A practice within applied art is more than a response to a specific material, to ceramic, wood or metal. Operating within fine art, craft or design, RCA applied artists cover a broad spectrum of aesthetic, functional and decorative concerns.

RCA practitioners are highly sensitive to the application of their process, skills and material understanding. Questions that designer-makers often ask are,

“What place does my work have in the world? Who is it for? What does it do? How can it be different?”

Answers are uncovered through a discursive and theoretical framework, illuminating the array of cultural, social, personal, historical and aesthetic concerns brought forth by a highly international student group. Makers are informed by advances in material technologies while remaining connected to traditional skills.

One major challenge for ReachOutRCA is being able to explore 3D concepts in schools with limited materials or facilities, but our workshop leaders' imagination and innovation has ensured that this has not been an obstacle. We continue to engage with teachers about ways to approach 3D within workshops and the curriculum, and offer inspiration for further learning in the applied arts.