Blackpool School of Arts

Blackpool School of Arts teaches divergent thinking; practical skills and digital competencies for the future. A creative community of practice, it embraces the potential for cross-curricular working whilst retaining the specialisms of discrete disciplines. The ethos of the School rests on three pillars – Community; Connectivity and Process:

• Process – Creative thinking from inception to completion. Exploration and application of practical skills and various media.
• Connectivity – Creative connections networking; physical; environmental; industrial and spiritual connections; global interdependency and sustainability
• Community – Building creative communities of practice; local; national; international; virtual and physical communities to support inspire and live well.

Blackpool School of Arts (founded in 1939) is part of the continuing tradition of Art School education in the United Kingdom which grew out of a desire to improve the prosperity of the nation by training and educating people in the industrial; decorative and creative arts. Its roots go back to the nineteenth century and events like Prince Albert’s patronage of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Albert with Henry Cole founded the V&A to educate artists and designers and this was followed by subsequent organisations like W.R.Lethaby’s Design for Industries Association (DIA).

Simultaneously the entertainment industries were developing conservatoires. All of these aimed to increase trade and wealth through the arts and production of good looking, well designed; well made goods and experiences. In the 21st Century economic prosperity remains at the heart of the Creative Industries which is the fastest growing sector of the British economy and Blackpool’s School of Arts continues this mission.