Creative Futures
Esher’s enrichment programme culminates at the end of the first year with two activities dedicated to Wider Skills. Students take part in a range of trips, experiences and activities. This year, Fine Art A Level students took part in an Art Foundation and Create Degree Portfolio course.
The course was designed to give students an authentic insight into the expectations of post-18 creative education while encouraging them to develop observational, analytical and portfolio-building skills.
Exploring New Creative Environments
On the first day, students visited the newly opened V&A Storehouse in Stratford and V&A East, where they embarked on a drawing journey through an unfamiliar environment. Students documented and responded to a diverse range of visual and sensory experiences, including text, sound, movement, patterns, architecture, textures, lighting and overheard conversations. Using drawing as their primary tool, they captured observations, impressions and encounters throughout the visit, developing a rich visual record of their experiences and strengthening their ability to respond creatively to new surroundings.
Developing Visual Narratives
Back in the studio on day two, students transformed their recorded journeys into more complex visual outcomes. Working from photographs taken during the visit, they experimented with cutting, layering and collage techniques to expand and refine their compositions, creating dynamic visual narratives that reflected their experiences of place and movement. Students were then challenged with a second brief focused on visually documenting a film. Drawing inspiration from multiple moments within a narrative, they produced compositions that conveyed a continuous sense of movement while capturing changing spaces, shifting viewpoints and evolving imagery.
Preparing for Future Creative Study
The course also provided valuable insight into progression routes within the creative industries. Students examined a range of portfolios produced by former students who had successfully secured places on Art Foundation courses and creative degree programmes. Through discussion and analysis, they developed an understanding of effective portfolio structure, presentation and the importance of communicating creative ideas, experimentation and process.
The experience offered students an inspiring introduction to the demands and opportunities of creative higher education, helping them build confidence in their own artistic practice while preparing for future applications and study.
