Art & Design

In the Art and Design Faculty at the Milton Keynes Academy, students have the chance to learn and explore a wealth of creative new skills in Fine Art, Textiles, Graphic Communication and Food & Nutrition.

Learning is purposeful and relevant with direct links to industry, careers, mindfulness and fun. Students learn about past and present creators from around the world. How are, design and food is impacted by our history, current lifestyles, culture, social and political issues, and new technologies.

Within the subject specialist areas, students use their creativity and imagination across a variety of disciplines to plan, design, create and make prototypes/artwork and dishes that solve real world problems. Students build their knowledge in many theoretical areas including contemporary technologies, artists, materials and processes, design and art movements, nutrition, and current world topics including sustainability and social responsibility.

The skills which students obtain in Art and Design allow them opportunities outside of the classroom. At MKA, we offer students the opportunity to visit various museums and galleries such as: Tate Modern, Design Museum, the V&A museum, Kew Gardens and the Fashion and Textiles Museum. These are fantastic experiences to broaden their horizons and to build their cultural capital for the wider world.

Option choices within the faculty allow our learners to explore their interests, linking to possible future roles such as: a Web Designer, an Architect, Fashion Designer, an Artist, Art Therapist, Illustrator, Head Chef, Food Nutritionist, set designers and Multimedia artists. Art and Design also offers cross-curricular links to other subjects such as: Maths, English, and Science, thus preparing students for further education.

Our vision for learners in Art & Design is to progress with us as independent, collaborative and competent students that can observe, analyse, problem solve, design, reflect, apply, make, evaluate, and have an in-depth understanding of the theoretical topics relating to Art, Graphic Communication, Textiles Fashion, Catering and Hospitality. Art and Design students make resilient learners and take creative risks, knowing that making mistakes is part of the learning process. An Arts & Design education supports students to improve self-esteem, perseverance, accountability, collaborative and social skills.