What next for art schools?

As night fell on 14 December 2015, 바카라사이트 lights at 바카라사이트 art school came on. If you had happened to walk by, you¡¯d have seen 바카라사이트 silhouettes of more than 100 students appear, some waving, some with hands on hips, framed by 바카라사이트 brightly lit grid of windows. This was more than just an art project ¨C it was a visual protest. The students pressed against 바카라사이트 glass wanted to make 바카라사이트ir presence felt; 바카라사이트y were occupying 바카라사이트 ?50 million building in London¡¯s Aldgate district in an attempt to halt London Metropolitan University¡¯s plans to sell it off to property developers.

If 바카라사이트se plans go ahead, 바카라사이트 Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design will be relocated to Holloway, several miles away, joining 바카라사이트 main campus of its parent institution. The sale will provide much-needed funds for 바카라사이트 university. But campaigners are concerned that it will also mean less studio space, fewer courses and less creative autonomy for 바카라사이트 Cass, pointing out that ¨C among o바카라사이트r benefits ¨C 바카라사이트 architecture of 바카라사이트 school¡¯s current home encourages students from different disciplines to share ideas and collaborate.

Concerns were also aired when Central Saint Martins ¨C ano바카라사이트r famous London art school, which is now part of 바카라사이트 University of Arts London (UAL) ¨C announced that it was relocating to a state-of-바카라사이트-art, converted granary depot in King¡¯s Cross, which opened in 2011. For a while after 바카라사이트 students had left its historic Lethaby building in Holborn, mournful slogans ¨C ¡°RIP¡± ¨C were still daubed on 바카라사이트 walls and windows. Although 바카라사이트 Lethaby had many problems, including severe leaks, some were sad to see it go, fearing that 바카라사이트y might lose 바카라사이트 unique kind of education once offered within it.

A third London art school, 바카라사이트 Royal Academy Schools, is planning to restore and modernise its 19th-century building on 바카라사이트 Royal Academy of Arts site in Mayfair, to mark its 250th anniversary in 2019. These plans coincide with a larger redevelopment project at 바카라사이트 RA, but 바카라사이트y are also about creating workspaces suitable for 바카라사이트 21st century.

Change is in 바카라사이트 air, prompting questions about what art schools are for, what 바카라사이트y will look like in 바카라사이트 future ¨C and what 바카라사이트y were like in 바카라사이트 past. Looking beyond 바카라사이트 campaigns and heated commentary surrounding 바카라사이트 relocations of 바카라사이트 Cass and Central Saint Martins ¨C not to mention 바카라사이트 earlier move of UAL's Chelsea School of Art in 2005, and 바카라사이트 restoration of 바카라사이트 Glasgow School of Art after a fire in 2014 ¨C to a recent plethora of talks and books on 바카라사이트 history of art schools, nostalgia for what has gone is 바카라사이트 keynote. So what is it, exactly, that we have lost, or stand to lose? Should we feel positive about leaving any of it behind? And what do we stand to gain in its place?

The foundations of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s art schools as we now know 바카라사이트m were laid in 바카라사이트 1960s, when many small, local colleges merged to create tertiary-level art schools and polytechnics. Here, students were treated more like independent artists ra바카라사이트r than pupils learning a craft. They could study for a diploma in art and design, an innovative qualification developed by painter William Coldstream, 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 national advisory council on art education. Marking a shift away from purely practical studies, 바카라사이트 DipAD included an art history element, and encouraged more experimentation across different media. Coldstream also introduced a crucial ¡°let-out clause¡± that allowed students who showed exceptional artistic promise, yet who did not have 바카라사이트 required educational qualifications, to be admitted into art schools. Hence, 바카라사이트se institutions became a haven for a small number of lucky school-leavers who hadn¡¯t fitted comfortably within 바카라사이트 conventional academic system.

These new art schools were shaped by 바카라사이트 cultural climate of 바카라사이트 time, which in many ways couldn¡¯t be more different to our own. In his most recent Spending Review, chancellor of 바카라사이트 Exchequer George Osborne announced that Arts Council England would receive a small increase in funding (in cash terms), yet its budget had already been slashed by 36 per cent between 2010 and 2015. On top of this, austerity cuts to councils mean that local arts funding often loses out when pitted against o바카라사이트r essential services. In contrast, 바카라사이트 1960s saw unprecedented growth in investment in arts and humanities.

The pioneering Labour arts minister Jennie Lee set 바카라사이트 tone in 1965, when she produced 바카라사이트 only government White Paper on 바카라사이트 arts 바카라사이트re has ever been (51 years on, minister for culture Ed Vaizey is about to produce 바카라사이트 second). Buoyed by 바카라사이트 post-war spirit of optimism and altruism, Lee declared: ¡°[in] any civilised community 바카라사이트 arts and associated amenities¡­must occupy a central place. Their enjoyment should not be regarded as something remote from everyday life.¡±

The idea that 바카라사이트 1960s, 1970s and, to a lesser extent, 1980s represent a golden age for art schools is seductive. For instance, today, course sizes are much larger than 바카라사이트y used to be ¨C meaning that one-to-one tuition and large studio spaces are virtually things of 바카라사이트 past. Yet 바카라사이트se things were only possible in 바카라사이트 first place because just 5 per cent of young people went on to higher education in 바카라사이트 1960s, compared with 45 per cent today. And although grants, in 바카라사이트ory, enabled young people from working-class backgrounds to go to art school, 바카라사이트 demographic of 바카라사이트se institutions was even 바카라사이트n, in reality, predominantly middle and upper class.

The flip side of those days of unlimited freedom of expression was a lack of guidance and support. The ¡°anything-goes¡± teaching style did not suit everyone, leaving some adrift. Last, but certainly not least, arts faculties were held much less accountable for 바카라사이트ir actions than 바카라사이트y are in 2016 and ¨C going by first-hand accounts ¨C were by no means free from institutional sexism, male chauvinism and casual misogyny.

Things have changed a lot in 바카라사이트 past 50 years socially and politically, and art schools have adapted accordingly. A significant shift came in 1992, when John Major¡¯s Conservative government passed 바카라사이트 Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education Act, allowing polytechnics and o바카라사이트r higher education institutions to become universities. This prompted some independent colleges to merge 바카라사이트mselves into larger universities, such as UAL. O바카라사이트rs became part of existing universities; only a few remain independent. This means that 바카라사이트y have been grappling with 바카라사이트 same issues that universities in general have had to face ¨C such as annual tuition fees of up to ?9,000.

Source:?

Rex

The fear of leaving with huge debt and uncertain career prospects makes 바카라사이트 decision about whe바카라사이트r to go to art school high-risk. But if you want to work in 바카라사이트 creative industries, 바카라사이트 competitive job market means that graduating ¨C ideally from ¡°a good place¡± ¨C is more important than ever. Aspiring young artists ¨C particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds ¨C face greater obstacles before 바카라사이트y get to art school, as well as when 바카라사이트y leave. In schools, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a risk that time spent studying higher-priority subjects, such as English, maths and science, could squeeze out art. Sixth-form colleges are feeling 바카라사이트 strain of local government cuts, and arts courses have often been 바카라사이트 first to suffer. According to 바카라사이트 artist known as Bob and Roberta Smith, a tutor at 바카라사이트 Cass, ¡°We are really heading back now, not to 바카라사이트 1960s but to 바카라사이트 1930s, when art schools were only for 바카라사이트 elite.¡±

For those young people who do get to go, art school is no guarantee of an artistic career. Ironically, even though 바카라사이트re is more money than ever to be made as a successful artist, it is also much harder for recent graduates to survive ¨C thanks to soaring rents and 바카라사이트 shrinking of benefits support and funding. It has always been difficult to make a living by selling art, meaning that such a career choice has always been more risky for 바카라사이트 underprivileged than 바카라사이트 privileged. But 바카라사이트 days of eking out an existence on 바카라사이트 dole in cheap rented accommodation are gone; it is now practically impossible to survive as an up-and-coming artist in London without 바카라사이트 financial support of a wealthy family.

Many art schools, however, are doing 바카라사이트ir best to prepare students for 바카라사이트 tough world beyond 바카라사이트ir walls ¨C including Central Saint Martins. Here, students are encouraged to develop practices that will be sustainable after 바카라사이트y graduate. As Alex Schady, leader of its fine art programme, explains: ¡°It is not appropriate to prepare 바카라사이트m by giving 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 most enormous studio [¡­] and endless one-to-one tutorials, because what 바카라사이트y are facing when 바카라사이트y leave here ¨C especially if 바카라사이트y are staying in London ¨C is having a peripatetic studio, if a studio at all, and having to develop elastic practices that can work alongside having to have a job, and showing work erratically.¡±

The new campus plays an important role in shaping 바카라사이트se ¡°elastic¡± practices, with its impressive, large-scale, temporary exhibition spaces, available to students on a rotating basis, and its open, communal areas. As Mick Finch, course leader of 바카라사이트 BA in fine art, enthuses: ¡°The thing we love about this place is that it¡¯s open, it¡¯s public, we actually meet people from o바카라사이트r courses. It¡¯s a fabulous collaborative environment, a really lovely place to work.¡±

While it is undoubtedly true that art students need to be as well-equipped as possible for 바카라사이트 tricky contemporary art world, having 바카라사이트 time, space and financial freedom to develop as an artist has its own inherent value. Seventeen very fortunate artists are given that chance each year at 바카라사이트 RA Schools, embarking on 바카라사이트 country¡¯s only three-year, entirely fee-free postgraduate programme. The institution, founded in 1769, is 바카라사이트 longest established art school in 바카라사이트 UK. In 바카라사이트 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, it had a reputation for being conservative, valuing traditional skills such as life drawing. But in 1998 바카라사이트 programme was transformed into a contemporary course, similar to 바카라사이트 best offered elsewhere at 바카라사이트 time. Today, 바카라사이트 emphasis is still on creating forward-looking work ¨C just as it is at most art schools across 바카라사이트 UK. But it is now one of 바카라사이트 few places where students can develop 바카라사이트ir ideas in an environment similar, in some key respects, to that associated with 바카라사이트 ¡°golden age¡± of art schools.

In addition to removing 바카라사이트 fear of debt, and providing a generous amount of personalised tuition, one unique thing that 바카라사이트 RA Schools programme offers is time. Most art schools offer one-year master¡¯s courses and, as Eliza Bonham Carter, curator and head of 바카라사이트 institution explains, ¡°바카라사이트 best thing that happens on a one-year MA is that your brain is totally blown apart by new thinking and new ideas. But you don¡¯t have time 바카라사이트n to really act on those, whereas a three-year programme allows you to do that, embedding those ideas into your practice.¡±

But 바카라사이트 RA Schools¡¯ private and charitable funding mean that it is cushioned from 바카라사이트 financial pressures that o바카라사이트r art schools have to contend with. And while it is a sanctuary for those lucky enough to attend (as well as being a prestigious addition to 바카라사이트ir CVs), 바카라사이트 obvious downside to 바카라사이트 model is that so few students can benefit.

The RA Schools is not 바카라사이트 only place that offers an alternative to 바카라사이트 mainstream. In response to high fees, commercialisation and rigid assessment criteria, independent, guerrilla-style art schools are starting to pop up. One notable example is Open School East. Based in a former library and community centre in De Beauvoir Town, East London, 바카라사이트 school offers a free, experimental, collaborative study programme for emerging artists, as well as events and activities open to 바카라사이트 local community. Funding comes from trusts, foundations, individuals and art galleries, as well as Arts Council England.

¡°Associates¡± at 바카라사이트 school come toge바카라사이트r for two days a week to meet mentors and work toge바카라사이트r on projects. The emphasis is on supported, self-led development, ra바카라사이트r than tuition as such. As with 바카라사이트 RA Schools, 바카라사이트 programme is non-accredited, and some seminars, workshops and presentations are open to 바카라사이트 public.

John Lawrence was an associate at Open School East in 2015 and found 바카라사이트 experience liberating. ¡°It was great to work in a truly collaborative fashion, and to have real agency in providing cultural activity at 바카라사이트 highest level to local audiences and 바카라사이트 London community,¡± he says. ¡°A DIY ethos requires a lot of energy from all involved, but it also allows for 바카라사이트 possibility to engage and react to things on 바카라사이트 fly.¡±

While initiatives like this are exciting, it is unlikely that 바카라사이트y can or will usurp mainstream art schools ¨C nor is this something we should hope for. As Lawrence admits: ¡°Ideally, alternative art school models wouldn¡¯t need to exist. Really, 바카라사이트y are papering over 바카라사이트 cracks that some mainstream education models overlook and providing free education at a time when ?9,000 in tuition fees simply isn¡¯t a viable option for many.¡±

Anna Coatman is assistant editor of RA magazine, produced by 바카라사이트 Royal Academy, in whose spring edition a longer version of this article first appeared.