Art Foundation students from Ashton Sixth Form College travelled to Blackpool last week to conduct primary research for their man-made structure brief.

From day to night, Blackpool offers artists massive amounts of unique character and interest. Art Foundation students gathered sketches and photographs and came away with some amazing light trails, typography photographs, observational drawings and textures from under the pier.

Blackpool beach itself runs along seven miles of sand. The iconic Blackpool Tower, which is over 120 years old, stands centre stage at over 150 metres. Blackpool is also home to the Grundy Art Gallery, founded in 1911, which is the heart of the town's cultural and artistic scene, which students visited.

Students on the Foundation course in Art and Design typically progress on to Higher Education, apprenticeships or employment within a specialist area of the art industry. This course can be studied to bridge the gap in knowledge and skills to meet the requirements to progress on to degree level work, or to allow students to explore and figure out which artistic area suits their skills and interests most.