News

Tuesday 17th, November, 2015

Dublin School of Creative Arts Open Day & Portfolio Clinic – Thursday 26th November 2015

Dublin School of Creative Arts @ DIT
Open Day & Portfolio Clinic - Thursday, 26th November 2015
The Dublin School of Creative Arts in DIT Grangegorman are offering interested applicants the opportunity to visit the School and meet staff from all programmes. Applicants will also have the opportunity to bring their portfolio with them for a short consultation. The clinic takes place in Room NH009, North House, DIT Grangegorman, Dublin 7. As places are limited to 100 attendees per session you must register your attendance and preferred session by emailing creativearts@dit.ie as soon as possible with the subject field as Portfolio Clinic.

If you have any queries in relation to this Open Day please email creativearts@dit.ie or telephone Elaine Lawlor, School Administrator on (01) 402 4138.

Below are some FAQs for info...

Q. What is a portfolio?
A. A portfolio is a collection of samples of your work which is representative of you. It should include some finished work, sketches and notebooks. The aim is to demonstrate you have the aptitude to benefit from your chosen programme and contribute to it.

Q. Where do I submit my portfolio?
A. North House, DIT Grangegorman, Dublin 7.

Q. When do I submit my portfolio?
A. Thursday, 3rd or Friday, 4th March 2016.

Q. What programmes in your school requires a portfolio?
A. You must submit a portfolio if you are applying for any of the following programmes:
BA Design (Interior & Furniture) - DT544, BA Design (Visual Communication) - DT545, BA Fine Art - DT546 or BA Visual Merchandising and Display - DT598.

Q. How should my work be presented and is there a particular size my work should be e.g. A3 or A4 size?
A. There is no specific size your work should be. It should be presented neatly on clean boards and arranged in an orderly and accessible manner in a secure folder. Your portfolio case/folder should be securely bound and clearly identified with your name and CAO number.

Q. How many pieces of work should my portfolio contain and what should I include?
A. You should chose no more than 20 pieces and ensure that you include a good selection of work that shows how you use a range of approaches and materials; this might include paintings, drawings, sketches, notebooks, collages, photographs and digital outputs. Please note you should only submit photographs of 3D models, delicate work and sculptures. Do not include videos, CDs or DVDs, work that is framed or mounted behind glass or any wet oil paintings.

Q. If I am applying for more than one programme in your school, should I submit the same portfolio for all or should they be different for each programme?
A. The same portfolio will be accepted for all programmes.

Q. Is it acceptable to submit my portfolio electronically?
A. Unfortunately we cannot accept portfolios electronically unless you do not live in Ireland.

Q. Should I submit original work or can I submit copies of my work?
A. Original work must be submitted except in the case of 3D work/sculpture pieces/craft work. Photographs of this work must be submitted.

Q. How do I present my work if it is all computer based i.e. Digital Media?
A. All computer based work should be printed and presented in a securely bound folder.

Q. Do I need to submit my portfolio in person or can I get somebody to do it for me?
A. No, you do not need to submit it in person. The person submitting your portfolio will be given a receipt which should be kept safe and presented at the college when your portfolio is being collected.

Q. Can I organize a courier to drop it in to the college?
A. Yes. The receipt which you are required to present at the college when collecting your portfolio will be posted to you.

Q. If so, will the college take responsibility to return my portfolio?
A. No. DIT will not take responsibility to return your portfolio to you. It is the responsibility of the applicant to organize collection.

Q. Can I collect my portfolio earlier than the designated day?
A. No. DIT will hold onto your portfolio for approximately five days and collection will not be permitted any earlier.

Q. Your portfolio submission dates clash with another college, are you providing alternative dates for submission?
A. Unfortunately alternative submission dates cannot be offered due to our tight review schedule however we will do our best to accommodate you. We recommend you contact the other college to check for their alternative dates. .

Q. Will my portfolio be returned to me the way I submitted it?
A. While all care will be taken, the school cannot be held responsible for damage or loss of work during the review process or for portfolios not collected by the due date.

Q. What is the scoring system?
A. The maximum portfolio score is 600 points. Applicants must obtain a minimum score of 200 points to be considered for BA Design (Interior & Furniture) - DT544, BA Design (Visual Communication) - DT545, BA Fine Art - DT546 or BA Visual Merchandising and Display - DT598.

Q. What is the breakdown of the scoring system?
A. A maximum of 200 points is awarded for each of the following:

•  Evidence of Drawing ability
•  Evidence of Practical ability
•  Evidence of Conceptual ability

Q. What do you mean by evidence of drawing ability, conceptual ability and practical ability?
A. 1. Evidence of Drawing ability should be demonstrated through:

•  examples of freehand, observation and/or technical drawing
•  use of colour and texture
•  variety of subject matter
•  variety of media.

2. Evidence of Practical ability should be demonstrated through:

•  skills in visualisation (3D and 2D)
•  quality of presentation (this will show your ability to present artwork)
•  control over media (this will show your ability to make and show how well made your drawing, painting, sculpture or product is).

3. Evidence of Conceptual ability should be demonstrated through:

•  investigation (the development of your idea in various stages)
•  idea generation
•  imagination and creativity
•  sketchbooks showing original ideas.

Q. What happens if I don’t submit a portfolio for review?
A. Failure to submit a portfolio will render an applicant ineligible for any of the above programmes.

Q. When will I be notified of my portfolio score?
A. All portfolio scores will be posted to you from the Admissions Office as soon as they are available. Please contact the Admissions Office at 4023445. The Dublin School of Creative Arts do not deal with issuing portfolio scores.

Q. Can I appeal my portfolio score?
A. THE DECISION OF THE REVIEW PANEL IS FINAL. The Dublin School of Creative Arts will not reply to letters, emails or telephone calls in relation to portfolio scores.

**Please note this information is provisional and subject to change at any time.