About the School of Creative Visual and Performing Arts

About Us

About the School of Creative Visual and Performing Arts

The School of Creative, Visual and Performing Arts (CVP) offers full-time courses in Art and Design, Media and Performing Arts and is largely based in the Neath Campus, which contains purpose-built specialist facilities.

We are a creative centre for learning and students can decide to follow the A Level route and experience a range of subjects or specialise in a full-time vocational course, either in Performing Arts, Art and Design or Media. Either way, they will be part of a dynamic environment and be supported by inspiring and enthusiastic lecturers.

Art and Design courses include the following AS/A Levels: 3D Design (Ceramics), Fine Art, Graphic Design, Photography and Textiles. Vocational courses include the First and National Diploma in Art and Design. If students decide to study either of these courses, they will be taught all the art and design areas taught at AS/A Level as well as receiving dedicated lectures in Historical and Contextual Studies.

Classes are taught in subject-specific studios using industry standard equipment. There's also the opportunity to exhibit art and design, photography and multimedia.

Our students have gone on to study a range of Art and Design degrees, including Architecture, Fashion, Graphic Communication, Ceramics and Photography in the Arts.

Media AS/A Level subjects include Film Studies and Media Studies or follow a full-time vocational course, including the First and National Diploma in Media.

Students will receive tuition in industrially recognised software, including Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro and Macromedia Flash.

They will be given the opportunity to work on 'live' projects, during which they will liaise with clients and screen their final piece of work.

Performing Arts offers the following AS/A Levels: Dance, Theatre Studies, Music and Music Technology. Vocational courses include a First Diploma in Performing Arts and National Diploma courses in Music Practice, Music Technology and Performing Arts (specialise in Musical Theatre, Dance or Drama).

To complement learning, students will get the chance to work with a number of professional performers who will give a range of master classes and talks.

Performance opportunities are vast with students being able to perform in professional venues, whilst there is additional technique and performance training within our successful extra curricular projects: College choir, Ovation Musical Theatre Company and LIFT Dance Company.

You will be learning in a creative environment and using cutting-edge industry equipment. We recently opened Canolfan Gelf Nidum Arts Centre at the Neath Campus; a new £2 million performing arts centre, which includes a purpose-built theatre with a capacity of 170 seats within the auditorium. We are the only College in this area with first class industry equipment.

Canolfan Gelf Nidum Arts Centre provides our students in drama, dance, musical theatre and music performance a spotlight to nurture their talent. The Arts Centre also houses two equipped multi-purpose studios for practical performance sessions, which you will experience on a daily basis.

A really important feature of CVP is our caring and supportive environment, which allows students to excel. Excellent guidance is available about further studies in Higher Education and there's the benefit of our strong links with specialist vocational colleges. Recent NPTC students have won places at London Studio Centre, Urdang Academy, Bird College, Laban Centre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Mountview Academy of Arts and the Welsh College of Music and Drama.

CVP is a centre of creative excellence providing quality and professionalism. We look forward to welcoming prospective students and their parents to the College.