ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ARTS

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The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, the RSA was born on 22 March 1754, when eleven men met in Rawthmells coffeehouse in Covent Garden and declared themselves to be the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. From the 1840s the RSA underwent major changes when they ceased being directly democratic, but shifted our emphasis to applying art to manufactures, campaigning for system-wide reforms, and holding exhibitions. Under the influence of Henry Cole, arguably our re-founder, they initiated the Great Exhibition of 1851, organised a follow-up International Exhibition of 1862, and continued to be involved in many of the exhibitions now known as the World’s Fairs. It was also in this period that they received the royal charter, though 'Royal' was not added to the name until 1908, and they became involved in reforming or creating systems in everything from examinations, workers’ self-education, and girls’ secondary schools, to intellectual property, musical pitch, and public sanitation. They were also responsible for the creation of the blue plaque scheme. The RSA has also been an innovator in applying design to industry, creating the designation of Royal Designers for Industry, and awarding the Student Design Awards. In the 2000s they set up the first of the RSA Academies at Tipton, and in the 2010s were behind the creation of a national network of community banks.