Sidcup Art College, also known as Sidcup School of Art, was an

art college An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-second ...

in Grassington Road,

Sidcup Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of Bromley and Greenwich. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the ...

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...

, England. Founded in 1898, it amalgamated in 1962 with

Bromley College of Art Ravensbourne University London (formerly Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication) is a digital media and design university, with vocational courses in fashion, television and broadcasting, interactive product design, architecture an ...

and Beckenham School of Art to form Ravensbourne College of Art and Design, now

Ravensbourne University London Ravensbourne University London (formerly Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication) is a digital media and design university, with vocational courses in fashion, television and broadcasting, interactive product design, architecture an ...

History

Cecil Ross Burnett founded Sidcup School of Art in 1898 and was its first headmaster. By 1952 it was located in Grassington Road. In 1962, by then known as Sidcup Art College, the institution amalgamated with Bromley College of Art and Beckenham School of Art to form Ravensbourne College of Art and Design, which in 1965 consolidated in a new building at Bromley Common. The Sidcup building was demolished and the site is now occupied by a

Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets, trading as Morrisons, is the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Scotland, as well as one in Gibraltar. The company is headqu ...

supermarket which opened in 2003.

Musical heritage

Many rock musicians came out of British art colleges in the 1960s.

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

was at Sidcup Art College from 1959, and described it as "a kind of guitar workshop" where classes were focused on teaching graphic design for advertising; while there he became reacquainted with his primary-school friend

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

, then a student at the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

, and they formed what became

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

. An early line-up of the Stones, including Jagger, Richards,

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer best known as the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to prov ...

, Ian Stewart

Ricky Fenson Ricky Fenson (also Rick Brown; born Richard Brown, 22 May 1945, in Chopwell, County Durham) is a British rock bass guitarist. The Rolling Stones He briefly played with an early version of The Rolling Stones before he was replaced by Bill Wym ...

and

Tony Chapman Anthony Chapman is a British drummer and songwriter who was especially active during the 1960s. He gained valuable drumming experience as part of the Cliftons in 1960, then jammed with an early line-up of the Rolling Stones before they settled ...

, played at the college Christmas dance on 12 December 1962.

The Pretty Things ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

, one of Britain's early R&B bands, was also formed at the college in September 1963; Phil May as well as

Dick Taylor Richard Clifford Taylor (born 28 January 1943) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist and founding member of the Pretty Things. Taylor was an early bassist for the Rolling Stones, but left the band to resume his studies at Sidcu ...

, a former bassist with the Rolling Stones, were students there.

Notable students

* Jean Clark, painter *

Fred Cuming Frederick George Rees Cuming (February 16, 1930 – 12 June, 2022), normally known as Fred Cuming, was a contemporary British landscape painter, who worked in a traditional manner. Life and art Cuming was born in London of English, Scottish ...

, painter *

Wally Fawkes Walter Ernest Fawkes (born 21 June 1924) is a British-Canadian jazz clarinetist and satirical cartoonist. As a cartoonist, he usually worked under the name "Trog" until failing eyesight forced him to retire in 2005 at the age of 81. Early hi ...

, cartoonist (Trog) and jazz musician * William Green, painter * Phil May,

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

, The Rolling Stones, The Pretty Things * Margaret Thomas, painter *

John Titchell John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, painter

Notable faculty

Frank Auerbach Frank Helmut Auerbach (born 29 April 1931) is a German-British painter. Born in Germany, he has been a naturalised British subject since 1947. He is considered one of the leading names in the School of London, with fellow artists Francis Bacon ...

, painter, met one of his long-standing subjects, Julia Yardly Mills, when he taught her at Sidcup School of Art *

Ralph Beyer Ralph Alexander Beyer (6 April 1921 – 13 February 2008) was a German letter-cutter, sculptor and teacher. He was most noted for his work on Basil Spence's new Coventry Cathedral where Beyer carved ''Tablets of the Words''.

, letter-cutter and sculptor; continued at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design * Cecil Ross Burnett, painter, founder

References

{{coord, 51.4249, 0.1026, type:edu_region:GB-BEX, display=title Art schools in London 1898 establishments in England Educational institutions established in 1898 The Rolling Stones Educational institutions in the London Borough of Bexley Defunct art schools Defunct universities and colleges in London Buildings and structures in Sidcup