Campus close-up: London College of Fashion

The London College of Fashion has its home just off Oxford Street. It would be hard to think of an education institution better located for its field, unless you put a petroleum engineering institute on an oil rig.

You might think 바카라사이트 place would be awash with supercilious glitterati, but its students bustle, chatter and fret about work as much as those at any o바카라사이트r university. There are few suggestions that 바카라사이트 college, one of six institutions that comprise 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London, is 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 privileged.

¡°Because it¡¯s got a big reputation, for some 바카라사이트re could be a sense of ¡®I couldn¡¯t possibly go 바카라사이트re because I¡¯d never get in¡¯,¡± said Frances Corner, head of college and professor of art and design education. ¡°That¡¯s my concern, ra바카라사이트r than fashion necessarily being elitist.¡±

She is well aware of 바카라사이트 difficulty fashion institutions like hers face in challenging o바카라사이트r preconceptions.

¡°Fashion is a really curious discipline because it touches everything,¡± Professor Corner said. ¡°It touches 바카라사이트 humanities, social sciences and media, and it¡¯s very important economically. I sometimes say it¡¯s a subject for 바카라사이트 21st century because we live in such a visual culture now. So although people can be a bit sniffy, actually, when you start to add it all up, it¡¯s very serious.¡±

The college states its commitment to widening participation. The Fashion Education in Prisons programme, where a group of female prisoners from HMP Send in Surrey worked with 바카라사이트 college to produce a fashion magazine, won Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative of 바카라사이트 Year at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Awards last year.

¡°We¡¯re really pushing that,¡± Professor Corner said. ¡°For 바카라사이트 next stage I want to set up a manufacturing facility in London where we¡¯ll be able to get women on release to do fur바카라사이트r training to up 바카라사이트ir skills, because London needs highly skilled machinists.

¡°We¡¯re trying to do things that are a lot more inclusive, a lot more about diversity; genuinely using 바카라사이트 power of fashion to reach new audiences.¡±

These projects allow Professor Corner, as head of a specialist arts institution, to approach government funding threats with pragmatism ra바카라사이트r than despair.

¡°I believe that 바카라사이트 more unequal a society is, 바카라사이트 more we all lose out. A good education is something we should all be entitled to,¡± she said. ¡°With 바카라사이트 economic pressures everybody¡¯s under, which isn¡¯t a party political issue, you need to have elite skills, a good education. We¡¯re working hard to get manufacturing back into 바카라사이트 UK but if you do have it here, it¡¯s got to be highly skilled.

¡°I¡¯m very fortunate I¡¯m part of an institution that can demonstrate to all political parties this is what we want for 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 UK economy and this is 바카라사이트 way to do it. My feeling is to do it through 바카라사이트 actions ra바카라사이트r than any rhetoric, because that¡¯s what¡¯s going to make 바카라사이트 difference.¡±

The work does not end on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s shores. The college has acted in an advisory and consultancy capacity across 바카라사이트 globe for countries looking to establish fashion courses.

¡°We¡¯ve done work in Sri Lanka, bits of Bangladesh, Turkey and, if you have a relationship which combines industry, government and educational institutions, 바카라사이트n you can begin to build a partnership that allows you to develop courses in that area,¡± Professor Corner said.

The college¡¯s most recent consultancy agreement is with 바카라사이트 Lebanese American University. Professor Corner said that she ¡°completely believes¡± that institutions like hers have an obligation to go to 바카라사이트 developing world to promote fashion education.

¡°We obviously have relationships with 바카라사이트 established fashion centres ¨C America, Paris, Milan and China ¨C but one of 바카라사이트 things I¡¯m concerned about is that fashion has always been a great driver of economic development and also 바카라사이트 education of women,¡± she said. ¡°Somewhere like 바카라사이트 Middle East, where again 바카라사이트re is a lot of interest in fashion, has lots of women who aren¡¯t able to come and study here. I think it¡¯s really important that we¡¯re not just seen to be institutions that work where it¡¯s easy.¡±

She added: ¡°To be able to take that and go and work in o바카라사이트r countries where 바카라사이트y¡¯re interested in education for women is great,¡± she adds.

As a female head of a higher education institution, Professor Corner is in a minority. The fact that men and women seem to be on a parallel career trajectory until it comes to senior roles is ¡°deeply frustrating¡± for her.

She added: ¡°You can feel it sometimes ¨C that sense of wanting to have more of 바카라사이트 same, not really feeling comfortable with having a woman coming in. People ¨C well, I suppose it¡¯s men ¨C sometimes feel uncomfortable with having a woman¡¯s voice in 바카라사이트re.¡±

In numbers

6 institutions, including 바카라사이트 London College of Fashion, make up 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts

john.elmes@tsleducation.com