Cardiff School of Art & Design (CSAD) is one of the five academic schools that comprise Cardiff Metropolitan University. It originated as the Cardiff School of Art in 1865.
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History
Cardiff School of Art & Design opened in 1865 as the Cardiff School of Science & Art with lessons initially taking place on the top floor of the Cardiff Free Library and Museum. In 1867 a distinct School of Art was formed, based on the Art Night School, with 65 young pupils aged between 9 and 17. In 1868 an older intake was accepted, of 50 'artisan' students between 17 and 25 years old.
In 1966, a new six-storey campus was built in Howard Gardens, Cardiff, with large studios facing north. The building was designed by the Cardiff City Architect, John Dryburgh.
The School merged with other colleges in 1976 to become part of South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education (later Cardiff Institute of Higher Education and the University of Wales Institute Cardiff). It is the oldest constituent part of Cardiff Metropolitan University.
In 2013, Cardiff Metropolitan University put its 2.25 acre Howard Gardens campus up for sale with the intention of moving to a new site in summer 2014. The School now occupies a brand new purpose-built building at the university's Llandaff Campus. This new building is home to extensive studios and workshops, and includes the MIT FabLab, and the Perceptual Experience Laboratory. The facilities also include dedicated photography studios, digital and traditional printmaking equipment, as well as a foundry.
About CSAD
Cardiff School of Art & Design was assessed as one of the top 40 destinations to study art and design in the UK by guardian.co.uk in 2010. As of 2025, Cardiff School of Art & Design offers 15 undergraduate programmes:
BA Animation
BSc Architectural Design & Technology
BA Architecture
BA Artist Designer Maker
BA Ceramics
BA Fashion Design
BA Fine Art
BA Game Art
BA Graphic Design & Communication
BA Illustration
BA Interior Architecture
BA Interior Design
BA Photography
BA or BSc Product Design
BA Textile Design
The interdisciplinary curriculum includes subject-specific practice and core skills teaching, as well as a histories, theories and contexts area of study called Constellation.
CSAD has 11 postgraduate programmes: MA Ceramics & Maker, MA Creative Enterprise & Innovation, MA Fashion Design, MFA Fine Art, MDes Global Design, MA Illustration & Animation, MA Interior Design, MRes Art & Design, MA Photography, MSc Product Design, and MA Visual Communication Design.
CSAD also offers doctoral research degrees leading to Research Doctorate (PhD) and also Professional Doctorate (DProf) (DEng) (DSBE).
Research
The school's Art and Design research is conducted through the Wales Institute for Research in Art and Design (WIRAD). In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise the Art & Design panel rated 95% of the research submission as international standard, with 70% rated as either Internationally Excellent or World Leading.
It is home to a number of highly regarded international standard research groups which range across the humanities, art, design and sciences as well as the Centre for Ceramic studies.
Cardiff Open Art School
The Cardiff Open Art School (COAS) is part of the School, offering evening and weekend short courses open to all abilities, giving people the opportunity to hone their skills at the university’s professionally equipped studios and workspaces. Classes range from photography, ceramics, life drawing, printmaking and several other disciplines for part-time students in the Cardiff area in particular through the School's relationship with Ffotogallery, Cardiff MADE, and tactileBOSCH, Cardiff.
Awards
In June 2010, the CSAD Summer Degree Show was voted the best in the UK for painting by Artists and Illustrators magazine.
In 2009, CSAD won both a HEIST bronze award and a best publication award at the Association of Commonwealth Universities Annual Marketing and Communications awards.
Global Partnerships
Quality Assurance International (QAI) together with Planet EDU offer a number of awards closely based on the Cardiff School of Art & design curriculum. These awards run up to diploma level in a number of centres across India. The School has exchange partners right across the world as diverse and far afield as Australia, California, Mexico, Reunion, India, South Korea, Egypt and Lebanon as well as Erasmus partners around Europe all of whom offer Cardiff School of Art & Design students opportunities for travel and exchange.
Notable staff
Evan Charlton, head of the Art School from 1938 to 1945
Shirazeh Houshiary, junior fellow 1979-80. Turner Prize nominee in 1994
Anthony Howell, Senior Lecturer in Time Based Studies from 1986 to 1995
Glyn Jones, head of the School of Fine Art from 1972 to 2001. Credited with rescuing the 56 Group Wales
Ceri Richards (1903–1971), head of painting during World War II
Frank Roper (1914–2000), sculpture lecturer, later vice principal, from 1947 to 1973
Terry Setch, senior lecturer in painting 1964 - 2001, later RWA and RA member
Andre Stitt, Fine Art Professor
Norman Toynton, tutor during the 1960s. Abstract painter and Pop artist
Frank Vining (1924–1989), ceramics tutor from 1950 to 1982
Tom Hudson (1922-1997), Director of Studies 1964 -1978 Leading art educationalist and exponent of Basic Design
Joan Baker (1922–2017), taught on foundation and intermediate courses in art and design from 1945 to 1983, being the first woman to run a major art department in Wales
Notable alumni
Category:Alumni of Cardiff School of Art and Design
Sadie Allen, painter and textile artist
Iwan Bala, Gold Medal winner at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1997
Simon Callery, painter
Ed Elliott, sculptor
David Emanuel, fashion designer and honorary fellow of Cardiff Metropolitan University
Lizzie Farey, wood artist
Esther Grainger (1912–1990), painter and art teacher
Harry Greene, teacher, actor, TV personality
Leslie Gilbert Illingworth, Chief Cartoonist at Punch magazine
Phil Nicol, winner of the Gold Medal for Fine Art at the 2001 National Eisteddfod
Joan Oxland (1920–2009), painter and art teacher
Lilian Rathmell, painter and fabric artist
Brian Savegar (1932–2007), Oscar winner for Best Art Direction for the 1986 film A Room with a View.
Edwin Seward (1853-1924), prominent architect in Cardiff
Robert Thomas (1926–1999), Welsh sculptor
Sue Williams, painter, awarded the Eisteddfod Gold Medal for Fine Art in 2000