About College of the Arts (COTA)

The College of the Arts (Cota) is an institution of arts education in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It employs 39 lecturers full-time and 75 on part-time basis.

Cota was established by citizens of German heritage in 1971 as a Whites-only State Conservatory of Music. In the mid-80s drama and visual arts were added to the Conservatory’s programs, and in 1990 it was renamed College for the Arts.

The seven full-time degree programs currently offered are African Performing Arts, Product Development and Design, Fashion Design, Television Production, Radio Production, New Media Design, and Music and Sound Production. Tertiary programs are offered as three-year courses of studies. COTA’s leitmotiv is “Lifelong learning through the arts”.

Brief History

College of the Arts (COTA) was established in 1971 by German citizens in Namibia, Windhoek. The institution offers three levels of arts education namely general tuition, diploma courses and the national arts extension program (a community outreach program). It has three main campuses and other regional art centers that are all over Namibia. The organization was previously meant for Whites State Conservatory of Music. In mid 1980s, drama and visual arts were added to the conservatory’s programs.

In 1990, Namibia gained independence and the institution became the College of the Arts under the supervision and management of the then Ministry of Basic Education. In 2005, COTA was handed over to the Ministry of Youth National Service, Sport and Culture.