Central Saint Martins (CSM) has an international reputation as a world-leading art school producing generations of extraordinary creative practitioners who have had significant impact in the creative industries shaping how we see the world. The College has a legacy of engaging with the global debate about the arts, performance and design, and their role in societal transformation. This is at the heart of what we do: we challenge what people think they know about the arts, performance, and design, and how it shapes and impacts us all.
Central Saint Martins offers a working environment that is alive with different ways of thinking, making and doing. Creative practice combines the ability to imagine new futures with the means to deliver them. As such, artists and designers are equipped to address our urgent global challenges – from tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies to forging more equitable societies. Our students and staff work with hope and uncertainty, using their compassion and vision to shape the world through creative action.
What we do is always connected to others. Our community goes beyond building, beyond disciplines and beyond borders. From local neighbours to global partners, Central Saint Martins collaborates with others to build knowledge and transform objects, systems and lives for the better. We understand that good things happen when people work together, and we believe that art, design and performance can generate real, productive change.
Our history
We have over a century of pioneering practice in our past and proudly continue this tradition of provocation. As our community shifts, so do the disciplines we offer and the way we teach them.
We began as two colleges founded in the nineteenth century: St Martin’s School of Art and the Central School of Art and Crafts (which became the Central School for Art and Design in 1966). Both believed in the fundamental importance of learning through making and were known for their radical approach to art and design – values which remain at the core of our teaching today. In 1989, the two colleges merged to form Central Saint Martins. We welcomed Drama Centre London in 1999 and the Byam Shaw School of Art in 2003.
In 2011, we moved to our award-winning building in King’s Cross, where all of these elements now flourish and collide under one roof. In this fast-changing environment, we draw from our own history while always looking to the future.
