59 Creative Arts and Design A-level Programs

To touch, to move, to inspire - this is the true gift of dance. Exploring the work of some of the foremost names in dance will lead to giving you an understanding of their techniques and how to apply them to your own creative work, developing your confidence as an inspiring choreographer, whilst also developing your skills as a performer.

Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to develop your individual creativity through the application of technology and hand-made approaches.

This course is ideal for learners who have a specific interest in the visual arts and enjoy the challenge of visualising their ideas and feelings using a wide range of media, including computers. This course includes a personal investigation alongside the opportunity to examine the relationship between practical ideas and the History of Art. There will be opportunities to visit art galleries and other cultural events and you could enter your work into exhibitions.

Exploring both traditional and digital photography, you will produce work which will show your development and understanding of photography, learn how to use SLR/digital cameras, how the studio works, develop black and white film, darkroom skills and various Photoshop techniques.

The world is evolving rapidly and we know the skills needed of the workforce are shifting in importance-- rote knowledge is becoming less important in the digital information age, and design thinking has become invaluable. That’s why Design at Kent College is a subject looking to the 22nd Century, preparing our students not only for the world that we know now but the world that is coming--we teach students ​how​ to think, not ​what​ to think.

Creativity is at the heart of every area of our lives – it is an essential skill that enables us to be effective in all that we do. The Collingham Art Department provides an environment where students can develop and nurture this life affirming skill. Students will learn to develop their own unique approach to the world of the visual arts, refining and improving their ability to experiment with materials and respond to the visual world using the key skills of drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and digital media.

An A level in Graphic Communication is an excellent complement for other art courses at A level. It is also an excellent basis on which to apply to study the subject further at art college or university as, along with the skills, it will provide you with the portfolio you will need for your application. It is also very useful if you wish to work or study in areas relating to design, fashion and architecture. The course will develop your skills in drawing and visualisation and these have value far beyond courses such as those mentioned already.

The course involves performing, composing, listening to and analysing music. You will improve your skills as a performer and composer studying both ‘classical’ and ‘popular’ styles of music. You will listen to and analyse a wide variety of music, developing a more informed appreciation of how, and why, it was written. Examples of the music you will study: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Abba, Stevie Wonder, Oasis, Metallica, Haydn, Mozart, Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Debussy and Stravinsky.

Music is at the heart of Kent College and our splendid music department offers a broad range of opportunity to pupils of all ages and abilities. Working within a positive and vibrant environment, our aim is for music to be both fun and productive, ensuring that pupils perform and progress to the best of their abilities.

We follow the AQA specification at Bilborough Sixth Form College. You’ll be taught in a dedicated dance studio, with a sprung floor, mirrored walls, and portable sound and lighting equipment. Practical exams take place in our wonderfully equipped Theatre. It is desirable, but not essential, that you have dance experience – and you must show enthusiasm, passion and a willingness to experiment with different styles.

A Level Music offers students an opportunity to learn and develop an understanding of music history, composition and performance. The new A- level aims to equip pupils with the necessary tools to study music at university level or potentially gain a job in the music industry. The new AS level provides the student with a solid understanding of the basic tenants of performance, composition and music history.

For those with proficiency on an instrument as well as openness to a number of styles, Music A level provides an excellent vehicle for the expansion and development of a musical life. Results in recent years have been outstanding and many pupils have taken the subject as part of an application profile to Russell Group and Oxbridge universities.

By studying the Music A level course, you will develop a greater understanding of how music works. You will study its creation (composing), re-creation (performing), perception (listening skills) and appreciation (knowledge and understanding). You will learn to analyse it, to understand how notes are structured into chords and into melodies, and chords and melodies into structures spanning minutes and even hours. In so doing, you will also discover how music intersects with other subjects, such as physics, geography, history and art.

Film Studies is an academic A level designed to equip you with the critical skills and knowledge to understand film both as an industry and an art form. You examine different genres of film and the film-makers and technology behind them. Study ranges across American, British and world cinema, including documentary and silent cinema, experimental and mainstream film. The coursework will involve your writing a screenplay for a short film and making a digital-photo storyboard for one sequence from it, followed by an evaluative analysis.

Whether you’re a budding rock star or classical instrumentalist, A-Level Music will develop your skills in performing, composing and analysing the medium you love.