A Wiltshire College & University Centre student has been offered a place at a prestigious art school at the University of Oxford.
Ash Capon is currently enrolled on the Foundation Art and Design course at WCUC’s Salisbury campus and has been offered a place at Ruskin School of Art, the Department of Fine Art at Oxford, starting this September.
“It was completely unexpected. I wasn’t even expecting to apply to Oxford,” said Ash, who is 18 and lives in Salisbury.
“After I got my A-Level results, one of my parents said: ‘Why not try, why not visit?’
“Once I visited Ruskin, there was something that clicked inside me that made me think: ‘I can do this’. It is still a bit of a shock but it’s fantastic and I am really looking forward to starting there in September.”
The Foundation Art and Design course is offered at WCUC’s Salisbury and Trowbridge campuses. It is aimed at students who have already completed A-Levels and the final qualification is a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.
Alongside project work in dedicated workshops under the guidance of experienced lecturers who are also practicing artists, the course involves trips to leading galleries and exhibitions and students receive guidance and advice on applying for a Higher Education course.
Ash started on the Foundation course after completing A-Levels at Salisbury 6th Form College and believes the extra year of study has not only honed their style but given them more confidence as an artist.
“At the start of the Foundation course I put a lot of pressure on myself to create amazing work all of the time but now I think I am in a really good place,” said Ash.
“I have definitely enjoyed the course. I am really glad I did it and I would definitely recommend it. It’s really good to have an extra year, especially if you’re planning on applying to university.
“It is very different to A-Levels. It encourages you to start working as a practicing artist rather than working towards an exam or assessment.
“I like working with mixed media but I am quite drawn to sculpture too. I am really proud of everything I have done so far and my aim is definitely to become a practicing artist once I finish my university course. I have got lots of different things I would like to explore with my work.”
Find out more about the Foundation Art and Design course at WCUC here.
