The future of art education in Uist
Low student numbers cause concern for newly formed college
Siân Swinton
Newly formed college UHI North, West and Hebrides will be conducting a consultation on the future of their NC Art & Design course offered at Taigh Chearsabhagh.
The new college, formed from the merger of UHI North Highland, West Highland and Outer Hebrides, last month committed to a strong presence in Uist. However, at the beginning of September confusion around the delayed start of the NC Art & Design course caused concern for the future of arts education in North Uist.
The one-year portfolio course was due to start on Monday 28 August but on the afternoon of Friday 25 August, students and staff received a phone call and follow up email advising them of a concern regarding low student numbers and a delay to the start of the course.
The email sent to students said: “We understand this news is disappointing and we can only apologise for the late communication. We will continue to look at all options and confirm by 8th September if this course will run. We can offer you an alternative course should NC Art & Design not run as planned.”
The alternative courses suggested by UHI did not include another art course and were all to be delivered as distance learning modules rather than face to face.
The announcement came as a blow to students who were just days away from beginning their course; one student had organised travel and accommodation in order to take the course and was left unsure about the future of their study.
Uist Arts Association picked up on the news and issued an email to all members detailing the importance and history of the course within the community and its strong link with Taigh Chearsabhagh.
The UAA said: “The presence of Taigh Chearsabhagh for the last 30 years and the co-location of the art courses delivered there has been a vital focus for shaping and developing a significant and thriving community of artists and people interested in the visual arts in North Uist.”
The email encouraged anyone with ties to the course to write to UHI and local politicians with their personal stories regarding the course and what it has allowed them to achieve.
Many former students responded with one saying: “The NC course was the best year of art tuition I have ever received.”
Students from the NC Art & Design course have gone on to study at Glasgow School of Art, Grays School of Art and Edinburgh College of Art among many others.
Theona Morrison, Uist resident and Director of Community Development Lens, wrote a letter to Derek Lewis, chairman of the new college, saying: “I presume the finances of UHI are under pressure, as with so many strands of life, however, what UHI seeks to save by withdrawing this course will have little impact on UHI’s bottom line but will have immeasurable impact on the Uist community.”
Since the local outcry, UHI pledged to run the course this year, however, it will only run for 18 weeks rather than the full academic year that it has been given previously. UHI has assured students that they will still receive the same qualification at the end of the course.
The college now plans to conduct a consultation on their future art offering at Taigh Chearsabhagh, saying: “UHI is committed to working with its staff, students and partners to develop its art and design offer in Uist.”
An open meeting was held at Taigh Chearsabhagh on 19 September to discuss how the community can engage with UHI to protect the future of art education in Uist.
Hannah Ritchie-Muir, UHI Vice Principal Academic, said: “We understand how important these courses are and how ingrained they are in the local community and culture of Uist. At the same time, we must also review and reflect on the sustainability of these courses which have been facing low numbers over recent years.”
