Art and Design Summer Exhibition 2023

Published on 05/09/23

Rachel Bloomfield-Proud, Head of Visual Arts, tells us about the Art and Design Summer Exhibition.

On Friday 16 June 2023 it was a delight to welcome so many students with their friends, family, past and present staff to the annual Summer Art and Design Summer Exhibition held in the VAC.

The VAC was miraculously transformed into an exhibition space to showcase the work of the 40 Year 11 Art, Craft and Design and 3D Design GCSE students and nine Art A level students, who had assisted to set up their own spaces in the sixth form studio using their knowledge of curation.

The evening was officially opened by Charlotte Cornish, a printmaker/painter who lives and works in Cambridge. She spoke about her creative journey as a full-time artist and enjoyed talking with the A level students about their own work.

This exhibition was opened for the Alumni event which followed on Saturday 17 June 2023.

Below is a summary of what the students studied during their two-year courses and the starting points for the work exhibited.

Art Craft and Design GCSE

Year 10

All students rotated between Fine Art, Digital and Textiles. They worked in an A4 sketchbook to evidence their journey through these three areas with outcomes presented on the walls. The starting theme was Identity, based on the Curiosity Boxes they made.

Year 11

Term 1 - Students opted for either a Textile or Fine Art pathway using the following starting point themes.

Textiles: Renew, Reuse, Repair
Fine Art: Reflections

This enabled students to develop a greater understanding of one specialism. Students worked in A3 books to show their journey.

Term 2/3 - This was the first year post-Covid with an exam.

The exam theme was ‘Lock’ and the students visited the Tate Britain and the V&A for inspiration.

3D Design GCSE

Year 10

All students completed two projects within the first year of the course. The two projects enabled them to explore the areas of architecture, product design and 3D art using the themes: Biomimicry/Organic Structures (context architecture - house in the woods) and Reflection (context - home wear). The Students chose one or two of these projects to submit with their Component 1. The students presented their journey in A3 display folders.

Year 11

Term 1 - Students all worked to the theme ‘Rhythm & Geometry’ making use of the exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, of the same title as a starting point. Each student interpreted the theme and chose to develop it through one of the following pathways: Architecture; Product Design; and 3D Art. The students presented their journey in A3 display folders.

Term 2 - This was the first year post-Covid with an exam. The exam starting point was ‘Lock’.

Art A level 2023

Year 12 and Term 1 of Year 13

Students worked through three projects developing increasing independence in their choice of direction.

Project 1: Growth and Evolution

Project 2: Transformation

Project 3: A choice of themes leading in personal direction

Internal/ External/ Structures/ Collections and Gatherings

Year 13 Term 2 /3

This was the first year post-Covid with an exam. The exam theme was ‘Simple, Complex’ and based on a visit to the Tate Modern and The Courtauld Institute.