University for the Creative Arts

It was formed in 2005 as University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester when the Kent Institiute of Art and Design  was merged into the Surrely Institute of Art & Design, which already had degree-awarding  status; both constituent schools had been formed by merging the local art schools, in  Kent and Surrey. respectively. It was granted university status in 2008, and the name changed to the present one. In 2016 it merged with the Open College of the Arts   

The origin of the University for the Creative Arts lies in the establishment of various small art schools in the English counties of  Kent and Surrey.in the nineteenth century. In Kent the first of these was Maidstone College of Art, founded in 1867, and in Surrey the Guildford School of Art  founded in 1856. During the second half of the twentieth century many of these small art schools merged, eventually forming Kent Institute of Art & Design in 1987, and Surrey Institute of Art & Design in 1995. These two organisations joined forces in 2005 to become the University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester. In May 2008 the University College for Creative Arts was granted full university status by the Privy Council, and adopted its current name, the University for the Creative Arts, officially in September 2008.

Following the election of a Coalition government, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills introduced legislation to increase tuition fees while reducing government spending on Higher Education in real terms and the University for the Creative Arts was revealed to be the fourth most-cut university in England with a cut of 7.8% (10.2% in real terms).

The University for the Creative Arts announced in February 2011 that it was discussing designating part of its Maidstone campus for use by MidKent College. Further to this, MidKent College expressed its willingness to buy the Maidstone campus from 2012 and phase out the UCA presence at the campus by 2014

Campuses

University for the Creative Arts, Epsom campus

UCA has campuses in Canterbury, Epsom,Farnham and Rochester, together with teaching bases at the Royal School of Needlework and The Maidstone studios and a project and exhibition space in Folkstone  Creative Quarter It previously had a campus in maidstone , which was closed in 2014.

The university also validates provision at, or co-delivers courses with, a number of other educational institutions and arts organisations in the UK and overseas: farnham Maltings, Laine Theatre Arts,  London School of Design & Marketing, Millennium Performing Arts, Turner Contemporary and  MIT Institute of Design  

On 1 November 2016, the Open College of the Arts  became part of UCA. This built on a close working relationship established in 2010.

Timeline

• 1856 – Guildford School of Art is founded as Guildford Working Men's Institution
• 1866 – Farnham School of Art is founded
• 1867 – Maidstone College of Art is founded as Maidstone School of Art
• 1868 – Canterbury College of Art is founded as the Sidney Cooper School of Art
• 1886 – Medway College of Design is founded as Rochester School of Art
• 1896 – Epsom School of Art & Design is founded as Epsom Technical Institute & School of Art
• 1969 – Farnham School of Art and Guildford School of Art merge to form West Surrey College of Art & Design
• 1987 – Canterbury College of Art, Maidstone College of Art and Medway College of Design merge to form  Kent Institute of Artr&Design  
• 1995 – Epsom School of Art & Design and West Surrey College of Art & Design merge to form Surrey Institute of Art & Design 
• 1999 – Surrey Institute of Art & Design receives University College Title from the  Privy Council  and is renamed  Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College   
• 2005 – Kent Institute of Art & Design and Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College merge to form University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone & Rochester 
• 2008 – University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone & Rochester receives University Title from the Privy Council and is renamed University for the Creative Arts