About us

History

We have over a century of pioneering practice in our past and proudly continue this tradition of provocation. As our community shifts, so do the disciplines we offer and the way we teach them.

We began as two colleges founded in the nineteenth century: St Martin’s School of Art and the Central School of Art and Crafts (which became the Central School for Art and Design in 1966). Both believed in the fundamental importance of learning through making and were known for their radical approach to art and design – values which remain at the core of our teaching today. In 1989, the two colleges merged to form Central Saint Martins. We welcomed Drama Centre London in 1999 and the Byam Shaw School of Art in 2003.

In 2011, we moved to our award-winning building in King’s Cross, where all of these elements now flourish and collide under one roof. We sit at the heart of a dynamic part of London: Google, The Guardian, Tom Dixon, Universal Music and many others are our neighbours and partners. In this fast-changing environment, we draw from our own history while always looking to the future.

Alumni (just a few)

Jarvis Cocker – Hussein Chalayan – Christopher Kane – Michael Fassbender – Sophia Kokosalaki – Kim Jones – Cathy Lomax – Sarah Burton – Giles Deacon – Roksanda Ilincic – M.I.A. – Es Devlin – Alexander McQueen – Stella McCartney – Rungano Nyoni – Joshua Oppenheimer – Tom Hardy – John Alexander Skelton – Laure Prouvost – Jean Julien – Raqib Shaw – Joe Wright – Paloma Faith – Craig Green – Phoebe Boswell – Marques'Almeida – Jonathan Barnbrook – Helen Marten – Fernando Laposse – Harley Weir – Quentin Jones – Isamaya Ffrench – Richard Nicoll – Gary Card – Lee Broom – Shantell Martin – Sam Hecht – Campbell Addy – Joseph Joseph – Gemma Chan – Emilia Clarke – Mary Katrantzou – Mona Hatoum – Jonathan Saunders – Charles Jeffrey Loverboy – Ib Kamara – Afroditi Krassa – Josephine Pryde – Nicole Werners – Molly Goddard – Reiko Kaneko – Hannah Martin – Morag Myerscough – Carol Morley – Wallace Sewell – Grace Wales Bonner – Cecilia Weckstrom – PriestmanGoode – Dexter Dalwood – Sharmadean Reid – Gwendoline Christie – Tara Fitzgerald