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Studying with Us
Art Schools are places of passion and vitality. They are places where great ideas are forged, as well as places of intense debate. Cardiff School of Art & Design is part of that tradition. We are a leading Art School in a European Capital city and we are as passionate about Art, Design and Architecture today as we have ever been.
Our students share our commitment to continue the vitality of the Art School into the future. No one has a stake in the future more than students, that’s why we put you, at the centre of everything we do. Whether it is the teaching, the research or the social life of the School, we design everything with students and the future sustainability of art and design in mind.
Emilie Collins
BA (hons) Contemporary Textile Practice
‘I’m originally from Paris but I couldn’t find a course in France that met all of my requirements. I came to CSAD as it offered a course that allowed for creativity and had strong practical elements.’
Studying for a degree at Cardiff School of Art & Design is a demanding experience. We want everything we create in our School to be of the highest quality. We believe you will make the most of it, getting as much out of it as you put in and helping to continue our real reputation for real excellence.
Studying at Art School is a journey that will take you to amazing places. You will make discoveries and learn your subject, have opportunities to travel across the planet to our partner Universities, make friends for life and maybe even fall in love – who knows.
Through your own creativity and research and hard work, you will be on the way to a professional career as an artist or designer or architect, or perhaps to further study towards a postgraduate degree and even a doctorate. Almost all of our staff are practicing artists and designers and have extensive experience of working in industry, they are working at the leading edge of research in our disciplines and are experienced and committed to education too. It is little wonder that our staff and student retention rates are so high: once here, people chose to stay.
To match the excellence of our staff, we have a very wide range of resources and facilities. There are many specialist workshops and studios including those for painting, sculpture, sound, ceramics, print, textiles, graphics, architecture, and product design. CSAD has equipment that other Art Schools can only be nostalgic about, we still have a foundry for casting non ferrous metals for example.
We have managed to keep the best of our history and have combined it with the facilities of the future; at CSAD you will find well equipped CNC model making workshops, digital music studios, audio visual labs and plenty of specialist digital imaging equipment too. The old and the new combine to make a dynamic and atmospheric 21st Century Art School.
You will study on a programme together with a group of students who have been carefully selected for their enthusiasm and ability. Each programme has been carefully designed to offer a balance of taught workshops, practical sessions, lecture programmes and time for your own self-directed research time in which you can really shape your own expertise. We care about all of our community and so offer excellent support structures and activities for students and you will have your own personal tutor to steer you through your studies.
We have first-rate learning and teaching support, as well as specialist help for those who might need it in an emergency. In addition you have a wide range of student clubs and associations to choose from, extraordinary sports facilities at Cyncoed and a superb social life in a City packed with students. The Art School has its own bar ‘Tommy’s’ which holds regular events, including live bands, so it’s a place where we play as hard as we work.
We look forward to meeting you at Cardiff School of Art & Design and hope you will be part of its reputation and history.
Dr Steve Thompson
MA RCA Deputy Dean & Director of Learning & Teaching
Latest News
Cardiff Open Art School in Venice
Cardiff Open Art School is planning two courses to take place in Venice!
This Summer we will hopefully be running a drawing course and an Art History course in what is one of the world’s most spectacular cities, renowned for its architecture as well as its art.
Read more on the COAS web page here.
posted 12th Mar '10
Professor Pepperell involved in neuroscientific study
A neuroscientific study conducted by a team based at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and involving Professor Robert Pepperell, Head of Fine Art, has been published in the leading journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
posted 10th Mar '10
BA Illustration Exhibition
An exhibition of second year BA Illustration students' work entitled 'Scatter' will take place from March 14th - 20th, 2010, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cardiff, CF10 2FC.
For more information, visit the Scatter blog here.
posted 9th Mar '10
'Inner Space' exhibition
‘Inner Space’ is a week-long exhibition (9th-14th March) featuring ten exciting women artists from the Cardiff School of Art and Design.
The ten women investigate various aspects of a woman’s inner life, her identity, and her experiences of the world, using metaphor and symbolism to create an exhibition of fresh, exciting and innovative work.
posted 8th Mar '10
South Korean students enjoy exchange trip
Cardiff School of Art & Design was pleased to have played host to a dozen students from South Korea who came for a six-week stay.
CSAD arranged the exchange programme with Dong-A University in South Korea, after forming collaborative academic links with leading institutions in the country.
Read more on the UWIC website.
posted 8th Mar '10
MA Graduate in touring exhibition
Following the recent completion of his MA in Fine Art, Chris Dennis will be exhibiting alongside 63 postgraduate students, professional and emerging artists from around the world in a touring exhibition called 'A Moving Exhibition'.
More information on the 'Moving Exhibition' website.
posted 8th Mar '10
Howard Gardens Gallery - "Taking Issue"
“Taking Issue” (25th Feb - 18th Mar) is a show especially looking at the work of eight London Print Studio artists whose work is founded on issues, responding to political, sociological and ethical concerns through the medium of printmaking and employing a strong aesthetic language to transmit their ideas and interests.
posted 4th Mar '10
Richard Cox's Touring Exhibition
"Subterranean Architecture, Stepwells in North Western India & the Jagmandir Series" is the title of CSAD Curator Richard Cox's touring exhibition of digital prints and paintings.
The exhibition can be viewed at the Pittville Studios, Cheltenham from 18th March - 9th April 2010.
posted 3rd Mar '10
Exhibition for Haiti at the Chelsea Arts Club
Fine Art lecturer Cherry Pickles is holding an exhibition and sale of her work at the Chelsea Arts Club, London, in aid of Fondation le Mabouya, Haiti.
The exhibition runs from 2nd March - 6th April 2010.
posted 1st Mar '10
Product Design project a great success
Students from CSAD's Product Design programme met with students from 8 other Universities across Europe to take part in a two week long 'Intensive Project' at Howest University in Belgium.
As a result, 8 Product Design students won 2 of the 3 available prizes.
Congratulations to all who took part.
posted 23rd Feb '10
Fine Art Venice trip
BA Fine Art staff and students recently took a trip to Venice to visit the International Biennale, as well as its large collections of churches, museums and cultural sights.
They stayed on the island of La Certosa, which is currently being developed by the Venetian authorities as an educational, cultural and sports facility.
posted 19th Feb '10
The Cardiff Group receive major funding award
The Cardiff Group have received a major funding award from Safle for a forthcoming project and exhibition in March 2010.The Cardiff Group - including Fine Art staff members Mark Halliday, Dallas Collins and Luke Mintowt-Czyz will be exhibiting large-scale work in the ‘Blue Bell’ aircraft hangar in St. Athan.
posted 17th Feb '10
Fine Art Masters Open Events
Feb. 23rd 4.30 - 6.00
April 27th 2.00 - 4.00
Open events for our exciting and innovative Masters programmes in Fine Art will take place at our Howard Gardens Campus and we would be delighted to see you there.
Full details on the Fine Art Masters level website.
posted 4th Feb '10
Call for papers
Super Vision: insight and interaction in graduate art and design research
Tuesday 23 March 2010. Keynote speakers: Suze Adams and Dr Iain Biggs (UWE, Bristol)
CSAD is holding a half-day symposium on graduate research in art and design, focusing on the supervisory process.
For full details click here.
posted 14th jan '10
Research studentship applications 2010
For students considering applying to Cardiff School of Art and Design (CSAD) to undertake a research degree (MPhil or PhD), commencing October 2010, now is the time to get in touch with us. Early contact is especially important if you are considering applying to research councils, such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council, for funding to meet the costs of living expenses and tuition fees.
Click here for more information.
posted 17th Dec 09
Cardiff School of Art & Design Masters Degrees
A pdf of CSAD's portfolio of Masters Degree courses is now available to download. Our masters awards are designed to give graduates the opportunity to get to grips with their subject through practice at an advanced level and to do so in a lively community of practitioners and researchers.
Download the Masters Degrees pdf here.
posted 6th Nov 09
