Foundation Preparation

Course information

Course description

The Foundation Preparation course develops visual, practical, and technical skills to give you the framework to build a varied collection of work that demonstrates your strengths, creativity and interests. Through a series of structured projects and workshops, you will develop a broad understanding of the approach, ethos, and studio culture on Foundation at KSA. Workshops incorporate fundamental aspects of all Foundation specialisms, such as drawing, idea generation, visual research, thinking through making, and collective discussion.

As well as a great insight into Foundation level art & design, this course will introduce a range of conceptual, research-driven and materials-focused workshops that will enable you to articulate your ideas, document them, and present them clearly and concisely. Experienced Foundation tutors will demonstrate how skills learnt can be applied to projects outside of this short course, and to showcase work for applications and portfolios.

Foundation Preparation is run as a three-day block in Autumn half-term, on Saturdays in November, or at the start of the Christmas Break.

Example Course Structure

Day 1: Materiality and Narrative

Collaborative idea generation exercises, exploring how concepts can be communicated through the use of materials, thinking expansively about the limitations of what art-making ‘material' can be. You will play with the relationship between text, images and other visual material to construct narratives, before transforming the studio into an exhibition space.

Day 2: Mapping and Localities

Focussing on the role of artists and designers in relation to space, we will gather visual and audio material from the world around us, recording inside and outside through drawing, sculpture and sound art. By combining visual research with the use of performance and character, the day will progress into the imagining of new geographies, in order to investigate how art relates to the politics of cities and landscapes.

Day 3: Books and Bodies

You will learn various simple bookmaking techniques, which we will use alongside costume and prop making activities to enhance a day of life drawing. Finally, the course will conclude with thinking inventively about what a portfolio can be, and how you can present your work in unique ways. There will also be time for a Foundation Q&A, where you can ask the tutors any questions you might have about the course and applications.

What to bring

A basic bring list will be sent to you a week in advance of the course start date. All other materials are provided by KSA.

Course tutors

The course is taught by current Foundation tutors, who are professional creatives currently working within their specialism.