The College has been a leading force in many of the UK’s foremost creative movements – from its early, distinctive Arts and Crafts philosophy and as the birthplace of New Sculpture (with alumni including Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth) at the turn of the 20th century, to its alumnis' contributions to Pop Art, with David Hockney and Peter Blake being just two of the College’s more famous contributers to the movement. More recently, RCA artists including Tracey Emin and Jake and Dinos Chapman were driving forces behind the movement known as the YBAs (Young British Artists).

The RCA has at the same time been at the forefront of design innovation in the UK, having a formidable impact on the new design landscape - when Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the Summer Show as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he said of the College: “This is the future for British industry." With attention increasingly being focused on the Creative Industries, both in Britain and globally, Royal College of Art staff and students have an enviable reputation for developing some of the most original and inventive designs to be found anywhere.