Art, Design and Costume

Costume & Fashion

Beauty and function - design, adjustments, continuity, pattern cutting, sewing, making, styling, fitting, ageing and distressing. Whether its for fashion or film, TV or theatre, people are often so surprised at what varied and technical skills are required to be a costumier. At ESA, we start with foundation skills and work up to professional making.

Key Stage 4
Textiles, Art and Craft GCSE

Course Code: GCSE Art and Design - Textile Design 8204
Specification: AQA GCSE Art & Design

About:

Textiles, art and craft GCSE allows students to explore the way sources inspire the development of ideas, relevant to textile design including:

how sources relate to cultural, social, historical, contemporary, environmental and creative contexts which might be determined or influenced by functional or non-functional considerations

how ideas, feelings, forms, and purposes can generate responses that address personal needs or meet external requirements, such as client expectations and any associated constraints.

The ways in which meanings, ideas and intentions relevant to textile design can be communicated include the use of:

figurative and non-figurative representations, stylisation, simplification, surface embellishment, constructional considerations and imaginative interpretation

visual and tactile elements, such as:

colour, line, form, tone, texture, shape, pattern, composition, decoration, repetition, scale, structure, surface.

Assessment:

  • Component 1: Portfolio - 60% of GCSE

    • A portfolio that in total shows explicit coverage of the four assessment objectives. It must include a sustained project evidencing the journey from initial engagement to the realisation of intentions and a selection of further work undertaken during the student’s course of study.

  • Component 2: Externally set assignment - 40% of GCSE

    • Students respond to their chosen starting point from an externally set assignment paper relating to their subject title, evidencing coverage of all four assessment objectives.

Key Stage 5
Textiles, Art and Craft A-Level

Course Code: A-level Art and Design - Textile Design 7204
Specification: AQA A-level Art and Design

About:

Textiles, Art and Craft supports students in exploring costume design as well as fashion and garment making. Students also learn fabric manipulation and fabric printing.

Students will gain an:

  • awareness of the elements of textile design, such as shape, line, scale, colour, texture, pattern, contrast and/or repetition in relation to the chosen area(s) of textile design

  • awareness of intended audience or purpose for their chosen area(s) of textile design

  • ability to respond to an issue, concept or idea, working to a brief or answering a need in the chosen area(s) of textile design

  • appreciation of the relationship of form and function and, where applicable, the constraints of working to a brief

  • understanding of a variety of textile methods, such as: fabric printing, mono-printing, relief printing, screen printing and laser printing; tie-dye and batik; spraying and transfer; fabric construction; stitching, appliqué, patchwork, padding, quilting and embroidery.

Industry Connections

Students will have a chance to visit galleries and museum collections throughout the courses to gain inspiration and insight. ESA has connections to English National Opera who have donated costumes and resources in order to support students in understanding professional levels of costume construction.

Students studying this course might go on to become costume supervisors, costume makers, fashion designers, buyers, dyers, tailors, cutters, stylists and may work in film, theatre, fashion, advertising and TV.

Assessment:

  • Component 1: Portfolio - 60% of A-level

    In Component 1, students develop work based on an idea, issue, concept or theme leading to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes. Practical elements should make connections with some aspect of contemporary or past practice of artist(s), designer(s), photographers or craftspeople and include written work of no less than 1000 and no more than 3000 words which supports the practical work.

  • Component 2: Externally set assignment - 40% of A-level

    In Component 2, students respond to a stimulus, provided by AQA, to produce work which provides evidence of their ability to work independently within specified time constraints, developing a personal and meaningful response which addresses all the assessment objectives and leads to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes.