Jamie attended a meeting with the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Professor Stephen Garton last Friday to voice opposition to the closure of Sydney College of the Arts (SCA).
He was accompanied by delegation of art industry professionals led by peak national industry body, the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA).
The delegation – made up of art industry professionals led by the National Association for the Visual Arts – urged the University to reconsider the move.
The SCA at Callan Park is an important anchor tenant and a key part of the local arts community. The studio-based practice of the SCA is unique when compared to the approach of the National Art School and UNSW Art and Design.
Jamie is working with the students, staff and arts community to maintain the SCA at Callan Park. The option to relocate the SCA to the main Sydney University campus is preferable to closure and a move to UNSW, but the SCA can only provide its unique practice and approach at the existing Callan Park site.
"This decision is more about cost saving than it is about arts excellence. Combining these very different art schools together risks diluting the unique individual strengths of each organisation," said Jamie.
"It would be appalling if the University of Sydney decided to abandon the arts and effectively abolish visual arts education."
SCA graduate and internationally successful artist Agatha Gothe-Snape said, "We challenge Sydney University to demonstrate a genuine commitment to tertiary art education in Australia in line with the pledge of responsibility they made 25 years ago to act as custodian of this cultural institution. The establishment of an on-campus Art School would represent an acknowledgement of the value of visual arts within both the university context and Australia, as well as creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration within the University of Sydney."
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