What is a Foundation Diploma?

I’m going to show you some work by a few of the students who completed a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Loughborough University this year. The Foundation Diploma in Art and Design is a one-year course preparing students for entry to degree-level art and design courses. During the Foundation Diploma students develop the conceptual and practical skills required for a degree. They also specialise in one type of art or design for their final project. Most Foundation Diploma courses have three stages. This example is from Loughborough University:

• Stage 1: introduction to a range of pathways (Fine Art, 3D Design, Visual Communication and Textiles) working on different thematic projects to enable students to choose their specialist pathway for the rest of the course.
• Stage 2: prepare for degree interviews – work on projects to develop work for a portfolio, complete UCAS applications.
• Stage 3: develop and complete a final project, the work from which will be displayed in the exhibition.

Other universities and colleges will have a similar structure for their Foundation Diploma courses. The work I’m showing you was developed by students, specialising in Textiles, Visual Communication or 3D Design, during their final project.

Textiles Foundation Diploma

Eva Temple Blundell

I liked Eva’s work. The cut and folded paper is quite mesmerising and is a clever way of making something three-dimensional, without using structural materials.

Freya CG Burgess

Freya’s work is also three-dimensional. I like the transparency of the pieces and how the different layers can be seen in the first piece.

Freya will study for her degree at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Grace GK Johal

I loved the way Grace’s “garlands” moved slightly in a gentle breeze. It’s quite a subtle piece that made me think of bubbles and reflections. Grace’s work might not appear to be a textile piece. However, it is a good example of multi-media textiles in which she has printed onto an acetate-like medium.

Grace will stay at Loughborough University for her degree.

Jessica ES Broad

Jessica’s kimono caught my eye. The image shows the back of the kimono, while the photos behind it show the front. I like the rough patchwork and the small bright highlights.

Jessica is going to study for her degree at Middlesex University.

Jessica Groves

I liked the use of shadows in Jessica’s work. You can see the shadows in her photographs. The embroidered writing also created shadows on the wall. Jessica has used freestyle machine embroidery to stitch the writing.

Jessica will study for her degree at Loughborough University.

Annabelle Williams

Annabelle used chalk and soft pastels grated into PVA to make both her pieces.

She will stay at Loughborough University for her degree.

Rachel Wells

Rachel has used a variety of textile techniques to create her large-scale pieces. These include stitch, print, needle-felting. I love her use of colour.

She is going to study for her degree at Brighton University.

Visual Communication Foundation Diploma

Skye Keet

Although Skye specialised in visual communication, she used freestyle machine embroidery for her final project.

She is going to study for her degree at Birmingham City University.

3D Design Foundation Diploma

Jess R Polkey

Jess specialised in 3D design. For her final project, she designed tents that could be put up by attaching ropes to trees. She used calico and supermarket “bags for life” to make the tent. She learnt to use a sewing machine for this project.

Jess will study for her degree at the Design Academy, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.