Emily's the knitter, Clare's the spinner, and we both like cocktails!

Friday 28 March 2008

Module one seriously under way

So, finally I am really getting somewhere with module one of my City and Guilds course, from Loraine at WS Touchbase.

City and Guilds is a major organisation in the UK - here are a few relevant quotes: And a bit of history:

City & Guilds offers learners over 500 qualifications in 28 industry areas – so that they can learn skills that equip them to fulfil their career ambitions or enrich their leisure time.

F'rinstance:

100% of craft plumbers in the UK have a qualifications jointly awarded by us.

And a bit of history:

1878 City & Guilds was established following a meeting of 17 of the City ofLondon’s livery companies, the traditional guardians of apprenticeships and work place training.  Its aim was to establish a national system of technical education. 

1887 We hold the first international City & Guilds examination – in New South WalesAustralia

1900 We are granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation which denoted City & Guilds acceptance as a recognised part of the constitution and national life of theUnited Kingdom. 

1907 Imperial College founded – made up of City & Guilds College, Royal College of Science and Royal School of Mines

So you see, it's a major, internationally recognised organisation. (I'm putting some of this info here for Barb who's checking it out). Imperial College is now a (Science based) college of the university of London.
From the C&G, the course contains two parts - a common unit 'Design for craft', the same as you'd do if you were doing say, pottery, as I understand it. The expected outcomes are: 

1 research and select sources of inspiration and develop design ideas 

2 research and use contextual studies – contemporary, historical and cultural 

3 use a range of materials, mediums and techniques 

4 use a range of styles and sizes of presentation methods 

5 produce and present exploratory and finished design projects 

6 operate tools and equipment safely and effectively 

7 appreciate the application of general design development studies to the craft. 

The second unit is that specific to handknitting, and the expected outcomes are: I hope

1 apply innovative and complex design ideas to planning and making for the craft 

2 plan, prepare and manage the making of complex craft items to a design brief 

3 operate tools and equipment carefully, safely and effectively for complex techniques applicable 

to this craft 

4 make complex craft items to a high standard of craftsmanship, to a design brief 

5 appreciate the contextual influences relating to the craft at this level 

6 use effective presentation skills to display completed items.


I hope that's useful, Barb!


I'm going to post photos in a separate post, or else the fonts etc go haywire, turning into randomly enormous and tiny writing. hope it works this way!

1 comment:

Barb said...

I've been past the Imperial College (on a bus from Victoria to Exeter....)!

That does help....It's similar to the TKGA prgram as it has the swatching, however from what i've seen the TKGA program doesn't include the design elements - and I think that's what interests me.

Thanks!