Falmouth University Making A Hell Of A Boo-Boo. Protest Form Attached

[DTCwordfan]

For the artists and crafts folks in here, Falmouth Uni, one of our leading Arts schools is thinking of sacrificing their Contemporary Crafts Degree in favour of Gaming and Business.

This is an appalling proposition. It's disgraceful - even to think about it when it comes to being one of the supposedly core units for an Art school, never mind the rich heritage in pottery down here. Bernard Leach, the UK's greatest potter probably, is probably rolling in his grave.......

I've signed the petition below and commented as well.

Would you consider signing this too?

Lady J will be up in arms too when she hears about this, she being a ceramicist and potter.

Thanks in advance.

dtc

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/oppose-falmouth-university-closing-the-contemporary-crafts-degree

[pastafreak]

Signed...didn't have to think twice. The West country has such a rich heritage and has always been a place where originality,craftsmanship,and creativity have been encouraged. Bernard...and his sons along with all the great artists and potters of that era...will certainly be turning over in their graves.

[gness]

Signed....x

[pixie373]

Have done too x

[tonyav]

Signed as well.

[Mamyalynne]

Signed.

[Tuvok]

Have forwarded this to head of art at my local college/uni

[Psybbo]

Signed xx

[Tilly2]

Done and dusted. x

[DTCwordfan]

Thanks all.....

[bednobs]

hello dtc, are you able to explain a bit more?

[DaisyNonna]

Done

[kvalidir]

Signed.

[DTCwordfan]

If you click on the link, bednobs, there is a description....Falmouth is one of the top creative art courses in the UK and removing this dimension of crafts is shooting themselves in the foot, IMO, not least Cornwall has a major pottery and ceramics heritage. One of the major centres is this one in St Ives and is as influential on the world of pottery as the St Ives and Newlyn Schools of Art have been on artists, Falmouth taking this history and encouragement of contemporary arts forward.

http://www.leachpottery.com/

If you love pottery and ceramics, I can well recommend a visit to the Leach centre if you are down this way. It's on the road out of St Ives towards Zennor and St Just and is outside the town summer limitation of cars going in to the centre, therefore pretty accessible.

[DTCwordfan]

Thanks folk....

[bednobs]

does the course occur in other unis? I would guess the course they want to replace it with is more lucrative?

[DTCwordfan]

Bednobs, I am speculating somewhat and we really need Lady J with her ceramics experience here but given Falmouth's reputation as one of the leading creative art schools in this country, I would think that their contemp crafts was up there as one of the leading ones.

I have no issue with them setting up a gaming and business course if there is demand for that. Good luck to them but not at the expense of a core art discipline.

I am not a potter or ceramicist, though I would love to be.

[DTCwordfan]

Falmouth is shooting for becoming a Uni in its own right - it's currently affiliated to Exeter.

Other contemp craft degrees seem to be U of Herts, Brighton, de Montfort, Plymouth, UCA Farnham, Ox Brookes, Kingston and Edinburgh.

[bednobs]

then does it really matter - people can still do the course elsewhere. There is nothing stopping them working in cornwall as a potter afterwards i suppose.
the bottom line is, i suppose, money (isn't everything?)

[DTCwordfan]

Yes, but why destroy excellence? That's the quickest way to Philistine.

[bednobs]

i suppose so but the centre of excellence will just move elsewhere :) Do you know why they want to stop the course? Perhaps they don't have the staff any more?