VISUAL ARTS RESEARCH & PORTFOLIO (VARP) (Third Year)
One Year Course
30 weeks, Two days per week: Thursdays & Fridays 10:00am – 3:00pm
LOCATION | BSA BUILDING, 112 Dalley Street, Mullumbimby
DATES | 27 February - 21 November 2025 (See full term dates for 2025 here)
COURSE FEE | $6,200 (Earlybird $5,990 - pay by 7 February)
APPLY | First intake - apply by 25 November. Second intake (subject to spaces available) - apply by 27 January. Please note BSA will be closed from December 20 to January 20.
BSA Visual Arts Research & Portfolio (VARP) is our third-year course designed for students looking to further develop their practice through the creation and presentation of a body of work. This third-year course is suitable for those students who have completed our Visual Arts Practice (VAP) Course, or where there is recognition of equivalent study or professional experience in the visual arts. Whether you are looking to expand your existing portfolio or are a more experienced artist wanting to revitalise and strengthen your practice, this course facilitates a critical awareness and understanding of visual art and its contexts through fostering professional artistic practice at the individual level.
Our third-year course is designed so that students may work in a more rigorous and cohesive way to build upon previous experience with disciplines including - but not limited to - drawing, painting, printmaking, 3D studies, installation practice, art history, critical thinking and digital media. In conjunction with the creation of a body of work, our third year course offers students the opportunity to present their work in a more experimental and ambitious way. Previously this has occurred where third-year students have utilised the full scope of our school headquarters for the presentation of their final work, allowing for new and exciting ways to consider how their work may be contextualised through exhibition practice. In addition to material outcomes, students of our third-year course are supported to work towards the realisation of an in-house publication which has in the past included professional documentation of final artistic works alongside written texts and in-depth interviews.
Throughout this course students will continue to develop their research skills through a guided studio-based and expanded program suited to individual artistic practices and desired outcomes. In keeping with the education model delivered in our first and second-year courses, our third-year course incorporates a range of learning activities both within and beyond the studio environment to include field trips, gallery visits, guest lecturers, mentorships and professional exhibition practice. For our third-year VARP course students are expected to work in their studios as well as on site at BSA.
Eligibility: Students who have successfully completed the BSA Visual Arts Practice Course (VAP) are eligible for the BSA Visual Arts Research & Portfolio Course. Alternatively, to discuss recognition of prior study or professional experience in the visual arts please contact us at admin@byronschoolofart.com or phone 0487 362 141.
Pathways: Completion of our Visual Arts Research & Portfolio course has provided previous students with a variety of opportunities such as further academic study in the visual arts, establishing a professional arts practice, engaging in artist residency programs, employment in the arts industry, operating arts-related business, teaching and curatorial work.
Application: To apply for our third year Visual Arts Research & Portfolio (VARP) course, please complete the Application Form at the bottom of this page and submit it by 25 November 2024. All information and details within this form will be treated confidentially. BSA staff will contact you to arrange a time to meet to discuss your application and to answer any questions you may have about the course.
Enrolment: Once an offer into the course has been made and accepted, students must sign up for the whole year to secure their place in the course. The total fees for the year are $6,200 (incl. GST). We offer a reduced fee of $5,990 (incl. GST) for those students who pay in full before 7 February 2024.
If you have any further questions please contact us at admin@byronschoolofart.com or phone 0487 362 141