Camberwell College of Arts: A Comprehensive Guide to Courses, Facilities, and Student Life
Camberwell College of Arts, a renowned constituent college of the University of the Arts London (UAL), offers a diverse range of courses in fine art, design, and conservation. With a strong emphasis on individual creativity and critical thinking, Camberwell provides a unique studio culture where students can explore their artistic potential using both traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge digital technology. This article delves into the college's history, its academic offerings, the facilities available to students, and the vibrant student life that makes Camberwell a distinctive place to study.
A Brief History
The history of Camberwell College of Arts is intertwined with that of the South London Gallery, sharing a site and a commitment to the local art scene. In 1889, William Rossiter, manager of the South London Working Men's College, acquired the freehold of Portland House, the current location of the College. The original building, designed by Maurice Bingham Adams, initially offered classes in specific trades.
During the Second World War, the appointment of Victor Pasmore as head of the painting department marked a significant period in the college's development. Esteemed artists such as Frank Auerbach, Lawrence Gowing, and Edward Ardizzone taught at Camberwell during this time, contributing to its growing reputation. In 1973, the College expanded with a modern, purpose-built block adjacent to the existing premises. The 1980s saw Wendy Smith become head of Fine Art, further enriching the faculty with artists like Noel Forster, John Hilliard, Cornelia Parker, Phyllida Barlow, Gavin Jantjes, and Ian McKeever.
Today, Camberwell, along with Chelsea College of Arts and Wimbledon College of Arts, forms CCW, a collaborative model that allows for resource sharing between the colleges.
Academic Courses
Camberwell College of Arts offers a comprehensive range of further and higher education programmes, including undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD awards. The college has retained single degree options within Fine Art, providing specialized Bachelor of Arts courses in disciplines such as:
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- Painting
- Sculpture
- Photography
- Drawing
In addition to Fine Art, Camberwell also offers graduate and postgraduate courses in design disciplines, including:
- Graphic Design
- Illustration
- 3D Design
These courses are designed to foster students' critical thinking and making skills, encouraging them to explore their creativity within a supportive and challenging environment.
The University of the Arts London (UAL) offers BA (Hons) degrees with varying durations and study modes. Most BA (Hons) courses at Camberwell College of Arts are three years long and studied full-time, commencing on September 28, 2026. Some courses offer a four-year "sandwich" option.
Facilities and Resources
Camberwell College of Arts is equipped with an extensive array of professional workshops and facilities, overseen by experienced technicians who are skilled arts practitioners themselves. These technical staff members encourage students to trust their creative ideas and help them develop new skills to produce their best work.
Digital Media Centre
The Digital Media Centre features an open access media suite with a large number of Macs, where students can utilize programs such as In Design and Final Cut Pro. The centre provides resources for video and sound editing, stop frame animation, image manipulation, and digital printing. Training in digital media software is available through structured workshops and one-on-one sessions with technicians.
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Photography Centre
Camberwell's Photography Centre includes:
- Digital Darkroom: Used to teach photographic digital workflows, principally with Adobe Lightroom, and available to BA Photography students.
- Photographic Studio: Designed for learning photographic studio techniques and the production of work in both stills and video formats, equipped with flash and constant lighting.
- 35mm Black and White Resin Darkroom: A dedicated darkroom with nine enlargers and an Ilford resin coated paper processor.
- Multi Format Fibre Darkroom: Designed for tray processing, with ten enlargers configured for a variety of formats, and reserved for fibre-based printing.
- Specialist Print Darkroom: Equipped with horizontal and vertical enlargers, as well as space for toning and alternative processes, including cyanotype, salt printing, albumen printing, and liquid emulsion.
- Black and White Film Processing Room: Features daylight tanks or trays for large format processing.
- RA4 Colour Print Darkroom: Contains five enlargers and an RA4 processor for colour negative printing.
Printmaking Centre
One of the largest in the UK, Camberwell's Printmaking Centre provides students with access to both traditional and digital printmaking facilities, including:
- Aquatint
- Computer-generated printmaking
- Etching
- Plate and stone lithography
- Letterpress
- Mono printing
- Relief printing
- Screen printing
3D Resource Centre
The 3D Resource Centre offers open access to wood, metal, and plastic workshops, equipped with:
- Wood tools: Band saws, table saw, panel saw, router, belt sander
- Plastic tools: Laser cutter, vacuum former, milling drill, hot wire, 3D printer
- Metal tools: Spot welding, MIG welding, TIG welding, metal guillotine, sand blaster, forge, enamelling kiln, grinding, metal saw, plasma cutter
The College also has a Ceramic Workshop consisting of a working area, plaster room, glazing laboratory, spray booth and indoor and outdoor kilns, as well as a foundry for metal casting.
Central Loan Store
Students can borrow a variety of equipment from the Central Loan Store, including:
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- Digital cameras
- Graphic tablets
- Ladders
- Laptops
- Large format cameras
- Lighting equipment
- Macbook Pros
Library
Camberwell College of Arts' library collections specialize in the history and theory of art and design. Students also have access to the libraries across all six colleges of the University of the Arts London, providing a comprehensive range of resources covering general interests such as history, psychology, philosophy, cultural studies, and contextual studies. The e-library can be accessed on and off campus, offering an extensive range of art and design-related electronic resources, including full-text journals, reference sources, indexing services, and image databases. The library also hosts an ongoing programme of exhibitions featuring work by students and staff, as well as items from its collections.
Student Life
Camberwell is a lively and unique area of south east London with good transport links to all parts of the city. The College and its neighbour, the South London Gallery, are at the heart of Camberwell's strong reputation for the arts, with more artists living and working in the area than anywhere else in London. The South London Art Map (SLAM) provides a guide to the galleries in south London and hosts a late-night opening of all the galleries on the last Friday of every month.
Popular student hangouts in Camberwell and neighbouring Peckham include The Hermits Cave, The Tiger, The Stormbird, Bar Story, Peckham Springs, Canavans, and the Bussey Building.
Many Camberwell students live locally to the College, either in halls of residence or private rentals. The College has three halls of residence within easy walking distance: Camberwell Campus, Bernard Myers House, and Brooke Hall. Camberwell Campus is located next door to the College, creating a traditional campus-style feel and fostering a friendly, community spirit. Many students choose to rent private accommodation near Camberwell, particularly in their second and third years, taking advantage of the more affordable rental prices in south east London. Monthly rent for students typically ranges from £300 to £600. Popular locations for student housing include Camberwell, Peckham, New Cross, Deptford, Nunhead, Oval, Kennington, Stockwell, Brixton, and Greenwich.
Studying Abroad
UAL also provides opportunities for students to study abroad through integrated programmes. For example, in partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), international students can study at FIT and earn major and related area credit. US citizens do not need to apply for a visa in advance of arrival, but should ensure they inform the border officer of their intention to study. Non-US citizens must carefully review UK visa requirements, as they may need to apply in advance for a short-term study visa.
UAL's Other Colleges
Camberwell College of Arts is one of six renowned colleges that make up the University of the Arts London (UAL). The other colleges are:
- Central Saint Martins: A world-renowned arts and design college with famous alumni such as Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney.
- Chelsea College of Arts: Focuses on art and design within a social, cultural, and political context.
- London College of Communication: Explores and rethinks the meaning and importance of communication.
- London College of Fashion: Offers courses in all aspects of fashion.
- Wimbledon College of Arts: Provides world-class teaching in technical arts for theater, film, and television.
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