TALENT ACADEMY 2017 Preparation Notes for Submission and Audition in Visual Arts International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) DSA-JC Applicants Eligibility Criteria The SOTA Visual Arts Talent Academy is structured to create a platform for students who wish to join SOTA at Year 5 via the Direct School Admission Junior College (DSA- JC) exercise, to develop his or her potential, interest and talent to prepare for a professional pathway in the field of Visual Arts. If you are such a student with an interest in activities pertaining to art and creativity, such as lens-based work (media arts or photography), 2-dimensional (2D) work (drawing and painting), 3-dimensional (3D) work or Design-related projects etc, we strongly encourage you to apply for our Talent Academy. Phase 1: Shortlisting What to submit for Visual Arts Portfolio Items Descriptions 800-word Typewritten Essay An essay that would highlight your art proposal on a specific area of interest and research Indicate the reason(s) that would clarify or justify the relevance or importance Some possible approaches to start the research as well as expected outcomes Include reasons of applying for the IBCP programme as well as what you hope to pursue at higher education and as a career File Name: Full Name_VA_IBCP_Essay (e.g. Deborah Yeo_VA_IBCP_Essay) File Type:.pdf,.doc,.docx Maximum File Size: 1MB Upload to TA Portal 1 of 8
8 to 10 Completed Artworks Works that demonstrate a range of: Technical competencies and considerations Diversity of conceptual approaches, considerations and development A combination of selected works done in school and at home in your own time is recommended. Produced in the past three years Label each artwork with: Dimensions of artwork, date of completion and your full name Scan all your artworks into 1 file File Name: Full Name_VA_IBCP_Artworks (e.g. Deborah Yeo_VA_IBCP_Artworks) File Type:.pdf,.jpg,.jpeg,.jfif Maximum File Size: 20 MB Upload the file to TA Portal 5 to 8 sketchbook pages A sketchbook page may show a record of images and/or writings as part of a creative process. For example, it can be made up of quick sketches or drawings done in preparation for an artwork These works should not include the 8 to 10 completed artworks submitted Combination of selected works done in school or in your free time, if possible Works done in the last 3 years only Label each artwork with: Dimensions of artwork and your full name Scan all your artworks into 1 file File Name: Full Name_VA_IBCP_Sketchbook (e.g. Deborah Yeo_VA_IBCP_Sketchbook) File Type:.pdf,.jpg,.jpeg,.jfif Maximum File Size: 20 MB Upload the file to TA Portal 2 of 8
Relevant Credentials (Optional) Most recent top 5 Achievements / Awards related to Visual Arts, from the last 3 years. Examples of relevant credentials include the following items: Letters of reference from schools or teachers, testifying to the applicant s artistic experience and merit Evidence of participation in Visual Arts related programmes / workshops / competitions Combine all credentials into 1 file File Name: Full Name_Credentials_IBCP (e.g. Dorothy Yeo_Credentials_IBCP) File Type:.pdf,.jpg,.jpeg,.jpe,.jfif Maximum File Size: 10MB Upload to TA Portal Supporting documents and portfolios submitted online will be retained for the school s records. 3 of 8
Phase 2: Audition for Shortlisted Applicants A. What to prepare for Visual Arts Audition Items Description 12 to 15 Completed Artworks created in the last 3 years May include artworks you have submitted in Phase 1 Artworks in any other medium, including media works, design works, jewellery pieces and ceramics Produced in or out of school Label the back of each artwork with: Your full name Your TA Index Number (you will receive your index number upon submission of your TA application via our TA Portal in Phase 1) Title of Artwork Date of Execution A short description of each artwork Sketches Up to 4 A4-sized pages of support/research materials for each of the artworks (total of 10 50 pages) compiled in sketchbooks or a collection of sketches. You may also include other sketchbooks that demonstrate what you like to draw or sketch regularly. This should include a minimum of 3 artworks or design works created by artists or designers that have inspired you and your work. B. How to Prepare Your Portfolio (1) Selection of pieces Some qualities that the interview panel will look for include: a keen sense of observation, imagination, inspiration and self-motivation. 4 of 8
(2) What to Include You should consider including in your portfolio, where possible: i) 3 to 4 artworks based on observation These artworks should show your ability to observe, apply formal qualities effectively through a number of techniques and mediums to represent something realistically. You may use digital software to render images in this category. The final outcome should be more than just direct copies of copyrighted works, e.g. of popular characters from commercial cartoon, American Comics or Japanese Manga franchise. ii) 3 to 4 artworks based on imagination These artworks should show your ability to imagine and create original works from your research and deliberations. They should not encompass major portion and details from the original reference source but should incorporate some form of originality in the works. iii) 3 to 4 artworks that reveal where you derive inspiration from and how they lead you to a diversity of conceptual approaches, considerations and development For example: A series of works that is inspired by music, demonstrating how you achieve resolution between music, the choice of medium and materials used as well as the technique applied together with the consideration of the elements and principles of art; or A Manga story which you have created that show character creations, plot development and compositional refinement. The work should be more than just a direct copy of the inspirational source. iv) 3 artworks that demonstrate a range of technical competencies and considerations These artworks should reflect your artistic and skill-based abilities in 3 different mediums to create a composition. The media can be 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, time-based or electronicbased art form, such as painting, sculpture, graphic novel or video, etc (3) How to Bring Your Artworks to the Audition 2D artworks 3D artworks Big/Bulky artworks Placed in plastic sheets in a file or a portfolio case Artworks in the form of ceramics, jewellery and/or sculptural pieces Securely packed in bubble wrap and boxed Take clear photographs of artworks that would best represent the work Avoid unnecessary filters and cropping of your artwork Include photographs that show fine details of the work Dimensions and the mediums used in the work must also be included clearly 5 of 8
C. What You Will Experience During Audition Group Activity: Drawing You will be assessed based on: Observation how you perceive the object(s) Imagination how the object(s) is/are set up Technical ability approaches taken in the process of drawing Be prepared to share about your processes and considerations Attire Dressed comfortably so that you are free to move around. No shorts/short skirts, sandals, slippers allowed Art apron (optional) Group Activity: Problem Solving You will be assessed based on: Your enthusiasm in understanding the task Your approach to create a solution for the problem through a hands-on approach Be prepared to share about your approaches and the various considerations made Portfolio Interview You will be assessed in the following areas: Technical ability Sensitivity to medium with regards to conceptual research, thinking process and the context of your portfolio of work Diversity of medium and type of works produced The panelists will pay attention to the level of research and understanding based on an area of interest. These include: The extent and diversity of your explorations and experimentation in the visual form The analysis and reflection based on comparing the different approaches as well as the unexpected and/or artistic responses towards the topic/ theme you may have undertaken as part of your school projects or during your own time. 6 of 8
Your ability to talk about your works, explaining the processes to develop those ideas and communicate your personal opinions about those developments with reference to other artworks. You should mention your participation in art projects or activities outside of your school assignments, if any The interview session will also be an opportunity for you to explain and justify why you are a good candidate for the IBCP programme based on the 800-word essay. This will include the understanding of the IBCP programme and how this programme is suitable for you, as well as its articulation into your higher education. What to bring: A physical portfolio of 10 to 15 works and sketchbooks that show the relevant sketches or drawings as sated in Phase 2: A. What to Prepare for Visual Arts Audition Original / Certified true copy of relevant credentials that you have submitted during Phase 1 (if any) 7 of 8
ANNEX A Need Help? 1. How do I upload videos to YouTube? You may refer to the YouTube Help page for assistance Direct Link: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407?co=genie.platform=desktop &hl=en Google Search Engine In google search engine, type the following keywords: How to upload video on youtube 2. How do I upload videos and files to Google drive? You may refer to the Google Support page for assistance Direct Link: https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2424368?co=genie.platform=desktop& hl=en Google Search Engine In google search engine, type the following keywords: How to upload files or folders to google drive 3. How do I convert, compress or merge documents to PDF? There are many free online websites you can use. Below are a few suggestions. Please note that SOTA is not affiliated to any of these sites. The links below will bring you to an external website not hosted by SOTA. a) Convert word document to pdf document 1. http://www.freepdfconvert.com/ 2. https://smallpdf.com/word-to-pdf b) Compress / Resize pdf documents 1. http://www.ilovepdf.com/compress_pdf c) Merge individual pdf documents into 1 document 2. http://www.ilovepdf.com/merge_pdf 8 of 8