This submission outlines and explains The Folio Brief which was created by the NCAD (National College of Art and Design) Dublin Ireland.

The Brief is the method required for completion by applicants for undergraduate study at NCAD.

It comprises of a set of inter-related art and design tasks, which require an individual creative response within a structured framework. The Folio Brief is unique, fun, welcoming, challenging, and inventive.

It reaches out, and encourages a different type of response, whilst being totally fair and totally clear in its purpose.

Prior to the Folio Brief, students applying to NCAD submitted work according to a set of guide lines, similar to the requirements of most other colleges. ie submit a set of the best examples of your work. This approach favours those who attend the type of schools where art and design thinking is stretched, but it does little for those who's creativity has never had the opportunity to be realistically challenged.

The need to change arose out of:
the desire to create greater ambition, clarity, and fairness
to provide a more realistic opportunity than is currently available in the second level curriculum
to encounter the sort of research based structured work, logic and language, that is the reality of contemporary third level art and design.

The challenge was to achieve a welcoming brief which managed to create a balance between prescriptive work, skills range, media use, problem solving, yet maintain a sense of fun, excitement, and individuality, all within the scope of 15 pages of work, complimented by a note-book.

The Folio Brief has to be able to cope with all types of approaches to work and provide the opportunity to express them: From the moving image, to careful direct observation drawing. From practical problem solving, to performance art. From skill based making, to chance encounters with found objects.

All of this has to be informed by evidence of a structured approach, and evidence of what we describe in our assessment criteria as "the capacity to sustain work".

I created the underlying structure and rationale for the brief and wrote a number of its tasks. I have also participated in the delivery/awareness programme, which consisted of evening visits on a question/answer basis, by prospective students along with parents and teachers. . During these sessions visitors were shown project work undertaken by first year students at NCAD, and how the thinking in these was a natural extension to the type of work contained in the Folio Brief.

Prior to the introduction of the brief it was evident that a large number of applicants were not being exposed to the full variety of work appropriate to a changing world as reflected in contemporary third level art and design education. The reason for this that the art and design curriculum at second level schools in Ireland has not changed in a very long time.

This lack of change is particularly evident in areas of research, general structuring of work, problem solving and use of new media.

There was an over emphasis on showing still life type observational skills.

Few portfolios displayed a structured, cohesive approach to work.

Only a limited number of portfolios indicated a capacity for problem solving activities towards what is most easily described as being inventive, regardless of whether or not they had strong drawing or representational skills

An ad-hoc approach to work was seen to be a poor indicator of the capacity to sustain enquiry and connect ideas together.

Meaningful use of the important relationship between language and visual was seldom evident in folios. This has been partly addressed in the mind mapping excercise.

All aspects of delivery of The Brief were fully considered, with special attention paid to reducing its work load to a minimum for both students and teachers. Our own college's Faculty of Education was frequently consulted to ensure that the language used in the brief was clear, and that teachers were kept fully informed. Information evenings and other events were put in place to facilitate effective two way communication.

Prior to The Brief, there was confusion and doubt over the requirements of a good portfolio on the part of applicants. This was despite the folio guidelines leaflet, visits to schools, and information sessions for teachers and students.

The brief removes all doubt as to the amount of work; scope of work and structure of enquiry required for entry to first year art and design at the National College of Art and Design.

One of the greatest effects of the brief has been a noticeable increase in the standard and variety of work being submitted.

A most notable positive benefit has been that the reduction in the number of casual applicants, who show no real commitment. It is very clear that those unable to come to terms with the Folio Brief would experience great difficulty coping with the rigors of a modern degree course; simultaneously the brief has attracted a number of students of a different profile, who might not have otherwise applied.

The brief has reached out to applicants and invited them to participate in a creative adventure. It has altered the thinking in second level art and design education by promoting a debate and a set of challenges that fall outside of the traditional curriculum. The Folio Brief is an attractive and inviting document that appeals in character and visual style to a young creative audience and encourages participation and engagement.

The need for the portfolio brief arose as a consequence of accumulated observations shared by NCAD staff over a long period of time examining folios, and teaching those subsequently admitted to first year.

One of our main concerns was about fairness and therefore equity.

We believe that no prospective student should have to attend by necessity a special course, in order to be exposed to the type of work and thinking processes that indicate an aptitude to perform at third level.

Prior to the brief, many second level students felt compelled to complete these courses. Part of the reasoning for this has been the disconnect between the Irish secondary school leaving cert level art curriculum and the needs of a changing world. This is very apparent with respect to the uses and opportunities created by digital media.

One of the objectives of the brief was to create equality and fairness in the form of a level playing field, where the exact same topics, tasks and volume of work would be addressed by all applicants, whether they be: school leavers; independent mature adults; over-seas students or folio preparation students. In this way no applicant can claim to have gained entry through completion of some special tasks unavailable to everyone else.

One of the effects of Folio Brief has been an increase in the standard, and intensity of work submitted in response.

There has also been a noticeably greater variety of media used. ie moving images, sound recordings, stop motion work. Reaching out to second level education, has encouraged applications from those who may have previously been unsure, or reluctant to consider third level Art and Design at NCAD as a realistic option.

The Folio Brief provides a very realistic indicator for all applicants to measure their own abilities.

Just as other Art and Design institutions in Ireland have suffered a decline in the number and quality of applicants, NCAD's numbers have actually increased. NCAD regards the Folio Brief as successfully fulfilling its objectives as outlined within the brief itself and student surveys indicate likewise.

The main purposes of the brief are to create:
Fairness - by providing an equal opportunity for all applicants to address the same topics of enquiry.
Clarity - by removing doubt as to what is required in order to gain entry to the National College of Art and Design.

The Brief provides opportunities for applicants to demonstrate individuality within a framework. This is intended to be a good indicator as to how they might be expected to perform at third level.

NCAD believes that these objectives have been met by the Folio Brief. Feedback from second level contact confirms this outcome. This is an outcome of national significance in Art and Design Education.