Leeds College of Art

Founded in 1846 as the Leeds Government School of Art and Design, it is after 160 years still an independent art school one of very few in the UK and has contributed considerably to the development of art education in Britain. During the 1960's it was known as the Jacob Kramer College (1968-1993) during which time its alumni included the then rising star, Damien Hirst. Earlier Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth were students in the post-World War I era along with Raymond Coxon and Vivian Pitchforth. By 1946 it had the unusual distinction, probably unique in British art education of having no less than fifteen past students as Principals of other schools of art including the Principal of the Royal College of Art, Percy Hague Jowett. From the 1950's to the 1970's, under the auspices of Harry Thubron, the College was largely instrumental in establishing what came to be known as The Basic Design Course. Simultaneously, the establishment of the Leeds University Gregory Fellowship brought numerous practising artists of repute to the city, many of whom visited and taught at the College.

From 1968 to 1993 it was known as Jacob Kramer College, after which, having lost part of its provision to Leeds Polytechnic (the future Leeds Beckett University). It was known as Leeds College of Art and Design until 2009, and then as Leeds College of Art. In August 2017, the school was granted university status and the name was changed to Leeds Arts University.

Other past staff and alumni include singer Norman Ackroyd, Ken Armitage, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Trevor Bell, Dennis Creffield, Terry Frost, Kate Fryer, Florence Hess, Philip Naviasky, Ted Pullee, Mark Senior, Cyril Satorsky, Cecil Stephenson, Eric Taylor and singer Frankie Vaughan.