Creative Arts Department
Welcome to Creative Arts at Abbey College Manchester
The Creative Arts Department at Abbey aims to help you to be expressive and original in your chosen subject area, developing an understanding of a range of techniques, exploring ideas and designs to create original and interesting work. Using our fantastic staff, amazing location and excellent resources, you have easy access to everything you need for a successful program of study. Small class sizes ensure individual attention and excellent support as you develop your own visual language, expressing your ideas and finding a creative and original voice.
The department is a welcoming and supportive environment with three teachers and wealth of materials and resources on hand. You are encouraged to see it as a base, and spend time working on individual projects between lessons.
Through regular outings to local venues such as Manchester Art Gallery, the Whitworth and Manchester Museum, to Yorkshire Sculpture Park and more distant locations like London, Paris and Barcelona, students enjoy travelling as a group whilst broadening their experience of artists work and other cultures. We see this as an essential part of your development as you broaden your experience, seeing work in context and expanding your creative horizons.
Creative Art Subjects available at Abbey College Manchester are Art and Design, Photogrpahy and Textiles.
Why study Creative Arts in Manchester?
Manchester is a bustling and lively place, a thriving and busy city , in fact, the only UK city in National Geographic’s influential ’Best of the World’ list, which annually sets out 25 of the must-see places to visit around the globe . It is an important centre of creativity with Media City close by, a music scene that remains influential across the world, and of course our famous football teams. Chanel chose the city’s Northern Quarter as the venue for their catwalk show this year, attended by A-listers, movie stars and fashion icons.
The college is right in the heart of the city, with many shops, restaurants, theatres and cultural venues nearby. Leading art galleries such as Manchester Art Gallery and the Whitworth are just a few minutes’ walk away. The main shopping streets are close, with the more arty area of the Northern Quarter easily accessible. Here you’ll find independent shops and eateries, and cafes and bars with a relaxed ambiance (or a more laid back feel). There are a wealth of locations to explore for photoshoots and inspiration for work in all the arts subjects, and groups often go out during lessons to take advantage of our central location. We enjoy taking trips further afield too, exploring venues such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the World Museum in Liverpool, and the Hepworth Gallery. We love to explore European cities such as London, Paris, Rome and Barcelona, where students have benefitted from travelling in a group, experiencing the culture of these exciting places, building their portfolios of work and finding inspiration in the sheer variety to be found there.
Photography GCSE
The course uses the AQA specification.
This course gives students a grounding in the key principles of photography – lighting, composition, camera controls and digital manipulation, and helps them to develop an understanding of the work of others.
They will be able to develop personal responses to chosen artists in different areas: portrait, still life, landscape, street photography and darkroom work. In the second half of the year, students will select an exam topic to work on, culminating in a final outcome that brings together their best skills and understanding of photographic techniques. The course is fast-paced, exciting and rewarding, and students are often surprised by the sophistication of their output during the course.
Art GCSE
We use AQA’s Art, Craft and Design specification to enable us to create a course that investigates drawing, painting, printing and 3D construction. This allows the student to find their strengths and areas of interest, allowing them to explore their own original and unique responses.
Students will explore one of a range of themes in their first unit, enjoying trips out to local art galleries and museums as well as trips to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and to European cities.
The course is condensed into a year, so working between lessons at home or in the department is essential.
Photography A Level (Lower Sixth)
Using the AQA Photography Specification you will be encouraged to explore and develop own your own personal and structured approach, creating work in film, photography, animation and installation.
You will be introduced to the world of photography, exploring documentary, landscape, portraiture, street and fine art photography, exploring the key principles of photography: lighting, subject and composition. Making use of our city centre location, you will learn and practice new techniques and approaches through workshops and projects designed to inform and empower you to make work in your own unique style.
You will familiarise yourself with a range of practitioners both contemporary and historic, developing understanding of the historical and social context of their work to inform your own. You will explore experimental processes and darkroom work and learn about camera controls so that you are able to express your ideas and maximise the potential of every shot.
Year 1
In the first year you will experiment with a range of techniques, familiarising yourself with camera controls, Photoshop and presentation techniques, learning how to approach each task with confidence, taking risks and finding your areas of strength and interest through a range of exercises.
Year 2
In the second year you will have the freedom to work in a more self-directed way, to explore ideas from your own area of interest using the skills you’ve learned. From February you will respond to an externally set exam question.
Art A Level (Lower Sixth)
The first year of the A level course builds skills and experiences for the students, helping them to grow in confidence. Initially students learn a range of skills through workshops, applying them to develop a unique approach. Critical studies of artists and craftspeople from around the world provide inspiration, inspiring the development of original ideas.
Students in the final year of their A level will work on a personal investigation allowing them to study in-depth a subject of their own choosing. The course concludes with an externally set question that students respond to over several months, culminating in a final exam.
Textiles A Level
In your first year of A Level Fashion and Textiles you will be introduced to a wide array of fabric dying and decoration techniques, as well as weaving, stitching and other textile processes. You will learn to design and construct your own garments in practical workshops. Through exploration inspired by contemporary and historic artists and designers you will discover your strengths and what inspires you the most.
In your second year you will lead your own personal investigation, working to your own strengths, experimenting with techniques and design possibilities to produce your own highly creative outcomes. You will become familiar with researching and developing design ideas through to production, developing your independence and the skills you need for the world of design.
Competition Success
Our students have regular success in regional and nationa art competitions
Spring 2024
First Place ISA Film and Animation Competition – Saniya
Autumn 2023
2 x First place awards at ISA North Region Art Competition 9Drawing category and Textiles category
1 x first place National ISA Art Competition (Year 11 Drawing Category)
1 x Second place National ISA Art Competition (Fashion and Accessories Category)
Read about these successes here
Autumn 2022
1 x First place award at ISA North Region Art Competition
3 x runner up awards at ISA North Art Competition (photogrpahy and textiles categories)
1 x Second place award and Highly Commended Award at the ISA National Art Competition
Read about these successes here
Autumn 2020
2 x First place award at ISA North Region (2D Art category and Key Stage 5 Photography category)
Univeristy Progression
Every year our Art Students leave us to progress to some of the Top Univeriies to study art relation courses.
Recent examples are:
Univeristy of the Arts London – Art
University of the Arts – Film
Universty of the Arts London – Photography
University of the Arts London – Fashion Photography
Central Saint Martins
Goldsmiths
Leeds University – Art Foundation
Manchester Metropolitian University – Graphic Design
Manchester Metropolitian University – Photography
University of the Arts London – User Experience Design
University of Barcelona – Animation
