After doing her GCSEs at St Paul’s College in Kilrea, Sacha decided to enrol on the Level 3 Diploma in Fashion and Design at Northern Regional College which is the equivalent of three A levels. With this under her belt, she decided to stay on at the College to complete a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design so she would get a ‘really good grounding’ in the subject before going on to university.
“The Foundation Diploma is an ideal stepping stone for going on to university to study Art and I would really recommend it.
Krystal did her GCSEs at St Patrick’s College in Ballymena and stayed on at school to do A levels before taking a ‘gap’ year. Although she always had an interest in Art and had studied the subject at both GCSE and A level, Krystal says she didn’t feel she was expressing her creativity until she started doing the Foundation Diploma.
“Our lecturers encouraged us to use all different art mediums and we were pushed to our limits. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the course was the way we were given had the freedom to dabble in all different art forms.”
Krystal’s enthusiasm for art has encouraged to work with young people in a local Arts and Crafts Club and, like Sacha, she has no hesitation recommending the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design to others.
“It’s a really enjoyable course and we were given so many different opportunities to explore our creativity. The Foundation Diploma in Art and Design is a must for anything thinking of going on to study Art at university.”
Art lecturer Jeanette Lammy who co-ordinates the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Northern Regional College says it is widely recognised as one of the best courses of its type in the UK.
“It is an excellent stepping stone for anyone who wants to go on to study Art at university but as well as preparing learners for degree programmes, it also provides opportunities to participate in artist residencies and exhibitions.”
She adds: “Students benefit from the College’s well established links with universities that the Art & Design Department has accumulated over the years and we have a 100% success rate for getting students into their first choice HE courses at university.”
The Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Level3/4) is a one year full time course, the primary aim of which is to educate students to make informed decisions to enable them to progress to an appropriate HE course in art and design.