Textiles

Art and Design: Textile Design (AQA)

Textile Design is an exciting, flexible and diverse course, written for people who are both passionate and creative. It is delivered by specialists with backgrounds in Fashion Design, Fine Art and Textiles Art who will help students to develop new processes, such as fabric manipulation, dying and printing techniques, giving them a broad experience of skills to draw from as they develop.

In Year 12,students will be encouraged to independently explore their own creativity, and grow intelligently in the area of Textile Design that most suits them.

Course Content & Assessment

Continuing to build on their experiences, skills and techniques developed in Year 12, in Year 13 students will begin to direct the focus of their study towards their own personal interests within Textiles.

This will include research into themes and artists of interest, followed by individuals making a personal response in the form of any valid Textiles outcome.

Gallery visits and the study of contemporary and traditional Textile Artists are central to the course.

Assessment:

Component 1 (60%) – Personal Investigation

This is a practical investigation supported by written material of between 1000-3000 words.

Students are required to conduct a practical investigation, into an idea, issue, concept or theme, supported by written material. The focus of the investigation must be identified independently by the student and must lead to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes.

The investigation should be a coherent, in-depth study that demonstrates the student’s ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning from an initial starting point to a final realisation.

Component 2 (40%) – Externally Set Assignment

This unit is set by the examination board.

You will get a choice from several questions and be expected to respond to one.

You have several weeks for your investigation which is very important and should be thorough, as the assessment will focus on this to a great extent.

The timed and supervised section is 15 hours.

Teaching

The classes will be taught in a range of styles. Lessons for Unit 1 will develop your knowledge of Materials, Components and Manufacturing Processes through the use of sketchbooks, online resources and practical demonstrations/activities. Lessons for Unit 2 will develop your creativity and ability to communicate your design ideas verbally and graphically. You will be expected to work much more independently in both Units. The course aims to develop your skills in creative and practical problem solving, working creatively and independently is central to this aim.

Your Future

This course is designed for creative and innovative students who have an interest in areas such as Fashion, Costume and Interior Design, as well as Digital, Art or Constructed Textiles. It provides a solid portfolio to move onto a BTEC Art Foundation Course and expand into wider disciplines before deciding on a specialised degree course. A career as a Fashion Designer or an Interior Designer are just two of many possibilities.