Arts University Plymouth

Founded as the Plymouth Drawing School in 1856,{{Cite news | title = Getting Into University: A-Z Unis & Colleges | work = The Independent | date = 27 July 2007|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/student/into-university/az-uni-colleges/plymouth-college-of-art-and-design-459022.html|access-date = 6 November 2008}} Arts University Plymouth is one of the last specialist art schools in the United Kingdom.{{cite web|url = http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=14968|title = Partnership announcement

|publisher = University of Plymouth|date = 28 April 2006|access-date = 19 June 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070926232843/http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=14968|archive-date = 26 September 2007|url-status = dead}}

The University has delivered higher education (HE) provision for over 20 years, initially as part of an indirect funding partnership with the University of Plymouth to develop foundation degrees. In 2006, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) awarded directly funded student numbers to Arts University Plymouth (then known as Plymouth College of Art and Design), and the University transferred its validation arrangements to the Open University (OU).{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

In December 2008, Plymouth College of Art and Design was renamed to Plymouth College of Art.{{cite web|title = Name Change at Art College|url = http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/change-art-college/article-629933-detail/article.html|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130505073532/http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/change-art-college/article-629933-detail/article.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 5 May 2013|publisher = South West Media Group|date = 20 January 2009|access-date = 21 May 2009}}

In 2013, the college founded the city-centre free school for 4 to 16-year-olds Plymouth School of Creative Arts. Together the school and college have established a radical and progressive continuum of creative learning and practice in the region that extends from early years to Masters level study. The school's landmark building The Red House was formally opened by Tate Director Sir Nicholas Serota who hailed the opening as "a historic event in the history of education in this country".{{cite web |url=http://plymouthschoolofcreativearts.co.uk/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122185912/http://plymouthschoolofcreativearts.co.uk/ |archive-date=2012-01-22 |title=Plymouth School of Creative Arts {{!}} Primary and Secondary Education}}

In 2019, Plymouth College of Art received Taught Degree Awarding Powers (TDAP), granting them, as an independent Higher Education Institution, the power to award their own degrees. In autumn 2020, the first cohort of undergraduate and postgraduate students graduated from Plymouth College of Art with an award accredited by the institution.

File:Palace Court building.jpg

In May 2022, the College was awarded University status and was renamed Arts University Plymouth.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-61564503 |title=Plymouth College of Art given university status |work=BBC News |date=25 May 2022 |accessdate=2022-05-25}}

In 2024, Arts University Plymouth was ranked as the top university in the South West region, 2nd in the UK in the category of Facilities, ranked 4th in the UK in the category of University of the Year, 4th in the UK in the category of Lecturers & Teaching Quality, and 3rd in the UK for Student Support at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs).{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Andy |date=2024-05-01 |title=Arts University Plymouth named the region's top university |url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/arts-university-plymouth-named-regions-9254438 |access-date=2024-07-25 |website=Plymouth Live |language=en}}

Arts University Plymouth was also the highest-scoring arts university in the UK in the National Student Survey in 2024, ranked highest in 20 out of the 27 questions that students are asked in the NSS 2024.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Mirror (formerly The Gallery), Plymouth Arts Cinema{{cite web|title=Plymouth Arts Cinema|url=https://plymouthartscentre.org/|website=plymouthartscentre.org|language=en-GB|access-date=29 May 2020}} and Fab Lab Plymouth{{cite web|url=https://fablabplymouth.org/|title=Fab Lab Plymouth|website=Fab Lab Plymouth|language=en-US|access-date=3 November 2017}} are located in the city centre campus, offering a range of short courses, masterclasses, and National Art & Design Young Arts Club. The university is a UK Advisory Council Member of the Creative Industries Federation, a Member of the Crafts Council Advisory Group, a founding associate of Tate’s Tate Exchange programme and a Steering Group Member of the Cultural Learning Alliance.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

The University caters for approximately 2,000 students, with around 85% of full-time students on Higher Education courses in 2017.{{cite web|title=Page 1 Plymouth College of Art and Design|url=http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/862459/urn/130650.pdf|publisher=Ofsted|access-date=18 July 2016}} Over 250 members of staff are employed by the university. Students are enrolled from the local area, the wider south-west region, and further afield in the United Kingdom. The university also attracts international students,{{cite web |url=http://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/studying/international-students/ |title=International Students — Studying — Plymouth College of Art |access-date=29 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811030007/http://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/studying/international-students./ |archive-date=11 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}

The University is administered by a corporation.{{cite web|url = http://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/index.php?category=Corporation&page=Corporation-Governance&id=92|title = Corporation and Governance|publisher = Plymouth College of Art|access-date = 20 June 2009}}

Arts University Plymouth Students' Union, usually abbreviated "AUP:SU" is based at the Tavistock Place campus. It was established in 1998. Each year, students elect a paid Student Union President who will represent them for the following year, along with a team of voluntary Student Union Executive Committee positions. The Union offers a range of services (such as the Student Union Food Bank) and a number of events throughout the year, including Freshers.

In 2021, Arts University Plymouth Students’ Union (AUP:SU) won Best Campaign Supporting Student Wellbeing at the [https://thinkstudentlive.com/awards/ 2021 Think Student Awards], beating leading international universities to be selected as the winner by the Student Pulse panel of 40,000 students.{{cite web|url=https://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/posts/student-wellbeing-support-wins-acclaim-for-plymouth-college-of-art-students-union|title=Student wellbeing support wins acclaim for Plymouth College of Art…}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2024}}

{{See also|Category:Alumni of the Plymouth College of Art}}

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• Harry Borden, photographer
• Charles Dance, British actor
• Candice Farmer, photographer
• Catriona Fraser, photographer, curator, and art dealer
• Florence Given, feminist writer and illustrator
• Josephine Harris, glass engraver and painter
• Raymond Hawkey, British designer and author
• Malcolm Le Grice, Artist and filmmaker
• David Mckee, British author
• Keith Rowe, British musician and painter (AMM)

{{div col end}}

In 2009, the university awarded two honorary degrees which were conferred by The Open University. Artist Anthony Frost was awarded an honorary Master of The Open University and Raindance founder Elliot Grove was awarded an honorary Doctor of The Open University for their services to art and education and culture, respectively.{{cite news|title=A college 'first' as artists are honoured|url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/college-artists-honoured/story-11478962-detail/story.html|access-date=18 July 2016|work=West Briton|date=13 July 2009}}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

The university has since awarded honorary fellowships to artist David McKee, filmmaker Bela Tarr, Pablo Helguera, curator Anne Barlow, ceramic artist Clare Twomey, artist George Shaw, artist Kurt Jackson, Sir John Sorrell and Lady Frances Sorrell, and Sir Nicholas Serota and Richard Deacon,{{cite web|url=https://www.dcbc.co.uk/news/plymouth-college-art-awards-honorary-fellowships-sir-nicholas-serota-and-richard-deacon-cbe|title=Plymouth College of Art awards Honorary Fellowships to Sir Nicholas Serota and Richard Deacon CBE|website=www.dcbc.co.uk|language=en|access-date=3 May 2018}}

• Armorial of UK universities
• List of art universities and colleges in Europe
• List of universities in the United Kingdom
• Visual arts education

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.aup.ac.uk/ Arts University Plymouth]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090623181728/http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/upc University of Plymouth Partner Colleges]

{{Universities and colleges in South West England}}

{{City of Plymouth}}

{{Art schools in the United Kingdom}}

{{Universities in the United Kingdom}}

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Category:Plymouth College of Art

Category:Education in Plymouth, Devon

Category:Art schools in England

Category:Further education colleges in Devon

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1856

Category:1856 establishments in England

Category:Buildings and structures in Plymouth, Devon

Category:Arts organizations established in 1856

Category:Universities in Devon

Category:Universities UK