Warwick university opens new Venice base to invest in the arts

The University of Warwick has taken up space in a 17th century building on the famous Grand Canal

The University of Warwick is opening a new site in Venice as part of a £100m investment in arts and humanities.

The space, in a building overlooking the Grand Canal, will be used for course modules and summer schools.

The university said it was investing a record amount in the arts, despite a cut in government funding.

"We need to stop talking arts degrees down and start championing their growing value and importance," said vice chancellor Prof Stuart Croft.

Warwick says it has seen an 11% rise in applications to arts and humanities degrees this year, with many courses oversubscribed and others added to meet growing demand.

The university opened a £60m Faculty of Arts building in 2021 and has invested £42m in improvements to its campus Arts Centre.

The Venice base will attract students from a broad range of disciplines, the university said

The overall investment in the arts over the past five years has been the largest in its history, the university said.

"The future isn't STEM rather than the arts - it's very clearly both," said Prof Croft."However, we must keep evolving so we reflect the fast-changing needs of society and employers, by offering opportunities to learn from different disciplines to provide a fully rounded education."  

The new Venice site, on the second floor of the 17th-century Palazzo Giustinian Lolin building, is hoped to attract thousands of students, researchers and partners from across the world.

Warwick, which is relocating from a previous base, opened in the Italian city in 1967, offers a "Venice term" to history and history of art students wishing to study the Renaissance.