Art and Design
The Art and Design Department at Leweston is a lively and original place which offers the pupils an opportunity to explore a range of creative areas. The school has an outstanding tradition in Art, Textiles Design, 3D Design and Photography.
OUR COURSES
YEARS 7 to 9 Fine Art, Ceramics, Computer Aided Design, Photography, Woodworking and Textiles are part of the curriculum for Years 7, 8 and 9. Lessons are taught as two separate classes a week in Art and Design.
GCSE GCSE courses in Fine Art, Textiles and 3D Design are available. Students are encouraged to explore a wide range of media and develop their own personal specialisms. Pupils are supported to work independently on challenging projects with diverse outcomes.
A LEVEL A2 courses in Fine Art, Textiles, Photography and 3D Design are available. The first year of the A Level course is seen as a foundation year, where skills are taught and learned. Students work with greater independence in their second year, where they have the chance to create personal and ambitious work, presented in a final exhibition.
CREATIVE CLUBS The Centre provides creative clubs for all ages. There is also the opportunity for students to undertake creative commissions ranging from inhouse posters for music and drama events to bespoke banners for the town. Scholars are called upon for specialist workshops, commissions and yearly exhibitions.
THE NORFOLK ART AND DESIGN CENTRE
Leweston has a dedicated Art and Design Centre which houses studios that cater for Fine Art, Textiles, Photography and 3D Design as well as dedicated studios for Sixth Form. The facilities include: 3D Printing and laser cutting facilities Ceramics studio Creative graphics suite Photographic dark room Sewing studio Resistant materials workshop Fine Art studios These diverse spaces, combined with dedicated specialist teachers, give the pupils the resources they require for their talents to develop. We offer our exam year students access to the Department outside of lesson time including evenings and weekends, allowing the students to practise discipline and develop independent working. Alongside time in school, students attend trips to local and national galleries which inspire, diversify and enrich their creative practice. An annual residential to Cornwall for Year 10 GCSE Art and Design students and biennial trips abroad for A Level students offer an exciting and vibrant experience of the Creative Arts.
FINE ART
Offered at both GCSE and A Level Fine Art students can study: Sculpture Installation art Lens-based media Printmaking Painting and Drawing Digital manipulation The Department uses a broad range of sources from the historical to the contemporary, introducing a diverse mix of processes and techniques. Trips to local and national galleries inspire, diversify and enrich the students’ practice and the A Level students attend life drawing classes which are hugely beneficial in improving their observational skills and highly regarded when applying to Art Courses post A Level. Every year the examination students exhibit their work for parents and invited guests. Students have gone on to study art foundation or degree courses at UWE, Camberwell, Brighton, Chelsea, Central St Martins, Loughborough and Falmouth.
FASHION AND TEXTILE DESIGN
Offered at both GCSE and A Level Fashion and Textile students can study: Painting and drawing Textile Art Interior Design Print and surface embellishment Garment construction Digital manipulation Studio and fashion photography Students are guided through a broad range of processes and techniques as well as studying sources from historical and contemporary fashion and craft designers. For students interested in a career in fashion and design this course provides a good introduction and students either go onto an art and design foundation course or directly on to a degree course. Every year the Department hosts a Fashion Show which showcases work from all year groups and is modelled by the students' themselves. Former students are now working in the fashion industry as assistant designer to Vivian Westwood, marketing at Selfridges, Tom Ford's showroom assistant, visual merchandising for Elizabeth Arden and at Terperly London and Sleek Magazine.
3D DESIGN
Offered at both GCSE and A Level 3D Design students can study: Architectural design Sculpture Product design Jewellery and body adornment Exhibition design 3D digital design Designs for theatre, film and TV Environmental/landscape/ garden design 3D Design is a diverse course that enables pupils to explore ideas and processes with a 3D outcome drawing upon intellectual, creative and practical skills. Pupils are taught skills in model making, construction, surface treatment, assembling and modelling. The final outcome can be made from media and materials from the student’s personal intentions and can include wood, metal, plaster, plastic and found materials. With a broad range of options, skills are developed that could lead towards a career in Fine Art, Theatre or Product Design, Environmental Design, Architectural Design, Jewellery Design, Product Design, Exhibition Design and more.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Offered at A Level Photography students can study: Portraiture Landscape photography Still-life photography Documentary photography Experimental imagery Editorial photography Photographic installation The photographic process Animation A Level students explore both digital and traditional photographic methods over two years. With year one treated as a foundation year, students are taught the necessary skills whilst being encouraged to explore their creativity. With access to the dark room and computers with the full suite of Adobe software, our students benefit from being able to explore both traditional photographic methods as well as more modern digital photography. This course is a great foundation for continuing on to further or higher education and can lead to a variety of careers in the art and design industry.
MEET OUR STUDENTS Jessica
Proud
After studying both A level Fine Art and Textile Design at Leweston, Proud has gone on to study A current Art and Design Scholar, Jessica, entered the Nancy Rothwell Award, part of a competition run by The Royal Society of Biology. The Award brings Art and Science together and has encouraged and celebrated biological specimen drawing since 2014, promoting the value of observation, creativity and artistry in science learning and discovery. Jessica’s piece ‘Maned Wolf’ was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the 12-14 category and is being exhibited in the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester.
for a BA in Product and Industrial Design at Central St Martins, where she is currently in her final year. She is well on her way to becoming a designer who will make interventions in the world which are informed, creative, and meaningful. Proud has utilised her skills at drawing and designing using computers for both 2D and 3D sketching and technical drawing. She has had experience of making 3D models and prototypes. She has gained work experience during a placement year, where she worked as a Design Consultant in Bangkok with clients such as the Hilton Hospitality company. This has
‘I liked learning more about the animal, art,
enabled her to see the development of design
and anatomy itself. Seeing as the animal was
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rare and real diagrams were scarce, I
international sculpture and furniture factories.
challenged myself to create my own diagrams
Proud is currently looking to further her design
by cross referencing photos online and photos
ambitions and is aiming to study an MA in
found on medical studies’
Interior Design.
MEET OUR STUDENTS Claudia
Since studying Fine Art and Graphic Design at Leweston, Claudia has gone on to complete a BA in Computer Animation Art and Design at Bournemouth University and a Masters Degree in Fine Art at Oxford Brookes. As an accomplished painter, she is currently employed as an Artist Assistant/Specialist Painting Technician for Damien Hirst’s art studio. Claudia classifies herself as 'predominantly a fact painter’, which involves painting with oils in a photorealistic manner that requires a highly technical skillset of working with the specific medium and style.' Throughout her education in animation, she specialised in character modelling, facial rigging and facial animation. Her painting practice usually takes the form of portraiture, where she portrays the face through Hyperrealism.
Selena
Selena is currently enrolled at HKU reading an MA in History of Art. She graduated with First Class Honours in History of Art from Oxford Brookes University, where she was awarded the Jeanne Sheehy Memorial Prize for her dissertation. Her specialism in Asian art has lead to researching both contemporary art, the Qing Empire, Jesuit portraiture and colonial art history. Selena has been nominated for the prestigious Kwai Fung Foundation Award for her thesis Defying Monolithic Gallery Culture in Hong Kong.
MEET OUR STUDENTS Alice
Since leaving Leweston, Alice has worked in leading fashion companies and is currently based in Amsterdam where she is a senior womenswear designer for Tommy Hilfiger. Alice studied Fashion Design at Nottingham Trent University, leaving with first class honours and a striking all red collection which turned heads at London Graduate Fashion week and lead to an incredible press piece in Vogue Magazine's ‘Designers of the Future’. She was awarded an internship at Escada and, after leaving Munich, returned to London where she was offered a job at Vivienne Westwood. There she worked on the Anglomania line and was responsible for the Korean license. Today she travels regularly to Turkey, Hong Kong and Portugal and works on collections from sketch to final garment.
Kasey
Kasey is a Design and Production Assistant for Rachel Riley. She describes herself as 'a fashion designer experienced in both children's and womenswear. I am about hand drawing and experimentation, slogan creation and generating graphics and artworks for clients.' At Kingston University Kassey’s collection screamed fun and positivity using clever pattern cutting, prints and a variety of materials. Her lifelong love of Donald Duck ran through her collection which combined sportswear with an homage to the famous Disney character. Nylon trousers and jackets were accessorised with quilted waterproof elements resembling eyes, beaks, multi-coloured fangs and feet, which can be removed and used as sleeping bags, duvets and mattresses. 'I wanted to create garments that let people laugh about their lives and not worry too much. I've always been obsessed with Donald Duck – I like the fact he's fun and humorous but there's a dark side to him that you don't notice when you're younger.'
MEET OUR STAFF Ms Jemma Lacey - Head of Art and Design Ms Lacey studied at Leweston School before studying an Art Foundation at Bournemouth Arts Institute followed by a BA in Fashion, Fibre and Textiles at Winchester School of Art. Her experience has led to her authoring the GCSE teaching resources for OCR Fashion and Textile Design. These are used nationally by all the teachers following this curriculum.
Ms Amy Wright - Fine Art and Photography Ms Wright studied Art Foundation, followed by a BA in Fine Art at City University Birmingham prior to graduating from the Royal Academy Schools, London where she completed her Postgraduate Diploma. Ms Wright is primarily a sculptor and work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. She is also currently a Year 11 tutor and a member of the Florin boarding team at Leweston.
Miss Lara Robinson - Art and Design Miss Robinson studied at Leweston before studying Film and TV Set Design at the University of Glamorgan. She spent several years working in the TV and Film industry before becoming a teacher. She is a practicing artist focusing primarily in oil paint and fine art. Miss Robinson is also a member of the boarding team at Leweston.
Mrs Annie Chillingworth - Art and Design Mrs Chillingworth studied for a degree in Theatre Design followed by a post graduate course in Design and Technology. She is a practicing artist creating mixed media sculptural and illustrative work. She is also currently a Year 7 tutor.
Mr Guy Lewis - Design Technician Mr Lewis is a practising artist/craftsman with a background in fine furniture making, sculpture and printmaking. He brings a wealth of technical knowledge and practical experience to the Department.
@LewestonSchool
Leweston School, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 6EN
@Leweston
+44 1963 211 015 | admissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk | www.leweston.co.uk
@leweston1891