Art & Design Pre-Foundation: prepare your portfolio

Art & Design Pre-Foundation is ideal for...

• International students who need to improve their English;
• UK or international students who have not taken Art & Design as a major subject at high school;
• UK or international students who have experience of Art & Design but would like to develop their portfolio further.

Once you have successfully completed the Pre-Foundation you will be able to apply for our prestigious Art & Design Foundation.

At Cambridge School of Viusal & Performing Arts you will benefit from:

• specialist creative school with exceptional facilities
• individual work space for every student, available 7 days a week
• teaching by professional artists, sculptors and designers
• dynamic mix of nationalities bringing creative inspiration from different cultures.

About the course...

Read more about the Art & Design Pre-Foundation
Why study Art & Design Pre-Foundation with us?
What disciplines are available?
View a sample timetable

About you...

Find out if this is the right course for you with our easy Decision Tree

It starts in Cambridge

Our Pre-Foundation will prepare you for the Art & Design Foundation in just 1, 2 or 3 terms. You can start in January, April or September depending on your academic requirements and English language level.

During the course, you will be thoroughly prepared for Foundation entry by studying the core subjects and by being introduced to all the discipline options available on the Foundation through a series of intensive workshops.

Every student who has taken the Pre-Foundation course has gone on to complete the Art & Design Foundation successfully.

Learn from a team of inspiring artists and designers

"No tutor I've worked with since has matched the dedication and spirit of my tutors at CSVPA." - Michelle Ng, former student

Our approach to creative learning is unique, highly personalised and guaranteed to ensure you meet your full potential.

Our tutors are all professional artists, designers and practitioners including a pattern cutter for Yves Saint Laurent, Artist in Residence at Christ’s College Cambridge and an Award-Winning sculptor in metals.

Encompassing a wide range of skills and talents, our tutors all share a passion for the creative arts, a dedication to sharing their knowledge and skills with their students and a unique ability to uncover your individual talents.

Enjoy world-class facilities

"The facilities here are brilliant compared to other centres and universities. You have your own Mac - no waiting, no restrictions, no pressure - you get your own space. With this space I have freedom. I can express myself." - Yuki Lam, current student

CSVPA is open seven days a week, twelve hours a day, providing a state-of-the art learning environment and individual work space for every student.

Built over three floors, the Campus includes Mac computer suites, fashion studios, sewing machine and dye rooms, woodwork, metalwork, photography and fine art studios.

Opening the door to unrivalled destinations

"I have achieved beyond my own expectations. After CSVPA nothing but doors of opportunity opened up to me and I had the confidence to walk right through them and even knock on the closed ones." - Hany Ahern, former student now working in New York

Our Foundation students progress to the leading art and design schools around the world, including: London College of Fashion, Central St Martins, Istituto Marangoni, Parsons New York, University of Japan, New York Film Academy, Kingston University and University College Falmouth.

View our student results

Take a look at our facebook page to view some of our students’ work - and become a fan!

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Art & Design disciplines

Students choosing the three-term Pre-Foundation will study fast-track A-level Photography and AS level Art & Design. International students can also study their native language as a fast-track A-level for an additional fee.

Students choosing the 1- or 2-term Pre-Foundation will focus on the core subjects listed below and be introduced to each of the major disciplines through intensive workshops.

Core subjects:

• Life Drawing
• Visual Studies
• Contextual Studies
• Information Technology for Artists

Main disciplines:

• Fine Art (painting, sculpture & printmaking)
• Film & Video
• Photography
• Applied craft
• Fashion & Textiles
• Graphic Design & Illustration
• Theatre Arts
• 3D Architecture
• 3D Product

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Sample timetable

Every Art & Design Pre-Foundation timetable is different depending on what you are aiming to achieve. If your main focus is improving your English, you will spend more time in English Language classes. If your English is fluent and your mainfocus is improving your portfolio, all of your time will be dedicated to this.

The sample timetable below gives a rough idea of a typical week for a student who needs some English Language tuition but also wants to focus on their portfolio.

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