At Brighton, we pride ourselves on offering Fine Art courses that encourage our students to experiment, think critically, collaborate with their peers and take creative risks. With access to specialist studios, our wonderful team of expert tutors and a vibrant art scene, studying at Brighton is the perfect place to bring your artistic visions to life.
Read on to discover 10 of our top reasons to choose Brighton for your Fine Arts degree…
1. Brighton is a hub for creative businesses
The city has a vibrant art and culture scene with a long history, making it a great location to study one of our Fine Art degrees. Brighton is packed with established creative companies, design studios and a large network of industry professionals.
Not only are there countless events for all our art students to attend and get involved with, but it’s also a great place to build up your creative network. This could help you secure internships, freelance work or a full-time job after you graduate.
For our Fine Art students, the city being such a creative playground is a huge advantage over other universities. It’s somewhere that you can’t help by feel inspired by and our students channel this into their work.
2. Learn from our team of industry experts
Across all of our Fine Art courses, you’ll be taught by our team of practising artists who bring real-world knowledge and skills to their teaching.
They bring decades of practical experience spanning sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, moving image, critical noise theory, collage, digital image and so much more!
Throughout your time here at Brighton, our course teams will mentor and guide you as you develop your own interests and nurture your artistic style.
Visit our Fine Art BA(Hons), Fine Art Painting BA(Hons) and Fine Art Printmaking BA(Hons) course pages to learn more about the specific team of experts you’ll be learning from.
3. Access to your own studio space and top-class facilities
As one of our Fine Art students, you’ll not only have your own dedicated studio space, but you’ll get full access to our state-of-the-art creative facilities to support a whole range of different artistic practices.
You’ll have access to a fabrication workshop and skilled specialist technical demonstrators. Within this workshop area, you’ll be able to work with a broad range of materials and processes including:
- woodworking
- metalworking
- plaster casting
- concrete casting
- metal casting
- plastics
- clay and stone
- mould making
- maquette making
- screen printing
- lithography
We recommend taking a look around our 3D virtual tour of our Printmaking facilities here to see where you could be learning and creating.
4. There is no house style
None of our Fine Art courses impose a ‘house style’ or predetermined creative styles. Instead, we encourage each of our students to develop their own artistic style and we celebrate their individuality.
From the moment you begin your course, you’ll have the space and freedom to experiment and explore your own creativity and our team are here to support you with that.
But just because we emphasise personal style doesn’t mean you’ll only be working alone. You’ll be a valued part of our vibrant community of artists and we encourage you all to share ideas and collaborate on projects. This can help gain new fresh perspectives and learn from each other as well as your tutors.
5. International exchange opportunities
One of the exciting opportunities open to students on all of our Fine Art degree courses is the chance to go on an international exchange. You’ll be able to immerse yourself in an international environment whilst exploring your creativity at the same time.
Currently, students have the opportunity to study at the Nagoya University of the Arts in Japan.
Doing an exchange programme can also help you to grow a network of global peers and professionals which can open doors in the future and give you a real edge after you graduate.
6. High graduate success
Choosing to study Fine Art at Brighton has opened incredible doors for our graduates, and you could be next!
Our graduates have received prestigious awards including the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year and Landscape Painter of the Year as well as winning the BP Portrait Award and Cass Art Prize.
Our alumni have also had residencies, showcases and exhibitions around the world which is a testament to not only their incredible talents and creativity but also to the skills they developed during their time at Brighton.
7. Brighton Boost package
At the University of Brighton, we’re here to support you in making the best start to your university journey.
With our new postcode checker, you can quickly see if you’re eligible for our Brighton Boost financial support package, designed to help you with the cost of living and make everyday things just that little bit easier.
Depending on your circumstances, you could be eligible for:
- Up to £1,250 to help with accommodation or travel costs
- Free laptop loans
- Support with finding part-time work
- A lower grade contextual offer
Simply enter your postcode in our postcode checker to see the support available to you.
8. Our courses set you up for a range of industry roles
Our graduates work across a range of disciplines within the creative industry in roles such as:
- professional artist
- curator
- art conservator
- gallery manager
- art teacher
- cultural programme coordinator
- set designer
- costume designer
- art critic/writer
- art consultant
- art dealer
- gallery owner
- community arts worker
- art therapist
This degree also opens up postgraduate study options.
At Brighton, for example, you could progress on to our Fine Art MA, Photography MA, Sequential Design/Illustration MA or Art and Design PGCE.
9. Opportunities to showcase your work
Throughout your time on all three of our Fine Art courses, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to show off your work. This is a great way to gain invaluable experience in presenting your work and sharing your creative talents with an audience.
At the end of your studies, you’ll participate in a Graduate Show which is a large-scale exhibition. Opportunities like this will build your confidence in putting your work out there and is also a nice way to celebrate your achievements.
Check out our virtual 3D tour of our 2024 Graduate Show here.
10. Build an impressive portfolio
Talking about your skills and creativity often isn’t enough to impress potential employers and bag yourself the job. This is where a portfolio can be a really powerful tool.
Throughout your studies, your project work will form a diverse and impressive portfolio which will demonstrate all of your skills and creativity.
Your tutors will also give you guidance on how to curate and present your portfolio for different audiences to make sure that it stands out and showcases your artistic voice.
Join us here at Brighton
Visit our Fine Art BA(Hons), Fine Art Painting BA(Hons) and Fine Art Printmaking BA(Hons) course pages to find out more about the application process.
Unsure if Fine Art is the right discipline for you? Explore all of our art and media courses and find what fits your passion.
