sculptural course.</p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Amy standing next to her her project: a paper mache suit jacket&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e3b58c01-f52f-4e31-bf22-622437b8f888" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><strong>EDEN</strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Eden, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; target="_blank">UAL Extended Diploma student in Art, Design and Communication</a>, chose this course as she wanted to explore different processes and techniques to build her skills, adding, “I wasn't sure exactly what area of Art and Design I wanted to go into so this course allowed me to experiment and figure out what I liked best.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Eden’s two randomly generated words were ‘curvilinear’ and ‘inferior’ where she decided on the theme of afro hair, creating a dress that included designs that she screen-printed onto fabric.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">“I drew inspiration from my own experiences of having afro hair as well as the history of hair in African culture. The designs I screen-printed came from various Afro hairstyles. The shape was inspired by African dresses and the bright colours and patterns were inspired by tignon headscarves.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">After this course, Eden plans to go to university to study Textile Design.</p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Eden standing next to her final project: a printed dress&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="156551ce-a7b7-401f-b94d-39d23e8cc7fb" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><strong>MOLLY</strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Molly, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma</a> student, chose this course as she was undecided of what she wanted to do after leaving Sixth Form and wanted to give herself another year to find what she enjoyed doing. This course has allowed her to explore different techniques and where she discovered her love for screen printing on textiles which she hadn’t previously attempted.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Molly’s words were ‘voluminous’ and ‘quincunx’. She discovered that quincunx relates to a repetitive pattern which she created and transferred onto a silk screen, and voluminous related to the excessive silhouette shape of the garment that she created.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">After this course, Molly plans to apply to a BA Hons Fashion and Textiles degree.</p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Molly standing next to her final project: a printed blouse&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="444865d6-a294-4672-b682-34532e5e49d6" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Overall, it is evident that this course allows students to explore different artistic techniques that they may not have previously had the chance to try. Whether you are progressing from an Arts and Design course or another subject, anyone is welcome to build up their portfolio and express their creativity on the UAL Extended Diploma courses.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to the UAL Foundation Diploma course, click here.</a></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Within our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">Sixth Form</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">, our learners can choose a career-enhancing pathway alongside their core </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">A Level</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> subjects which will not only bolster their CV’s and UCAS applications, but will also provide them with more transferrable skills and preparation for the future. These can range from Business Enterprise and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), to Bio-Medical and many more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Some also choose the Social Action pathway where they get the chance to organise community events to raise money and awareness for charities of their choosing. Two of our learners, Aleks and Aleks, recently organised a 7-mile charity walk to raise money for the Rainbow Trust Charity.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Rainbow Trust is a charity for supporting families with seriously ill children to provide emotional and practical support. They provide each family with an expert Family Support Worker to help them with the possibility of loss and cope with daily struggles, giving them the chance to discuss fears and anxieties, diagnoses and treatments, and even organise memorable activities for not only the sick children but also their families.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Aleks and Aleks saw this charity as important as it focuses not only on the seriously ill children, but also their suffering families which people don’t often consider, saying “they make families more confident with the fact that their children are going through a terminal illness which is just as important”.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">In order to raise awareness and money towards this fantastic cause, they created posters with links and QR codes to their JustGiving page, putting them all over the Sixth Form and social media to gain as much traction as possible. So far, Aleks and Aleks have raised around £80 with a goal of £120.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The walk proved to be an achievable event to raise money and get people involved and consisted of both </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">Sixth Form</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> and </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/prote…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/prote…; target="_blank">Protective Services</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> learners. Aleks said, “we do loads of different campaigns and tasks to help our community and to give back, and we thought a walk would help us get as much recognition as possible”. Our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; target="_blank">Media and Communications</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> learners also interviewed them to provide more publicity of the event.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Thank you to Nicola Stent and Anne Draper, the Social Action Pathway lecturers, for assisting Aleks and Aleks in making this event possible and promoting it to other students around the college.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Well done to Aleks and Aleks for your fantastic efforts in organising this 7-mile walk for the Rainbow Trust, you should be proud.&nbsp;</span></p><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><a href="https://www.justgiving.com/page/aleksandra-aleksandrajl1732023519814&qu…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.justgiving.com/page/aleksandra-aleksandrajl1732023519814&qu…; target="_blank">If you wish to check out Aleks and Aleks JustGiving page, click here.</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/level…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to join our Sixth Form in September, click here.</a></p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width:605px;min-width:325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@westoncollege/video/7463068386054917409&quot; data-video-id="7463068386054917409"><section><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@westoncollege?refer=embed&quot; target="_blank" title="@westoncollege">@westoncollege</a></p><p>Our Social Action students, Aleks and Aleks, have been working hard to organise a 7 mile charity walk for the Rainbow Trust Charity 🌈🌈 This is an amazing event that they've independently organised, getting many other students across the college involved to raise money and awareness for this amazing charity ⭐ To find out more, visit our website!</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-WestonCollege-7463068457718…; target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - WestonCollege">♬ original sound - WestonCollege</a></p></section></blockquote>

<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Recently, our </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra… style="font-size:inherit;">UAL Foundation Diploma in Art &amp; Design Pre-Degree</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> students took a trip to London, immersing themselves in the city’s rich artistic history. The visit was designed to broaden their understanding of art and design, offering them a chance to experience first-hand the diversity and creativity displayed in some of London’s museums and galleries.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The trip consisted of students from both the </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> and the </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; target="_blank">Year 1 and Year 2 Extended Diploma</a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> programs. During their overnight stay, the learners explored museums and galleries such as the Design Museum, the Tate Modern, and the Tate Britain, which displayed a variety of art forms and mediums, allowing the students to appreciate the subjective nature of art and its many interpretations.&nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;The back of lecturers, Ronnie and Kelly&apos;s heads looking at artwork&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="870fdadd-f1ea-434f-a5c1-68c1a9ecc868" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The students also visited Southbank and Westminster to make the most out of their trip and experience the busy city atmosphere and unmissable sights and landmarks. This trip also gave our learners the chance to bond further outside the classroom and provided them with invaluable life skills like navigating through cities, both on foot and using public transport like the tube.&nbsp;</span></p><drupal-entity alt="&quot;Lecturers Ronnie and Kelly smiling in front of Southbank yellow building&quot;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="373bfab4-c84a-4acc-9eb7-2a88b0282b93" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_500x500&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Rachel Clayton, one of our Art, Graphics, and Fashion lecturers, highlighted the significance of the trip, saying “We run this trip to nourish the cultural elements of the course and to provide inspiration from artists and designers that will inform their creative output.”&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The trip was organised by tutors Rachel Clayton, Kelly Metcalfe, and Ronnie Houselander-Cook, who accompanied the students and ensured a memorable and enriching experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">By engaging with art in such a prestigious and dynamic environment, the learners deepened their artistic knowledge and built connections between their work and the art on display which will enhance their creativity and collaboration throughout their studies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to one of our Arts, Design, Graphics and Fashion courses, click here.</a><span style="font-size:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p>