▁design ▁university ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁England . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁as ▁University ▁College ▁for ▁the ▁Creative ▁Arts ▁at ▁Can ter bury , ▁E ps om , ▁F arn ham , ▁Ma id stone ▁and ▁Ro chester ▁when ▁the ▁Kent ▁Institute ▁of ▁Art ▁and ▁Design ▁was ▁merged ▁into ▁the ▁Sur rey ▁Institute ▁of ▁Art ▁& ▁Design , ▁which ▁already ▁had ▁degree - a ward ing ▁status ; ▁both ▁constitu ent ▁schools ▁had ▁been ▁formed ▁by ▁mer ging ▁the ▁local ▁art ▁schools , ▁in ▁Kent ▁and ▁Sur rey ▁respectively . ▁It ▁was ▁granted ▁university ▁status ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁changed ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁one . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁it ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁Open ▁College ▁of ▁the ▁Arts . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁for ▁the ▁Creative ▁Arts ▁lies ▁in ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁various ▁small ▁art ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁count ies ▁of ▁Kent ▁and ▁Sur rey ▁in ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century . ▁In ▁Kent ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁Ma id stone ▁College ▁of ▁Art , ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁and ▁in ▁Sur rey ▁the ▁Gu ild ford ▁School ▁of ▁Art , ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 . ▁During ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁small ▁art ▁schools ▁merged , ▁eventually ▁forming ▁Kent ▁Institute ▁of ▁Art ▁& ▁Design ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁and ▁Sur rey ▁Institute ▁of ▁Art ▁&