School of Arts and Creative Industries

Our academic staff create a diverse and innovative learning environment that will not only challenge you but also expose you to a rich mix of culture and knowledge. You will be supported by excellent technical and administrative staff and the courses are taught in purpose-built facilities to ensure you have a full suite of resources available to you throughout your study.

We are at the heart of the cultural life of our local communities and of London itself: supplying some of the key talent, skills and ideas that will help shape the future of the UK's creative economy. 

Overview

• The School of Arts and Creative Industries' breadth of media, fashion and performance areas are grounded in creative excellence and framed by extensive community and industry collaboration. Our music, dance, drama, performing arts and acting courses are part of the vibrant arts and theatre scene of East London, with our yearly FUEL performance festival standing as one example of this.
• Our media courses engage you in a range of cutting-edge media practice and debates and allow you to learn by practising your skills in real live contexts, such as film festival participation (Film), football clubs (Sports Journalism) and games jams (Games). Our fashion design, textiles and marketing courses have innovation and enterprise at their heart, challenging the boundaries of traditional design, textile, fashion business and marketing. Our courses participate in a wide range of influential activities inclusive of the learning experience at UEL such as fashion weeks, trade shows and collaborative projects with industry partners in design, retail, styling, sustainable textile developments for industry and much more.

Key features

• All our students develop a range of practical skills and techniques while developing an understanding of the professional, cultural, social, technological contexts of their practice.
• As well as learning about your subject we prepare you for the jobs of tomorrow. We equip you with useful life skills.
• We provide you with strong industry links - placements, collaborations and staff with real industry experience.
• We believe interdisciplinary study is a core component of future work - cross-School collaborations and opportunities provide you with broader experience and skills.
• We encourage an entrepreneurial spirit.
• We celebrate the diversity in the School - a rich mix of students, staff, experience and opportunities nurture a creative and collaborative environment.

Key facilities

• All our students are taught in discipline specific spaces equipped with facilities, materials and equipment loans for making, performing and collaborating on practical projects. 
• Students perform in a range of multi-purpose performance studios, production spaces and sound studios at our USS campus. 
• Fashion facilities at the Docklands campus include pattern cutting and sewing studios that boast state of the art machinery for manufacturing.
• Production and media students benefit from a range of green screen, newsroom, mac labs, edit, games and animation suites.

Our subjects

Media

• Our media courses offer the perfect mix of practical skills, knowledge and analysis, propelling you towards a rewarding future in the creative industries.

Performing Arts

• Our expertise and our well-equipped USS campus will help you develop your creative potential in the world of music, dance, theatre and performance.

Fashion

• Our fashion and textile department offers a wide range of exciting courses in design, textiles, marketing and business studies.

Industry Links and Research
Research

• The School of Arts and Creative Industries is a centre of excellence for innovative and creative research, across and between a range of disciplines - among them film and media, fashion, computer games; performing arts, music, dance and drama; cultural studies and creative writing. Our research is socially engaged, collaborative and interdisciplinary and is integrated into the student experience by our research-active staff.
• It is also embedded in our East London location; issues of diversity and marginalisation, cultural and social regeneration, social justice and community cohesion, are central themes. Our research activities include not only academic books and articles but also theatre performances, musical and fashion events, gallery exhibitions, and films.
• Our work addresses public policy, neoliberalism and the cultural impact of digital technology, alongside debates about creative practice, cultural memory and modern urban cultures. Both in scholarly publications and creative practice research, we aim to question and illuminate, which in turn engages and motivates students to become active participants alongside our researchers in wider civic and cultural life. 
• Research-informed teaching is a key part of our research culture. Student experience at all levels is enriched by the encounter with original research: students are taught by leading experts in their fields, and have opportunities to participate in creative external research projects through internships and placements. We have a lively programme of events and seminars that students are welcome to attend, offering interaction and debate.

Industry links

• Our courses are focused on preparing students for careers in the creative industries, through a mix of skills and knowledge in production, theory, reflection, enterprise and industry engagement. 
• Students learn about the creative industries from day one and learn to produce work of professional standard for projects, festivals, business or entertainment, working to live or simulated briefs. 
• Our staff are makers, practitioners in industry or they research industry trends and developments. Companies we work with include V&A East, East London Dance, Urban Development (Music), ASOS, Amazon and Hand and Lock. 
• Interdisciplinary projects focus on the life and community of East London, bringing our courses to life through engagement with local enterprises, third-sector companies and local organisations.