Undergraduate

BA(Hons) Fine Art

  • Duration

    3 years / 6 years

  • Cost

    £9,275 p.a. / £4,625 p.a.

  • Course code

    W102

  • Institution code

    H18

Artwork from Matias Serra Delmar

The world needs fine art thinkers more than ever before. 

The ability to see the world through a unique filter, and then express and communicate this to others is vital in this time of change. It can potentially influence our culture, our mental well-being, politics, and even the economy. 

Overview


From day one at HCA, you will be an artist, exploring our world and developing your own voice. You will then get to express this through a wide range of media including paint, print, drawing, ceramics, textiles, photography, video, digital, sound, performance, sculpture, and installation. You set your own artistic course and develop a unique body of work by exploring the subjects that excite you most. 

Fine Art students at HCA have the creative freedom to explore diverse subjects such as identity, memory, storytelling, place, mark making, or form; or engage with a wide range of social, cultural, or political issues. 

You’ll also get involved with exciting collaborative events such as exhibitions, residencies, and site-specific responses. 

The course has been designed to provide students with the support, technical skills, and confidence to develop their work and meet the challenges of being a practising artist today.  

Fine art course exhibition piece
Fine Art piece
Nyah Harper Fine Art painting
Fine Art piece
Fine Art piece, projection onto side of house
Fine art course piece
Fine Art piece

Make your mark


From day one at HCA, you will be an artist, exploring our world and developing your own voice. You will then get to express this through a wide range of media including paint, print, drawing, ceramics, textiles, photography, video, digital, sound, performance, sculpture, and installation. 

You set your own artistic course and develop a unique body of work by exploring the subjects that excite you most. 

Facts and figures

92.05

In the 2023/2024 NSS Survey HCA students rated the teaching on their course at 92.05. This is significantly higher than the sector average and something we aim to continuously improve on. 

2024 NSS

WHO WE WORK WITH

  • The Sidney Nolan Trust
  • New Art West Mids
  • The National Trust
  • Canwood Gallery
  • Studio Morison
  • Arts & Heritage
  • Meadow Arts
  • Hereford Museum and Art Gallery
  • Market Art Studios
  • Herefordshire Visual Artists Network
  • Division of Labour
  • National Association for Fine Art Education

RECENT VISITING SPEAKERS INCLUDE

  • Bob and Roberta Smith
  • Jeremy Deller
  • Martin Parr
  • Anabelle de Gersigny
  • Laura White
  • Nat Pitt
  • Heather Peak
  • Frances Disley
  • Guerrilla Girls
  • Laura Ritchie
  • Marie-Anne McQuay
  • Simon Whetham
  • Katrina Stamatopoulos

FINE ART CAREER PATHS

  • Fine Artist
  • Arts Management
  • Producer - Public Arts Project
  • Gallery/Museum Curator
  • Public/Private Commissions
  • Art Teacher/Lecturer
  • Community Artist
  • Art Agent
  • Arts Administrator
  • Exhibition/Festival Organiser
  • Digital Media Artist
  • Art Therapist
  • Art Handler
  • Gallery Manager

Feed your imagination


HCA students have the creative freedom to explore diverse subjects such as identity, memory, storytelling, place, mark making, or form; you may delve into deeply personal or autobiographical topics, or much broader social, cultural, or political issues. You will also get involved with exciting collaborative events such as exhibitions, residencies, and site-specific responses. 

Each member of our staff team is themselves a practising fine artist. You will develop your own practise alongside us - not under us - and we will support you to develop the skills and confidence you need to succeed as a professional artist today. 

Woman in purple next to a historical hut

Project Space

Every week we turn our White Box project space over to one student - who does whatever they want with it, from Pro Wrestling performance art to exhibitions of oil-paint portraiture. Each Thursday the featured artist then introduces the work and talks about the concept behind it to fellow and staff.

What that looks like

Art Camp

Every October Fine Art students go to ART CAMP. Hosted in the beautiful grounds of Sidney Nolan's estate, the multi-day trip is a chance to draw influence from nature, connect with fellow students and make baked potatoes on a open fire.

More on the Sidney Nolan Trust

A community you can make your own


You will get the chance to explore the breadth of the subject through small group teaching in a thriving studio environment. 

Studying in our specialist arts college will make it easy for you to transgress boundaries and produce interdisciplinary work. 

You will be supported in finding your own creative voice through your art practice. 

Our smaller group sizes allow us to recognise each student as an individual, developing a unique practice. 

Through group activity, you will develop a strong foundation in communication and collaboration that will help you have impact in the wider arts world. 

Meet the team

What you will learn

EXPERIMENTATION

The first year is very much about asking questions. What are the limits of drawing? What can’t be a landscape? 

We’re interested in how students think through their responses, not in having everybody answering in the same way. 

You’ll have an induction into all the college workshops, including ceramics, print, 3D, textiles and photography.  Specialist workshops throughout the year will help you to explore a diversity of materials and processes.  

You will also learn the ICT and research skills you need to tackle assignments in this and subsequent years and begin to understand something of the theory and context of fine art.  By the end of the year you will have begun to get a feel for the ideas and materials that excite you and will be able to make choices about your creative path through the second year. 

Connected to the world

We are proud to be rooted in 170 years' worth of history in Hereford. 

But as a student on this course you will be connected to world - from projects to partnerships and visiting lectures, this course will broaden your horizons as an artist and as an individual.

FIND OUT HOW >>>

Our Fellows

We are lucky to have some very esteemed, very active Honorary Fellows support the College. 

Clare Woods RA, Ivan Morison, Seetal Solanki and Sir Roy Strong are among those who are actively engaged with the college and its students.

They bring both outstanding insight and significant connections which benefit all our courses.

Woman in purple next to a historical hut

Work on major public projects

You will have the opportunity to get real experience, and develop new skills by being able to observe and participate in large-scale public art projects.

Fine Art students have recently worked on an Arts Council England project for the National Trust under the leadership of Studio Morison's Heather Peak, they made work and installed group show at the European Parliament in Brussels and are about to take on paid commissions for a sculpture park in Wales - again under the tutelage of an experienced lead artist.

Public exhibitions

Along with a Degree Show that attracts thousands of visitors every year you will be able to build your experience and your profile by learning to stage public exhibitions. 

Students exhibit at the regional and national venues, including leading UK grad show Free Range at the Truman Brewery in London and have featured at the Coventry Biennale.

Smaller campus shows and local exhibitions at the likes of the Canwood Gallery and the museum of cider enable students to start showing work early on in the time at HCA.

Trips and visits

You will be encouraged to build your influences while at HCA, and group trips are a part of that.

Trips include regional visits to the likes of Bristol, Coventry and the Yorshire Sculpture Park as well as international trips with students recently going to Paris and the Venice Biennale.

At HCA you will have excellent access to tutorial support from experienced practising artists and curators as well as expert technical assistance. Visiting professional artists will further enrich your learning experience. 

Tutorials, seminars and group critiques will help you develop your reflective and analytical abilities and visiting lecturers will bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to help you to expand your understanding of fine art practice and to contextualise your own work. 

Applying to HCA

  • Minimum age 18. 
  • UCAS Points: Applicants applying for September 2025 entry and beyond, should have achieved 96 – 112 UCAS Tariff Points or more. 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 tariff explanation and advice on the UCAS website. We expect all applicants to have examples of their current creative work available for submission on request.  
  • Mature students: Applications from mature students with relevant experience will also be considered. 

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. 

Course news

Your degree

All undergraduate degrees at HCA are validated by University of Wales Trinity St David.

How to apply

Everything you need to know about applying to HCA - and starting the next stage of your journey as an artist

Apply now

Book an open day

Chat to students. Tour the campus. Drop in on some free workshops. Our Open Days are a great way to get a feel for what makes HCA special.

Book an open day

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