UAL receives 2 million pound grant for new West London ‘School for Pre-degree Studies’

The University of the Arts London (UAL) has received a government grant of 2 million pounds from the UK government to create a new pre-degree school for art, design, media and fashion at the site of its Lime Grove campus in Shepherds Bush, West London.

The grant will allow the university to lower the carbon emissions involved in the refurbishment of the Lime Grove campus, a news article on the university website reads.

When the UAL moved the graduate courses of its London College of Fashion (LCF) to the city’s East Bank in 2023, its Lime Grove site was put on the market for sale.

Campus revamp: UAL receives grant for supporting West London art and design students

The funding will allow the university to renovate the site and establish its foundation programme as well as opportunities for further education and pre-degree studies there.

The new ‘UAL School of Pre-Degree Studies’ aims to bring together young creatives from London and across the world that are just starting out in the industry, by providing them with the tools and support to launch their career.

More specifically, “Students will have the opportunity to explore, experiment and develop their creativity,” the news article reads.

Those that successfully complete the Foundation course in art and design will be able to enrol in an undergraduate degree “at one of UAL’s six iconic colleges”, as per the university.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, the UAL will move most of its pre-degree courses in art, media, design and fashion to the West London site.

The government grant, awarded by the UK’s department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix Finance, will also help the UAL reach its net zero carbon targets, outlined in its Climate Action Plan.

The site in Shepherds Bush, West London, has been connected to the field of creative education for over a century. Three schools specialising in dressmaking, millinery, embroidery and hairdressing eventually merged into what is known as today’s London College of Fashion, UAL.