Pre-Degree & Degree
We offer a unique approach to contemporary art education.
We were founded over 20 years ago by artists to offer something different: the vibrancy and diversity of a contemporary art school combined with the best of an old-school atelier approach.
We pride ourselves on having the highest tutor contact hours of any higher education institution in the UK (Neves, J. et al. (2024) Student Academic Experience Survey). Class sizes are small too – they don’t exceed a ratio of 1 tutor to every 15 students.
We are an artist-led institution: all of our courses are designed and delivered by nationally renowned and award winning professional artists. Our tutors exhibit work internationally, are represented by commercial galleries, create public commissions and have work in national collections, ensuring our students gain an education from experienced industry professionals across all levels of study.
Our specialist academic programmes comprise two undergraduate courses: BA (Hons) Fine Art and BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture, and three pre-degree courses: Fine Art Foundation, Certificate in Fine Art and Certificate in Portraiture.
We have two campuses with state of the art facilities to match the quality of our teaching. Our Mermaid Court and Bankside campuses are located within walking distance of each other in the London Borough of Southwark.
Our new Bankside campus is located immediately behind Tate Modern and houses nine large studios, including a print room, a ceramics studio, a digital suite, painting and sculpture studios and an auditorium. With a large gallery space, art supply shop and coffee shop on the ground floor, here you’ll get the opportunity to show your work and attend artist talks, right in the hub of London’s dynamic, Bankside cultural centre.
You can find more information below about our pre-degree and degree programmes.
For more information get in touch with our Academic team on +44 (0) 20 7407 6969 or via our Enquiry Form. Our dedicated Academic team will be more than happy to talk you through our programmes to find a course that is the right fit for you.
Our Fine Art Foundation course is a proven route to the university or art school of your choice.
Full Time: 1 year, 3 – 4 days per week, plus independent study
Part Time: 2 years, 2 days per week, plus independent study
Our Foundation is completely different from others. We offer a highly individualised, bespoke course, where you can devise your own tailor-made programme to learn the artistic skills relevant to your creative goals. You’ll be guided on your journey by weekly tutorials with our expert Fine Art Foundation tutors, who’ll guide you in your artistic practice and help you decide which skills classes to choose.
This course develops your skills, creativity and conceptual and critical understanding. You will focus on developing a strong portfolio for use in applying for undergraduate study or professional opportunities.
Our Fine Art Foundation is internally awarded, so we are not bound by the syllabus of an exam board. However, like other Foundation courses, our programme is subject to external moderation to ensure that our standards are comparable to national benchmarks.
Our BA (Hons) Fine Art is unique. It offers some of the highest skills tuition and tutor contact hours anywhere in the UK as part of a carefully structured programme to support your creative and critical development as a professional artist.
Full Time: 3 years, 2.5 – 5 days per week in taught sessions (depending on stage and term), plus independent study
Part Time: 6 years, 1 to 2 days per week in taught sessions (depending on stage and term), plus independent study
Our BA (Hons) Fine Art is designed to establish your artistic practice through a structured programme comprising four different types of module: Studio Practice, Professional Development, Elective Skills Workshop Courses and Critical and Contextual Studies.
The programme combines different approaches to teaching to develop your technical and professional skills, your critical thinking, and your wider theoretical and historical knowledge of your discipline(s).
To further enrich your study, you’ll have access to our programme of artist talks and tutorials delivered by visiting contemporary artists, open access to our print studio, digital suite and wood and metal workshop, and free places on our evening and weekend short courses.
Our BA (Hons) Fine Art is validated by The Open University.
Our BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture is the only BA of its kind in the whole of Europe. This unique course offers some of the highest skills tuition and tutor contact hours in the UK to support your creative and critical development as a portrait artist.
Full Time: 3 years, 2.5 – 5 days per week in taught sessions (depending on stage and term), plus independent study
Part Time: 6 years, 1 to 2 days per week in taught sessions (depending on stage and term), plus independent study
Our BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture is designed to begin to establish your artistic practice as a portrait artist through a structured programme comprising four different types of module: Studio Practice, Professional Development, Elective Skills Workshop Courses and Portraiture and its Contexts.
The programme combines different approaches to teaching to develop your technical portraiture skills, your professional engagement with the art world, and your wider theoretical and historical knowledge of your discipline.
To further enrich your study, you’ll have access to our programme of artist talks tutorials, delivered by visiting contemporary artists, open access to our print studio, digital suite and wood and metal workshop, and free places on our evening and weekend short courses.
Our BA (Hons) Contemporary Portraiture is validated by The Open University.
Our Certificate programme is a, flexible way to study part time. It’s ideal if you’re serious about developing your technical artistic skills, but have limited time.
Recommended Pathway: 2 years, 1 day a week, 10.30 am – 4.30pm
Fast Track Pathway: 1 year, 2 days a week, 10.30 am – 4.30pm
The Certificate in Fine Art allows you either to focus on one discipline or to work across multiple disciplines, from Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Printmaking or Digital Media.
The course is not formally assessed, and no independent study is required, giving you the freedom to hone your creative skills within a supportive, dynamic and experimental environment.
The Certificate programme provides you with one tutorial a term with Programme Leader Zoe Toolan, as well as access to a programme of artist talks and tutorials ,providing you with contact time with an array of professional contemporary artists. Furthermore, you will be invited to exhibit your work in our end of year Graduate Show upon completion of your Certificate.
The Certificate in Fine Art is internally awarded.
Our Certificate programme is a flexible way to study part time. It’s ideal if you’re serious about developing your portraiture skills, but have limited time.
Recommended Pathway: 2 years, 1 day a week, 10.30 am – 4.30pm
Fast Track Pathway: 1 year, 2 days a week, 10.30 am – 4.30pm
Our Certificate in Portraiture provides a unique introduction to the exacting discipline of portraiture. Here you’ll begin to learn the skills of portrait painting in small classes taught by practising artists, many of them eminent in their field.
The course is not formally assessed, and no independent study is required, giving you the freedom to hone your portraiture skills within a supportive, dynamic and experimental environment.
The Certificate programme provides you with one tutorial a term with Programme Leader Edward Sutcliffe as well as access to a programme of artist talks and tutorials, providing you contact time with an array of professional contemporary artists. Furthermore, you will be invited to exhibit your work in our end of year Graduate Show upon completion of your Certificate.
The Certificate in Portraiture is internally awarded.
If you have less time, we offer an amazing range of short courses, five and 10-week evening courses, intensive weekend courses, masterclasses, young artist courses and taster courses.
For more information see our Short Courses, email [email protected] or call us on +44 (0)207 407 6969
