Students working at the Royal College of Art

The Royal College of Art (RCA) has launched GenerationRCA, an ambitious five-year campaign programme representing the most significant development in its history since the College was founded in 1837. GenerationRCA will drive the RCA’s radical new academic vision by focusing on three key pillars: ‘Places, Projects and People.’

GenerationRCA will see the RCA transform its campuses and the ways in which the university teaches, researches and creates. On a site immediately opposite its existing Battersea campus, the RCA will open a new state-of-the-art building. After 2021, the RCA will turn its focus to its historic site in Kensington, and undertake the revitalisation of its Grade II-listed Darwin Building which opened in 1961, designed by Sir Hugh Casson, H.T. Cadbury-Brown and Robert Goodden.

The RCA’s academic vision is to transform the accepted paradigm of an art and design university, by injecting key scientific disciplines into the mix of creative disciplines traditionally on offer. The College will continue along its recent path of introducing exciting and provocative new programmes such as Environmental Architecture and Digital Direction with future programmes centred on nano and soft robotics, computer science and machine learning, materials science and the circular economy.

At present, the RCA welcomes the world’s most creative and talented individuals from some 76 different nationalities. GenerationRCA will establish a significant scholarship endowment fund, which will be built up over generations to come, in order to ensure that the most gifted students, irrespective of their financial circumstances, are able to study at the RCA. New faculty positions will be established in distinct new fields of academic endeavour.

RCA launches ​​ambitious future plans GenerationRCA (photo by Tianxing Bai)

Sir Jony Ive, Chancellor, RCA, said: “I believe that the Royal College of Art is a truly unique community, a vital, creative environment where the nature of ideas are explored and nurtured, where the cross-pollination and collaboration of different disciplines is encouraged, uniting diverse groups in pursuit of discovery, and feeding and supporting the momentum which encourages an acceptance of the challenges associated with doing hard things, encouraging the curiosity, openness and care that are at the heart of innovation.

“I remain completely in awe and completely enchanted by the creative process, so Im particularly proud to have the chance to represent and help guide this extraordinary institution as Chancellor, as we enter one of the most exciting times in its history.”

In 2016, the RCA presented an ambitious business case to Government, requesting exceptional one-off funding support in order to realise its new strategic vision. Following discussions with Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and HM Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that they would contribute £54m to underpin the RCA’s new strategy, in particular, its goal to double the number of start-ups exiting InnovationRCA, its business and commercialisation incubator.

Royal College of Art - Ascan Mergenthaler, Asif Kapadia, Baroness Gail Rebuck DBE, Dr Paul Thompson, Kate Strudwick, Dr Rathna Ramanthan

The RCA, whose Pro-Chancellor is Baroness Gail Rebuck, today celebrates the news that it has reached some 70% of its philanthropic goal for the Battersea campus, thanks to a £15 million gift from The Sigrid Rausing Trust.

When announcing the gift, Dr Sigrid Rausing commented: “The Royal College of Art has an impressive record of teaching, innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, with ambitious plans for the future. I am delighted to make this gift, which will help the College build the infrastructure it needs to enable a new generation of students to develop creative ideas and concepts within the public sector.”(Tianxing Bai)