Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design

Art and design received 'excellent' ratings of 23 out of 24 in the most recent art & design subject reviews by the QAA.

The Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design is a centre of excellence for the applied arts in 2D, 3D and time-based media. Our mission is to prepare students to be reflective and skilled practitioners in the creative industries, whatever their chosen discipline.

The department is internationally renowned for its unique range of courses, state-of-the-art facilities and high-quality teaching. We achieved 23 out of 24 in the subject review for Art and Design in the most recent QAA review. Our teaching staff includes working practitioners - many celebrated worldwide in their fields of research - as well as visiting lecturers, industry freelancers and artists-in-residence. We are located within the vibrant creative community of galleries, designers, artists, museums, media and cultural industries that surround the City campus.

All students can access computing, photographic and reprographic facilities together with specialist technical support. We have the widest range of specialist facilities in Europe for silversmithing, jewellery, furniture, furnishing and technologies in music. These include CNC, CAD and CAM for work in metal, wood, plastics and musical instrument manufacture, as well as workshops supporting instrument-making and repair; furniture prototype and batch production; upholstery and soft furnishing; silversmithing and jewellery; and finishing processes for wood and metal. There are studios for graphic design and interior design, drawing, painting, installation and performance-related activity, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, time-based media and 3D design. Our laboratories support electronic and acoustic study, materials science and restoration and conservation.

Students benefit from a video studio, professional high definition video cameras, video and editing suites, photography studio and darkrooms, a radio/sound-editing studio and a screening room. The dedicated digital animation studios are equipped with high-definition editing and animation workstations with all the relevant software. Other resources include a blue-screen studio and negotiated access to professional sound studios. We have a strong publications record in youth culture, Hollywood film, and media audiences and mass communications.

The London Metropolitan Polymer Centre has a long history of teaching and research. It is recognised throughout the UK and global polymer (plastics and rubber) industry. Our activities are established and developed to meet the specific needs of this sector and our international reputation attracts many students from overseas. Polymer engineering leads to many careers and our extensive industry connections suport those seeking employment.

Our excellent processing facilities include laboratories with a wide range of manufacturing-scale polymer processing equipment, giving you hands-on experience of polymer processing. We also have up-to-date laboratories for polymer testing and characterisation. The Centre also specialises in the design aspects of manufacturing.

Galleries, festivals, competitions and collections
The department has galleries at Central House and Commercial Road that put on shows of international standing, as well as our Frederick Parker Gallery containing the famous Parker Knoll collection of over 165 chairs dating from 1650. Metropolitan Works, our professional Digital Manufacturing Centre, is equipped with state-of-the-art design equipment and resources.

Many students have had work shown at international festivals and won competitions, such as the 100% Design Award, Goldsmiths Craft Council Awards, The Formica Award, Channel Mesh scheme, and European Animator of the Year.

Career prospects
Our strong links with employers and industry offer students access to live projects and commercial briefs. We also have excellent links with institutions such as the British Jewellers’ Association, the Design Museum and Whitechapel Art Gallery and The Worshipful Companies of Furniture Makers. We are involved in the organisation of external festivals and projects such as The Big City Festival, Eat My Shorts and the Satellite Project.

Companies our graduates work for include:

BBC
British Film Institute
Dyson
Gensler
Guardian
Imagination
Interbrand
Mean Fiddler
National Gallery
Natural History Museum
National Trust
Saatchi and Saatchi
Tate Gallery
Vogue

Our graduates’ careers include:

Animator
Art Conservator
Art Handler
Buyer
Camera Operator
Conservation Scientist
Curator
Furniture Designer
Graphic Designer
Interior Designer
Jewellery Designer
Model Maker
Photographer
Producer
Recording Engineer
Sculptor
Silversmith
Set Designer
Soundtrack Composer
Studio Manager
Textile Designer
Trend Forecaster
Web Designer
Wood Machinist

Staff profiles

Professor Brian Falconbridge
Professor Brian Falconbridge, Head of the Department, is an artist and academic. He has exhibited widely nationally and internationally in approximately 100 exhibitions since 1972 and is President of the Royal British Society of Sculptors.

‘This is an exciting time to join 'the Cass'. In keeping with the University’s mission to shape London as a world city, we see ourselves as a "school" developing the critical practitioners needed by the contemporary local, national and global creative economies in the fields of art, design and media. I’m extremely proud of the high calibre of staff, resources, technology and industry links we can offer our students.’

Mah Rana
Mah Rana, Senior Lecturer, is an internationally-acclaimed jewellery designer. She runs her own workshop and designs and manufactures jewellery, as well as producing one-off art pieces for galleries and museums.

‘The wealth of facilities available to our students is exceptional for a London college. But it’s the tangible sense of community within our student body that I find most unique. Rather than work in isolation, individuals benefit greatly from interaction and shared creative thinking. The courses feel like they are part of a broader career, an opportunity to develop a real professional network that will continue long after graduation.’

Professor Shahriar Hashemi
Professor Shahriar Hashemi, Subject Leader for Polymer Studies, is a Fellow of Institute Material, Minerals and Mining (IoM3) and has a greatly respected reputation in the field of Polymers. He is the author of many published research papers in the field and acts as a referee for many national and international Journals.

‘Our dedicated staff and excellent teaching and laboratory facilities ensure that you are well prepared to meet the demanding challenges ahead. You will experience easy access to staff with a friendly and informal approach, making you feel as a part of family, striving to achieve excellence. We treat you as our customers, so your satisfaction is our goal.’

Dr Alicia Chrysostomou
Dr Alicia Chrysostomou, Senior Lecturer in Polymer Technology, is an active member of the Institute of Material, Minerals and Mining (IoM3). An active Polymer Engineer, Writer and Researcher, she takes a creative, hands-on approach to widening public knowledge and interest in plastic and rubber materials and their potential.
‘I am particularly interested in environmental aspects, such as the recycling and reprocessing of polymers and the use of natural products. I’m keen that our students balance their academic knowledge of polymer technology with both a practical skills base that they can take to employers and a thorough understanding of the changing global context.’