AcrossRCA

Last updated 30 January 2024

Meaningful collaboration across programmes.

AcrossRCA is an ambitious, interdisciplinary, College-wide unit that brings together students from all RCA MAs, as well as being an elective option on other taught programmes. Situated at the very core of the RCA experience, AcrossRCA draws on expertise from within and beyond the institution, providing a unique added dimension to discipline-specific study.

Working in collaborative teams spanning the four RCA Schools encourages a peer-focused cross-fertilisation of ideas and thinking beyond the discourses in art, architecture, communication and design. As a student, you are encouraged to develop an innovative and disruptive approach, critically reflecting on your responsibilities as creative practitioners, and demonstrating the contribution that the creative arts can make to our understanding and experience of the world.

In their teams, you will respond to one of a number of urgent contemporary themes. Each of these supports you to respond to the complexity of an uncertain, changing world. You'll identify your own set of critical questions that arise from their proposed inquiry, and develop the process and skills needed to participate, respond and realise project outcomes.

The subject matter, response and outcome are entirely decided by the student teams, shaped by peer feedback with tutor support. AcrossRCA is an open, ambiguous, and challenging unit without prescribed subject matter or briefs. It allows you to form friendships and network outside of your programmes, forging relationships that span and allow you to thrive beyond graduation.

At its conclusion, you are required to disseminate project ideas and processes on a public platform for others to learn from them.

AcrossRCA is a compulsory unit for all MA programmes and an elective option for MFA, MRes, MDes, MArch and MEd programmes. It is delivered online and in person.