APS IN THE FOREFRONT OF PRINTMAKING EDUCATION

Artist Proof Studio

artistproofstudio.co.za

Artist Proof Studio subsidises approximately 60 young artists per year to attend classes and have access to printing their work in the studio. We constantly seek scholarship funding through corporate social investment and personal patronage through our Sponsorship Programme. The programme operates on an ethos of partnership where partners receive artworks from students in exchange for funding support.

The Education Programme has been revised and invigorated following an intensive review period in December 2022 and January 2023. The APS teams have considered the current environment and are making changes to grow skills areas within the studio to accommodate the rapid changes experienced in our larger environment. We have begun the process of reimagining where the studio needs to be in the future, accounted for changes that have occurred and identified areas of growth and opportunity moving ahead.

Based on the outcomes of 2022 results, our number of enrolled students has been established at 57 students for 2023, including 4 students with disabilities. APS is committed to mainstreaming young artists with disabilities into the programme and developing an inclusive curriculum. Overall, our students range between the current ages of 18 to 34 years of age.

APS Education team identify top achievers and most in need of support in each year of study that qualify as beneficiaries of patron support. Money towards fees paid will be used to the benefit of the whole student community with particular focus on new areas of growth and capacity building including expansion of inclusive arts education through the hiring of special facilitators, the development of a printmaking manual that includes environmentally friendly approaches to printmaking and increased digital capacity through the upgrade of our multimedia centre with specific emphasis on design and digital image preparation for print.

New Curriculum Framework 2023

Our Learning programme has been reviewed, improved and adapted to accommodate a longer-term vision of offering a summer school and/or credits towards a visual arts course specifically on Level 5 and 6 as well as taking cognisance of developments globally.

All modules from first year through to fourth year, include the following areas of study:

Research and Communications Skills

Technical Skills

Administrative and Business Skills

All modules are set to written briefs that encapsulates all aspects of the above. Each module is presented by various facilitators with experience and expertise in these specific areas of practice. This will enable the APS student to have a holistic experience and gain the benefits of accessing information from a variety of sources and viewpoints. An aim is to familiarise APS students, as emerging artists, with a variety of skills and approaches to developing their careers. As most projects follow a design process from conceptualisation to delivery/end result, we have created a framework for each module to rest within this so that by the time the student graduates, the methodologies and workstream processes are ‘natural’.

Projects that encourage engagement with community, art buyers and audiences are built into the curriculum throughout all the years and may include student exchanges, workshops, demos at events and corporate commissions. We include our students in all aspects of public engagement and showcase their work on exhibitions as part of the overall learning experience from first year. APS has managed to maintain flexibility and adaption ensuring that it makes the most of arising opportunities for engagement and hands-on-learning.

Selected Beneficiaries for Patron Support

In 2023, APS has selected beneficiary students from all years of study that have shown enormous potential and consistently delivered in terms of performance.

Patron and Funding support goes directly into the APS Patron Fund which subsidises fees, provides transport to classes and additional financial assistance for those in need. We have included four younger students who have disabilities as they require additional assistance in the form of interpreters and specialised assistance in line with APS’ mandate to include young talented artists with disabilities.

At the end of the Academic Year, supporters and funders of the Education Support Programme receive a portfolio which consists of prints made by students who have directly benefitted in the form of subsidy support for the year. On payment to the Artist Proof Studio/Education funders and patrons are issued with a Section 18A, along with an Affidavit quantifying the BBB-EE contribution. www.artistproofstudio.co.za