The Northern School of Art and its subsidiary, The Northern College of Art, provide specialist creative education across the Tees Valley, with a heritage stretching back to 1870.

From its Hartlepool campus, The Northern School of Art delivers specialist undergraduate and postgraduate higher education, while The Northern College of Art provides specialist further education from its Middlesbrough campus. Together, they offer a distinctive pathway for emerging creative talent, from further education through to postgraduate study and professional careers in the creative industries.

Across more than 155 years, generations of artists, designers and creative professionals have studied at the institutions, with alumni including Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Mackenzie Thorpe, David Coverdale, Basil Beattie, Curtis Jobling, Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park, Claire Barrow, Margaret Green and Olwyn Bowey RA HonRWA.

As one of the UK's few remaining specialist providers of creative education, and the only specialist institution of its kind in the North East, The Northern School of Art and The Northern College of Art play a distinctive role in the region's cultural and creative landscape.

Through specialist teaching by practising creative professionals, industry connections and opportunities extending beyond the curriculum, both institutions are committed to widening access to high-quality creative education, nurturing emerging talent and supporting the artists, designers and creative professionals who will shape the future of the North East's cultural and creative industries.