LEEDS ARTS UNIVERSITY

1846 - ?

Leeds Arts University

Leeds College of Art was founded in 1846 as the Leeds Government School of Art and Design, it is after 160 years still an independent art school one of very few in the UK and has contributed to the development of art education in Britain. It was known as the Jacob Kramer College 1968-1993, during which time its alumni included the then rising star, Damien Hirst. Earlier Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth were students in the post-World War I era along with Raymond Coxon and Vivian Pitchforth. By 1946 it had the distinction of having fifteen past students as Principals of other schools of art including the Principal of the Royal College of Art, Percy Hague Jowett. It established the Leeds University Gregory Fellowship which brought numerous practising artists of repute to the city, many of whom visited and taught at the College. In 1993 the Jacob Kramer College lost part of its provision to Leeds Polytechnic, the future Leeds Beckett University. It was known as Leeds College of Art and Design until 2009, and then as Leeds College of Art. In August 2017, the school was granted university status, and the name was changed to Leeds Arts University.
Website: https://www.leeds-art.ac.uk