UAL Chancellor Grayson Perry and Vice-Chancellor Nigel Carrington were joined by hundreds of supporters, staff past and present and students as they hosted a reception on 5 March to mark the official re-launch of Camberwell College of Arts following its two-year redevelopment.
Camberwell College of the Arts’ £69million redevelopment
The redevelopment is part of a wider University of the Arts London regeneration investment of £440 million across its London sites, which includes Chelsea College of Arts’ move to Pimlico (2005), Central St Martins’ move to King’s Cross (2011), and the proposed new London College of Communication site at Elephant and Castle.
The redevelopment has refurbished much of the 1970s building and created a new 60,000- square feet extension. Together they house an enhanced library, new galleries, a large lecture theatre and creative studios offering first-class facilities for students and staff spanning ceramics, illustration, graphic design, painting, photography and sculpture, among others. The existing site has been further expanded to offer 264-rooms for student accommodation in a dedicated new building, making it the only London-based art/design college with an on-site residential block. The development has been designed by RIBA award-winning Stephen Marshall Architects.
“Art gives us fulfillment”- Grayson Perry
The event was attended by the staff and students past and present, local residents, journalists, politicians and and a whole host of well-known artists and figures from the art world.
UAL Chancellor was joined by first year BA Illustration students (lr); Student ambassadors (r) welcomed guest and led tours on the night
After being welcomed by UAl Chancellor Nigel Carrington, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of College, Professor David Crow and Associate Dean, Amanda Jenkins, guests heard from UAL Chancellor Grayson Perry .
Grayson Perry, who has been University of the Arts London’s chancellor since 2015, is a Turner-prize winning artist and widely regarded as one of the most important visual artists working in the UK today. In a passionate address to guests, Grayson spoke about his belief that an arts education should be available to everyone.
The Chancellor said, “Here we are to celebrate making stuff and taking art seriously. Art gives us fulfilment and meaning in our lives.”
“This is a delightful space in a thriving community which will enable students to realise their potential and to craft, create and take risks. Every artist needs the right environment to be able to nurture and cultivate their talents and I’m sure these excellent facilities will support our students as they develop their individual style and technique. The redevelopment of Camberwell College of Arts will also act as a touchpoint with the local community – a way of welcoming in inspired artists, young and old, through our doors and into our creative family.”
Tours of the new spaces and Celebrate Camberwell film
After the speeches guests embarked on tours of the new teaching spaces, library, public gallery, workshops and accommodation block, meeting staff and students on the way.
Student work was on display along the routes and in the student-led gallery and some guests joined in with craft-activities making badges and posing for portraits.
Celebrate Camberwell – the film
Screens in the canteen and reception area showed time-lapse footage of the building works and recent student fashion shows. Down in the brand new lecture theatre, guests viewed a specially-produced film about the redevelopment which included staff and student reflections of life at Camberwell and its redeveloped sited.
Lighting installations
To mark the occasion, the building’s façade was illuminated with a striking lighting installation designed by fine art alumni Emma and Brendan Smith, of Insight Lighting. Emma and Brenda based the design on the CYMK colour model in a nod to Camberwell’s long association with print and graphic design. They also lit the courtyard adjacent to the new building with a series of projections of student work onto the panels of Gardens House, Camberwell’s brand new accommodation block.
Come and see for yourself
Check out more photos from the Celebrate Camberwell event and some of facilities and spaces at Camberwell College of Arts.
If you would like to come and see the building for yourself, visit our events page to find our more about what is going on in the college. As well as our Open House weekend in June and the summer shows, we have a packed schedule of year-round events in our public programme.
Camberwell Space, which is open from Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and on Saturdays between 12-4pm, is already garnering a lot of acclaim for its bold programming and is quickly establishing itself as an important new venue on the London art scene.
We hope to see you soon.