A case study commissioned by the HEA Subject Centre for Art Design and Media.
This article concerns the evolution of a student-led interdisciplinary experiment Department 21 at the Royal College of Art. It came about from a desire to create space between conventional disciplinary departments in the institution. A studio floor was freed up which Department 21 saw as the opportunity to activate their intentions. In effect it meant that we had at our disposal for a period of six weeks a large space in which we had carte blanche to organise our own art and design school.
The body of the text is made up of extracts by a variety of authors who participated in Department 21 in 2010. The authors reflect on both the personal and institutional impacts of this radical educational model. How did the formation of a community that did not presuppose established categories of disciplinary identity sustain an inclusive and productive educational environment? This article highlights critical issues concerning both the role of interdisciplinarity and student autonomy in current art and design pedagogy.
