By Julian Hart · Photography & Creative Project Development
A strong creative project does not need to begin with a perfect idea. Start with one question, image or personal observation that genuinely interests you. Research a few relevant references, make a simple experiment and record what changes. The aim is not to find the final answer immediately, but to discover a direction worth developing.
If you are preparing to apply to UAL or RCA for 2027 entry, summer is your biggest uninterrupted block of time to build new work. The most common mistake is trying to start three or four new projects at once and finishing none of them with enough depth to strengthen a portfolio.
You do not need five new projects this summer. You need one strong, fully developed personal project that aligns directly with your target programme. One resolved, concept-driven project will add more value than four half-finished, surface-level shoots.
Below are the highest-priority project types for four common visual application pathways.
1. Photography: A cohesive conceptual or documentary series
For photography programmes across LCC and CSM, many international applicants lack a sustained, research-led series. Their portfolios contain standalone editorial images, street photography and random personal shoots, but few show the ability to carry one visual idea across a complete body of work.
This summer, build one 10–15 image series around a single, specific question. It can be small and personal: the quiet routines of your neighbourhood, the way memory attaches to ordinary objects, or the visual language of a local subculture.
What matters is a clear starting point, contextual research that shapes your approach and a consistent visual rule set connecting the images.
For LCC’s practice-focused photography programmes, this demonstrates project-based photographic thinking. For CSM’s theory-led pathways, it shows that you can connect image-making with critical ideas.
2. Fine Art: A focused experimental project
For Fine Art programmes at Chelsea, CSM or RCA, tutors are not looking only for technical perfection. They want to understand how you think, test ideas, respond to failure and push a concept beyond its first form.
Build a compact experimental project around one constraint. What happens if you photograph only through reflective surfaces? What if you make sculptures exclusively from found domestic objects? What if you document the same space every day for a month and let the changes become the work?
For RCA’s Arts & Humanities programmes, a focused experimental series can demonstrate a clear artistic voice. For UAL’s Fine Art pathways, it can reveal the process-driven curiosity they value.
3. Fashion Image: A thematic editorial project
For LCF Fashion Photography and Fashion Imaging programmes, a common weakness is a portfolio full of beautiful but empty editorial shoots. Strong styling, good lighting and professional models cannot replace a core idea.
Build one 8–12 image fashion editorial around a specific theme rather than a visual style. Instead of “dark moody fashion”, frame the work around a question: How can clothing express the tension between public and private identity? How can fabric movement communicate control and release?
4. Moving Image / Film: One short experimental piece
Applicants often assume they need a ten-minute short film to be competitive. For art school applications, a 2–3 minute concept-driven experimental piece can be more effective, especially when the development process is documented.
Build one short moving-image work around a single formal or conceptual idea. It can use one location, one performer or one visual rule. The aim is to demonstrate that you can translate an idea into moving image rather than reproduce standard film language.
For RCA and UAL moving-image pathways, creative voice and experimental curiosity often matter more than industry-level production value. A tight, original short project can show more potential than a longer, formulaic piece.
Across all four pathways, the principle is the same: depth beats breadth.
Choose the project type that most directly matches your target programme. Focus on it throughout the summer and finish it properly. One strong project will bring more value than a dozen incomplete ideas.
If you are stuck developing a personal project, unsure how to turn a loose idea into a portfolio-worthy series, or need targeted feedback on your photography and creative work, share your project concept, current progress and specific challenges through our contact page. We provide one-to-one creative development and project coaching for visual art and photography applicants.