Based in the heart of Manchester, a vibrant and multicultural city, we are an innovator of art and design education in the UK, and celebrated our 175th anniversary in 2013. As the second oldest design school in Britain, established to provide design training to the manufacturing industry, we offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses that are still very much influenced by the specialist needs of industry to provide our students with the essential skills and knowledge for their chosen career. We place importance on experimentation and generating creative surprise. We have a playful yet serious approach to media, materials and processes. We are intellectually and academically challenging. We have mutual respect for each other's disciplines and foster an art and design community within the school and the City. We are creative, unconventional and professional.