Thursday 29th March, Manchester

http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/ents/event/433/

My Name is Benjamin Westhead. I am the Education Officer working on the sabbatical team in the Students’ Union for the University of the Arts London.

I am writing to you about the recent Higher Education White Paper produced by your department. More specifically I am concerned that the White Paper has failed to acknowledge the application and selection process implemented at most arts universities.

University of the Arts London has around 20,000 students studying a diverse range of creative subjects. However, within this large range of different specialities a common feature of the majority of courses is that they have an application process not acknowledged by the White Paper. I am sure you are aware, as it is with most creative institutions, UAL does not conform to the traditions of A-level and UCAS application system. A large proportion of the university’s student places are awarded in light of academics viewing portfolios, interviews and auditions, then assessing talent on this basis. The new proposal on the manner in which student numbers will be regulated, particularly in reference to ‘AAB students’, fails to account for this difference -  not only the application process that fits the courses we offer, but on a more rudimentary level on learning style.

Our process of application is one that must be preserved as our current system is tailored to fit the manner in which the university and creative sector operates. Many students who excel in the creative arts may perform less well in traditional academic subjects and be even more constrained by the conventions of the standard academic examination process. The current proposal discriminates against the creative sector. It is fundamentally wrong to punish universities and students for failing to meet guidelines that are not applicable.

I urge the government to review their blanket-policy as it has the potential to be devastating not only for my own institution but for creative teaching establishments across the nation. This issue stretches further than Art and Design courses – music and the performing arts will all feel the pressure of this policy. I am speaking not only for University of the Arts London, but even more so for the smaller colleges that may be left with no way to develop and expand to the point of destruction under a system that is clearly biased against them. Whilst the AAB approach attempts to ensure that the most academically able students are prioritised for University places, it does not ensure that the most creatively able students will be prioritised for places at arts institutions.  The White Paper and in particular the proposal to regulate student numbers through the ‘AAB’ approach, must be revised to include flexibility for creative institutions to use the appropriate process of portfolio or performance application to recruit the best and most creatively able students.

The modes of learning and the facilities that are required by creative courses are different to other disciplines, and a different approach should be applied if we are going to get the most talented creative students to the best courses at the best universities.

Benjamin Westhead

Benjamin Westhead SUARTS

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=417162&c=1

Benjamin Westhead SUARTS

Ben

This is my first post to Artsgroup. My name is Benjamin Westhead I’m the new Education Officer at SUARTS. I realise that Artsgroup has gone unused for sometime now and I’m looking to revitalise a little.

Many of you will have already (I hope) received this message or one very similar to it – I am Sorry for cross posting as I know how annoying it can be.

The message I’m trying to spread is one in reaction to the government’s new white paper and more specifically how the content of that paper might effect institutions who either specialise or have a vested interest in creative courses.

I’m working under the assumption that most of us who represent or have links to universities and colleges of a creative nature  operate a non-standard application system that is based on portfolio/interview/audition rather than the traditional A-level results ‘UCAS system’. I am also working under the assumption that our current application process is one we want to preserve. Students who excel in the creative subjects should not be punished for not jumping through the hoops of the traditional academic grading system.

At this point the government has not made any official statement about how our specific circumstance will be dealt with – so it might be wise to work under the expectation that we will be given no special circumstance until we hear otherwise. The government has already decimated that creative sector with massive cuts to arts and humanities and we have no reason to believe they are going to change their stance now.

I would encourage everyone to write an email to their rector/vice chancellor/ whoever is at the top, asking them what they are doing to tackle this pressing issue. On top of that I would suggest that we all start writing to our local MPs and more specifically David Willetts in order to pressure a reconsideration of these blanket rules.

Click his face to get linked to his contact page

More than anything I would encourage you all to forward this message on to others who work in similar institutions to ours so we can build a network.

I have pasted in a copy of the email I sent to the rector of our university regarding the issue (with all of the personal, UAL specific talk removed) which you can use as a template or at least a jumping off point if you want.

Dear ( X ),

I am writing regarding the universities stance on the government’s white paper on the future of the university system.

Having read in some more detail some of the information on the white-paper and its implications I have come to realise what a drastic effect it will have, especially on our institution because of our non-traditional application process. I am sure we will both agree that our current entry process based on portfolio and interview is one we want to protect.

This is clearly an issue that has the potential to affect the university in a very real way and I was hoping I could get some more information on what the university is doing in way of tackling this. This is an issue that I personally consider very important and so any information or ways that the students’ union might be involved in safe-guarding our application process would be very useful.

I was also wondering what the situation will be from the university perspective if the government refuses to recognise our special circumstance?

Thank you,

( X )

There is also an excellent article entitled:

‘Ten things everyone working in or studying art should know about the White Paper for Higher Education in England’

That can be found here.

Benjamin Westhead - SUARTS

Cheers guys and good luck

Ben

Case study: University of the Arts London Rings

Partnering with University of the Arts London Students’ Union, Eva London launched a Graduation Ring design competition open to students studying BA Jewellery Design at Central St Martins, one of the constituent colleges of the University. The competition was judged by a mixture of leading figures from the fashion industry, the media and the University itself. The result was a completely unique design that demonstrated a dynamic modernisation of the Graduation Ring concept, in keeping with the University’s ethos and image. The winning student received a cash prize, a set of Graduation Rings, design acknowledgement and features in national press (including Vogue.com). The winning designs were taken into production and can now be ordered at the SU shop, graduation ceremonies, alumni events and online at www.evalondon.com/arts.

How to get your university/Union involved

Get in touch with Eva London by calling 0207 148 7060, visit  www.evalondon.com or email info@evalondon.com for more information.

Visit www.artsgroup.org.uk/national-summit/ or click here for more info and to register your delegates.

The summit has be rearrange for July 1st/2nd at University of the Arts London.

Please visit our “National Summit” Pages for more details and to register.

With great regret, due to the increasing likelihood of rail strikes on the 6^th-8^th April, the organizers have taken the decision to postpone the National Arts Student Summit. The Summit is currently planned to be rearranged, probably in June, perhaps aptly, in the first 100 days or whichever government is in power after the election!

Many thanks to those of you who have registered to attend, we look forward to seeing you at the Summit when we can confirm details.

Any queries or issues please don’t hesitate to contact chair@artsgroup.org.uk

Words by Lemma Shehadi

The increase of the creative industry’s numbers and economic activity is a recent development. To account for this, the Creative Graduates Creative Futures published a report on the career patterns of creative graduates. Undertaken between 2008 and 2010 and involving 3,500 creative graduates from the last six years, here we outline the CGCF executive summary, released in September 2009, of which a full report is to be published this spring.

What is particular to graduates in creative degrees, is that in pursuing their careers, they tend to engage in a multitude of activities. The CGCF highlights  that these activities combine a pattern of portfolio work and learning. This stems from the practice-led research emphasised in the curriculum of creative degrees. Graduates seem to combine this skill of applying their learning to work, whilst always learning and working throughout their creative careers

What this tends to encourage is a combination of self-employment and employment, and also a perfect ease with self-employment as a means of self-led learning. The summary reports that 45% of the graduates interviewed had worked on a freelance basis.

Creative graduates find the transition from higher education to the work place quite smooth. Their creative curriculum requires them to apply their learning through live projects. In the course of their degree, they are asked to set up exhibitions, they may receive commissions, and they work amongst teachers who are also practising artists.  Practice-led research becomes an important factor that creative Higher Education institutions want to maintain and enhance for the future.

Whilst portfolio careers are more desirable to creative graduates, they are financially less sustainable. As the summary states, creative careers are not always very well paid. It emerges then that graduates working one steady job earn more than those engaged in three or more paid occupations. The latter, rely on these combined income streams to make a living.

However such a statistic-led research, though it can bring to light certain key patterns amongst creative graduates, does nothing to illustrate how such dynamics are achieved. Neither can it account for the concerns or the exceptions that it highlights. Why graduates choose portfolio careers over having one job with higher pay is not a question that can be answered by the executive summary. And whilst it gives a positive and dynamic portrayal of the ever growing cultural sectors, it merely glosses over a concern that creative roles tend to have a low pay.