Art Colleges of the 1960s–1970s in the Context of the History of Art Education in Great Britain

The article gives a brief overview of the history of art education in Great Britain, starting with the first ‘academies’ of the 18th century, and considers the steps taken by the British government in the 19th and 20th centuries to bring the curricula closer to real production needs. In the spotlight of the study is so-called Coldstream Reports period (1960s and 1970s) when entry requirements for applicants intending to study art were significantly implemented in comparison with the 1950s. At the same time, the new curricula provided in-depth knowledge of art and a comprehensive liberal arts education. This education model made British art colleges one of the centers of modern pop culture (many musicians and their album cover art designers were studying during that period in art colleges or in the faculties of arts). The main elements that made art colleges of this period stand out were: the Basic Design, the more rigorous selection of applicants compared to the 1950s, the introduction of compulsory art history courses and the availability of “breadth of education” courses, and the role of teachers such as Richard Hamilton.