Bolton School of the Arts

The University of Bolton has been ranked number one for student satisfaction in the North West by The Complete University Guide 2019-2023. At Bolton School of the Arts, we are proud to have provided vibrant and innovative educational opportunities for aspiring creative practitioners for over 150 years. Our industry-informed courses are led by a team of passionate lecturers who are practising artists, designers, makers, critics, writers and performers. Our programmes have excellent staff-to-student ratios and this, combined with our exceptionally supportive learning environment, encourages students to explore, experiment and excel in their chosen field. Collaborative events and creative projects allow students to cross-disciplinary boundaries and exchange ideas with other subject areas. 

Bolton School of the Arts provides a purpose-built learning environment that offers a comprehensive range of facilities designed to support students across a wide spectrum of creative courses.

Our media and visual communication facilities include:

• Custom-designed photography studios

• Fully equipped darkrooms

• Dedicated computer suites

• Wide-format digital printing technology

In the Innovation Factory, our fine art facilities include:

• 3D art workshop with ceramic, glass and casting workshops

• 2D art workshop with printmaking processes 

• Well-lit open studio accommodation

• Wood and metal workshops

Senate House offers the following high-specification facilities for fashion, textiles and surface design:

• Digital embroidery 

• Digital printing

• Non-woven textiles

• Garment manufacture

• Felt making

• Printed and dyed textiles

• Computer-aided design

A full range of industrial sewing machines, overlockers and cover stitch machines

Bolton School of the Arts also offers access to the Queen’s Specialist Building, the primary home for our performing arts and theatre students including purpose-built rehearsal and dance studios, alongside the main auditorium. 

The school also enjoys strong industry links with local and regional arts organisations and venues such as neo:studios, Bolton Art Gallery and Museum, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Open Eye Gallery, Redeye, HOME, Bolton Film Festival and many others. These relationships provide networking and placement opportunities for our students, as well as live briefs, research collaborations and consultancy opportunities.

Bolton School of the Arts works with an impressive range of education and training providers. Innovative collaborative partnerships with UK and international partners such as Shockout Arts in Manchester and Beijing Foreign Studies University in China attest to our reach and ambition. Our students also benefit from a wide range of cultural visits and involvement in major design shows, exhibitions and educational exchanges on the national and international stage. 

The school is also involved in research activity centred around the Research Unit for Art and Design, the English Studies Research Unit and is a major contributor to the Centre for Worktown Studies. The impact of our research in English language and literature was judged to be world-leading and internationally excellent in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.

Some of the subject areas offering both full-time and part-time courses, that are covered under the Bolton School of the Arts are:

• Animation and Illustration

• Art & design and Fine Art

• Graphic Design

• English and Creative Writing

• Media and Photography

• Fashion and Textiles

• Performing Arts and Theatre

The University of Bolton has been ranked number one in the North West for teaching quality by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023. Bolton School of the Arts is the perfect place to hone your creative skills and build an exciting portfolio of work for future employers. At the University of Bolton, we are proud of the fact that we know our students by their name and can offer a personalised learning and teaching approach, which really makes a difference.