Arts University Plymouth

Arts University Plymouth was founded in 1856 as the first specialist school of art and design in the city. It is an independent university-sector art school run by artists and designers for artists and designers, and is widely regarded as a dynamic catalyst for creative learning and social justice: social justice, through community impact and social mobility, and creative learning through pedagogical innovation.

Arts University Plymouth 13,000 square meters of studios and workshops across four buildings are filled with professional workspaces and state-of-the-art facilities. Home to a 2,000 strong community of student artists, designers, and makers, the city-centre campus is a thriving creative hub of collaboration and innovation, thinking, and making. PCA boasts a close-knit community where artists, designers, and makers combine, and is a place for students to explore and experiment with processes and materials, both contemporary and traditional.

Why Arts University Plymouth:

• Location: Plymouth has always been an exciting city, but in 2020 with the opening of The Box, the largest museum and art gallery space in the South West, creative minds will find themselves fulfilled. Plymouth is the largest city in the country of Devon, and the safest big city in south-west England, listed in the top five safest cities in the UK by the Independent. The city has excellent travel links via car, train, and ferry, with direct train services to London and the rest of the country, with easy access to three nearby airports (Bristol, Newquay, and Exeter).
• Industry Ties and the Creative Economy: Students work alongside tutors and technicians who are not only experienced educators, but are highly engaged in the UK creative industries. In 2018, there were 3.2 million jobs in the UK creative economy, with creative industries businesses accounting for 11.9% of all businesses in the UK. Since 2010, the value of the creative industries tp the UK economy has increased by 53.1%, and is estimated to increase to £130 billion by 2025.
• Specialist Focus: As an independent school of the arts, creative minded students will find a range of specialized programs available to them in areas of practice such as crafts and creation, fashion and textiles, museum and cultural studies, and games and media.