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

[DTCwordfan]

Yes, but it risks cutting the heritage link too and that, to me, would be the great shame in all of this. As I read it, it's the commercial opportunity that is over-riding things. It could also be the thin edge of a wedge that takes Falmouth into being a centre of mediocrity. I also wonder how much Exeter Uni is pushing this too.

I look forward to Lady J's views.

[sandyRoe]

Signed. Are the bean counters, who know the price of everything and the value of nothing, in the ascendancy ?

[vulcan42]

Signed

[FrogNog]

Are they closing the whole ceramics thing or just the contemporary aspect?

[DTCwordfan]

Thanks folk.....

[marval]

I have just signed.

[Psybbo]

You'll have to tell Lady-J on the GMEB thread

[DTCwordfan]

I believe the contemporary craft courses are going frog, not just the degree. This has been one of their premier offerings over the last 38 years and has helped flourish the crafts scene here in Cornwall and across in Devon.

I have been invited to join the Devon Guild of Crafts and they cover Cornwall as well, so many members of theirs who have graduated from this course. They will be raising stink about this as it's more than Cornwall that suffers.

[DTCwordfan]

I've sent her an e-mail too, Psybbs....

[FrogNog]

I'm sorry DTC I don't understand.
Does this mean that students will no longer be able to do ceramics at all, or just the contemporary arts students?

[DTCwordfan]

From what I am gleaning from the comments from current students, recent alumni and parents, its the former, frognog......unfortunately, as well as other craft areas like glass and textiles.

[jomifl]

Done DTC, had to put in a bogus post code as my real one is invalid apparently. I'll get Mrs. Jom to do one when I can tear her away from her laptop.

[DTCwordfan]

I cut and paste three comments in the thousands out there, just extracted from one page:

"This course is unique and so important for the development and generation of young craftspeople in Britain. It is a vital starting point for so many entering the creative industries, The contemporary crafts course has been a very important department, it has inspired so many young artists and craftspeople in Cornwall. It was a flagship course that reached out to the wider community to effectively."

Joshua B. a day ago
"These traditional skills are the ones that need protecting the most. Once the skills are lost, they are lost forever."

Pern D. a day ago
"I was a student at UCF from 2007 to 2010. Unfortunately my course; BA Hons Garden Design, Arts and Environment was announced to be closed down in 2010. It saddened us greatly. Working and studying in the Design Center surrounded by creativity was so inspiring and Contemporay Crafts blew me away every year in the excerbitions. Do NOT let the money rule. Do not let this brilliant unique course be cut and taken away."

[DTCwordfan]

Thanks for that.....

[sandyRoe]

And shall the pottery die?
Here's 20,000 Cornish men will know the reason why...

[Khandro]

"A Hell Of A Boo-Boo. Protest Form Attached..... Would you consider signing this too?"
This could be construed as something of a 'leading question'. You give a link to the petition which many above seem ready to blindly sign, but what are the issues involved? For all we (I) know it might be a failing course worthy of closure, as many courses are.

[Svejk]

Perhaps not enough students are applying to take the course. We can't force pots on students.(now if it was pot)

[DTCwordfan]

Not from what the students are saying about the course, khandro, it's outscoring other establishments on a non Falmouth review I have just read. Whether the numbers are there, I don't know svejk, overall numbers at Falmouth are growing strongly though and given it's a flagship course, I doubt that they are falling short on applications. The intake process is certainly an arduous one and they really look for a balance of application, communication and creativity, a GDaughter having gone through it - it's rather like a MasterChef process.

[Khandro]

DTC; Sorry if I sounded a wee bit curmudgeonly last night, but I have had a lot of experience of English (and Foreign) art schools, and there must be another side to this story, which may well be as you describe it a "disgraceful" proposition, but I would like to hear it before signing a petition.
Falmouth was originally just an art school and was a popular 2nd choice for art students not because it was particularly brilliant, but because of its location. Over the last few decades it has metaphosed into a Poly now University, and there will have been, and still will be, many underlying currents and issues throughout this process, both financial and academic.

[kernowgirl99]

Oh dear, dear, dear, how dreadful. As a proud but "exiled" Cornish woman, I find this very distressing when Falmouth Art college has had such a proud tradition.

Sadly, this sort of thing is reflected in our local adult education classes. In this area they are becoming fewer and fewer with every year and Ad. Ed. centres are focussing on courses which can command government funding. Makes my blood boil - 'tisn't a proper job at all, as they'll find out dreckly!