This distinguished private art school is a nineteenth-century foundation whose fees (around £6000 a year) have become highly competitive given the increased expense associated with state-funded institutions. The School has around 200 students taking Foundation courses and BAs in fine art or conservation, as well as MAs and highly specialised, distinctive Diplomas in carving or conservation.
The School is currently refurbishing a new building to house the highly successful Foundation programme, which will grow from 60 to around 75 students. Some of the Foundation students proceed to the School’s own BA programme while others move to art colleges elsewhere in London and beyond. The BA undergraduates often come from other Foundation programmes, while the Diploma students tend to be older, coming to the School with a range of experience and qualifications. A large proportion of the students continue to become professional artists and conservators, for example in museums.
City & Guilds has an impressive range of facilities, including printmaking, glass, metal and wood workshops, a computer studio and library, and a graceful, verdant sculpture yard, set in beautifully modernised Georgian buildings. Above all, however, the School is distinguished for its combination of individual attention and self-expression with a strong grounding in traditional artistic techniques.
