With over 500 signatures already, the Graduates of UAL university and Camberwell locals are signing a petition to stop the closure of a 30-year-old prestigious MA course about debates about the cultural, creative and individual functions of books.
Camberwell local, Phillip Lewis, said: “To close the course would be to cast book-making to a past time – when in truth it is powerful and necessary to the ongoing present.”
Lyn Melville-James, said: “I am a Camberwell MA Print post graduate. This unique and extraordinary course is the envy of Europe and beyond. We cannot stand by and allow this amazing and valuable course to quietly disappear.”
Andy Price, said: “Would be a shame to see this unique program disappear. It was an invaluable launch-pad for my creative career & helped to forge life-long friendships & working partnerships.”
This one-of-a-kind course within Europe will be facing closure with no intake of students in 2019/2020. Having been around for 30 years, the course has become internationally renown and widely recognised as a Masters.
Alice Richmond, Chief Executive, released a statement saying that they’re suspending this course.
She said: “The course is running at a high cost per student in comparison with the average degree course within the arts college.”
However, they say that they’re still reviewing the course to find solutions that will be “sustainable in the long-term future”.
Famous and notable institutions such as the British Library and the V&A have curated book collections of the graduates of this course, and the British Library is recently ran a series of sell out talks entitled: ‘Artist’s Books Now’, featuring and curated by ex-Camberwell Book Arts graduates. Some of these graduates now teach at art school and Universities including the University of West England in Bristol, Bath Spa University and Winchester School of Art.
One alumna is Jukhee Kwon, who has done solo exhibitions internationally such as ‘Objecthood’ in which she creates book sculptures. Another is Janine Harrington; who is a choreographer, performer and writer. She will soon be South East Dance’s Align programme artist.
