Camberwell College of Arts, founded in 1898 and now part of the University of the Arts London, is the institution that shapes the whole neighbourhood's identity. Its alumni run from designers and illustrators to fine artists, and the steady presence of art students gives Camberwell its bookshops, studios, cheap cafés, and creative energy.
The college is a working campus rather than a visitor attraction, but it opens its doors for degree shows and exhibitions, particularly the summer end-of-year shows, which are well worth catching for a look at emerging work. Next door to the South London Gallery on Peckham Road, it is best understood as the engine behind the area's art scene rather than a sight in itself.