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Archival description
Art for Architecture

The Art for Architecture scheme, managed by the RSA, was a collaborative initiative with the Department of National Heritage. It was established with core funding from the Department of the Environment and restricted only to England initial. In 1992, the scheme was extended to Scottish applicants due to Scottish Office funding and similarly to Welsh applicants in 1993 due to Welsh Office funding. The scheme also had a number of private sponsors. Its objective was to enhance the urban environment by encouraging cross disciplinary approaches to building and landscape projects by appointing and providing funds for artists to work as part of a design team from the earliest stages of a development. Michael Wrotesley, DOE, conceived the idea, which stemmed from RSA Student Design Awards. The scheme has been operating since 1990.\n\nDirectly related to the Scheme was the Jerwood Art for Architecture Award. The Award is a financial reward, sponsored by The Jerwood Foundation, to recognise the project which on completion represents both excellence in artistic quality and design and best practice in collaboration. It was presented to the artist and architect, landscape engineer, who are working together. The Jerwood Award was introduced in 1994.\n\nRecords include administrative correspondence, printed items and publicity material, and photographs.

The Fourth Plinth project was initiated by RSA past Chairman Prue Leith. The RSA's central aims in this initiative were to: use the plinth to display works of art after the 150 year deadlock; raise the level of debate about the nature of public art today; and inform decisions about the plinth's permanent use. The project was co-ordinated by the RSA.\n\nAll files were appraised and routine correspondence removed.\n\nThe series consists of the administrative records from the initiation of discussions about the empty plinth to the the display of the scupltures: Ecce Homo by Mark Wallinger, Regardless of History by Bill Woodrow and Monument by Rachel Whiteread.

Project 2001

PROJECT2001 was a three-year initiative, started in March 1998, which enabled voluntary organisations to operate more effectively - through access to training and qualifications for individuals, by supporting organisational development, and by promoting lifelong learning within the sector\n\nRecords include working files, publicity material and photographs.

Redefining the Curriculum

The RSA's New Curriculum project is a mainstream contribution to the strategic development of compulsory school education in Britain. At its heart is the development of a curriculum that places as much emphasis on the learning of critical thinking skills or 'competences' as it does on the traditional transmission of facts from teacher to pupil.\n\nOpening Minds: Education for the 21st century was published in June 1999, was the final report of the 'Redefining the Curriculum' consultative stage. Subsequently, the RSA has been working with a number of schools to make a reality of the ideas in the report. It recommended a competence-based curriculum framed around five sets of competences: for learning, managing information, managing people, managing situations, and citizenship. Project schools have developed a number of innovative curriculum initiatives, which they are now putting into practice.\n\nRecords comprise the main published reports of the project

Albert Medal

A general meeting of the Society was specially convened on 21st March 1862 to discuss suitable memorials to Prince Albert, President of the Society for eighteen years (1843-1861). At this meeting the Council put forward their resolution 'that a gold medal, to be called the Albert medal, be provided by the Society, to be awarded by the Council not oftener than once a year, for distinguished merit in promoting Arts, Manufactures or Commerce'. (A commemorative bust was also decided upon at this meeting).\n\nLeonard Wyon produced the design of the Medal showing the head of Albert in later life on the obverse. Other artists were commissioned for designs from which the reverse might be selected, such designs to be illustrative of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. The first award was made in 1864 to Sir Rowland Hill for his reforms to the postal system, the benefits of which extended over the civilised world.\n\n'The list of recipients forms a record of the greatest of those who have laboured to benefit mankind, and whose service lends lustre to the reputation of the sagacious and benevolent Prince in whose memory it was founded'.\n\nWinners of the Albert Medal are offered Honorary Fellowship of the RSA.\n\nIncludes files and working papers on the selection of candidates, arrangements for ceremonies and general administration, as well as photographs of medal presentation ceremonies

The Journal was established in 1852 to disseminate information about the Society's activities and included transcriptions of lectures. Unlike the annual printed Transactions which preceded it, the Journal was initially published weekly.\nRecords include files and papers on the production of the Journal and other related promotional publications and press and publicity generally. Complete runs of the Journal are available for consultation in the Research Room at the RSA. Each volume is indexed and there are cumulative 10 year indexes for the Journal up to 1952.

Home-School links

The RSA has had an interest in Home-School links and the use of written agreements since 1988 when it worked with the National Association of Head Teachers on a project 'Home-School Contract of Partnership'. It has published regularly on the topic since then, some of these publication being part of the Education for Capability (PR/ED/107) and Parents in a Learning Society(PR/ED/104) projects