Since the beginning, LCAD has committed to being a smaller style college with a focus on learner and teaching excellence. It is the only independent Australian owned registered college delivering accredited visual art, design and photography study in Victoria.

It offers practical based, creative multi discipline study, and concentrates on a limited number of courses allowing it to fully focus its energy in those fields. The college is known to prioritise face-to-face learning over on-line delivery.

The courses facilitate the development of both ideas and techniques in an inspirational and supportive environment. The college believes in the huge benefits of small class size learning rather than large, impersonal class teaching. The tutorial approach to class delivery and individually focused one-on-one teaching is key to raising students’ confidence leading them to take more creative risks andenabling them to achieve more with their creative work.

The college has had a long history working with many students, including new students with little to no experience. The college has successfully helped many to identify, harness and develop their interests and direction into substantial creative careers. We have also helped nearly all our students wishing to continue studying to achieve their highest priority acceptance into the university of their choice.

All our tutors are practicing professional artists, designers and photographers in addition to being educators in their field. The college has opportunities to join its overseas trips and receive credit towards their studies.

LCAD initially started early 1995, as La Trobe Street Gallery, an exhibition space in La Trobe Street Melbourne. It offered evening classes which in the following years developed into studio classes, mentor programs and university preparatory courses in painting, drawing and multimedia. The aim was to bring notable artists exhibiting in the gallery and elsewhere into the teaching programs.

By the mid 2000’s, part-time and fulltime courses in visual art and digital media and design, were established. By 2009 the college moved away from its gallery role and became an accredited institution offering local and international students the nationally recognised Diploma of Visual Art. By 2013 the Diploma of Graphic Design was offered, in 2016 the Advanced Diploma of Visual Art was added, as was the Diploma of Photography in 2018. Starting in the early 2000’s the college started successful annual trips for students to Venice (Biennale), New York, and Berlin (Documenta in Kassel). In 2015 the college moved to a large studio-based warehouse in Collingwood, where it resides today.

Students can expect to experience small, dynamic classes and individual focussed learning. They will be exposed to, and be able to explore a wide range of digital, photographic, 2D and 3D physical materials. They will certainly learn a wide range of techniques, methods and skills. Within our Advanced Diploma courses students are given a permanent individual studio space of their own and a chance to exhibit their work through end of year shows. Dedicated professional teachers and practitioners are committed to students’ development. Students will also gain confidence knowing that many past students and graduates have gone onto realise successful careers.

Our teaching staff are experienced in respective fields and combine teaching with their professional practice. They are equally chosen by LCAD because of their care and interest in the students themselves. They are really interested in what students do! Many have PhD’s in their respective fields, and broad commercial and non-commercial experience around their specialisations.

Learning from industry professionals is still the most effective way that students can gain a critical insight into up-to-date skills and knowledge of industry. Even casual class discussion with a tutor can bring to light many of the smaller, subtler industry 'know how' details which are not necessarily covered in formal learning programs.

Unlike the problems universities are experiencing with the reduction of overseas students, LCAD may see less effect from the post COVID world. The college is committed to face-to-face learning and so will appeal to students who have been dissatisfied with the limitations of online learning.