Art & Design

The art & design industry is vibrant, with opportunities for artistic individuals across the creative industries.

As a college, we offer a range of art and design courses at a variety of different levels, from level 5 through to level 7 for full-time study and we offer schools programmes at levels 4-6 plus a range of part-time opportunities.

We have excellent links with local employers and related organisations, and we use these relationships to benefit our students by bringing in knowledgeable speakers from the industry. Our previous art & design students have received sessions from representatives of major art schools and industry experts from companies such as Red Axe Design.

As a college, we know that not all learning takes place within a classroom or college setting. We take our students out to various different organisations and settings, with previous students visiting exhibitions at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow School of Art, Gray’s School of Art and the Travelling Art Gallery. Our links with these art schools and the high quality of learning within the college resulted in 100% of previous students who applied for art school after finishing their course being offered a place, with the majority offered direct entry into the second year. Previous art & design students have also had the opportunity to go on a study trip abroad to either Barcelona or Berlin; both of which are considered to be at the cutting edge of cultural development.

Many of our art & design students also complete a placement to allow them to build the skills and experience needed to excel in their future career. Previous students have had the opportunity for work placements within Jupiter Artland, Scottish Procurement Alliance and West Calder & Harburn Community Development Trust.

Hear from former HNC Contemporary Art Practice student Vivienne Kelly here

Careers in Art & Design

A career in art will be vibrant and exciting with opportunities across a range of disciplines.

Art students have progressed into roles such as; animation, computer arts, visual effects, illustration, interior designer.

To be successful in an art & design role requires you to be creative and have an eye for detail.

There are currently over 3 million people working in the creative sector and this is set to continue expanding at more than double the average job growth rate across the UK between now and 2024.

On completion of your course you can work in animation, computer arts and VFX (visual effects), design (graphics, product, fashion, digital, jewellery), TV, advertising, illustration, publishing, video, photography, video games, architecture, interior design, museums, galleries and heritage as well as painting, printmaking and sculpture. There are numerous sub sections within all of these career paths and former West Lothian College students have successfully gone on to degree level studies and careers across all of these areas.

Previous students have found employment with West Lothian Leisure and KJ Oils and Clay, or moved on to further study at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh Napier University, The University of Stirling or Robert Gordon University in subjects such as Art and Design, Photography, Events Management, Journalism or Literature and Creative Writing.

You are given a brief but you have so much freedom to be creative and if you need help the lecturing staff are fantastic

Adele Craig, HNC Contemporary Art and Design