BA (Hons) Craft & Material Practices

Overview

Our purpose-built specialist fabrication workshops house cutting-edge facilities for glass, metal, ceramics, woods and plastics, all supported by expert tuition and technical provision.

You’ll be able to use a variety of hand-building techniques and small batch production methods in ceramics, such as press-moulding, mould-making, wheel-throwing and slip-casting. In glass, you’ll be encouraged to experiment with techniques such as glass blowing, kiln-casting, slumping, fusing and lampworking. You will have access to fine metalwork and silversmithing processes, including lost wax casting and micro-welding. Traditional hand forming and contemporary mixed media approaches are taught. For working with wood we have all the tools and expertise you’ll need. You will also develop an understanding of materials such as concrete, plastic, jesmonite and resin.

Our Careers & Enterprise office provides support from a dedicated team who are purely focused on developing creative opportunities. And this doesn’t stop when you graduate – we want to keep in contact and help support you through the first two years of your career.

Drawing Studios and Drawing Lab

With north-facing windows, a ‘methods and process’ area, individual studio space and a specialist life-drawing studio, our impressive, open-plan, triple-height Drawing Studio is a huge space, perfect for many different activities and specialisms.

Fab Lab

Our ‘fabrication laboratory’ is kitted-out with the latest in digital design technologies – from 3D printers to 3D scanners, a vinyl cutter, CNC milling machine, CNC router and laser cutter. It adds a whole new level of opportunity for students across all creative walks of life.

Jewellery Design Studio

Housed in our fantastic Craft, Design and Fabrication Workshops, this stunning space provides everything for contemporary and traditional techniques in jewellery design.

Imprint Lab and Digital Print Bureau

Our Digital Print Bureau offers affordable and quick print services for all our students who are looking for anything from large-format or solvent printing, to photo printing, scanning or vinyl cutting, and a wide range of finishing services.

Textile Studios

With views out to sea and 35 metres of print tables to encourage experimentation, our Printed Textile Design Studios also boast a fantastic Mimaki fabric printer, digital embroidery resources, industrial sewing machines, sublimation printers, a dye lab, heat presses, a tufting gun and a Mac suite. It’s got to be one of the best printed textile workshops in the UK.

3D Wood and Plastics Workshop

Alongside the latest in new technology, we value the long-standing traditions of making in wood and plastics – and have developed an excellently-resourced workshop that is open to all our students.

Material Lab

In the Material Lab you will be encouraged to acquire haptic – touch-based – and manipulative skills and gain an understanding of material properties.