Arts SU has launched its 2024 report into the availability and accessibility of UAL's studio and workshop spaces.

In the 2023/24 academic year, we asked our students to share their experiences of the studio and workshop spaces at UAL that they need to successfully complete their studies. Our research found that 58% of respondents felt they did not have adequate access to UAL studios, and 68% of respondents reported that holiday closures negatively impact the quality of the work they submit. Just under 20% of respondents had access to a designated workshop or studio space at home.

Lexa Barbulescu, CCW Officer 2023/24, said: "Studios and workshops are just one element of our anatomy as artists, and yet their impact is immeasurable: they dictate the proportions and range of our practices, and support or limit our ambitions. Attending a University has many functions, but it should offer students the opportunity to access spaces and resources which create a playground for creativity."

We have made a series of recommendations in our Studios and Workshops report, including trialling access to spaces during University closure periods, extending designations of "makers spaces" across UAL colleges during closures, and exploring partnership avenues with external spaces to cut extorionate costs to our students. Using these findings, we'll be lobbying the University to improve students' access to the spaces that they need.

Read the report