- Venue
- School of Fine Art, University of Leeds
- Date
- Monday, June 17, 2013
- Address
- School of Fine Art, History of Art & Cultural Studies, Old Mining Building, The University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT
- Location
- Yorkshire
Titled “£383,911.73”, the University of Leeds Fine Art degree show is accompanied by a symposium on the subject of the arts and education. £383,911.73 is the sum total of participating students’ tuition fees to the University of Leeds, a figure that will treble within two years. Our time at university, beginning in 2009/10 has coincided with the massive changes affecting education and the arts implemented by the coalition government. These include the trebling of tuition fees, a 100% cut to the block funding of higher education arts courses, the withdrawal of the Education Maintenance Allowance, cuts to arts funding at a local and national level, and the proposed introduction of an EBacc in which arts subjects are excluded. These changes reignited discussions on the value of art. They also triggered protests across England, from the mass demonstrations at Millbank to occupations at several universities including Leeds. Some artists and academics have initiated a variety of self-organised alternatives to traditional higher education, while students and staff at universities continue to engage with their subjects under changing conditions. What is the relevance of arts education today and how will it change in the future?Speakers include Andrew McGettigan, representatives of the Free University of Liverpool, Poly-Technic.
