AnnuAl Review 2008/9 ‘The objects of the College are to advance learning, knowledge and professional competence particularly in the field of fine arts, in the principles and practice of art and design in their relation to industrial and commercial processes and social developments and other subjects relating thereto through teaching, research and collaboration with industry and commerce.’ Charter of Incorporation of the Royal College of Art, 28 July 1967 Visitor: His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Provost: Sir Terence Conran Pro-Provost and Chairman of the Council: Sir Neil Cossons Rector and Vice-Provost: Dr Paul Thompson Editor: Octavia Reeve Design: Happily Ever After www.happily-ever-after.co.uk Photography: Marta Casellas, Anja Schaffner, Dominic Tschudin Printed by: Calverts Paper: Cocoon Silk 50% recycled, FSC mixed sources Website: www.rca.ac.uk Contents Rector’s Review 2 Design Interactions 32 Student Statistics 4 Design Products 33 2008/9 Features 6 Innovation Design Engineering 34 SHOW 2009 8 Vehicle Design 35 Battersea Campus 10 Animation 36 The Dyson Gift 12 Communication Art & Design 37 Funded Research Case Studies: Fashion 38 EPSRC/AHRC 13 Textiles 39 Exhibitions 14 Painting 40 Annual Fundraising 16 Photography 41 The RCA Experience 18 Printmaking 42 Research 20 Sculpture 43 Helen Hamlyn Centre 22 Drawing Studio 44 InnovationRCA 24 Conservation 45 Olympic & Paralympic Games 2012 26 Critical & Historical Studies 46 Design London 27 Curating Contemporary Art 47 ReachOutRCA 28 History of Design 48 Ceramics & Glass 29 Post Experience Programmes 49 Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Financial Report & Summary Accounts 50 Metalwork & Jewellery 30 College Honours & Appointments 54 Architecture 31 Donors & Sponsors 55 1 ReCtoR’s Review Sculpture. I am delighted to announce The three pillars of the Royal College of Art that Professors Miles Pennington, Tord are: postgraduate teaching; research; and Boontje, and Richard Wentworth join the College for the 2009/10 academic year innovation and knowledge transfer. I am delighted to lead these respective departments. Also in 2009, the RCA was honoured to to report significant success in each of these welcome John Studzinski CBE, financier principal activities. and philanthropist, as a member of Council, chaired by Sir Neil Cossons. In order to attract the best artists and Firstly, teaching: In summer 2009, 405 tenth anniversary at the heart of the RCA designers in the world to study, research students presented their work in our with a major exhibition supported by the and teach at the Royal College, we need graduate Shows, with over 40,000 visitors European Commission. to improve and enhance our workshops, flocking to the exhibitions. These are equipment, seminar rooms and studios. attendance records that any museum or Thirdly, innovation and knowledge This academic year witnessed the opening gallery would truly be proud of, and it transfer: InnovationRCA, the College’s of the new Sculpture building in Battersea, is a real testament to the public’s sense innovation network for business, has and the continuing development of the of excitement and fascination with our continued its vital role of assisting recent new Battersea campus, with the Painting MA work that so many industry leaders, or current graduates to take ingenious Department moving into the new Sackler talent recruiters and members of the design concepts to marketplace. Similarly, Building in Autumn 2009, thanks to general public chose to visit the College Design London, our partnership with the generosity of the Dr Mortimer and that fortnight. I’d like to thank especially Imperial College, nurtured six new Theresa Sackler Foundation. Looking the Conran Foundation for its continued business ventures through incubation, ahead to the future, Phase 2 of the support of the graduate Shows. As with two projects, ‘Plumis’ and ‘Artica’, Battersea development will commence in important, when the SHOW is dismantled now poised for market commercialisation. January 2010, resulting in new incubator and life returns back to normal, we can In partnership with the best minds in units, a lecture theatre and gallery, and report that RCA graduates continue to fare business and engineering at Imperial new facilities for the Photography and well in the workplace, with approximately College London, we present a formidable Printmaking Departments. We thank 93% of our graduates gaining employment team: committed to a high-tech industrial Council member and RCA alumnus Sir at an appropriate professional level, within future and exploiting creative design James Dyson and the James Dyson a year of graduating. This is particularly capital in pursuit of job and wealth creation. Foundation for their extraordinary gift, gratifying at a time of economic recession. which has enabled us to realise this vision. The ethos of the Royal College places With this tremendous commitment, Secondly, research: The College’s a high value on people and intellectual Phase 2 advances onwards, ready for impressive results in the 2008 Research capital. 2009 marked the retirement of occupancy in 2012. Assessment Exercise, undertaken by Rector Professor Sir Christopher Frayling. the Higher Education Funding Council For thirty-five years, Christopher has Please join me in bidding farewell and of England, confirmed our world- served the College, as Head of the ‘Thank you’ to departing staff, including class pre-eminence: 40% of the RCA’s Humanities School, as Pro-Rector, and Professors Ron Arad (Head of Design research output was rated ‘5’, or ‘world since 1997, as Rector. Under his tenure, Products), Tom Barker (Head of IDE), leading’, with a further 25% scoring a the Helen Hamlyn Centre was born; it was Sandra Kemp (Director of Research), ‘4’, as ‘internationally excellent’. This his vision that shaped Design London Glynn Williams (Head of Sculpture) and is an extraordinary record and a solid and InnovationRCA; and of course the William Lindsay (Head of Conservation). endorsement of our staff’s academic Battersea campus will stand as his legacy. We also note with sadness the loss of H distinction. This year also witnessed He has driven academic excellence and T Cadbury-Brown, Robert Heritage and the creation of a new chair, the Helen brought international prominence to David Mellor. Hamlyn Professor of Design, thanks to the RCA. All of the Royal College of Art the generosity of the Helen Hamlyn Trust. join me in wishing Sir Christopher and I wish to thank all of the RCA community Jeremy Myerson has been appointed as Lady Frayling a happy retirement. One for the terrifically warm welcome you’ve the first Helen Hamlyn Professor of Design of the most stimulating tasks I was asked given me, and I look forward to working and will continue to lead a world-class to undertake before formally assuming with you over the years ahead. research and advocacy programme in the reins as Rector in September 2009, design for an ageing population, universal was to assist in the selection of three design and design in healthcare. This year new Heads of Department: Innovation saw the Helen Hamlyn Centre celebrate its Design Engineering, Design Products and 2 Dr Paul Thompson, Rector of the Royal College of Art 3 STUDENT STATISTICS A major survey of graduates who studied at Student Numbers 2008/9 the RCA from 2002 to 2007 revealed that Applied Art Ceramics & Glass 48 prospects for RCA graduates are exceptionally Goldsmithing Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jewellery 40 strong. The percentages below indicate the School Total 88 proportion of graduates in directly related Architecture & Design employment/activity. Architecture 47 Design Interactions 35 Design Products 76 School of Applied Art School Total 158 Ceramics & Glass 98% Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Communications Metalwork & Jewellery 99% Animation 30 Communication Art & Design 105 School of Architecture & Design School Total 135 Architecture 95% Design Interactions 89% Design for Production Design Products 93% Innovation Design Engineering 62 Vehicle Design 40 School of Communications School Total 102 Animation 95% Communication Art & Design 90% Fashion & Textiles Fashion Menswear 26 School of Design for Production Fashion Womenswear 46 Innovation Design Engineering 95% Textiles 70 Vehicle Design 95% School Total 142 School of Fashion & Textiles 95% Fine Art Painting 41 School of Fine Art Photography 48 Painting 93% Printmaking 45 Photography 98% Sculpture 41 Printmaking 91% School Total 175 Sculpture 95% Humanities School of Humanities Conservation 12 Conservation 86% Critical & Historical Studies 6 Curating Contemporary Art 95% Curating Contemporary Art 37 History of Design 80% History of Design 46 School Total 101 Grand Totals 901 4 Applications Student Nationalities Applicants Admissions 2008/9 2008/9 Argentine 2 Australian 5 Applied Art Austrian 3 Ceramics & Glass 52 21 Belgian 4 Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Brazilian 5 Metalwork & Jewellery 63 19 British 486 School Total 115 40 Bulgarian 3 Canadian 9 Architecture & Design Chilean 1 Architecture 185 21 Chinese 8 Design Interactions 65 16 Colombian 3 Design Products 155 41 Croatian 1 School Total 405 78 Cypriot 5 Czech 2 Communications Danish 22 Animation 65 16 Dutch 17 Communication Art & Design 297 47 English 1 School Total 362 63 Finnish 8 French 40 Design for Production German 42 Innovation Design Engineering 74 31 Greek 17 Vehicle Design 50 21 Hungarian 1 School Total 124 52 Indian 9 Iranian 1 Fashion & Textiles Irish 19 Fashion Menswear 37 12 Israeli 5 Fashion