BA Art and Creative Writing

Overview

Develop as an artist, curator and writer with our BA Art and Creative Writing programme.

This four-year, joint honours course reflects recent developments in art and culture. For example, you will:

• learn about new digital art and publishing platforms
• expand your understanding of contemporary literature and art theories
• develop your skills in art writing.

Art and creative writing are a stimulating combination at degree level – they enhance and inform one another. Additionally, studying theories and practitioners across the art and literature disciplines will inspire and influence your own art and writing as you hone your technique and form.

Art

Studying at the Reading School of Art allows you to explore a vast range of media and experiment with emerging art forms. Over the course of your four years of study, you will:

• work with academics who include artists, curators and researchers
• be encouraged to participate in exhibitions, public art commissions and events
• receive dedicated studio space, accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and a studio tutor to help develop your individual and professional practice.

You will complement your practical art with modules in contemporary art theory and the history of art. Through the lectures, seminars and studio teaching – as well as weekly visiting artist talks – you will be exposed to the language, vocabulary and debates that have emerged historically and evolved to forge contemporary art.

Creative writing

Explore literature creatively as you develop characters, shape poems, and draw on your imagination. You will learn from prize-winning authors and academics who have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary Caribbean fiction. We are committed to teaching through the workshop model. These small group sessions are the heart of Reading’s writing community: guided by one of our lecturers, you and your fellow students will gain confidence as your share your writing and help each other improve.

Your learning environment

You will learn through a mixture of:

• seminars
• lectures
• studio teaching
• group workshops
• technical inductions
• one-to-one tutorials
• museum and gallery visits.

You will also receive academic guidance through oral and written feedback. Your creative writing modules will place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment, and you will have access to our resident professional writer who advises our students individually. For your art modules, you will have access to our range of facilities. These include:

• studios for construction, printing and casting
• darkrooms for photography
• digital tools for film and video editing, imaging, sound and web building
• a dedicated audio-visual room and sound-recording booth.

Entry requirements

Typical offer

BBB including a grade B in English Literature or a related subject. Related subjects include: English Language, English Language and Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, and Creative Writing. All suitable applicants will be interviewed and will need to provide a portfolio of their work.

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall including 5 in English at higher level.

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250 New international students: £20300

Careers

A degree in art and creative writing will prepare you to enter professions across the cultural field. For example, you could choose to work in:

• museum and gallery education
• publishing
• postproduction
• theatre
• television
• public relations.

You will enter the job market with practical experience and highly-developed research and communication skills. You will know how to access reliable information and present your findings in clear and persuasive language. These are valuable skills in today’s economy, where information and communication skills are vital. You will also have the critical and cultural awareness necessary for working in the public sector and the media. Some of our students decide to continue their studies at postgraduate level; others have successful careers in fields as diverse as law, business administration, web design, teaching, and journalism. 97% of leavers are in work and/or study 15 months after the end of their course (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018/19; First Degree responders from Art). Past art and literature graduates have gone on to work for employers such as:

• Tate
• Whitechapel Gallery
• The Burlington Magazine
• Christies
• Microsoft
• BBC
• The Telegraph
• Oxford University Press
• Waterstones
• Cisco Systems
• Royal Mint

deadlines We process applications all year round but recommend applying as early as possible to ensure you can have a place in your chosen degree. Please be aware that to ensure there is enough time to complete all administrative procedures, and VISA requirements, applications may need to be submitted no later than a month (or longer) before the start of the courses.