Welcome to Fine Art at Norwich

Welcome Week starts on Monday 15 September, and this is when we will meet you on campus and introduce you to our buildings and facilities. You will meet the staff team and other students on your course. You will be invited to a session to collect your ID card and you will also have the opportunity to watch some videos about the services and facilities the University offers. Throughout Welcome Week you will take part in some introductory activities designed so you can get to know each other and remain safe on campus. Above all, this week is about having fun and making connections so we have a full and exciting timetable of social events and activities you can sign up to in conjunction with our fantastic Students’ Union team.

Course specific information

On your first Monday of Welcome Week, you’ll meet your Course Leader, Craig Barber, along with your Year 1 tutors, Sarah Longworth-West and Desmond Brett. You’ll also be introduced to other staff members who’ll support your studies throughout the year. You’ll receive a lot of information during this first day, but don’t worry everything is archived on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which you can access anytime.

Throughout the academic year, your taught sessions will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Mondays and Tuesdays will be your most consistent study days. Thursdays and Fridays will typically include occasional or sign-up sessions. Wednesdays are non-taught days, with the exception of the first few weeks (up to 12 November), during which you’ll participate in an online lecture series to help you get familiar with university study.

In the first couple of weeks, you’ll be assigned a group and studio space. This is where you’ll work alongside other students, share ideas, and reflect on each other’s work. You’ll also engage in activities designed to help you get to know the University, its staff, and the resources available to you.

Things to watch, read and do

• New Exhibitions is a useful resource listing current and upcoming exhibitions across the UK. Some may be local to you; if not, you might still find valuable visual references and research ideas online.
• Look at the world around you and document it through drawing, video, sound recording, writing and any other means that you feel appropriate. This isn’t for assessment or review, it’s just a way to start developing creative habits.
• Spend some time lying on the ground and looking at the sky. Turn off your phone and any other distractions. Don’t record this experience, it is just for you.
• UBUWEB is an incredible archive of avant-garde film, audio, and writing. Explore it freely.
• Take a look at some ‘Tate Shots’, one good example is Charlotte Prodger talking about her  practice dealing with ‘issues surrounding queer identity, landscape, language, technology and time’ (Tate)

Recommended equipment

There are no mandatory materials required for Fine Art at Norwich, but it’s a good idea to bring a sketchbook and basic drawing materials such as pens and pencils.

The University Shop and 3D Workshop offer a wide range of art materials for purchase once you arrive. Thorns DIY also offers Norwich students a 10% discount on purchases over £15.