Central Saint Martins
 | |
| The King's Cross campus | |
| Type | Art and design college |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Location | King's Cross, London |
| Website | https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/central-saint-martins |
Central Saint Martins (CSM) is an arts and design college of the University of the Arts London (UAL), based in London, England. The college was formed in 1989 through the merger of Central School of Art and Design and Saint Martin's School of Art.[1]
History
Central Saint Martins' institutional history draws on two predecessor colleges. Saint Martin's School of Art was founded in 1854, while the Central School of Arts and Crafts was founded in 1896 and later became the Central School for Art and Design. Both became part of the London Institute in 1986, and merged in 1989 to form Central Saint Martins.[2]
Drama Centre London joined the college in 1999, and Byam Shaw School of Art was merged into it in 2003.[1] The London Institute was granted university status in 2003 and adopted the title University of the Arts London in 2004.[2]
Fashion programme and alumni
Fashion teaching at the predecessor Saint Martin's School of Art developed around the work of Muriel Pemberton. Pemberton began teaching fashion drawing at Saint Martin's in 1931 and later became head of the first Faculty of Fashion and Design in Britain.[3] Her evening fashion-drawing class set the early direction of the fashion school, which dates its beginnings to 1932.[4]
Fashion alumni include John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Riccardo Tisci, Grace Wales Bonner and Richard Quinn. Tisci has credited the school with the freedom to develop an individual approach, while Wales Bonner described learning from peers and collaboration as central to her development. Fashion designer Elena Velez also studied at the college.[4] CSM's reputation as a fashion school, forged particularly in the 1980s, is reflected in its presence among London Fashion Week designers.[5]
Programmes and activities
The college's programmes are grouped across three Schools of Thought: C School (Culture), S School (Systems) and M School (Material).[1] The listed areas include art, curation, creative enterprise, fashion, graphic communication design, jewellery, textiles and materials, performance, product and industrial design, and spatial practices.[6]
The college provides shared spaces, studios and workshops, including a library and a 3D Capture studio, and runs the Lethaby Gallery, research and collaboration through CSM Innovation, and public initiatives including the Camden Schools Art Biennale.[7]
Campus and location
Central Saint Martins moved to its current King's Cross building in 2011.[1][8] Its address is 1 Granary Square, King's Cross, London N1C 4AA.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "About CSM". University of the Arts London. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 September 2014. "University of the Arts London (formerly The London Institute): A Brief History". University of the Arts London. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ Chris Beetles (3 August 1993). "Obituary: Muriel Pemberton". The Independent. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Joshua Graham (30 August 2019). "The illustrious history of Central Saint Martins". Vogue India. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ Caroline McClatchey and Alex Murray (16 September 2011). "Fashion week: Why does Central Saint Martins produce so many designers?". BBC News. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ "Our programmes". University of the Arts London. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Central Saint Martins". University of the Arts London. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ Alex Needham (22 June 2011). "A change of scene for Central Saint Martins". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2026.