Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) is celebrating a strong start to the life of its new Hartlepool teaching facilities with student applications at an all-time high for degree study across the arts.

The leading higher education provider of specialist creative art and design degrees in the north has not only exceeded its own targets for applicants on its September 2018-degree programmes, but the number of applications have increased by more than 20 percent on last year.

This means that the college – which uses the marketing title ‘THE Northern School of Art’ – has trebled its market share since 2016, when looking at art and design student market nationally.

The increase in applications is on the back of a very successful 2017 for CCAD, which saw it open brand new £8m facilities in Hartlepool, achieve 91 percent overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey, 97 percent employability and Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

As national applications to art and design degrees are down nationally by 7,000, this is a great celebration for CCAD and for Hartlepool, which has seen an increase in out of area students. Therefore, students moving into CCAD student accommodation, managed by Thirteen, will be spending money in the local economy.

Following the excellent results, which see CCAD bucking the national trend for student applications across the UK despite a very challenging and competitive market, Pat Chapman, Vice Principal (Employability and External Relations) at CCAD, said: “Our continuing success in attracting ever growing numbers of students, going against the national trend, reflects the quality and range of our degree programmes and the fact that they not only offer an exciting student learning experience but produce graduates trained in the areas that industry are hunting for.

“As a specialist school of art we have really strong relationships with industry – regionally, nationally and internationally and a focus of what we do is enabling our students to be ready for the next step – whether that is giving them exposure at international trade shows, linking them up with world renowned artists or giving them specialist support in establishing creative business“CCAD is all about partnership and networks, attributes we pass on to our students, and this is exemplified by our current collaboration with the Department for International Trade and the partnership with Hartlepool Council and the Tees Valley Combined Authority that will see the opening of supported, dedicated creative workspace for 100 people in summer 2018.”

The college offers a varied and specialist range of subjects and areas of study across its 17 honours and foundation degree courses in 2018, including BA (Hons) Body Contour Fashion, BA (Hons) Fine Art and BA (Hons) Photographic Practice (With Moving Image).

This academic year also sees the introduction five new courses, including a Foundation Degree (FdA) in Sound Design for Stage and Screen, BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen and BA (Hons) Digital Design & Advertising.