HN Diploma Opening
May 25, 2012 Leave a comment
Fine Art HND Course @ Edinburgh's Telford College
March 20, 2011 Leave a comment
Basel Day 1:
We arrived in Basel a few hours late on Saturday afternoon. Not because of the snow in Edinburgh but due to the plane breaking down and having to be replaced by another from Milan. Edinburgh Airport has changed recently and is not the worst place to spend a few extra hours waiting for a flight. It is expensive though, which was something like preparation for Basel. I was last in Basel in 2000 when it was 2.36 Swiss franc to the £ now its only 1.47! Ouch!
The hostel; Basel Backpack, suited our needs well, a place to drop after a long day of galleries, museums and sightseeing. It has a kitchen and a common room, which was great for the budget conscious noodle munchers amongst the group. After sorting the rooms out and a short break for juice and coffee it was off to take immediate advantage of the free travel pass we all received when we checked into the hostel. Free city travel for all tourists, what an excellent idea. The trams are regular and easy to navigate so getting into town was no problem and only too 10 mins. Trying to cater for the individual food needs of a large group is never easy so we headed for a part of town with various outlets and agreed to meet an hour later. Sure enough an hour later we were altogether and heading for the Cargo Bar by the Rhine. The bar is small but very friendly with a great a[r]tmosphere. Cool tunes, fine wine and a range of good beers and coffee. Of course it didn’t take long for the effects of an early rise and the air travel to take their toll and it was off to bed at a very respectable hour.
February 19, 2011 Leave a comment
After completing his studies at Kingston, Brighton and Chelsea Scools of Art British Sculptor David Nash moved from London to laenau Ffestiniog in North Wales where he purchased a chapel. Dislocated from the mayhem of London and the urban sprawl the chapel remains both his home and studio.
In 1977 Nash who works primarily in wood, planted a number of Ash saplings on a plot near his home, which became his ‘Laboratory’. The Ash Dome is a place for thinking and developing new works.
The following programme on David Nash is available in the BBC iPlayer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ymlhp/Force_of_Nature_The_Sculpture_of_David_Nash/
February 4, 2011 Leave a comment
Full-time Learning Assistant Required: Art and Design
January 31, 2011 Leave a comment
The Art & Design Team were delighted to welcome Lauren Rigby to the ARIRetc… studio last week. Lauren is a curator at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and was in Telford to see new work by current AIR Stephanie Cairns who will be showing the gallery at the end of February.
Click on the link below to see a full article on the Telford website.
January 23, 2011 Leave a comment
Thanks to Sierra Metro Co-Director Matt Carter for a very informative afternoon spent at the Gallery. Matt introduced the galleries current show of new work by Glasgow based Artist Bobby Niven. Matt shared his experience of setting up the gallery and how the exhibition programme is developed and managed.
Just a stones throw from the CAP studio Sierra Metro is a non-profit organisation which features emerging artists in its varied programme of events and exhibitions.
For more info and links to clips of Bobby Niven’s films click on the links below.
December 10, 2010 Leave a comment
Question: What’s the connection between 2010 Turner Prize winning Scottish Artist Susan Phillipsz and the HND Contemporary Art Practice course at Telford College?
Answer: 47 Film
In May this year Film 47 documented Phillpsz Prize winning work ‘Lowlands’. The final film was submitted to the Turner Art Committee for judgement ad there is little doubt that 47 Film’s film footage helped Susan secure her prize
At around the same time Filmogropher Andy Cameron of 47 Film, was working closely with Art & Design student Natalie Doyle on the recording of Natalies’ Final Major Project work of her Foundation Course here at Telford College. Natalies’ movie focuses on social relationships through the Internet and how identity is built up through that medium. CAP Alumni Lauren McLaughlin and Gordon Douglas also appear within the film.
The following is a short documentary about the film:
Andy Cameron works freelance in and around Scotland and has worked for the Edinburgh Art Festival, the Glasgow International Arts Festival and has been published on several high profile websites.
For further information email 47 film at:
November 25, 2010 Leave a comment
The Art & Design Team at Edinburgh’s Telford College are delighted to launch an innovative Artist in Residence programme with the announcement of our first participant, Stephanie Cairns.
The Artist in Residence programme (AIRetc…) is an innovative scheme which provides recently graduated / professional artist and designers with a dedicated studio space within the Art & Design dept as well as access to specialist resources and facilities.
Stephanie, a former student on the Art & Design Foundation and HND courses here at Telford, graduated in July from Edinburgh College of Arts Sculpture School with 1st Class Honours and will start her 12 week residency with us immediately. As well as giving Stephanie the opportunity to interact with learners in the studios she will also develop a new body of work for an up coming show at the National Gallery of Modern Art in January.
Talking about the opportunity Stephanie said “I am delighted to have been invited to be Telfords first ever Artist In Residence and I am looking forward to the opportunity to develop and share my work and practice in a creative and supportive environment.
The motivational and inspirational tutoring I received at Telford while studying instilled a strong work ethic, which allowed me to achieve my goals, and I hope that my time here will help do the same for others.”
Although such schemes already exist at primary, secondary and HE education levels this is the first of its kind in the Scottish FE sector and will allow learners and lecturers alike to observe and interact with current practioners.
Art & Design Curriculum Manager, Colette Woods, said: “This is a very exciting development for the team and our learners. It will provide an opportunity for learners to have direct access to and contact with professional contemporary practitioners who are developing new bodies of work as well as offering recent graduates the chance to gain valuable experience of working in a dynamic, professional learning and teaching environment.”
The AIRetc… programme is open to practicing Artists who have previously studied Art & Design at Edinburgh’s Telford College. The selection and support of the artists in residence will be undertaken by the AIRetc.. committee which is made up of a cross section of staff from the Art & Design team.
As part of the programme AIR participants will publish regular blog postings at www.airetc.wordpress.com.
October 27, 2010 Leave a comment
March 25, 2010 1 Comment
After such a long, tiring first day it may have seemed to much to ask for everyone to be up and raring to go by 9am, but up everyone was, even if not altogether awake. So far the most inconvenient if not altogether tiresome aspect of the trip is getting tickets for the trains and trams. The problem is compounded by 2 of the 4 machines in the local station being broken and trhe 3rd not accepting notes. 23 brits paying one at a time does not make for happy locals already late for work. Several missed trains later it was off to Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum fur Gegenwart (Modern Art) Berlin.
As always this made a big impression on the first time visitors. Top tip here is to e-mail or phone ahead and book in as a student group as this exempts the whole group from entrance fees. The main spaces of the museum present an exhibition which uses thematic and surprising dialogues and individual appearances rich in associations to cast works from the Nationalgalerie, the Marx and Marzona Collections as well as the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection.
Highlights included: Rodney Grahams “Torqued Chandelier” 2004. Richard Artschwager’s “Archipeligo”, Robert Kusmirowskis, full scale paper train “Wagon” and “Un jardin d’hiver” by Marcel Broodthaers.
A certain amount of persuasion was required to get everyone out and of to the architecturally stunning Berlin Hauptbahnhoff for a “traditional” German transit lunch.
BK Whoppers don’t take long to scoff so within the hour we were on the rain to Zoo Station on hopping on a bus tour of the city, a little cheesy perhaps but a great way to see the city. All the main sites and history were covered a rather witty tour guide. On return to Zoo the students were left to their own devices and it was off shopping to Ka De We followed by a rather splendid dinner at Café Einstein.
December 1, 2009 1 Comment
ContemporaryArtETC is delighted to announce the signing of an Articulation Agreement between the Fine Art team of Edinburgh’s Telford College and the University of Cumbria allowing candidates from Edinburgh’s Telford College to gain an Honours Degree with only 2 years additional study*.
The agreement guarantees** successful HND Contemporary Art Practice students from Edinburgh’s Telford College direct entry to Level 5 (SCQF Level 9 equivalent) of the University’s BA (Hons) Fine Art Course.
This is the first and currently the only agreement of its kind between the new Contemporary Art Practice HND qualification and BA (Hons) Fine Art degree course and is clear recognition of the quality of candidates graduating from the innovative course at Edinburgh’s Telford College.
*subject to successful completion of BA (Hons) course at University of Cumbria
**The agreement is subject to review in July 2010. Pending a successful review candidates successfully completing the HND in 2011 and 2012 will be guaranteed a place on the BA (Hons) Fine Art at University of Cumbria.
http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/Courses/Coursesbylevel/Undergraduate/Arts/ArtDesign/FineArt.aspx
November 28, 2009 Leave a comment
ContemporaryArtETC… would like to thank our latest Visiting Artist, Keith Farquhar, who to give an excellent talk to both year groups on his current body of work “Nudes in Colour”. The talk was very engaging and the studios have been buzzing with discussion about the work and Keith’s up coming show at Hyperground in Edinburgh.
Keith graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1993, and completed his MA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths in 1996. As well as taking part in numerous group shows over the years, he has also had several solo exhibitions of his work in Edinburgh, London, Berlin, New York, Cologne and Milan. Recent solo exhibitions include: In Domestos Chaos, Crescent Artspace, Woodend, Scarborough (2008); Matisse and Keith Haring Remade by Keith Farquhar, the Embassy, Edinburgh (2007); Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London (2007); Atomised, Nyehaus, New York (2005) and New work, with Mark Leckey, Inverleith House, Edinburgh (2005).
‘Nudes in Colour’ opens at Hyperground (3/1 Bruntsfield Crescent) Friday the 4th of December 7-9pm is then open on the 5th and 6th of December 12-6pm.
September 26, 2009 Leave a comment
ContemporaryArtETC are delighted to be supporting CUT/PASTE a show of recent graduates at the Embassy Gallery in Edinburgh.
The exhibition which is centered around the theme of collage and assemblage was conceived and selected by ContemporatArtETC course leader Alan Holligan after his voyage around the degree shows for Art World magazine.
In the most important times in our existence we try to make sense of our place and time by cutting up the past and re-ordering the future.
At the turn of the 20th century collage and assemblage came to the fore as a legitimate means of visual and cultural expression. The lineage of this act of creative destruction can be traced to the invention of paper in China in 200BC but it was the rise of Modernism that necessitated a technique, which took the pre-existing: the already, and tore, cut and slashed it before it was re-proposed giving rise to new understanding and meaning.
The artists who feature in CUT/PASTE have graduated during the most turbulent and uncertain of times. Nearly a full century since Picasso and Braque re-defined collage by taking the subject of the café and colliding it with the surface of the painting they are acutely aware of the contextual past & present and do not shy away or hide from it.
Alan Holligan 2009
CUT / PASTE
Embassy graduates show 2009
19th September – 11th October
Thurs – Sun 12-6pm
Katherine Gallacher, Johnathan Long, Travis Souza, Diane Edwards, Thomas Nolan, Omar Z. Bhatia, Mikhak Mirmahmoudi
Selected by Alan Holligan
August 16, 2009 Leave a comment
“Occupied” is an exhibition featuring work by 3 of ContemporaryArtETC’s current students. The exhibition will feature new and recent work produced during their first year on the ground breaking course at Edinburgh’s Telford College.
The work covers a range of themes including; journey, protection and the notion of celebrity. Alongside these will be new works by the artists inspired by the current economic climate and associated difficulties of occupation, appropriation and negotiation.
Alan Holligan Curriculum Leader for the Contemporay Art Practice Course at Telford said “I am delighted that the students have shown such initiative and determination to get their work and ideas out in the public domain during their summer break. It takes a great deal of confidence and organisational skill to pull of an entirely self initiated project like this and it is testiment to the callibre of student and to their learnig over the last year.”
The art works will occupy the un-let retail space for 1 week between 18th-22nd of August at the height of the Edinburgh Festival season. The work will cover a broad range of disciplines including, drawing, painting, sculpture and film.
A private view of the work will be held on Monday the 17th August 7pm – 9pm.
Exhibitors:
Gordon Douglas
Lauren McLaughlin
Carrie Gooch
Location: 9 Gillespie Place in Bruntsfield MAP
Times: Tues – Sat 10am and 6pm
May 29, 2009 Leave a comment
ContemporaryArtETC.com in association with Edinburgh’s Telford College are delighted to announce the opening of XX – Collective at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop this evening.
XX – Collective is the first ever HND Contemporary Art Practice Grad Show anywhere in the world and is the culmination of the collective efforts of the qualification development team, teaching staff and most importantly students over the past 4 years.
The exhibition features , painting, video, sculpture, drawing and performance by 9 artists each of whom present their unique view of the world.
Opening at 6pm this evening the exhibition will run daily from 10 – 6 until Wednesday the 3rd June
January 31, 2009 Leave a comment

An artwork by HND Contemporary Art Practice Year 2 participant Sarah Wilson has been selected for the annual exhibition of Visual Arts Scotland which opened at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh last night. The exhibition offers a rare chance to see some of the best painting, sculpture, printmaking, jewellery, ceramics, glass, textiles, furniture and photography in Scotland all under one roof.
This is a great honour for Sarah who’s work was selected from among 750 submissions many of which were made by professional artists and degree graduates. It is testimony to the quality of the work produced by participants on the ground breaking course at Edinburgh’s Telford College that Sarah is exhibiting in such illustrious company.
The work, which was produced in response to a course brief, is brass plaque mounted on wood with an engraving of the definition of the Lex Sumptuaria an ancient Roman law outlawing the public display of wealth during times of economic hardship.
The exhibition is open daily until 19th March
City Art Centre
2 Market Street. Tel: 0131 529 3993
January 27, 2009 Leave a comment
Congratulations to ContemporaryArtETC graduates Jennifer Ferns, Lynn Mouat & Daine Cornwall who’s latest works featured in “Therfore I am” an exhibition of new work at Cumbria University’s Fine Art Campus in Carlisle. The exhibition which is of a very professional standard was developed, organised and promoted by the students themselves giving them invaluable experience in organisation and co-operation.
The opening of the show coincided with a visit to the campus of our current HN students all of whom have applied to the Fine Art course at Cumbria University.
During the visit we were kindly invited to take part in the gallery walk through which involved all the exhibitors giving a short presentation providing valuable insight into their work.
The exhibition “Therefore I am” is open daily from 10am – 4pm until Friday the 30th January
University of Cumbria, Caldewgate Campus, Newcastle Street, Carlilse
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January 8, 2009 Leave a comment
ContemporaryArtETC.com is delighted to announce our recent move to brand new studio accommodation in Edinburgh’s Telford College. The new studio has allowed us to allocate individual spaces to all of our current students in years 1 & 2 of the HND Contemporary Art Practice course.
As well as individual spaces the studio is also equipped with networked iMac computers and personal lockable storage. Having their own spaces means that students can take ownership of the studio allowing them to carry out sustained research, development and production.
As well as the new studio students continue to have access to specialist studios and workshops including; flexible and well lit life drawing and drawing & painting studio and specialist workshops for wood and metal production.
December 8, 2008 Leave a comment
The images above are from our recent day trip to Newcastle with our colleagues from the HND Vis Com Illustration course. First stop was the Fine Art School at Newcastle University where we were greeted with light refreshments and an excellent introduction to the courses and facilities by admissions tutor Gavin Robson.
After a quick lunch the next stop was the Workplace Gallery which has re-located to new premises in a former post office. The gallery can be found in the shadow of the iconic Gateshead multi storey car park designed by Owen Luder Partnership 1964 and was made famous in the classic 1970′s british gangster flick ‘Get Carter ‘ featuring Michael Caine. Workplace is a commercial gallery run by artists and it represents a portfolio of emerging and established artists through the gallery programme, curatorial projects and art fairs. The current show FEEDBACKER by Peter J. Evans features drawing, sculpture and performance over 3 floors and is very much worth a visit before it ends on 20th Dec 2008.
On then to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art for an introduction to the institution and the George Maciunas Fluxus exhibition which brings together the largest collection of Fluxus work ever exhibited in the UK. The extensive exhibition continues till 15th Feb 2009 and is supported by a range of online resources available through the Baltic Archive.
Finally we herded back on the bus for a moonlit and frankly baltic pit stop at the Angel of the North our final destination on the itinerary before our return to Edinburgh.
ContemporaryArtETC.com at Edinburgh’s Telford College would like to thank everyone who contributed to a great day out of the studio Mike from Hunters Coaches of Loanhead who’s good humour and patience was very much appreciated.
For more information regarding the places we visited click on the links above or visit the recently added Art e-Map of Newcastle in the links panel.