Textile Design - A Level

Course Information

Course TypeLevel 3

Duration2 Years

Awarding BodyOCR

A Level Textile Design

What does the course involve?

On the Textile Design course, you will explore, develop, and acquire a wide range of techniques and processes in a range of textile media. You will study colour, pattern, form and texture through experimentation of materials, gaining knowledge and understanding of traditional and digital textile processes.

The emphasis is on individual projects that promote personal interpretation of a specialist area, which shows a depth of study. This course offers a broad opportunity to explore areas of fashion design and illustration, garment construction, printed surface design for interiors, constructed textiles and fine art textiles.

In year one, students will receive a series of workshops equipping them with a thorough knowledge of various textile techniques. This includes fabric dying, printing techniques, screen printing, batik and transfer printing, felting & weaving, machine and hand embroidery, appliqué and garment construction. There will be an element of formal observational drawing, recording, design and planning. Students will be required to study contemporary and historical Textile Artists and Designers, researching and responding to their work and ideas. During the second and third term, students are encouraged to work on independent projects developing skills learnt through the workshops.

In year two, students will focus on a specialist area within textile design (fashion/interiors/costume design/fine art textiles), exploring and experimenting with media, developing key skills and techniques further to produce a portfolio of work for their practical study. Alongside the practical work, students will produce a written contextual essay linked to their practical project. Students will work towards final outcomes which will be exhibited at the end of year Art Exhibition & Fashion Show.

There will be opportunities for educational trips to visit exhibitions and museums in London and East Anglia, as well as residential trips to European cities.

Progression

An A Level in Textile Design gives students the potential to progress onto a creative degree course at university, or the Foundation Art diploma course at One. The course could lead to a career in Textile Design, Surface Print Design, Costume Design, Fashion Design and Fashion Communication and Marketing.

Entry Requirements

Standard entry requirements, plus:

Minimum Grade 4 Art/Textiles (or related GCSE)
L2 vocational equivalent at Merit or Distinction
Bring a portfolio of your work to interview

Is this the right course for me?

Combining more than two Art & Design subjects at A Level is challenging; those wishing to pursue full-time study in Art & Design should apply for a UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art & Design instead. The following subjects will complement this A Level: Art, English Literature, Media Studies, Business Studies and Photography.

How will I be assessed?

All of your creative, practical and analytical work will be assessed by your tutors and moderated externally. At the end of the second year, the externally set practical assignment will demonstrate all that you have learnt and achieved. The personal investigation is assessed at 60% and the externally set assignment at 40%.

What are the costs?

There is a yearly materials fee of £30 for this course. This breaks down into 3 parts

Part 1. Covers a pack of essential supplies you will receive at the start of the course. (Please speak to your course tutors for details, as contents vary between courses and may change over time).

Part 2. We use this to provide specialist materials and supplies provided during workshops.

Part 3. The remaining £10 of the fee will be added as credit to your college account, you can use this to purchase additional resources from the department shop throughout the year. This credit can be topped up as needed via the online portal.

Students in receipt of college bursary will have materials fees paid for them directly.