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Artist Blacksmithing

Hereford College of Arts

UCAS Code: W720 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Entry requirements


UCAS Tariff

80

We would normally expect applicants to have achieved 80 UCAS Tariff Points at entry but whilst qualifications are important, our offers are not solely based on academic results and we may make offers based on other evidence of talent and suitability for the course. Portfolio submission (where applicable) and successful interview or audition are required.

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Metal work

This course has an international reputation for its place at the forefront of education in forged metal design. Our graduates create original and cohesive bodies of work in hot, forged metal. It is a materials focussed programme with an emphasis on learning through doing. You will receive technical tuition as well as expert design guidance. You will explore the elemental processes of combining metal, fire, air and water to make original hot forged metal objects.

The course encourages innovative thinking and skilled making across a breadth of practice – from architectural design, to interior products and sculpture. You will become an independent thinker and self-motivated maker. Over 3 years you will be equipped with all the skills and knowledge you need to earn your living through your creativity.

You will develop technical skills with forged metal through both taught and self-directed projects. You will also learn to gather and analyse research material, then draw on this material and process it through different media as part of the design process.

Your intellectual engagement with your practice will be nourished through regular discussion groups and seminars. You will benefit from talks by visiting lecturers from industry. You will be encouraged to articulate your ideas through written and visual presentations as well as verbally in one-to-one tutorials and peer groups.

Practice in Context, a cultural studies programme, underpins your intellectual development and teaches invaluable critical skills. It will help you set your practice within a historical framework, and learn to examine other makers’ products and practices in order to constructively evaluate your own work and methods.

Additionally, you will undertake projects that will guide you towards planning and promoting your own practice as a designer maker.

**Industry Links**
You will have opportunities to work to commission on external live briefs and develop experience of working to client requirements. Our ‘Masters of Metal’ lecture series is delivered by high-profile, national and international designers and artists, giving insights into their own design practice. You will also participate in specialist masterclasses from industry professionals. Recent contributors have included Roberto Giordani from Italy, Patrick Quinn from the USA and Francisco Gazitua from Chile. Students also participate in team forge events as Hereford Anvils’ such as: the World Championships of Blacksmithing, Stia, Italy - Helfstyn, Czech Republic - Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine, and, have participated in ‘Transition’ exhibition, Ypres, Belgium (2016); Hereford Ferrous Festival (2022); and Bath Iron Festival (2018).

**After this Course**
Many graduates develop careers as self- employed practitioners - setting up design studios and workshops, and producing work ranging from large scale architectural forged metalwork to small gallery objects and utensils. Some use their skills to work for established smiths whilst continuing to evolve their own practice. Others gain experiences by becoming journeyman, working for smiths across the world. There are also possibilities to continue studying on a postgraduate programme, including HCA's own Contemporary Crafts MA.

**Highlights**
1. Highly respected programme, at the forefront of contemporary forged metalwork practice.
2. Access to well-equipped studio spaces and specialist workshops (including wood, ceramics, textiles and 3D printing) which are staffed by experts in their fields.
3. Timetabled access to the National School of Blacksmithing (at Herefordshire & Ludlow College’s Rural Crafts Centre) for training at the fires and forging your designs.
4. You will curate and exhibit your work in a professional environment.
5. The programme has close relationships with other major international institutions, including the University of Gothenburg, HDK Steneby, Sweden, and the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale USA.

Modules

From your first day at HCA you will work as a creative, developing your skills and your own voice through a series of projects. You will develop your creative practice, practical skills alongside your critical awareness and theoretical knowledge. You will study a range of modules that build your knowledge and confidence and total 120 credits each year.

YEAR ONE: Practice in Context 1 (20 Credits), Practice 1  (30), Practice 2 (30), Foundations for Learning  (20). Skills 1  (20)

YEAR TWO: Practice in Context 2  (20), Practice 3  (30), Practice 4 (30), Professional Practice 1  (20), Skills 2  (20)

YEAR THREE: Practice in Context 3  (20), Practice 5  (30), Practice 6 (60), Professional Practice 2  (10)

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,000
per year
England
£9,000
per year
International
£15,125
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,000
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,000
per year
Scotland
£9,000
per year
Wales
£9,000
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Hereford College of Arts

Department:

Art and Design

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What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

95%
Metal work

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Others in creative arts and design

Teaching and learning

95%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
95%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
100%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

79%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
79%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

After graduation


We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Others in creative arts and design

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£13k

£13k

£17k

£17k

£18k

£18k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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