Art and Textiles teaching at Ashbourne is exciting and challenging. Students work with a range of different materials and produce experimental and original work, from print making to knitting with bin bags. The department has strong links with the Fashion World and students study design as well as materials. They are encouraged to look at textiles and fashions from different periods and interpret them using contemporary media. They have a chance to display some of their innovative ideas at the Ashbourne Christmas Revue. The Art department at Ashbourne sees Art and Design as being absolutely central to society. Art is everywhere; in the clothes we wear, the crockery we eat from, the buildings we live in as well as the images we see around us. The Art department is committed to preparing its students for commercial and vocational careers in a wide variety of media.

Why study Textiles?

Textiles A Level is an excellent choice for students with an interest in Fashion. As there is no specific A Level in Fashion, Textiles is an appropriate choice for Students considering a career in that area. It combines well with other Art related A levels. Students learn practical skills and work with a range of materials and they are able to apply techniques and skills they acquire as part of their Textiles A Level to their work for Art and Design, for example. Tutors from across the Art Department work together to encourage their students to mix media, explore ideas and push boundaries

Which syllabus do we follow?

We follow Aqa specification for Textiles

How many units are there?

There are four units; two at AS and two at A2

What is the course about?

Students will be introduced to a variety of experiences exploring a range of media, techniques and processes. They will be made aware of both traditional and new technologies. They will explore images, artefacts and resources relating to a range of art and design from recent times. Students will appreciate how ideas, feeling and meanings can be conveyed and interpreted in images and artefacts, they will study historical and contemporary developments and different styles and genres and begin to understand how images and artefacts relate to the social, environmental and cultural contexts and to the time and place in which they were created.

Students will work in one or more areas of Textile Design, such as those listed below. They may explore overlapping areas and combinations of areas, such as:

Fashion
Printed and or dyed fabric and materials
Domestic textiles and wallpaper
Interior design
Constructed textiles
Textile installation.

Students will develop and demonstrate skills in the following;

Awareness of the elements of Textile Design, such as shape, colour, texture, pattern, harmony, contrast and or repetition Appreciation of the relationship of form and function and, where applicable, the constraints of working to a brief.

Understanding a variety of textile methods such as fabric printing (mono-printing, relief printing and screen printing) tye-dye, batik, spraying, transfer and fabric construction and stitching (appliqué, patchwork, padding, quilting and embroidery)

How is each unit examined?

Unit 1

AS unit 1 is portfolio of work set and marked by the centre and moderated by AQA

Unit 2

AS unit 2 is an externally set assignment. It is produced in supervised conditions over 5 hours and will be marked by the centre and moderated by AQA.

Unit 3

A2 unit 3 is a personal investigation supported by written element of 100-3000 words, set and marked by the centre and moderated by AQA

Unit 4

A2 unit 4 is an externally set assignment. It is produced in timed conditions over 15 hours. Work produced will be marked by the centre and moderated by AQA

How is the course structured?

Students will work on developing their understanding, technique and ideas over the course of the two years. They will be producing work for their final portfolios throughout the two-year course and will need to keep on top of their workload if they are to be successful.

When can I sit my exams?

Work can only be submitted in the June examination series.

Which Ashbourne teachers teach this course?

Sheila Cosgrove

(BA Hons (Chelsea College of Art and Design) CFA (Ruskin School of Drawing, Oxford University) BSc Design (University of Cincinnati,USA) Art, Fashion)
Sheila Cosgrove worked in New York as a fashion illustrator before moving to England for post-graduate work in Fine Art at Oxford University. She spent twenty years as a freelance art and design journalist and portrait artist before taking a degree in textile design at Chelsea College of Art. She frequently lectures to interior design students on Colour Theory and Application and her textile designs for fashion and furnishings have been sold in America, Britain and across Europe.

Beyond A Level for Textiles Students

Many of our students are preparing for a career in Art and go on to prestigious Art Colleges, such as the London College of Fashion but many others combine Art with A Levels in English Literature, Humanities or even Sciences.. Students of Textiles may pursue courses in Fashion Design, Interior Design, Surface Design or many other similar vocational courses. Textiles A Level can provide a gateway into a structured commercial career.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Students wishing to study Art related subjects may need to produce a portfolio of related work, which they are prepared to discuss with the Art Department. Art and Design A levels require students to produce a large quantity of work and are usually unsuitable courses for completion within one year.