Craft organisations across Scotland have warned that the closure of three undergraduate design programmes at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) will “devastate educational opportunities” for the nation’s makers and designers.
Last week, The Herald revealed that Edinburgh University plans to ‘teach out’ 90 courses in its College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS).
Performance Costume, Textiles and Jewellery and Silversmithing, the only undergraduate craft courses teaching practical skills at ECA, are among the casualties.
An open letter issued to university leadership states: “[These closures] will devastate educational opportunities for future generations of professional makers and designers.
“Collectively, these graduate cohorts are ranked amongst the best in the UK. Makers working in jewellery and textiles have directly helped to establish the reputation of Scottish craft internationally and contribute to cutting-edge research in materiality and design.
“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,” the letter warns, calling on senior managers to reinstate the programmes.
“In an increasingly digital world, the value of craft is being recognised even more widely for its educational benefits, cultural impact and employment opportunities.
“International visitors, collectors, curators and academics tell us that Scotland punches above its weight in terms of its contemporary craft culture. This shortsighted decision will have a disproportionate impact on the craft sector as well as a significant impact on Scotland’s future creative success.”
The letter is co-signed by Craft Scotland, Applied Arts Scotland, Fife Contemporary, Design Nation, Visual Arts Scotland and the Scottish Textiles Showcase.
Additionally, statements of support have been issued from around the globe.
“As an American jewelry scholar and professor in San Diego State University’s long standing Jewelry and Metalwork program, I am disappointed by the administration’s shortsighted decision to close Jewellery and Silversmithing at ECA,” said Professor Kerianne Quick.
“Across Europe, we are seeing how difficult it is to transmit craft skills and knowledge from one generation to the next. Losing a long-established course such as Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art would make that challenge harder still,” added the European Crafts Alliance.
“Closing the Jewellery and Silversmithing programme is deeply disappointing,” the US-based Art Jewellery Forum remarked, noting that it had brought an international group of collectors to Scotland earlier this year to experience the nation’s graduate art shows.
“Edinburgh College of Art’s students presented work of exceptional originality, ambition, and technical strength,” it noted.
Under the terms of the closures, which the university has described as a ‘refresh’, no students will be enrolled after 2027.
In the case of the three courses, applications are no longer being accepted.
“This programme is no longer open to new applications,” a web page for the Jewellery and Silversmithing programme states.
“We encourage you to explore BA (Hons) Product Design, which offers opportunities to pursue related interests within ECA’s broad and distinctive community of creative disciplines.”
Similar wording appears on web pages for Performance Costume and Textiles, which directs prospective applicants towards the BA (Hons) Fashion programme.
Students at ECA have also spoken out against the closures, including a group which organised an "alternative degree show" over the summer amid concerns about potential job losses.
“We are back. We will not stop resisting cuts and job losses,” a statement posted on Instagram by the group reads.
“Staff-student solidarity is more important than ever. The future of art education is in our hands.”
In a lengthy statement, Edinburgh College of Art’s principal, Professor Juan Cruz, hailed ECA as the “largest and most diverse school of creative disciplines and associated subjects” within the Russell Group.
Speaking about the decision to close the three undergraduate design programmes, Professor Cruz said: “We continuously review our academic provision to ensure that it remains distinctive, high quality, responsive to student demand, and sustainable for the long term.
“These decisions have been taken through a rigorous analysis of multiple data points and are aimed to support the resilience and sustainability of our wider operations. Current students will be able to complete their studies as planned, and we remain committed to supporting them fully throughout their degree.”
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Professor Cruz added that ECA will “retain the specialist skills, expertise and technical facilities associated with these areas” and continue to offer "specialist courses” as electives.
He also pointed to the ongoing £45m capital project at ECA’s Lauriston campus, which has seen the creation of new digital making workshops and a recycling hub, as well as new studios, student support services and office space.
“Phase two will further develop the inner quad and Lauriston Place entrance, and create new facilities for music and film, including recording studios, black-box studios, practice rooms, editing suites and specialist teaching spaces,” Professor Cruz said, noting it has been 15 years since ECA merged with Edinburgh University.
“As we mark this anniversary,” he said, “we do so with pride in what has been achieved, realism about the challenges facing higher education, and confidence in ECA’s future as a creative, civic and global community.”
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