Global arts bodies warn Edinburgh College of Art closures will cause ‘lasting damage’
Arts organisations in the US and Europe branded the move “short sighted” and said it could put Scotland’s design reputation at risk
Arts bodies from across the world have joined calls to halt proposed course closures at the Edinburgh College of Art, warning they could cause “lasting damage” to Scotland’s creative and cultural future.
The undergraduate Jewellery and Silversmithing, Textiles and Performance Costume courses at Edinburgh College of Art are among the 90-plus courses at Edinburgh University earmarked for closure, along with History of Art and Scottish Literature and History of Art and Chinese Studies, which are also taught at the art school.
Curators, professors and creative organisations from the UK, US and Europe have published statements of support following an open letter by Craft Scotland condemning the cuts and outlining fears about the impact of the loss for Scottish design and culture.
Director Irene Kernan said the proposed closures announced last week would “devastate” opportunities for future generations of makers and designers and would have a “disproportionate impact” on Scotland’s craft sector, which she said currently “punches above its weight” in terms of its international reputation.
She said: “Edinburgh College of Art Jewellery and Silversmithing alumni have had their masterpieces acquired by some of the world’s most important museum collections and by private collectors.
“Alumni from ECA’s Performance Costume course land prestigious roles working across stage and screen, as well as contributing to Scotland’s fashion and textile industries.
“These courses are a unique and irreplaceable part of Edinburgh’s cultural history.
“A decision to close these courses will have consequences for Scottish culture that are almost impossible to mitigate and would be an enormous loss for the UK’s cultural landscape.”
University should reverse its decision before ‘lasting damage’ to craft sector is done
The letter, signed by five other Scottish arts organisations including Visual Arts Scotland, Applied Arts Scotland and Design Nation, has since garnered international support from collectors and arts bodies in the US and Europe, expressing fear for the future of craft culture in the wake of university cutbacks.
“I grew up coming to the thesis exhibitions at Edinburgh College of Art, and I have always particularly loved seeing the masterful and inventive outcomes from the Jewellery and Silversmithing department,” said Michelle Millar Fisher, Chief Curator of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.
“In an age of accelerated technology, it is not ‘still’ important to learn how to do things with our hands. It is imperative, because this kind of embodied knowledge is at the centre of our culture and humanity.”
Meanwhile, Professor Kerianne Quick, a jewellery scholar and professor at San Diego State University, branded the decision by the university “short sighted”.
She said: “Built and led by committed scholars, the programme has shaped generations of distinguished alumni; its closure weakens the creative, cultural, and economic future that skilled making sustains in Scotland, at a time when this work is more vital than ever.”
The last 24 hours have seen the European Crafts Alliance, UK-based Crafts Council and the American Art Jewellery Forum also calling for the university to reverse its plans.
“Whilst the voices advocating for the importance of hand skills and human creativity grow ever louder, the immediate financial pressures facing our universities are narrowing the pathways to craft excellence,” said Natalie Melton, Executive Director of the Crafts Council.
“I hope the administration will listen to the concerns of the craft community and reinstate the courses before lasting damage is done.”