BA in Creative and Cultural Industries: Art Direction
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
GBP 9,250 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* only for home students. We will continue to accept applications from international students after the 25th of January
** UK students: £9,250 per year | international: £15,800 for the first year
Introduction
Why choose this course?
This course prepares you for a career in the art direction in the creative industries. You will develop practical, conceptual and analytical skills in visual communication to create effective advertising and visual identities for organisations and projects.
You will learn to visualise, collaborate, experiment and project management as you work on real-world projects with other students and industry professionals. You will also develop your knowledge of the creative industries, exploring topics such as design thinking, branding and strategy for creative organisations. You will have creative freedom and be encouraged to undertake non-commercial creative projects.
You'll also have lots of opportunities to work on live projects with creative companies and institutions, as well as be able to work with your classmates in our student-powered creative agency, Studio KT1.
Throughout the course, you'll also develop the commercial and organisational skills and understanding needed to work effectively in the creative and cultural sector.
Reasons to choose Kingston
- By becoming part of our creative agency, StudioKT1.com, you'll gain practical experience by working on exciting paid live briefs from companies such as Unilever and Mozilla Foundation.
- Kingston School of Art's industry-standard, cutting-edge workshops, studios and making spaces are accessible to all students.
- Facilities include world-class 3D workshops, digital media labs, printmaking, and film and photography facilities. Kingston has an ethos of Thinking Through Making.
The Art School Experience
As part of Kingston School of Art, students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where collaborative working and critical practice are encouraged.
Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
What you will study
This Art Direction degree develops visual communication skills and enhances your creative judgement. You will manage creative projects and learn how to deliver the visual language of an organisation or client's advertising or content needs. Through a combination of in-house and live briefs, you will discover your creative self and your future role in the industry.
Year 1
Year 1 is common to all our creative and cultural industries courses. You will explore visual communication techniques, the use of design software, storytelling and design thinking. You will learn individually and as part of a team of creative partners and professionals. You will examine the management and strategy of creative enterprises, and the history and development of art and design practice.
Core modules
- Visual Narratives & Design Thinking: Creating compelling stories, creative problem solving
- History & Context of the Creative Industries: Content, critique & competition
Year 2
Year 2 examines art direction in depth. The modules and projects will develop your skills and understanding of what art direction brings to creative enterprises. This will include interpreting briefs and transforming the ideas of a company into a coherent visual identity to communicate with key audiences.
You will study conceptualisation and visualisation, visual narratives and storyboarding, artwork commission, branding, entrepreneurship, managing risk, project management and strategy.
You can choose to apply for a summer internship at the end of Year 2 to gain valuable experience and increase your employability.
Core modules
- Art Direction
- Customer Mindfulness
- Creative Project Management
- Live case study
Optional Year
You have the option to take an additional year to study abroad.
Year 3
Year 3 examines art direction in depth.
You will study cultural entrepreneurship and explore ways of building a sustainable independent career. You will further your knowledge and skills around art direction
The major project in your final year will be a visual project, business or marketing plan, or consultancy project for a company.
You will research and identify a current challenge around art direction and provide visual communication solutions that are tailored to the chosen audience. You will be challenged and guided by your supervisors to achieve your potential.
Core modules
- Art Direction 2
- Culturepreneurship
- The Major Project
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
This degree prepares you for a career in art direction and advertising in creative enterprises such as fashion and media. Once you graduate, you will be ready to apply your commercial expertise to the creative industries, combining your understanding of art design and knowledge of commercial practices.