Creative Industries

A new type of creative course, for a new style of creative career, the BA (Hons) Creative Industries at Blackburn College is designed for people who want to build sustainable and flexible careers in the creative sector. It blends hands-on studio practice with cultural, academic, and business-focused learning. You’ll explore creativity in many forms – from visual arts to performance, design, and digital media – while also learning how to plan projects, manage budgets, and promote your work.

Alongside creative practice, the course introduces you to the wider industries you’ll be working in. You’ll explore how enterprise, entrepreneurship, and cultural engagement shape the sector, while also looking ahead to future-facing areas such as AI, bio-informed design, eco art, and smart materials.

The course is designed to meet local and national employer needs, producing industry-ready creative professionals. Through live briefs, collaborations, and opportunities to exhibit your work, you’ll build a portfolio that demonstrates both your creative talent and your professional skills. The course is rooted in the growing creative economy of the North West, giving you access to a range of opportunities to connect with artists, cultural partners, and audiences.

Graduates leave with the skills and confidence to work as independent creatives, join established organisations, or progress to postgraduate study.

The Art School experience

As part of Blackburn School of Art, you’ll join a supportive creative community where collaboration and experimentation are encouraged. Our specialist workshops and labs are open across disciplines, so you can share ideas, try new techniques, and learn alongside students and staff from art, design, games arts, photography, textiles, film production and more.

Assessment on this course is designed to reflect the kinds of tasks you’ll face in professional creative practice. This includes:

Creative portfolios and project work
Exhibitions, performances, and public presentations
Written work such as essays, reflective journals, and artist statements
Project proposals, event plans, and business documents
Pitches and oral presentations to peers, staff, and industry guests

We are also keen to provide you with ongoing feedback, both as a result of formal assessments, and as you develop during projects, giving you regular support as you progress.

The course offers a blended model, combining specialist creative practice with cultural and industrial management skills. This unique approach ensures that you not only refine your artistic and technical skills but also gain the professional, entrepreneurial, and strategic abilities to operate within the creative sector successfully.

Year 1

From government to industry leaders, you will explore how creative strategy and policy is created and implemented to drive cultural reform and economy in the UK.

In your first year, you’ll be introduced to a wide range of creative skills, technologies, and ideas in your chosen discipline. Disciplines include core areas of fine art, graphic design, photography and game arts*.

Year 2 and beyond

Taking the learning from year one, you will now develop your creative network by working with pioneers in the local creative community. Developing understanding of community opportunities, funding mechanisms, ethics and delivery.

This will be delivered through real life client projects, community collaborations, and industry simulations. These experiences help you refine your creative direction while also developing the professional skills needed to succeed in the creative sector.

Your practical development will be realised in an exciting community lead exhibitions, showcasing the skills gained so far and preparing you for your creative future.