A full-time course in the arts and crafts with a strong emphasis on industry and the economic dimension of creativity.

If you can say YES to any one of the following then this may well be the course for you:

• Have you always had an interest in art and would like to learn more?
• Do you enjoy making and designing?
• Do you like to draw and paint?
• Do you want to prepare a portfolio for application to Art & Design Colleges?
• Are you creative & want to try different subjects to find out what you enjoy most?
• Would you like to get hands on experience exploring different materials and crafts like jewellery, woodcraft, weaving and ceramics?
• Like to start a career as an Artist, Craftsperson or Designer?

Should you have the interest and enthusiasm, we have the teachers, coursework and facilities to nurture and grow your talent. We will guide you on your way to a creative career.

Students will have the opportunity to:

• Develop creative thinking and design skills, learning how to plan, research, and bring ideas to life through hands-on projects.
• Improve drawing abilities, using different materials and methods to express ideas and develop a personal artistic style.
• Explore painting techniques, learning how to use colour, texture, and composition to create original artwork.
• Work with clay, gaining hands-on experience in shaping, glazing, and firing to produce finished ceramic pieces.
• Create original prints, using a range of traditional and modern printmaking techniques.
• Use digital photography creatively, learning how to take, edit, and present photographs using digital tools and software.

This course is fundamentally designed to provide students with a portfolio of the highest quality that will attain entry to Art and Design courses at third level both nationally and internationally. The course gives you the opportunity to consider if a future in Art and Design is for you and to choose the college and course that suits you best. It enables students to develop their artistic and observational skills and to explore creativity and personal expression. This course enables direct entry into year 2 in some colleges.

If you aspire to a career in the Art and Design field, our course will support you to produce an exciting, competitive and creative art portfolio to help you progress to Art college. Our students have a great track record for progressing to Higher Education at all the major Art colleges and Universities.

You will explore core practical skills including drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media which are essential skills to prepare you for art colleges. You will use your creative thinking, ideas, style and visual communication throughout the creation of your portfolio.

Our practical projects and exhibitions include opportunities to work with professional artists, and to experience the professional world of art and design.

The aim of this one year full time course course is to provide the learner with the opportunity to develop skills in a variety of traditional and modern art and craft disciplines including drawing, painting and ceramics as well as working with a variety of materials.

This Creative Ceramics course is designed for those with a strong interest in design and learning about ceramics and craft skills. This hands-on course provides practical demonstrations from artist teachers, as well as guest artists. Students have the opportunity to design and create a wide range of unique ceramic, sculptural, and printed pieces, as well as upcycling and using sustainable materials.

Location: Athlone

The overall aim of the programme is to provide the learner with the opportunity to develop the required knowledge, skills and competence in art, craft and design in order to meet the standards set by the awarding body in the award specification for Art, Craft and Design level 5.

Please refer to Programme Descriptor for Programme Objectives. Employment opportunities in this area range from setting up their own small art and craft business to working in areas such as community art, festival events, interior decorating and so on.

This one-year course is suitable for students who have an interest in all aspects of creative craft.

They will be introduced to the basic principles of design and the skills of making through ceramics, printmaking and jewellry.

Regardless of previous/ prior experience, this course offers a nurturing and supportive environment for the student to explore and experiment with techniques and materials including a variety of metals, clay, paint, paper, natural and manmade objects, fabrics and much more. It is an exciting and lively course with the bonus of having highly skilled tutors who are also makers to guide students on their creative journey.

This is a course for anyone interested in art. No experience is needed, just lots of enthusiasm.

Ideally suited for those returning to education, who would like to explore and develop their creative skills. Students will be introduced to a range of skills in Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Printmaking and Ceramics, and will learn the foundations of art – line, shape, form, texture etc, and how to successfully express these in their work.  Progression to the Advanced Certificate in Art and Design Level 6 is encouraged on successful completion of Level 5 and this offers learners the chance to develop in more depth a personal visual language through exploration and experimentation with new processes, materials and ideas.

The overall aim of the programme is to enable the learner to acquire the knowledge, skill and competence to engage in a range of art, craft and design practices and to progress to further and or higher education and training.

This is a one-year course with a requirement to achieve 120 credits. It particularly suits participants that are eager to develop their artistic skills in a wide range of different modules.