THE principal of a Scottish university, at the centre of a row over cuts to its cultural programmes, has offered a ray of hope to some of the threatened services.
Professor Jim McDonald, principal of Strathclyde University, in Glasgow, said it was no longer possible to support music, drama and art through public funding.
However, under new plans revealed to The Herald, he said the university’s Music Society and its staff would continue to be funded for three years -- to give it time to bring in additional income such as donations, sponsorship and ticket sales.
Students would be encouraged to take a leading role in the running of the society through the Students’ Association and to increase its popularity by encouraging musicians from all genres to participate.
The future of the historic Ramshorn Theatre and the Collins Gallery, which have both been threatened with closure, is much less certain, however.
Mr McDonald said the facilities were not part of the university’s future plans, but that they may not have to shut if it was feasible for them to be run as independent charitable trusts.
If such a solution were possible, the buildings could be gifted to the trusts and the university may continue to provide some financial support, he said. He also pledged to retain the collections held by the Collins Gallery and to exhibit them in public spaces in the university’s main buildings.
Last month, The Herald revealed the university was planning to close its theatre and art gallery and abolish its post of music director in a bid to save £250,000 in salaries, with additional annual savings in running costs of at least £50,000.
An internal document passed to The Herald said the running of a theatre and a gallery was not a core activity for the university “given neither is necessary for the delivery of the university’s academic programmes”.
The proposals sparked a huge public backlash, with a former vice-principal, Emeritus Professor Peter Reed, accusing Strathclyde of having “tunnel vision”.
Speaking to The Herald on the eve of a crucial meeting of the university’s ruling Court tomorrow, which will discuss the new proposals, Mr McDonald said he had listened to the concerns, but stressed difficult decisions still had to be made.
He said: “The reaction was understandable, but I hope people also understand why we are doing it and the challenges we face, as well as the opportunities at the end of all this.”
“From August 1, we anticipate a funding cut of about £12 million, but we still want to invest in those areas that are critical in delivering our strategic objectives to develop Strathclyde as a leading international technological institution.
“When we are planning to invest in high-quality academics and excellent facilities there also has to be disinvestment -- when you have a limited budget, you cannot do everything.”
Despite the need for savings, Mr McDonald insisted culture and arts had not been singled out, with a raft of recent reviews across all faculties.
“Strathclyde has been, and will continue to be, committed to culture and the arts because we genuinely believe it enhances our students’ experience, but we have to address how we sustain and maximise the potential for these activities as we are doing in all other areas,” he said.
The principal said one of the main reasons for change in the Music Society was the need to widen participation.
However, the university says the Ramshorn Theatre and the Collins Gallery are currently “unviable” but Mr McDonald believes both could continue under a trust model.
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