Fine Art, BA (Hons)

This course explores what it means to be an artist in the 21st Century and considers the role of contemporary art in our modern society. You will have the opportunity to work across the full range of contemporary fine art media, and engage with Nottingham’s creative community. You will be supported by expert academic and technical staff who will help you to progress as an artist.

This course gives you the opportunity to experiment across the range of Fine Art media which includes painting, drawing, casting, installation, curation, sculpture, performance, photography, film, video, sound and print. You'll then choose one or two which best suits your own practice.

Why choose this course?

You will have the opportunity to:

• experiment with a range of different media, then focus on what is right for your own practice
• work in our Fine Art studios and workshops whilst being supported by expert technical staff
• attend our Live Lecture series featuring national and international artists, creative practitioners and theorists
• create connections with Nottingham’s wider art community through the course’s graduate network
• go on national and international study trips to destinations such as London and Copenhagen
• work in our Fine Art studios alongside students from Year 2 and 3 of the course
• take part in exhibitions and professional events at NTU and within the wider UK art community.
• benefit from NTU’s strong links with festivals, art organisations and artists’ groups nationally and internationally
• exhibit your work in Year Three at our Degree Shows in Nottingham.

Graduates from this course go into a wide range of careers. This includes those who establish themselves as artists or go into directly related areas as curators, teachers, gallery managers, animators, musicians, community artists and film-makers.

Student work gallery
Have a look at some of the work created on this course in our Fine Art student work gallery.

Open days
To get a real taste of this course, why not visit us on one of our open days?

Can't visit us? Talk to us online...
We know it's not always possible to come along to one of our open events, particularly if you don't live in the UK. Throughout the year we will be running a series of live chat sessions, where you can log on and talk to us remotely.

Find out more about live chats for this course on our live chat webpage.

Latest news
Find out what's going on in the School of Art & Design on our news pages and the Facebook page.

Any questions?
Email us
Telephone: +44 (0)115 941 8418
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

How many places are available on this course?

85 places in Year One.

When does the course start?

This course starts in September. For more information take a look at our academic calendar for details of term start and end dates.

What will you study?

Overall, there are five modules which are assessed; two in both the Year One and Year Two with one module over the whole of your Final Year.

Year One

• Introduction to Fine Art (60 credits)
• Developing your own fine art practice and making project proposals (60 credits)

Year Two

• Exploring methods of research for the production of art works (60 credits)
• Presenting and documenting your art work (60 credits)

Final Year

• Final practice and reflection (120 credits)

Find out what you will cover in each module of our Fine Art course in more detail.

How do you study?

You will be taught through a variety of teaching and learning experiences which will include:

• independent studio practice
• feedback tutorials
• studio seminars
• individual and group presentations
• skills workshops
• exhibitions and projects
• briefings
• lectures and presentations
• study visits and international exchange
• self-direct research
• inductions
• technical surgeries
• self and peer evaluations.

You will also be involved in self-directed project work where you will have the support of NOW, our virtual learning environment.

In Years One and Two you'll spend approximately 70% of your time in scheduled learning. This includes things like:

• lectures
• seminars
• tutorials
• project supervision
• demonstrations
• practical classes
• supervised time (in workshops for instance); and
• external visits.

For the remaining time you will undertake self-directed independent study which may be spent researching, doing collaborative project work or completing coursework.

In Year Three you will have less scheduled learning as you will be working more independently on your final year coursework.

Degree Shows

In your final year you will exhibit your work as part of our Degree Shows at the University. The Degree shows include all final year students across NTU’s Art and Design-based courses, and are a great platform for you to celebrate your studies and showcase your work to members of the creative industries.

How are you assessed?

Assessment for this course is 100% through coursework.

You'll be assessed at the end of each module and awarded a grade band (1st, 2.1, 2.2 etc). You will receive feedback throughout the module so you know what level you're working at.

Assessment will involve the presentation of practical work and an associated Research Portfolio.

In each module, the Research Portfolio evidences the ongoing documentation of your work in development. It is a visual and text record that will include a statement of intent, self-evaluation and the presentation and communication of research and critical analysis. At each stage of your study the emphasis of the Research Portfolio is modified in order to best support and enable the appropriate focus within your practice.

Assessment methods can include:

• individual and group presentations
• seminars
• submission of written / visual work.

To progress through the course you must achieve 120 credits each year. Your final degree mark will be based 100% on your final year work.

Links with industry and practice

The course is set against the highly creative backdrop of Nottingham, a city internationally recognised as an established centre of world-leading artistic innovation and creative business. Over recent years the city has fast become a vibrant hub for new and emerging artists and design initiatives, boasting a diverse and flourishing network of galleries, art spaces, organisations and design collectives.

This course benefits from a wealth of contacts and links with regional and national art organisations, galleries and collectives.

Many of our graduates choose to stay in Nottingham after their studies and develop career paths within the vibrant city art scene and contemporary practice.

You will also be actively encouraged and supported to undertake work experience, which usually take place during holiday times, outside of term time wherever possible.

Learn from expert staff

Our Fine Art team is made up of expert academic and technical staff who have extensive experience in education and industry, most of whom are also practicing artists. These, together with visiting professionals, provide a rounded, up-to-date education, informed by current practice and contemporary developments.

As a Fine Art student at NTU you'll have the opportunity to attend our Live Lecture series which is made up of lectures and seminars by high-profile visitors.

Recent visiting artists, practitioners and curators to this course have included George Shaw, Nigel Cooke, Peter Blake, Athanasios Argianas, Susan Collis, Michael Pinchbeck, Berit Fischer, John Wynne, Hayley Newman, Alex Farquharson, Dave Charlesworth, Jack Strange and Ruth Proctor.

Course Leader: Derek Sprawson

What do the course fees cover?

Find out what is included in the fees for our BA (Hons) Fine Art.

Where will you study?

You will study this course on NTU’s City site, based in Nottingham city centre.

Our studios and workshops are based in the Bonington building, a dedicated Art and Design building. You may have some lectures in other buildings across the campus, including our recently renovated Newton building.

Trips and study visits

You’ll have the opportunity to go on a number of national and international trips during the course.

In Year One you will go on a study visit in the UK such as those recently run to the Liverpool Biennial festival, London exhibitions at the Tate Modern and other selected London galleries.

In Year Two you will have the option to go an international study visit; Berlin and the Venice Biennale are regular destinations.

Exchange opportunities - study abroad

You’ll have the opportunity to apply for an exchange in Year Two, to study at another university in Europe through our Erasmus scheme.

View the full course specification
Please note that course specifications may be subject to change

Our extensive Fine Art studios and workshops are based in the Bonington building, a dedicated Art and Design building.

Access to facilities

The Bonington building is open during term-time from:

• 8 am – 8 pm (Monday – Thursday)
• 8 am – 7.30 pm (Fridays).

During this time you can access workshops and studios.

Technical support in studios

Technical support in our studios is available:

• 8.30 am – 5. 30 pm (Monday – Thursday) (lunch break from 1 – 2 pm)
• 8.30 – 5.30 pm (Friday) (lunch break from 1 – 2 pm).

You can use the studio facilities outside of these times, but you won’t be able to use any machinery or equipment that needs power.

Fine Art facilities

• Glass kilns for glass work
• potter’s wheels
• a ceramic digital printer
• casting and moulding equipment
• metal workshops adapted for specialist metal usage
• woodworking workshop and equipment
• resin and plastics development equipment
• polymer 3D printer
• vinyl cutter
• hand screen printing, transfer printing, collograph printing
• black and white and colour darkrooms, enlargers and processors
• three full-size photographic studios with backgrounds and lighting
• video editing facilities.

Other Art and Design facilities

You will also have the opportunity to use resources from across the School of Art & Design and wider University, including equipment such as:

• embroidery machines: domestic, industrial and Barudan multi-head digital embroidery
• weave looms: Dobby and George Lloyd looms, Tapestry loom, Dracup Digital Jacquard loom
• 3D prototyping unit
• waterjet and laser cutting technology
• fabric laser cutting and engraving equipment and fabric dye facility
• digital fabric print facility: Mimaki TX2 digital fabric printers.

Books and library resources

In our library you will have access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within many areas of traditional and contemporary Fine Art practice.

Bonington Art Shop

Our specialist in-house art shop is based in the Bonington building. Run by experienced and friendly University staff, the shop stocks a wide variety of arts and crafts materials.

The shop responds to the requirements of our students, and the stock on offer grows each year to support the courses offered within the School of Art & Design.

Bonington Colour Bureau

Located in the Bonington building, our Colour Bureau provides a range of in-house printing for NTU students and staff.

Specialising in graphic arts printing, the Colour Bureau offers high quality prints on a non-standard range of media in any size up to B0. It also operates a drop-off service so you won't have to queue, and aims to offer A4/A3 prints for same-day collection where possible.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City site, with PCs providing access to Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, networked file storage and high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student). Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.

What do our students say?

“The workshops are amazing, and open to anyone. All the technicians are easily approachable and will help you with ambitious projects.

“The course has such a wide range of facilities all available to anyone within the art and design footprint. You can integrate as much as you like with other course facilities.”

Oliver Tirre
BA (Hons) Fine Art