Russell group universities - which are best for creatives ?

[Asparagusluvva]

Anyone have any knowledge on which RG universities would suit a creative , politically left leaning student type ? DD is considering Birmingham, Exeter, York and Warwick. She loves the look of Exeter but worries about fitting in there. Any advice/thoughts/experience would be welcome.

Manchester was referred to as a campus uni when we went to visit! But look, I'm American. We DO campus universities. We do lots of lame shit in my country, but we do campus universities very, very, very well!
NONE of y'alls universities are real campus universities, truth be told. Let's just say, Manchester is more 'campus' than most. But, go online, see for yourselves. It's referred to as a 'campus' university. When I went up there with my son, even I was like, really? THIS is a campus? UCL is not a campus uni and feels way more like one than Manchester (which was ok... but I find Manchester really depressing).

Unis these days always refer to the bit where the teaching buildings are as the 'campus'. It is quite confusing to people, like me, who went to 'proper campus unis' (in my case, York.)

Campus unis= Warwick, York, UEA , Lancaster, Aberystwyth, Exeter, Stirling,Kent, Birmingham (although I have issues over its definitions as accommodation is not that close), Bath most emphatically, and Loughborough and Swansea (although it has two). I might have missed a few. It's mainly the plate glass unis.

I am half American so feel entitled to overrule!

Manchester is NOT a campus. I went there.

There’s bits of it all over the place.

I'd add Reading and Nottingham to that list.

I’m a tad confused. If she’s doing a creative course, ie art and design, they don’t tend to be at Russell group unis.

How about:
www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses-listing/fine-art

Or UCL/Slade School of ART

Even Imperial has strong links, and some joint design courses, with the RCA

This MN obsession with "rah" irritates me. It is as if young people going to University have no wish to meet others from different backgrounds. Snobbery/reverse snobbery, whatever. Open minded individuals who make an effort are perfectly capable of making friends from a range of different backgrounds and countries. Even if there are differences, there are commonalities. Same age, same interest in the course, similar achievements and ambitions. Some "rahs" will be nice, and open, others won't, but from MN it appears that some "non-rahs" are equally closed minded.

Left wing has also shifted meaning. Several of Corbyn's closest advisors went to private school - Seamus Milne was at Winchester (same as Rishi!). Corbyn himself was educated privately for part of his education. There is a sort of urban, woke "oh Jeremy Corbyn" type left wing and a traditional, often northern, Socialism. Plenty of the former at, say, Bristol.

Birmingham (although I have issues over its definitions as accommodation is not that close),

The main halls site is pleasant and a very short walk away. Well, I thought it was short when I was there. Too short to be worth cycling.

I said they don’t ‘tend’ to be at Russell unis. A few are, but not many.

Forgot Nottingham!

@ErrolTheDragon

Birmingham (although I have issues over its definitions as accommodation is not that close),

The main halls site is pleasant and a very short walk away. Well, I thought it was short when I was there. Too short to be worth cycling.

Yes, I suppose I thought it was quite far because I was knackered at that point and was just taken aback as it was a campus. But they have all spread these days.

My DS can't ride a bike so cycling is out of the question!

NONE of y'alls universities are real campus universities, truth be told.

Isn't Cambridge the ultimate campus uni, only it has a market town and actual fields superimposed on it.

Errol yes, though Penryn with two Universities has a reasonable claim.

@ErrolTheDragon

NONE of y'alls universities are real campus universities, truth be told.

Isn't Cambridge the ultimate campus uni, only it has a market town and actual fields superimposed on it.

My lefty feminist creative DD1 loves Warwick and has easily found her tribe. I was an undergrad there many moons ago and loved it too.

Not sure about the argument that Russell Group unis don't tend to do Art & Design? Yes, there are clearly specialist art colleges at the top of the tables, but there are lots of RG unis which rank highly in the creative arts e.g. Leeds for Graphic Design, Oxford for Fine Art, Exeter for Drama, York for Theatre, Film etc.

As others have said, it's more important to choose a uni for the quality of the subject teaching first. Most unis are so big your daughter will almost certainly find her tribe.
DS is at Exeter and although he would no doubt be dubbed a publicly-schooled 'rah' by MN he has a broad and diverse range of friends and has no idea where they went to school! (And I only know that because I asked him in passing (oops! I'm clearly too heavily influenced by MN!)

Another wider family member (similar potential 'rah') went to York and found plenty of creative societies to join there, but probably found it a bit too ernestly liberal and, to quote, "too far down the rabbit hole on gender ideology".

Give us a hint on her subject, OP . . .

I taught design for 25 years and left last year. The majority of art and design courses are not taught Russel Groups. They just aren’t. The majority are in Art Schools or old polys.

That is the truth. A few are taught in Russell’s, but they aren’t necessarily the best courses. Design has a lot of technical stuff in it. Hence the term polytechnic

Is there a reason you're not saying her subject, OP?

I would look outside of RG tbh. What about choosing location because a lot of the find students are only living on campus for the first year. Sussex for example snd it sounds like she would like the vibe of Brighton.

RG isn’t always going to be the best fit for everything, so don’t rule out other really good Unis based on the fact they aren’t RG. I don’t really get the obsession with RG unis (and I work in HE). The fact that they are RG is based on their research funding and practices and not that applicable for first degrees anyway.

The OP hasn't said her daughter is doing a creative/arts subject - just that she's a creative type student. If she wants to study English or Politics but be part of a music or theatre arts crowd outside her studies then a good university sounds like a wise choice.

Dd is very woke and extremely creative and is going to Exeter. Surely they find their tribe wherever?

@Florabritannica

Exeter is very white middle class and has had some ugly racist incidents in recent years which the university is trying very hard to address. Apart from that (!) it’s a beautiful campus with some top-quality courses and teaching. But I do think a bohemian free spirit might find it a little constricting.

Most “bohemian free spirits" are white and middle class anyway aren't they!

I disagree with @Florabritannica about a free-spirit finding Exeter constricting. My daughter left Exeter last year, was very happy and had friends from a range of backgrounds. Many, like her, were from white middle class backgrounds but that didn't stop them being pretty left wing and 'woke'. I imagine the OP's daughter would fit in pretty well. Sport is strong, but none of my daughter's friends was particularly sporty.

Drama seemed to be a strong course there, so there lots of people around who enjoyed that, many I suspect who would describe themselves as free spirits. I suspect there was less of 'a music crowd' at Exeter because they don't offer the subject as a degree. Obviously that doesn't stop the students participating in it, but the extra curricular opportunities for music didn't seem nearly as extensive as they seemed to be in Birmingham, which we also looked at. That's hardly surprising though. Birmingham is much bigger and has an excellent music degree.

York also has a good music degree which I imagine spills over into student life more generally. Warwick doesn't offer it though (at least it didn't a few years ago). So if your daughter is mainly interested in music, I'd say go for Birmingham or York over Exeter and Warwick. But I also agree with those who have said that she will 'find her tribe' anywhere.

On the racism, obviously Exeter (university and city itself) are pretty white and my daughter did mention a couple of incidents involving East Asian students being verbally attacked and accused of being responsible for Covid. Obviously horrible and unacceptable, but I don't remember her mentioning any wider issues.

On the racism, obviously Exeter (university and city itself) are pretty white and my daughter did mention a couple of incidents involving East Asian students being verbally attacked and accused of being responsible for Covid. Obviously horrible and unacceptable, but I don't remember her mentioning any wider issues.

Sadly I think this sort of thing happens everywhere. My nephew at York (where the first covid cases in the UK were reported) was shocked to hear about similar incidents there .

Hi everyone. She is looking at History of Art / English lit, possibly joint . She did her A levels last year and has good grades. Obviously London would be fantastic for History of Art, but there are reasons she has not considered it so far . But it hasn’t been ruled out. Birmingham is ranked 3rd for History of Art (according to the Guardian) and it does have the amazing Barber Institute.