Goldsmiths Art Dept. Staff and Students Against the Government's Attack on Education


1. No to the attack on the arts and art education
We strongly oppose any increase in tuition fees and all cuts throughout education and the
public sector. In particular, we object to this Government's systematic attack on the arts and
humanities as an important arena for debate, critical thought, and cultural production at large.
Contemporary art in the UK is being attacked on two fronts. Cuts to education funding will
make art schools prohibitively expensive for artists, curators and writers wanting to go to art
school. Cuts to art funding will dramatically reduce the spaces, opportunities and employment
emerging artists, curators and writers will be able to enter and contribute to after their
education. Both directly affect the future of graduates from the Art Department at Goldsmiths,
and mutilate the scope of art contributing to societal processes at large.
The cuts and increases will badly damage the prospects and possibilities of so many who
wish to benefit from education and the arts in the coming years. It is imperative that these
proposed cuts be opposed as strongly as possible. To that end, the Warden, the College,
Senior Management Team and Heads of Departments must also publicly voice their dismay
and opposition to these proposals.

2. For free education
The real argument is not whether fees and cuts are acceptable or not - they are clearly
regressive - but whether free public education is a principle respected by this Government.
When, as now, a publicly funded education system is being valiantly fought for by current,
future and former students, this struggle must be understood to be one amongst others for
state funding to be used for the direct betterment of its population. The privatisation of
education will massively exacerbate existing social divisions, and reinforce the socially
catastrophic effects of a finance-dominated economy. As such we oppose it and will do all we
can alongside the rest of the population now beginning to fight back against it.

3. Support for the victims
We strongly support, and will work to defend, the Goldsmiths students and others who have
been arrested while protesting against these cuts to Education and the public sector.

4. Coordinated action
The staff and students of the Department of Art wish to contribute all we can to the
development of the current movement against cuts and fees. The creativity and criticality so
celebrated as engines for economic growth during the bubble years should now be directed to
facilitating and feeding the struggle against these regressive, ideologically motivated cuts.
Artists have historically been among those producing the critique and driving the development
of society, imagining alternatives, and attacking injustices. As inheritors of this tradition we
stand up against the government programme to push society backward in the attempt to
sustain the profits of an elite minority.

We oppose the further commodification of teaching and study in the university, and the
destruction of services and benefits across the public sector.

We support all those in occupation in art schools and universities in London, across the UK and internationally, and we call on Goldsmiths staff and students to give support and assistance to those facing intimidation from management and bailiffs. Only by disrupting business as usual can we prevent them from imposing business forever.

STAFF AND STUDENTS OF GOLDSMITHS COLLEGE LONDON

 http://goldartagainstcuts.wordpress.com/