The School of Arts & Humanities bridges research and study in the fine and applied arts together with curating, writing and the history of design.
The School of Arts & Humanities provides transformative learning experiences for our engaged and curious global cohorts through intellectually and conceptually linked postgraduate degrees from Masterās level through to PhD. Art intersects with curating, writing and the history of design, integrating both traditional and contemporary studio-based making with innovative humanities, fine and applied art programmes.
Fostering a unique culture of peer-to-peer learning, our responsive curriculum is developed by expert staff who are both researchers and practitioners. Students benefit from opportunities to collaborate across the School, College, and with Londonās leading cultural organisations. Reflecting contemporary shifts in global social and ethical dynamics, our ambition is to nurture creative exploration alongside speculative and critical thinking to shape and develop our understanding of how creativity and culture can become the most significant agents of change. Graduates from the School lead influential careers worldwide, making significant contributions across the international cultural landscape.
What's happening at the School
Student stories
Our research
Research in the School of Arts & Humanities is rooted in the individual concerns of our academics and researchers, while being animated by shared questions that engage with the complexities of the present. Our work is framed by the theme "The Urgency of the Arts" - an evolving focus that asks what arts and humanities practice and research can offer within contemporary socio-cultural, political and ecological conditions. We position artistic and critical practices as vital forms of inquiry, capable of challenging assumptions, proposing new perspectives and shaping more equitable futures.
Our research spans fine and applied art, curating, writing, and the history of design, encompassing material, digital, embodied and text-based practices. From painting and ceramics to immersive media, interactive technologies, publishing, critical theory and curatorial strategies, research in the School moves fluidly across transdisciplinary, socially engaged and speculative modes. The Schoolās integrated research culture supports both independent exploration and collaborative experimentation. It is underpinned by practice-led and critical methodologies, and enriched by partnerships across academic, cultural and public contexts.
Research activities broadly coalesce around a number of thematic clusters which include: Curatorial Thinking, Health & Care, Material Engagements, Radical Matter (Proto-Centre), Sites &Ā Situations, and Spatial Value. These clusters provide a framework for ongoing dialogue and innovation, reflecting our commitment to research as a dynamic, outward-facing practice that engages with urgent global conversations.
Featured projects
Research collaborators
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Tate Britain
The Gulbenkian Foundation
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Art On The Underground
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Tate Britain
The Gulbenkian Foundation
Art On The Underground
Our programmes
Our short courses
School staff
Contact us
Get in touch if you'd like to find out more about studying at the RCA the School of Arts & Humanities.
