Living Memories of St Albans School of Art
Living Memories of St Albans School of Art is a project lead by UH Arts + Culture, that captures people’s memories and shares their stories of the art school. Bringing together alumni, students and staff, as well as relations of those who were part of the school’s community, the project has collected their stories to explore the school’s history, its place in the region’s culture and wider impacts.
History
The school opened in St Albans Town Hall 150 years ago in 1875 to offer lessons in art and science. Since then, it has evolved and moved locations several times (including Victoria Street and Hatfield Road in St Albans) before becoming part of the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Creative Arts.
Research, Phase #1
The research in this project has been co-created by inviting participants to share their recollections in their own words. During phase #1, a series of sessions enabled participants to record oral histories and contribute to the project in their own personal ways, as well as exploring the history of the school through local archives, art collections and group conversations. This research was then collated into a publication in 2024, which you can view in digital format on the UH Arts + Culture website.
We would like to extend our gratitude to all our participants for their generosity in sharing their stories and contributing to the developing research archive, which has now marked this unique and important School in the wider context of art education history.
What’s Next? Firm Foundation Exhibitions and Living Memories Phase #2
This research will lay the groundwork for a major dual-venue exhibition in 2025 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the School of Art. The first exhibition is at St Albans Museum + Gallery (23 May 2025 - 21 September 2025) and is followed by a sister exhibition at the Art + Design Gallery, situated on the University’s College Lane Campus (31 October 2025 – 30 January 2026). Exhibition info on the UH Arts + Culture website.
There will be other opportunities to get involved in the second phase of the project in summer/autumn 2025, to co-produce research and contribute stories of the school. If you would like to find out more or get involved, please email: uharts@herts.ac.uk
Research and archive materials will be added to the Archive from summer 2025.
Thank you to our project partners at St Albans Museum + Gallery.
The Living Memories projects #1 and #2 are funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, through an award from the University of Hertfordshire’s AHRC Impact Acceleration Account.
Protocol number: cCTA/SF/UH/06122
Approving committee: University of Hertfordshire Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities Ethics Committee with Delegated Authority
