Nottingham Trent University, School of Art and Design

The ‘School of Design’ opened on the 01 April 1843, at the People's Hall[6] in Beck Lane (now Heathcote Street), moving to Plumptre House in Stoney Street in 1852, and to Commerce Square, off High Pavement, in 1858. In 1863, a site was purchased in Waverley Street for the construction of a building specifically for the school.

Building work started on 23 May 1863 but the foundation stone wasn't laid until 22 October that year when Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle was available for the ceremony.[7] The school was opened by Henry Pelham-Clinton, 6th Duke of Newcastle on 19 June 1865. The architect was Frederick Bakewell. In front of the building is a statue of the artist Richard Parkes Bonington, produced by Watson Fothergill.

Mindful of the School's heritage, and the importance of creativity, arts and culture for the future, there was the opportunity to celebrate Art and Design education in Nottingham during 2014, with numerous events throughout the year. See '2014: the year ahead'.[8]

Also there was an exhibition titled, 'Since 1843: In The Making', which celebrated the creative contribution to the world, of some of the best alumni[9] from the past 170 years.[10]

In 2006/07, NTU was ranked as being in the top three universities in England and Wales for its graduate employability record; 97% of graduates finding related employment, or further study, within six months of finishing their course.[11] During the same period, the School of Art and Design was ranked in the top three in the UK, by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for the number of students who gained course-related placements.

Nottingham Trent University's City site is based close to the heart of Nottingham city centre, its facilities, transport links and student accommodation are supported by the many local shops, bars and amenities nearby. Nottingham also consistently ranks among the top ten UK cities as an excellent shopping and nightlife destination.[12]

The School of Art and Design is based at the University's City site, about half a mile from the city centre. The tram network, Nottingham Express Transit or NET,[13] has the 'Trent University' stop adjacent to the Boots Library on Goldsmith Street.

All of NTU's art and design courses are based at three buildings on the University's City site. They are each a few minutes walk from NTU's main student facilities, and are about a ten-minute walk to Nottingham's Old Market Square.

Bonington building — a labyrinthian three-story building.

Opened in 1969 by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,[14] and upgraded in 2005, this state-of-the-art equipped facility, offers a rich and varied environment of art and design techniques, ranging from the traditional to the modern. Included in the design, at the heart of the building, is a high-ceilinged exhibition space, known as 'Bonington Gallery'. It is one of the oldest art galleries in Nottingham.[15] Bonington was officially re-opened in May 2006 by Sir Paul Smith.[16]

• Modern art and design studios, workshops, ceramics and glass kilns
• Photographic studios
• Fashion studios, electronic garment and knitwear technology
• Digital textile printing, digital loom and embroidery equipment
• Laser cutting technology
• Computer suites, CAD systems, image and sound editing studios
• Exhibition galleries
• Art and design shop
• Café and social spaces

Waverley building — a restored, listed building with design heritage.

The Waverley building houses the Nottingham School of Art and Design since 1865. As part of the NTU's buildings regeneration plan, and in recognition of its importance and provenance, the University arranged for constructional adjustments and refurbishment to upgrade all the facilities, including an exhibition space, disabled access and an improved environment for both staff and students. The upgrade being completed in the year 2000 at a cost of £1.4M[17]

• Gallery and exhibition foyer
• Working studio theatre
• Design workshops and studios
• Wardrobe department including dye and production facilities
• Audio and video suites with editing facilities
• Integrated Windows and Mac IT suites

Maudslay building — a centre for industry and technology.

During 2006, the Maudslay building was upgraded to incorporate real-life, industry-standard design facilities and modern working studio environments.

• Product and furniture workshops: wood synthetics and metal fabrication facilities
• Design studios and working display areas
• IT learning unit, with computer-aided design (CAD) suite
• 'Rapid prototyping' modellers: machines creating a 3D solid object from a virtual computer model
• Waterjet cutter: latest generation technology to cut and shape solid materials, such as glass, steel, granite and marble using a precision waterjet that travels at twice the speed of sound
• CNC (computer-numerical control) router and brand new laser cutter
• Location of designated placement office support unit for all courses
• The Hive: designed for NTU staff, students and graduates, but open to anyone with an idea they want to develop[18]

Courses are offered at undergraduate levels (BA Hons in numerous disciplines)[19] and also MAs[20] in a wide range of subjects.

There is an MA by 'Registered Project or thesis', offered as a flexible postgraduate course, allowing students to tailor their course specifically around their areas of individual interest.[21] There are a variety of Part-time, Art and Design MA courses beginning in 2021 and 2022.[22]

At the postgraduate level of research degrees, all of the institution's research groups were rated as nationally or internationally excellent in the Research Assessment Exercise of 2001. Art and Design in particular, gaining a rating of: 3a - 'Quality that equates to attainable levels of national excellence in over two-thirds of the research activity submitted, possibly showing evidence of international excellence.'[23][24]

In the field of art and design, NTU[25] has links with a wide range of companies, professional bodies and institutions on an international level, including Apple, Arcadia Group, Boots (company), Broadway,[26] Fashion Institute of Technology, Association of Illustrators, Marks & Spencer, Sony, and Sophie Steller.[27]

The University has international liaison staff, course tutors and trained counsellors to give international students advice and practical help, and also offers a detailed orientation programme the week before term begins.[28] University representatives regularly travel to international education fairs to give advice and information to overseas applicants.[29]

NTU has links across Europe, the United States, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, India, Africa, and the Far East, both through individual contacts and exchange programmes.[30]

Many of NTU's undergraduate courses offer the opportunity to spend time studying at a university overseas. Students can do this in Europe through the Erasmus Programme, previously known as the Socrates programme from 1994 until 1999, and then Socrates II from 2000 until 2006. For countries worldwide, there is the University's study abroad scheme.[31]