Arts University Bournemouth

Arts University Bournemouth stands on a five-hectare campus in Wallisdown, Poole. The university specialises in art, architecture, film, performance and design. It began in 1880 as the Bournemouth Government School of Art. The Bournemouth Film School, founded in 1963, is part of the university and a full member of CILECT. Alumni include BAFTA and Academy Award winners and a Turner Prize recipient. The campus sits in an innovation quarter designated by the Talbot Village Trust. The university is recognised for excellence. It holds a Silver and Gold rating from the Teaching Excellence Framework. Ofsted has rated it Outstanding since 2018. The Bournemouth Film School has won two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes. In 2021 the university bought the Palace Court Theatre, a 1930s art deco building in central Bournemouth. The theatre hosts student productions, community events and professional screenings. Visitors find specialist workshops and studios across 14 buildings. The CRAB Drawing Studio, designed by Sir Peter Cook, features large north-light windows and a clerestory. The Innovation Studio supports start-ups and enterprise activities. The Library holds over 50,000 books and the Museum of Design in Plastics displays more than 10,000 objects. TheGallery exhibits touring shows and work by alumni and students. The Refectory was a finalist in local tourism awards.