Best universities for Illustration and good support?

[ArtyFartyQueen]

Hi there,

DS who is autistic is looking to apply for university for next year. Currently doing a creative arts course at college and has decided he wants to focus/study illustration.

Does anyone have any suggestions or experience of unis with good illustration courses but also with good support for ASD and mental health? Bonus if it’s very LGBT+ friendly too!

Thanks in advance!

Hi @PhotoDad don't know if you will get this msg but my dd is also considering illustration at ARU and I'd love to find out how your daughter is doing? Is she still enjoying it? Best things, worst things? I know the class sizes are small, which is good but is there opportunity to integrate with students from other courses as well? Many thanks.

Hi @Canileavenow! DD is now in her third year at ARU/CSA. She is definitely enjoying it; it is very hard work and she doesn't have much free time or energy, but she's pretty happy with that. There are lots of clubs/societies (although DD is much happier with a very small group of close friends, which she has found).

Best things: small classes, amazing tutors who go the extra mile and know their students. Good facilities (she does a lot of ceramics, plus the printroom is fab). Cambridge is a beautiful city with lots of green space (important to her). Assessed by coursework with no exams (but all art schools are like that). The second year drawing trip to Spain or Portugal!

Worst things: rental accommodation in Cambridge for years two and three is approaching London prices unless you live miles away. It's an expensive city all round. Lots of coursework (which is a mixed blessing). She didn't enjoy her "Ruskin Module" (an interdisciplinary unit you take in second year) but that's a personal taste.

The proof of the pudding will be in what happens after uni, of course, but we're not there quite yet.

Please feel free to ask any specific things by PM!

Another one for UCA farnham. I went to quite a few open days with my dc as well as the interview day and found it to be a very warm caring vibe. Spoke to some of the students helping out on the day, many of them were ND and were very positive about their experience. I was sad when my own dc opted to go somewhere else at the last minute.

Mine is having a good experience at Farnham. Not too much contact time, quiet flat, tutors very supportive in advance - calls before they arrived.

I don’t think Nottingham Trent has been mentioned?

My young cousin has been doing illustration there the past few years and seems to have had a whale of a time. I couldn’t speak to the support, but I know she was very effusive about the lecturers and they sounded very involved/approachable. I also know NTU has got quite a strong reputation for student experience in the sector, and a decent LGBTQ scene!