The Northern School of Art has been shaping creative education in Hartlepool since 1873, when the Government School of Art was established in the town. Built on foundations of craftsmanship, creativity and practical learning, the School developed alongside the changing industries and culture of the North East, while always remaining focused on the value of specialist arts education.

Hartlepool became a permanent home for higher-level creative study in the late 1960s, when the purpose-built College of Art and Design opened in Church Square. That creative atmosphere continues today, with studios, workshops and creative spaces that support students across art, design, film, fashion, and performance.

Today, The Northern School of Art is home to our undergraduate and postgraduate courses, helping students refine their practice, develop professional skills and prepare for careers in the creative industries. Our graduates and alumni have gone on to shape culture across the UK and beyond, including figures such as Sir Ridley Scott, one of Britain’s most influential film directors, and Mackenzie Thorpe, whose paintings and sculptures are recognised internationally for their emotional depth and distinctive northern voice. The School has also educated artists, illustrators and designers such as Basil Beattie, Royal Academician, Curtis Jobling, illustrator and creator of Bob the Builder, and Steve Bell, long-standing political cartoonist for The Guardian.

Alongside The Northern College of Art in Middlesbrough, we form one connected creative institution with more than 150 years of shared history. Students can begin their studies in Middlesbrough and progress into Higher Education in Hartlepool, remaining part of the same creative community throughout their journey.

Creative education has always evolved with the world around it. What has never changed is our belief in making, experimentation and giving people the space to develop their own ideas, perspectives and creative futures.

The Hartlepool campus has been shaped by decades of specialist creative education and remains closely connected to the town’s artistic history. After the establishment of the Government School of Art in 1873, the institution gradually developed a permanent creative presence in Hartlepool, eventually leading to the opening of the purpose-built College of Art and Design in Church Square during the late 1960s.

The creation of the Church Square campus marked a major moment in the School’s history, providing a dedicated home for higher-level creative education in Hartlepool. Designed specifically for art and design teaching, the building helped establish the studio culture and creative atmosphere that still define the campus today.

Over the years, the campus has continued to evolve alongside changing creative industries and technologies, while remaining rooted in specialist arts education. Today, students study across a range of creative spaces, workshops and professional environments that support contemporary practice while continuing a creative legacy that stretches back more than 150 years.