BA Drawing at Camberwell explores drawing as a constantly evolving mode of contemporary art practice. The course considers drawing as an extension of thinking and encourages you to test the boundaries of drawing practice through an understanding of current ideas, practices and technologies as well as the traditions and histories of the discipline.

You will be asked to explore drawing as an end in itself as well as a means for exploring other modes of art practice such as sculpture, installation, performance and film. As one of the four fine art subjects within the Fine Art Area at Camberwell the course offers a distinct approach to drawing fine art practice.

Self-initiated and organised external projects help you learn vital professional skills as you develop a better understanding of the context for your work. Student-led research within drawing is enhanced by a variety of visiting professionals from diverse arenas including fine art, surgical medicine, materials science, architecture, sound art, animation, criticism and curation.

The course has strong links with Tate Britain's drawing collection, the British Museum, Hunterian, National Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, Laban Centre for Contemporary Dance, The Wellcome Trust and the Architectural Association, with historians and practitioners giving regular lectures to enhance the course curriculum.

Many students have taken part in the Jerwood Drawing Prize Exhibition, BBC television and radio programmes, and special projects in collaboration with students across the University of the Arts London.

Many students opt to spend a term abroad at one of the art institutions we have established links with in Ghent, Madrid or Milan.

Visitors to the course over the past 3 years

Tania Kovats, Pavel Buchler, Sonia Boyce, Kit Craig, Roger Kelly, Ian Charlesworth, Laura Buckley, David Musgrave, Peter Peri, Conrad Shawcross, Colin Kelly, Becky Shaw, Kim Rugg, Mary Doyle, Chosil Kil, Doug Fishbone, Richard Galpin, Neal White, James Ireland.

Research/External links

Kelly Chorpening (BA Drawing Course Director) is the Camberwell Co-ordinator for the UAL Centre for Drawing research group - members from around the University feed into BA level teaching. Likewise with her membership in the Information Environments Research Unit.

The above mentioned links with Sint-Lucas in Ghent will have an increasing impact on the course, with lectures and a London launch of the drawing cahier THINK.

The Fine Art Area at Camberwell

By uniquely retaining single subject degrees in Fine Art at undergraduate level, Camberwell offers students the benefits of in-depth study in specific subject areas-Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Drawing-whilst also enabling students to access cross-course teaching and facilities, and work with their peers in all the other Fine Art areas. All undergraduate Fine Art students at Camberwell attend cross-course crits and tutorials throughout their course even though they are primarily based in their own subject areas.

Year 1

You will engage with drawing within the broader context of art. Through taught sessions and independent work, a range of practical concerns related to drawing will be explored. These include life drawing, anatomy and the use and application of systems such as constructed and visual perspective and architectural projection drawing. Critical and theoretical issues are explored through lectures, discussion seminars, oral presentations and writing.

A series of key ideas lectures will introduce you to several important debates and theories that underpin contemporary art and design, and you will be introduced to a range of strategies to help you develop a research methodology and reflective approach to your studies.

Year 2

As you develop your own independent practice you will consider key critical and practical issues within the contemporary context. A combination of taught sessions, written work and presentations will help you develop a research methodology. This allows processes and skills to be explored in ways appropriate to your evolving ideas. Knowledge and understanding of the wider context of art will be heightened through live projects where you select and present your work externally.

Year 3

You will be planning, developing and realising your individual, self-initiated programme of study, and carrying out sustained practical and contextual research Through a choice of dissertation, work placement or live project you will explore in depth the context within which you choose to locate your practice. You will develop your ideas using an appropriate research based methodology and work towards a completed body of work, which will prepare you for ongoing study and professional practice.

Facilities

Camberwell's excellent studio facilities enable students to work in a variety of media, such as painting, sculpture, and photography. All drawing students have access to the College's technical workshops, the Photography, Printmaking, 3D, and Digital Media Resource Centres, as well as the College Library. Camberwell shares a site with the South London Gallery, one of the cities' premier contemporary art spaces.

Students leave prepared for postgraduate study, most recently in Fine Art at The Slade and Chelsea College of Art and Design, Printmaking at the Royal College, MA Digital Arts at Camberwell, as well as a range of other professions: MA Architecture Theory at the Bartlett, MA Sociology at Birkbeck College, and MFA Curation at San Francisco Art Institute. In addition, many students have gone on to do PGCEs and are working as art teachers in primary and secondary education.

In the past three years, a number of BA Drawing graduates have chosen to stay in the area, contributing - both as curators and as exhibiting artists - to Hannah Barry Gallery activities (Peckham Car park & the Peckham Pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale) and Flat time HQ (John Latham's Studio/Museum).

Increasingly, graduates of the course are being featured in art fairs and exhibitions in commercial galleries soon after they finish, solo shows at The Arches Gallery in Deptford and Sarah Myerscough Gallery, Mayfair, group shows at 500 dollars gallery, Vyner Street Gallery, Studio 2.1.

Alumni:

• Joe Creighton Balfour - curating at Hannah Barry Gallery
• Graham Reid - exhibited at Sluice Art Fair. Currently working with 3D software programmes designing installations for Bloomberg and Olympic 2012 commissions.
• John Hill - part of LuckyPDF and works at Flat time house.
• Theo Turpin - Recently awarded a 9 month residency at Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
• Sophie Read - studying a PhD at UCL.

• Portfolio of work
• A foundation course/ National Diploma/AVCE/ Advanced GNVQ or equivalent
• Pass in 1 GCE A Levels
• Passes at GCSE level in 3 subjects (grade C or above)

• Applicants whose first language is not English must show proof of IELTS level 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four skills. All information regarding acceptable tests, scores and exemptions from testing can be found here: http://www.arts.ac.uk/international/apply/englishlanguagerequirements/

• Applications are welcome from students who are returning to education after a break and have evidence of relatedexperience/prior learning.

Study Abroad Applicants

This course accepts a limited number of Study Abroad students (international students who would like to spend one, two or three terms studying alongside our undergraduates, as part of their course at their home university). To find out further information about Study Abroad fees and the application process please visit the CCW Study Abroad pages. 

You need to apply through the UCAS online application system. You can complete your UCAS application from anywhere that has internet access.

All Camberwell College of Arts UCAS Course Codes can be found on the course 'At a Glance' tab or on the UCAS website.

Our University code is UAL.

Our College Code is U65.

There is no Campus Code for Camberwell College of Arts.

For further information about UCAS, or their application procedure, please contact them directly.

T: +44 (0)870 1122211
E: enq@ucas.ac.uk

For any other information please contact Camberwell College of Arts.

T: 020 7514 6302
E: info@camberwell.arts.ac.uk

International Applicants

Please visit the ccw international apply page for details.

or contact the CCW International Office.

T: +44 (0) 207 514 1852
E: ccwinternational@arts.ac.uk

Study Abroad Applicants

International undergraduate students can apply to join this BA course for a period of up to three terms as a Study Abroad student. Please visit the CCW Study Abroad pages for details on how to apply or contact the Study Abroad office:

T: +44 (0) 207 514 2249
E: studyabroad@chelsea.arts.ac.uk