Course Overview
The contemporary practice pathway is designed to allow the applied artist or designer / maker the opportunity to work with glass in a broader context offering a Fine Art, product or gallery approach as well as consideration for architectural application. This is delivered through workshops and projects that cover glass casting, digital technologies such as water jet cutting and laser engraving. One of the key challenges that the course sets out to investigate is the dialogue between the 'hand' and the digital.
Our strongly vocational course draws together the best traditions of hand working in glass with the latest creative technologies. Students can study traditional techniques such as acid etching and sandblasting alongside contemporary practice in screen printing, digital printing and cutting, all underpinned by solid craft skills, including drawing, design and making. The relationship between light, space and environment is one of the key elements within our glass projects. This is explored through design briefs, live project experience, site visits and professional development.
Key Features
In this century glass as a material offers a unique place in design and architecture and there are very few institutions that offer the opportunity to explore this material, with particular reference to its applications in architecture. Swansea glass department has a long established reputation for glass and strong industrial links help underpin the educational experience for students. The history of the department enables a broad spectrum of approaches that draw on the historical, cultural and technological uses of this material. Glass in its many forms; mosaic, glaze, enamel and window fa