Forge your future by joining a degree course at the forefront of education in forged metal design, participating in a vibrant, international community of practice.
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Overview
As an HCA Artist Blacksmithing student, you will have the unique opportunity to learn to combine metal forging, creative design skills and critical thinking.
Through making a range of products including; architectural ironwork, functional objects and tools, and exploring sculptural form, you will be supported to develop your individual practice. After your three years, you will graduate with the skills you need to build a life based in design and forging.
What you will do
Learn forging and metalwork at the National School of Blacksmithing, the largest training-based forge in Europe.
Discover community,developing a strong peer network with highly motivated students, in the programme and in the arts college as a whole.
Connect with the larger world through visiting lectures and master classes, featuring nationally and globally known designers and artists.
Design the life you want to lead by mastering design and creative process, developing your own voice and practice, learning to articulate your work through theoretical conversation, building up a portfolio, exhibiting your work, and developing networks with galleries and makers.
Find your own path and learn to make a difference through making.
What our students do...
Make your mark
Independent, well informed and critically aware; our graduates are Artist Blacksmiths and Designers with the capacity to express their ideas through the medium of forged metal with clarity, imagination and confidence.
They graduate proficient in professional practice, with a broad range of transferable skills, and go on to generate innovative, design-led creative practices. The result: our alumni are defining and redefining the cultural positioning of forged metal design.
Stats and figures
100%
In a recent NSS survey students were asked 'How well have teaching staff supported your learning?' and the BA(Hons) Artist Blacksmithing Course achieve 100% for this and many other questions. Leading to an overall score of 90.6.
NSS 2024
VISITING LECTURERS
Leah Aripotch, USA
Hector Cole, UK
Paul Mikula, South Africa
Roberto Giordani, Italy
Matt Jenkins, Canada
Pete Mattila, Australia
Tobias Birgersson, Sweden
Egor Bavykin, Russia
Christoph Friedrich, Switzerland
Adam Hawk, USA
Rebekah Frank, USA
Grace Horne, UK
John Rigoni, USA
Jack Waygood, UK
Ellen Durkan, USA
Stephen Yusko, USA
Claudio Bottero, Italy
PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
Alex Pole Ironwork, England
Cox London, England
Center for Metal Arts, USA
Halls Conservation Ltd, England
Topp & Co, England
Calleb Kullman, USA
The Cart Shed, England
Fresh Air Sculpture, England
Matt Jenkins, Canada
Junko Mori, Wales
Ratho Byres, Scotland
Christoph Friedrich, Switzerland
Forging futures
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Forging Futures - BA Artist Blacksmithing alumni exhibition
Teaching, Learning & Assessment
Artist Blacksmithing allows you to explore the interface of new and old technologies in the intellectual and creative context of an arts college.
In one day you can experience the primacy of fire and iron; fashioning your own tools at the National School of Blacksmithing, the largest training-based forge in Europe, and then later exploring design possibilities in our new, cutting edge digital centre. Here you’ll discover design tools such as laser cutters, 3D printers, and 3D scanners that enable you to visualise, iterate and test outcomes quickly, before bringing them to life at the forge.
The next day you’ll be drawing and creating in your dedicated space in the design studio; testing out possibilities using the diverse range of materials available in the workshops, from clay, wood and glass, to copper and aluminium; and in the afternoon attending a lecture orseminar that will hone your critical thinking skills through analysis, evaluation and debate, supported by our dedicated Art & Design library.
While studying for your degree, you will have many opportunities to connect with the larger world of artist blacksmithing, through visiting lectures and master classes, featuring nationally and globally known forged metal designers and artists. These have included Junko Mori, Peter Braspenninx, Douglas Pryor, Jake James and Roberto Giordani. This allows you to learn from an expanded faculty, and to see how other artist blacksmiths have shaped lives based in making.
You’ll also have opportunities to network within the blacksmithing community, building connections that you can draw upon as you build your own practice. Biannually, a team of students and staff head off in late summer to the Biennale Europea d'Arte Fabbrile di Stia, high in the Tuscan hills, to compete in the World Forge Championships. More than just competing; it's an opportunity for students to meet professionals from across the world to network and to arrange internships.
Hereford College of Arts has a diverse mix of students, including people with different learning styles and needs. We have a positive, inclusive atmosphere where all of our students are able to access support for their studies. Find out more here.
Forge a career you'll love
There is no single pathwithin the expanding field of contemporary forged metal design. Instead, the competencies and knowledge you gain from your education generate multiple opportunities and empower you to choose: to combine or to specialise; to work for yourself or to hire your skills; to conserve tradition or to develop original designs.
Many of our alumni set up their own businesses, whilst others are employed by well-known firms in the UK and Europe.
Many work on commission, producing garden sculpture, gates and architectural fittings. Some conserve and repair historic ironwork. Others produce original sculpture, vessels for gallery settings, or public art through competitions. Still others offer courses, not just in forging skills, but also in the service of team building, celebration and community well being.
Designed to help you excel at Art School, this module covers essential skills like academic writing, note-taking, research, collaboration, IT basics, course structure, assessment, critical feedback, self-reflection, time management, independent learning, safety, relationships, consent, and sustainability in the creative sector.
Practice 1
This module introduces you to creativity through play and experimentation. You’ll engage with a variety of materials and processes, developing an inquisitive approach. Through drawing, making, rendering, and recording in sketchbooks and technical journals, you’ll explore “what if” scenarios and learn by doing.
Skills 1
Learn the fundamentals of forging, fabrication, and welding through professional demos and hands-on exercises. Document your progress in a technical journal, culminating in a design and make project showcasing your skills.
Practice in Context
Start with ten illustrated lectures on the historic roots of design and craft. Create drawings, answer questions, and compile a timeline sketchbook. In the second semester, choose one object to research further and write a short essay on how it reflects its time, guided by seminars and tutorials.
Practice 2:
This is your first design and make module, where you’ll apply all the creative skills and methods you’ve learned. You’ll respond to a set brief, generate visual research, draw, design, test, make, explore, iterate, and create forged outcomes. Workshop sessions will help you initiate, reflect upon, and evaluate ideas, as well as test possibilities. This process emphasises that design and creativity are evidenced not just by the final outcomes but also by the journey taken.
Practice in Context 2
You’ll strengthen your research skills, develop critical thinking, and hone your ability to communicate ideas about creative practice. The focus is on meaning and value—key factors in cultural production. This module will help you identify your interests as a practitioner and orient yourself in the broader conversation of making.
Practice 3
In this design and make module, you’ll respond to a set brief, focusing on a specific place and considering the site. You’ll generate visual research, draw, design, test, make, explore, iterate, and create forged outcomes. At the end of this module, there will be an opportunity to exhibit your final works in a curated exhibition.
Skills 2
You’ll improve your forging skills through a technical investigation. In the first part of the module, you’ll replicate a forged object, with measuring and sequencing being critical. In the second part, you’ll choose a specific forging process and conduct a deep-dive technical investigation, documenting your processes through photography, sketches, and notes in your technical journal.
Practice 4
In this design and make module, you’ll consult with tutors to design your own brief. What key themes and ideas are you keen to explore? Are you interested in architectural work, product design, or gallery work? You’ll generate visual research, draw, design, test, make, explore, iterate, and create forged outcomes. This is a time to critically review your emerging practice and, at the end of the module, articulate your research trajectory for the final year.
Professional Practice 1
In this module, you’ll engage with the ‘creative industries’ through a Self-Devised Project or Professional Work Experience. This could involve responding to a live brief, participating in a solo or group exhibition, working alongside a designer-maker, or delivering teaching workshops in schools, hospitals, or community settings. Any practical outcome should be relevant to your own creative and professional practice goals. This experience will help you apply your skills in real-world contexts and refine your professional trajectory.
Practice in Context 3
This module allows you to demonstrate advanced skills in understanding creative practice critically and informedly. By selecting a subject that resonates with your studio practice, PIC 3 helps you contextualize the body of work you create for your final studio projects and enables you to articulate your practice with fluency and confidence.
Practice 5
This is your fifth design and make module, where you’ll clarify your research trajectory and present a proposal. You’ll generate visual research, draw, design, test, make, explore, iterate, and create forged outcomes. The module emphasizes research, experimentation, and the development of ideas as well as outcomes. This is supported by a vibrant studio culture in which design methodology is explored, expanded, and critically reflected upon.
Practice 6
In this module, you will develop an autonomous approach to your practice. You will refine and resolve a final body of forged metalwork that reflects your career aspirations. Throughout this module, you will focus on honing and refining your skills, and pushing the boundaries of your creative practice. Your final body of work will be showcased in the degree show, which serves as the launchpad for your professional career. This event provides a platform to present your work to industry professionals, potential clients, and the wider public.
Professional Practice 2
This module complements your final making module with a series of visiting speakers covering topics such as employment and self-employment, tax, copyright law, ethics, online marketing, networking, and costing work. You will receive support in preparing a creative CV, artist statements, and promotional copy. Additionally, you will be supported in taking professional photographs. This module culminates in the creation of a Graduate Portfolio to help launch your career
Make in public
You’ll also many opportunities to exhibit your work. Typically these include (but are not limited to) New Designers, an annual London showcase of the UK’s most innovative emerging design talent, providing a platform for over 3,000 graduates each year to present their ideas to industry professionals and the public, an exhibition at Hereford Cathedral, where students across the school exhibit artworks inspired by the space and Fresh Air Sculpture, a biennial exhibition of traditional and modern sculpture.
You’ll have the chance to participate in numerous outreach projects while on the course. Recently these have included Spoons from the Wood and Tools for Schools ‘Chasing Nature’ - an opportunity to gain experience delivering pop-up participatory workshops to year 5 & 6 primary school children across Herefordshire.
Students often participate in the biannual Ferrous Festival, an international festival of Artist Blacksmithing that brought 96,000 people to Hereford in 2024 - this includes numerous alumni and professional participants from around the world.
There are workshops, masterclasses, talks and seminars, as well as numerous exhibitions and demonstrations across the city centre, which enable students to meet professionals and learn more about the practical roots to success.
DD to include text on Stia, any similar international events + 150mm intl tour
A community that spans the globe
Hereford Anvils is the student and graduate community that connects generations of artists blacksmiths associated with Hereford College of Arts.
It has grown to become a powerful force within international blacksmithing and the UK's heritage craft community, using Instagram to share amazing work, and to unite and mobilise blacksmith through projects like the 150mm Challenge and Crosses for ukraine.
The creative community around the course is outstanding. Being surrounded by like-minded creatives was key to developing my skills as a maker. It's opened up a world of opportunity for me going forward.
Nathan Forster
The Artist Blacksmithing degree course gave me much more than just skills training. It taught me to question everything, and to really look at the details. So now I am always asking myself: How can I make this simpler, or better? Most of all, it gave me three years to explore, without the pressure of business.
Sam Pearce
The Artist Blacksmithing degree allowed me to find what I’m really driven by and helped me lay out a direction in which I would like to progress as a maker. The course itself is more than just learning the craft of blacksmithing, it also covers a lot of critical thinking and translating that into an idea, and into a tangible design.
Sam Matthijs
The artist blacksmithing degree laid the groundwork for my creative process. The time spent discussing design, aesthetic and creative values with my fellow students gave me the self-assurance to confidently approach challenging design scenarios and to sell my work.
Toby Forbes Gower
Applying to HCA
Minimum age 18.
UCAS Points: For anyone applying for September 2025 entry and beyond, we are looking for applicants who have achieved at or beyond 96 – 112 UCAS Tariff Points.
However, whilst qualifications are important, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We may make offers based on other evidence of talent and suitability for the course – for more details about UCAS Tariffs please see tariff explanation and advice on the UCAS website.
Mature students: Applications from mature students with relevant experience will also be considered.
Recognition of Prior Learning Opportunities: the college welcomes applications from students with prior learning and/or previous experience. Further details on eligibility can be found on page 15 of our Admissions Policy.
Applicants whose first language is not English – proof of IELTS overall score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all sections (reading, writing, listening & speaking) is required.
If you are unsure or have any questions, please contact us at registry@hca.ac.uk and we can offer further advice on HCA and the UWTSD awarding body requirements.
You can apply at any point during the year directly to HCA, or you can choose to apply via UCAS.
We receive a high number of application all our subject areas so we recommend that you make your application as early as possible.
You can find out out everything you need about the application process using the link below. If you have any questions, just email registry@hca.ac.uk.
As soon as you apply, our Registry team will be in touch to let you know they have received your application. At this point they will also send out information on portfolios or auditions.
Portfolios and auditions are a chance for you to showcase yourself in a different way. They give us an idea of what excites you about the subject, and what you might want to explore further on the course.
We will send out guidance on how to submit your portfolio, or book and audition date, and if you have any questions you will always be able to reach out to us for assistance or clarification.
After submitting your portfolio online, your work will be reviewed by a course lead, and you will receive personal feedback alongside your offer.
Studying is an investment in yourself, and in your future. It’s important to understand the financial support that is available to you, and to be clear about any fees or funding associated with the course you want to study.
Follow the link below to visit our Fees and Funding pages. These pages are designed to help you plan for your future, so you can start your course with confidence in your financial situation.
Everyone’s personal circumstances are different. If you can’t find the information you need, our Student Finance team can offer additional advice.
Term dates (HE)
Term
Enrolment
Dates (2024 - 2025)
Monday 23rd September 2024 – Friday 27th September 2024
Term
Semester 1
Dates (2024 - 2025)
Monday 30th September 2024 – Friday 13th December 2024, Tuesday 7th January 2025 – Friday 31st January 2025, Monday 3rd February 2025 – Friday 7th February 2025 (Research Week)
Term
Semester 2
Dates (2024 - 2025)
Monday 10th February 2025 – Friday 11th April 2025, Monday 28th April 2024 – Friday 13th June 2025
Term
Dates (2024 - 2025)
Enrolment
Monday 23rd September 2024 – Friday 27th September 2024
Semester 1
Monday 30th September 2024 – Friday 13th December 2024, Tuesday 7th January 2025 – Friday 31st January 2025, Monday 3rd February 2025 – Friday 7th February 2025 (Research Week)
Semester 2
Monday 10th February 2025 – Friday 11th April 2025, Monday 28th April 2024 – Friday 13th June 2025
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