View source for Royal College of Art

{{Short description|Postgraduate art and design university in London, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Royal College of Art
 | image_name             = Royal College of Art from Jay Mews.jpg
 | image_size             = 
 | caption                = Royal College of Art in South Kensington
 | motto                  = Dieu et mon droit
 | established            = {{unbulleted list|{{nobreak|1837 – Government School of Design}}|1896 – Royal College of Art|1967 – degree-awarding powers}}
 | endowment              = [[Pound sterling|£]]38.5 million (2024)<ref name="RCA Financial Statements 23/24">{{cite web | url = https://rca-media2.rca.ac.uk/documents/rca-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-2024.pdf | title = Annual Report & Accounts 2023/24 | access-date = 13 January 2025 | publisher = Royal College of Art}}</ref>
 | budget                 = [[Pound sterling|£]]104.9 million (2023/24)<ref name="RCA Financial Statements 23/24"/>
 | motto_lang             = fr
 | mottoeng               = God and my right
 | type                   = [[Public university|Public]]
 | vice_chancellor        = Professor Christoph Lindner
 | chancellor             = [[Jonathan Ive|Sir Jonathan Ive]]
 | students               = {{HESA student population|INSTID=10007777}} ({{HESA year}})<ref name="HESAWhere2024">{{cite web |date=2024 |title=Where do HE students study? |url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-study |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) www.hesa.ac.uk}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 0
 | city                   = [[London]]
 | country                = United Kingdom
 | campus                 = [[Urban area|Urban]]
 | language               = [[English language|English]]
 | logo                   = Royal College of Art logo.png
 | website                = {{URL|rca.ac.uk}}
}}

The '''Royal College of Art''' ('''RCA''') is a [[public university|public]] [[research university]] in [[London]], [[United Kingdom]], with campuses in [[South Kensington]], [[Battersea]] and [[White City, London|White City]]. It is the only entirely [[postgraduate]] [[art]] and [[design]] university in the United Kingdom.{{r|alice|page=118}} It offers postgraduate degrees in art and design to students from over 60 countries.<ref name="Review">{{cite web|title=RCA Annual Review 2013/2014|pages=4–5|url=http://www.rca.ac.uk/documents/444/RCA.ANN.14.WEB.8.pdf|access-date=2 May 2015}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Darwin Building, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore looking east.jpg|thumb|upright|The Darwin Building in [[Kensington Gore]]]]
The RCA was founded in [[Somerset House]] in 1837 as the '''Government School of Design'''{{r|aim25}} or '''Metropolitan School of Design'''.{{r|riba}} By 1848 there were more than 300 students attending classes each day. {{quotation|The numbers of pupils at present (June 1848) attending at Somerset House is about 80 in the morning, 260 in the evening, and about 50 females. The greater part of the students are the sons of tradesmen and of the upper class of artisans; the females are principally the daughters of professional men, or such as are being educated for governesses.<ref>{{cite book |title=The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge |date=1848 |location=London |page=366 | volume=V |edition=First}}</ref>}}

[[Richard Burchett]] became head of the school in 1852.{{r|dnb}} In 1853 it was expanded and moved to [[Marlborough House]], and then, in 1853{{r|aim25}} or 1857,{{r|riba|dnb}} to [[South Kensington]], on the same site as the [[South Kensington Museum]]. It was renamed the '''Normal Training School of Art''' in 1857{{r|riba}} and the '''National Art Training School''' in 1863.{{r|dnb}} During the later 19th century it was primarily a [[teacher training college]]; pupils during this period included [[George Clausen]], [[Christopher Dresser]], [[Luke Fildes]], [[Kate Greenaway]] and [[Gertrude Jekyll]].{{r|dnb}}

In September 1896 the school received the name "Royal College of Art",{{r|gazette}} and the emphasis of teaching there shifted to the practice of art and design.<ref name=aim25/> Teaching of [[graphic design]], [[industrial design]] and [[product design]] began in the mid-twentieth century. The school expanded further in the 1960s, and in 1967 it received a [[royal charter]] (amended in 2021) which gave it the power to grant its own degrees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rca-media2.rca.ac.uk/documents/RCA_Charter_2021.pdf|title=Royal College of Art Charter 2021|access-date=8 January 2025|website=RCA}}</ref>

In July 2020, the Royal College of Art launched its first-ever online graduate exhibition, RCA2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2020.rca.ac.uk/|title=Welcome to RCA2020|access-date=8 January 2025|website=Royal College of Art}}</ref>{{failed verification|reason=Does not verify that this was the RCA's first-ever online graduate exhibition|date=January 2025}}

==Campuses==

The RCA today has three campuses located in [[South Kensington]], [[Battersea]] and [[White City, London|White City]].{{r|rca}}

The Darwin Building in [[Kensington Gore]], South Kensington, was completed 1960–1963. It is a short distance from the RCA's home 1896–1967 in the [[Henry Cole (inventor)|Henry Cole]] Building, now part of the [[V&A Museum]]. The Darwin Building was designed by a team of RCA staff members, [[H. T. Cadbury-Brown]], [[Hugh Casson]] and Robert Goodden,<ref name=dunnett/> and since 2001 has been a Grade II [[listed building]]. It is named after painter Sir [[Robin Darwin|Robert Vere Darwin]], known as Robin Darwin, who was the rector at the time the building was commissioned. Although there was modest development into the mews behind the Darwin Building, the restricted site meant further expansion had to be in another part of London.

In 1991 the [[sculpture]] department moved to a converted factory in [[Battersea]]. In the early 2000s the college conceived a substantial extension on the site, with a minibus service linking it to Kensington. After a redevelopment by [[Wright & Wright Architects|Wright & Wright]] (budget £4.3m, floor area 2,500 sq m), the Sculpture Building opened in Battersea in January 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=Royal College of Art Sculpture Building officially reopens|url=http://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/rca-sculpture-building-officially-reopens/ |website=Royal College of Art |date=30 January 2009 |access-date=6 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007033649/https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/rca-sculpture-building-officially-reopens/ |archive-date=7 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Bizley|first1=Graham|title=Wright & Wright's RCA sculpture department refurb|work=Building Design |url=http://www.bdonline.co.uk/wright-and-wright%E2%80%99s-rca-sculpture-department-refurb/3131922.article|publisher=BD online 23 January 2009|access-date=6 October 2015}}{{subscription required}}</ref> In 2018 the RCA was granted planning permission to redevelop the Sculpture building into a new Arts & Humanities building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, with work planned for completion in late 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Royal College of Art's Ambitious Battersea Expansion Plans Approved by Wandsworth Council|url=https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/royal-college-arts-ambitious-battersea-expansion-plans-approved-wandsworth-council/|access-date=2020-11-12|website=Royal College of Art|language=en-GB}}</ref>

A masterplan was commissioned from [[Haworth Tompkins]]  and phase one of their three-phase design was completed with the opening of the Sackler Building on 19 November 2009, to house the painting department. Its name commemorated a major gift by [[Mortimer Sackler|The Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The new RCA Painting Building is now open|url=http://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/the-new-rca-painting-building-is-now-open/ |website=Royal College of Art |date=25 November 2009 |access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Sackler Building by Haworth Tompkins|date=2 December 2009|url=http://www.dezeen.com/2009/12/02/the-sackler-building-by-haworth-tompkins/|publisher=Dezeen 2 December 2009|access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=RCA Sackler Building|url=https://vimeo.com/7822996|publisher=AJ Building Study video|access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref> The Sackler Building was renamed as the Painting Building in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Renaming of the Painting Building |url=https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/renaming-of-the-painting-building/ |website=Royal College of Art |date=20 April 2022 |access-date=26 May 2025}}</ref>

[[File:Darwin Building Entrance, Royal College of Art, Jay Mews.jpg|thumb|Entrance]]
The Dyson Building, named in honour of [[James Dyson]], whose charity donated £5m towards the £21m cost, was opened on 24 September 2012. It houses [[printmaking]] and [[photography]], and contains an innovation wing where start-up designers can launch their businesses.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Dyson Building by Haworth Tompkins|date=28 September 2012|url=http://www.dezeen.com/2012/09/28/the-dyson-building-by-haworth-tompkins/|publisher=Dezeen 28 September 2012|access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Hunter|first1=Will|title=Royal College of Art by Haworth Tompkins|date=27 February 2013|url=http://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/london-schools-part-one-royal-college-of-art-by-haworth-tompkins/8643316.article|publisher=AR online 27 February 2013|access-date=6 October 2015}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The Woo Building was opened on 30 September 2015, completing the Battersea project. It is named in honour of [[Woo Po-shing|Sir Po-Shing and Lady Helen Woo]], who have funded scholarships at the RCA since the 1990s. It accommodates the Ceramics & Glass and Jewellery & Metal programmes. The building's [[Anodizing|anodised aluminium]] gates were designed by alumnus [[Max Lamb]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jordan|first1=Sarah|title=RCA opens state of the art Woo Building for jewellery and silversmithing students|date=2 October 2015|url=http://www.retail-jeweller.com/business/rca-opens-state-of-the-art-woo-building-for-jewellery-students/5079631.article|publisher=Retail Jeweller 2 October 2015|access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=New Gates installed for the opening of the Woo Building Battersea|url=http://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/new-gates-installed-opening-woo-building-battersea/|access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref>

In 2017 RCA White City became the third RCA campus, co-located with the [[BBC Media Village]] and accommodating the School of Communication, Animation and Digital Direction and Communication Design <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rca.ac.uk/study/facilities-support/our-campus/rca-white-city/|title=RCA White City|website=Royal College of Art}}</ref> in buildings designed by [[Allies and Morrison]].

==Courses==
The RCA offers a [[Graduate diploma|Graduate Diploma]] pre-masters conversion programme, [[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Master of Research|MRes]], [[Master of Philosophy|MPhil]] and [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]] degrees<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rca.ac.uk/schools/ |title=Degree Programmes |publisher=Royal College of Art| author= Royal College of Art| access-date=22 September 2019}}</ref> in twenty-eight subject areas, divided into four schools: architecture, arts & humanities, communication, and design. The [[history of design]] programme is in collaboration with the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]]; there are two double MA/[[Master of Science|MSc]] programmes with [[Imperial College London]].{{r|rca2}}

In addition to formal qualifications the RCA also offers [[Summer school]] and [[Executive education]] courses throughout the year. [[Academic English|English for academic purposes (EAP)]] courses are offered to applicants who need to improve their academic English ability to meet the college's entry requirements.

In early 2019, the RCA announced the launch of its new GenerationRCA programme. GenerationRCA -among other initiatives- will also "inject science disciplines into the mix of creative disciplines traditionally on offer." The new programmes will include Environmental Architecture and Digital Direction; with future programmes centred on nano and soft robotics, computer science, and machine learning, material science and the [[circular economy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ikonlondonmagazine.com/what-is-the-royal-college-of-art-generationrca/ |title=The Royal College of Art Launches Its New GenerationRCA |publisher=Ikon London Magazine| author1= Tamara Orlova-Alvarez| author2= Joe Alvarez| date=29 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019}}</ref>

==Rankings==
In 2024, the RCA was placed first in the art and design subject area in the [[QS World University Rankings]] published by [[Quacquarelli Symonds]] for the tenth year in a row, with an overall score of 98.5/100.<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 April 2024|title=QS World University Rankings for Art & Design 2024 {{!}} Top Universities|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/art-design|website=Top Universities}}</ref>
For the second consecutive year the RCA was also ranked first place in the History of Art category, which incorporates programmes teaching the history of design.<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 April 2024|title=QS World University Rankings for History of Art 2024 {{!}} Top Universities|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/art-history|website=Top Universities}}</ref>

In August 2015 it was ranked first on a list of master's courses in fashion by Business of Fashion, a fashion website.{{r|guard2|bof}}

In April 2011 the RCA was ranked first on a list of UK graduate art schools compiled by ''[[Modern Painters (magazine)|Modern Painters]]'' magazine from a survey of professionals in the art world.{{r|city}}

In the [[Research Assessment Exercise]] of December 2008, 40% of the research output of the school received the highest (4* or "world-leading") assessment, the third-highest rating in the art and design subject area; over all subject areas only about fifty institutions received a higher rating.{{r|rae}}

==International collaboration==
The college is an active member of the [[University of the Arctic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members |url=https://www.uarctic.org/members/member-profiles/ |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=UArctic |language=en-US}}</ref> UArctic is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of more than 200 universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arctic region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.uarctic.org/about-us/ |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=UArctic - University of the Arctic |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
The Royal College of Art also participates in UArctic's mobility program north2north. The aim of that program is to enable students of member institutions to study in different parts of the North.<ref>{{Cite web |title=north2north |url=https://www.uarctic.org/activities/north2north/ |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=UArctic - University of the Arctic |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Alumni==
{{Main|List of alumni of the Royal College of Art}}
{{See also|Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Art}}

The Royal College of Art and its predecessor schools have numerous notable alumni.

Among those who studied in the RCA predecessor bodies in the nineteenth century were Sir [[George Clausen]], [[Christopher Dresser]], Sir [[Luke Fildes]], [[Kate Greenaway]], [[Gertrude Jekyll]]{{r|dnb}} and [[Edwin Lutyens]].

[[File:Ridley Scott at the RCA July 2015.jpg|thumb|upright|Alumnus Sir [[Ridley Scott]] being made an Honorary Doctor at the college during a ceremony in July 2015.]]
Alumni from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries include the sculptors [[Jean Gibson]], [[Barbara Hepworth]] and [[Henry Moore]], painters [[Frank Auerbach]], [[Peter Blake (artist)|Sir Peter Blake]],  [[Frank Bowling]], [[David Hockney]], [[Bridget Riley]], [[Gavin Turk]] and [[Charles Tunnicliffe]], artists [[Jake and Dinos Chapman]], [[Tracey Emin]] and [[R. B. Kitaj]], fashion designers [[Ossie Clark]] and [[Zandra Rhodes]], industrial designers [[James Dyson]], and [[David Mellor (cutler)|David Mellor]], film directors [[Tony Scott|Tony]] and [[Ridley Scott]], writer [[Travis Jeppesen]], textile artist [[Nour Jaouda]], designers [[Thomas Heatherwick]] and architect [[Sir David Adjaye]], prominent member of the suffragette movement [[Sylvia Pankhurst]], the musician [[Ian Dury]], sound artist [[Janek Schaefer]], and the actor [[Alan Rickman]]. The artist and graduate [[Gerald Holtom]] designed the [[CND]] symbol in 1958, which has become a nearly universal [[peace symbol]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7292252.stm |publisher=BBC News Magazine |title=World's best-known protest symbol turns 50 |date=20 March 2008 |access-date=30 September 2023 | location=London | work=BBC News}}</ref>

The Royal College of Art Society amalgamated with OSARCA (the Old Students Association of the RCA 1912) for the benefit of graduates and associates of the Royal College of Art.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rcasociety.net/home | title=RCA Society &#124; RCA Society }}</ref>

==Faculty==

Academic and research staff include:

{|
|-
| [[Neville Brody|Professor Neville Brody]] || Professor of Communication
|-
| [[Sue Golding|Professor Johnny Golding]] || Professor of Philosophy & Fine Art
|-
| [[Nicky Hamlyn]] || Tutor, Visual Communication
|-
| [[Peter Kennard|Professor Peter Kennard]] || Professor of Political Art
|-
| [[Rut Blees Luxemburg]] || Reader in Urban Aesthetics and Senior Research Fellow
|-
| [[House of Flora|Flora McLean]] || Senior Tutor, Fashion
|-
| [[Olivier Richon|Professor Olivier Richon]] || Professor of Photography
|-
| [[Tai Shani]] || Tutor, Contemporary Art Practice
|-
|}


On 25 February 2021 [[Virgil Abloh]] joined staff as a Visiting Professor {{Citation needed|date=November 2021}} "to reinforce the importance of education and hands on mentorship of future generations."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Abloh |first1=Virgil |title=Royal College of Art on Instagram: "@virgilabloh 'It's with great honour I join the RCA as a Visiting Professor to reinforce the importance of education and hands on mentorship of future generations' Today we announce that @virgilabloh will join us as a Visiting Professor. Virgil's appointment will enable students from across the College to benefit from his wealth of experience as a leading figure in international fashion and design. Both as Artistic Director of @louisvuitton's menswear collection and Chief Executive Officer of his own fashion house @off____white. Head to the link in our bio for more details! As Visiting Professor he will present masterclasses and talks throughout the year as well as share unique employment opportunities with our students and alumni. #GenerationRCA" |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CLtge5hgKc7/  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CLtge5hgKc7 |archive-date=26 December 2021 |url-access=registration|website=Instagram |access-date=7 May 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Awards and prizes==
The Royal College of Art has several awards and prizes which it confers on its graduating students. These include the [[Sheila Robinson (artist)|Sheila Robinson Drawing Prize]].

==See also==
* [[Armorial of UK universities]]
* [[List of art universities and colleges in Europe]]
* [[List of universities in the UK]]
* [[Visual arts education]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name=aim25>Janet Foster (2000–2008). [http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=3057&inst_id=40 GB 1134 Royal College of Art Archive]. AIM25: Archives in London and the M25 area. Accessed February 2015.</ref>

<ref name=alice>Alice Wignall (2012). [https://books.google.com/books?id=ECwZXanXFZEC&pg=RA1-PA118 ''The Guardian Postgraduate Guide'']. London: Guardian Books. {{ISBN|9780852651049}}.</ref>

<ref name=bof>[http://www.businessoffashion.com/education/rankings/2015/masters Global fashion school rankings 2015]. Business of Fashion. Accessed August 2015.</ref>

<ref name=city>[s.n.] (31 March 2011). [http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/news/school_news/modern_painters Modern Painters Survey Ranks School as 3rd Best UK Graduate Arts Programme] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228073945/http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/news/school_news/modern_painters |date=28 February 2014 }}. City & Guilds of London Art School. Accessed August 2015.</ref>

<ref name=dnb>Anne Pimlott Baker (2004 ). [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3956 Burchett, Richard (1815–1875)]. ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Accessed February 2015. {{doi|10.1093/ref:odnb/3956}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
 
<ref name=dunnett>James Dunnett (2006). [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=510924 The Royal College of Art: a Study in Modern Architecture and Urbanism]. ''Architectural Research Quarterly'' '''10''': 3–12. {{doi|10.1017/S1359135506000029}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

<ref name=gazette>{{London Gazette|issue=26774|page=4987|date=4 September 1896}}</ref>

<ref name=guard2>Liz Lightfoot (24 August 2015). [https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/aug/24/fashion-school-ranking-students-central-saint-martins-csm UK fashion schools top global rankings, but are their students ready for work?]. ''The Guardian''. Accessed August 2015.</ref>

<ref name=rae>[http://www.rae.ac.uk/results/qualityProfile.aspx?id=63&type=uoa RAE 2008 quality profiles: UOA 63 Art and Design]. Research Assessment Exercise 2008. Accessed February 2015.</ref>

<ref name=rca>[http://www.rca.ac.uk/studying-at-the-rca/facilities/locations/college-buildings/ College Buildings]. Royal College of Art. Accessed August 2015.</ref>

<ref name=rca2>[http://www.rca.ac.uk/schools/ Schools & programmes]. Royal College of Art. Accessed August 2015.</ref>

<ref name=riba>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110722013242/http://www.architecture.com/LibraryDrawingsAndPhotographs/Albertopolis/TheStoryOf/RoyalCollegeOfArt/RoyalCollegeOfArt.aspx Albertopolis: Royal College Of Art]. Royal Institute of British Architects. Archived 22 July 2011.</ref>

}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category}}
* [[Christopher Frayling]] (1987), ''[https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Royal_College_of_Art.html?id=7y2qjgEACAAJ The Royal College of Art: 150 Years of Art & Design]''.

{{Universities and colleges in London}}
{{Art schools in the United Kingdom}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal College Of Art}}
[[Category:Royal College of Art| ]]
[[Category:1837 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Art schools in London]]
[[Category:Battersea]]
[[Category:Communication design]]
[[Category:Design schools]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1837]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]]
[[Category:Graphic design schools]]
[[Category:Higher education colleges in London]]
[[Category:South Kensington]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in London]]
[[Category:Universities UK]]
[[Category:White City, London]]