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Creative Arts Blog Posts - Page 22 of 28 - The Open College of the Arts

To find out more details about the transfer to The Open University see A New Chapter for OCA.

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Creative Arts


Find your tribe thumb

Find your tribe

What do you get if you mix parents, carers, artists, teachers, retirees, and those whose career took them down a different path to their artistic leanings? No, there’s no punchline – our student body is made up of a diverse student community from around the world and all find their place within OCA.

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Picture this… thumb

Picture this…

A picture is worth a thousand words. It’s a famous phrase, and the more I think of it, speaks directly to the access principle at the heart of what OCA is. Text, essays, blogs, articles, may not be easy for everyone to digest, so why not offer the same message but in a visual context?

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Photography that gets people looking, thinking and talking. thumb

Photography that gets people looking, thinking and talking.

Expanding people’s perceptions and understanding of photography by ‘getting people looking, thinking and talking’. So, goes the ‘strap-line’ of Impressions gallery in Bradford, where I attended an exhibition study visit and portfolio review, along with a small cohort of committed and inquisitive students.

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I’m sure I recognise them; aren’t they off the telly? thumb

I’m sure I recognise them; aren’t they off the telly?

The tutors you will work with across your studies are not just experienced tutors at HE level. All the Open College of the Arts tutors are practising artists, photographers, designers, writers or composers, with an understanding of the difficulties of distance learning – some of our tutors studied with the OCA themselves!

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Study event review: Halifax OCA-North Meeting thumb

Study event review: Halifax OCA-North Meeting

Our group comprised textiles, painting/drawing and photography students at all three levels. This, in itself, was an important factor contributing to open and critical discussion. Added to this was Rebecca’s excellent talk on her own practice and formation as an artist and tutor. Following this she led a discussion on work that several of us had brought along.

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Don’t choose between your pen and your paintbrush thumb

Don’t choose between your pen and your paintbrush

That’s what Creative Arts is, a place for you to experiment and be yourself. If you’re not sure what most interests you, this could be the place, as with no qualifications needed anyone can join us and start creating all things bright and beautiful today.

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How will learning something new boost your emotional wellbeing? thumb

How will learning something new boost your emotional wellbeing?

What did you learn today, this week, this year? As we grow older we need new opportunities and different environments to unleash our creativity.

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OCA Open foundations thumb

OCA Open foundations

If degree study is new to you or you are uncertain about where to start, look at the OCA’s Open Foundations courses. These courses are all designed to lead you into degree-level study, get you thinking academically, and putting you in the best position to start.

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The Open College of the Arts is 30 years old! thumb

The Open College of the Arts is 30 years old!

A lot has changed in the thirty years since Michael Young founded OCA. Cassettes became CDs, which then became downloads, and then streaming. Liverpool won their last league title just three years after we became a thing, and are still searching for the next one. Mario Brothers were all the rage… and still are, surprisingly.

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