Art is a popular and highly successful area of study at Denstone. The department thrives on the diversity of each student and has clear focus for each stage of a pupil’s development. We encourage personal and individual responses from all students.
The department consists of two full time members of staff who have specialist expertise in a wide field of art, as well as a full time technician. It is a very well-resourced department with facilities for ceramics, photography, printing, fine art and textiles and strives to incorporate contemporary issues as well as traditional enquiry. The emphasis to record from life whenever possible is paramount to the students learning and the department has an array of displays that students can work from.
The junior classes begin their creative journey by exploring and investigating the visual elements, with projects that nurture their ability as well as improve their recording skills. They are introduced to textile techniques and fine art processes as well as traditional and contemporary artists.The progression to GCSE is a natural and easy one in art, whereby the students are encouraged to develop their recording skills further through more challenging concepts and projects. The GCSE course consists of two coursework projects where the student is guided through the assessment criteria whilst enjoying their own enquiry and journey. Projects are enhanced by workshops or gallery visits which enrich the students learning and engagement. The culmination of the course is an externally set task which consists of one project that takes place across several months. The students are able to utilise their skills and knowledge to display this confidently in their annual end of year exhibition of work.
At A Level the continuation of personal discovery continues through a structured programme of short eight week projects where students have the opportunity to experiment in ceramics, textiles, screen printing and drawing exercises. This leads on to their own self-identified brief where the individual works to their chosen theme, producing a thorough and comprehensive body of work ready for university. During the course students have the opportunity to have international gallery visits as well as artist workshops to embed their level of understanding as well as cultural inspiration and awareness of the wider world and the creative industries.