Leeds Arts University

Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts university based in Leeds, England, United Kingdom. With roots dating back to 1846 as the Leeds School of Art — formed when the Leeds Mechanics Institute merged with the Literary Society to create the Leeds Government School of Design — it has made a significant contribution to arts education in the UK. Notable alumni include Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Damien Hirst, and Marcus Harvey. The university gained its university title in 2017, becoming the only specialist arts university in the North of England. It operates from two central Leeds sites: Vernon Street (the historic original building) and Blenheim Walk. A £22m building expansion completed in 2019 added a 230-seat performance auditorium, industry-standard film and photography studios, enhanced fashion design studios, a postgraduate study suite, and a specialist arts research library. The university offers further education diplomas, undergraduate degrees and postgraduate programmes in art, design and creative disciplines. It has over 60 nationalities represented on campus and a global network of partner universities in 15 countries. Skin, lead singer of Skunk Anansie, became the university's first Chancellor in 2021.