Plymouth College of Art Pre-Degree students move into Palace Court
16 to 18-year-olds studying creative Extended Diplomas at Plymouth College of Art have moved into the college’s newest campus, Palace Court on Buckwell Street. The opening of this specialist Pre-Degree campus mark’s the next stage in Plymouth College of Art’s commitment to offering a progressive continuum of creative learning and practice in the region.
The college’s acquisition of the historic Palace Court marks a return to the site, which was first occupied by Plymouth College of Art in 1949. The refurbished and remodelled campus now boasts a dynamic set of workshop and studio spaces with over 600m2 designed to meet the needs of modern art, design and media students. Palace Court is the first dedicated Extended Diploma campus at an art school in the South West.
Space includes access to integrated industry-standard digital facilities throughout the
campus, including specialist curriculum-based resources for each course and wi-fi access. As well as a social area, Palace Court includes a print room, kitted out with facilities for specialist printmaking and screenprinting, and a lighting studio for photography and film practice.
The move to Palace Court is part of a wider scheme of enhancements to Extended Diploma programmes at Plymouth College of Art, which includes the introduction of Extended Diplomas awarded by University of the Arts London (UAL). UAL Extended Diplomas are equivalent to three A-Levels and are recognised by UCAS. They are also recognised by arts universities throughout the UK and by creative industry employers.
The UAL Extended Diploma qualifications are structured in a way that broadens the skills of learners by promoting experimentation with different techniques. Unlike conventional education settings, students in Palace Court can freely interact with other disciplines within our studio learning environment, just as they would in professional industries. Through a combination of visiting lecturers, collaborative public exhibitions and creative briefs, UAL Extended Diplomas equip students with the skills that they need either to study an art and design subject at degree level or to go straight into work in the creative industries.
Palace Court combines a collaborative art school and high energy creative learning environment with a modern curriculum that reflects all the technical and personal skills that young people in the South West will need to progress in the UK’s booming creative industries, which contribute over £80 billion per year to the UK economy and provide employment for over 1.8 million people.