By Ruth Skilbeck
Save Art Education in TAFE NSW protestors from
art schools across NSW handed member for Marrickville in the NSW Wales Legislative Assembly and shadow minister for education and training Carmel
Tebbutt a petition with over 35,000 signatures, outside Parliament House in
Sydney yesterday.
Barry O’Farrell, Liberal Premier of the NSW
state government recently announced that it will cut $1.7 billion in funding
and axe 1800 jobs in the biggest cuts ever to NSW public education and
independent schools sector.
In the Hunter Region, TAFE’s historic
Newcastle Art School in Hunter Street, is to be affected by the 4-year “budget savings” program of planned redundancies of up to 20 part time teachers, and fees increases in savage cuts to its visual arts, painting and sculpture
programs, as reported in the regional news media (The Newcastle Herald and NBN).
Established in the late 19th
century, Hunter Street Art School has been a cultural fine arts oasis, in a
heavy-industry city, and training ground and alma mater for many accomplished studio-based
artists, as well as generations of graduates who have pursued successful
careers in the arts as curators, gallerists, photo-media professionals,
independent arts entrepreneurs of many a stripe.
Many notable and well-known Australian
artists have taught, and trained at the Hunter Street Newcastle Art School. Currently
teaching there is Michael Bell (who is represented by Ray Hughes
Gallery, Sydney).
,+2010.jpg) |
Michael Bell, The Great Fire of Sydney (MCA)
2010
linocut on paper
30 x 30 cm Ray Hughes Gallery
|
The Hunter Street Art School, in line with
TAFE art education, feeds into university art based courses for students who
are dedicated and passionate artists- the diploma courses can convert into
foundation university courses, enabling successful students to move into
university to pursue research and research based study. The University of
Newcastle has an affiliation with Sydney College of the Arts, and conversion
pathways from Hunter Street Art School courses at TAFE.
This enables local, regional students who
would not otherwise have the opportunities and benefits of studying art in practical
training, and research degrees in universities, which are linked with the wider
national and international art world.
TAFE education therefore provides an
equitable opportunity for those students who may otherwise by disadvantaged by
distance and lack of educational and cultural opportunities in regional
Australia.
The proposed cuts are only going to
increase that lack of opportunities, and inequity between urban and regional (and
international) life, making the TAFE art course even more necessary to increase
rather than cut funding.
Value
of art is not monetary and art is not for profit
Skilbeck,
Ruth (1997) ‘Getting Your Goat’. Interview based profile of Mambo artist,
Michael Bell. Australian Style. Issue 27.68-78.
Ruth Skilbeck designed and taught the inaugural
media and communications course at the Newcastle Art School in 1997.
