The School specialises in the practice and history of two-dimensional studies, principally Drawing, Painting, Illustration, Printmaking, and Photography. It conceives of Art Practice as a professional and intellectual pursuit, one that requires the disciplined acquisition of expertise and techniques, the formation of a creative intelligence, and a historical, critical, theoretical, and contemporary awareness of Fine Art. Accordingly, we are dedicated to the conservation and innovative development of traditional skills, high standards of execution, and the application of visual acumen.
Drawing is at the heart of the student's experience.
We regard it as not only a process but also the pre-eminent means by which the student acquires a cognitive faculty, perceptual acuity, and manual facility to represent the world. Drawing is also fundamental to the training in all other mediums and, thus, occupies a central position in the curriculum, particularly in the first year of the degree schemes. In the context of the recent revival of interest in traditional drawing skills, the School is at the cutting edge of Art education. The study of Art History is, likewise, a highly disciplined endeavour. The subject is conceived of in terms of a historical, theoretical, and critical study of artefacts, techniques, texts, and ideas within a social, historical, and philosophical context.