| July 2021
Friends of City & Guilds of London Art School,
We are running a fundraising campaign seeking your support as we emerge from one of the most challenging periods in living memory.
We know that you recognise the need for and importance of our work. As the only Art School in Europe offering a BA and MA in Carving, the only institution teaching our Conservation specialisms at BA and MA level, and one of the few places where Fine Art BA and MA are taught with a focus on material enquiry and historical methods, with dedicated studio space and 1 to 1 teaching by experts, we are clearly an exception to the rule. We believe a very necessary exception, our ongoing determination and commitment ensuring that valuable intangible cultural assets will not be lost for the future.
The pandemic has left us with the need for an additional £250,000 to reach the end of the current financial year without a deficit. We are hugely grateful for the pledges that have already been made approaching £200,000, and we are now turning to our whole community to help us secure the balance, so we are able to move ahead with a future to look forward to.
The Art School’s response to the global health crisis over the past 14 months has more than proven what a dedicated and resilient team we have, and how flexible and creative a small institution and community can be. Moving teaching online last spring, successfully delivering the remainder of the 2019/20 academic year off site for all students, achieving a return to the studios for the full Autumn term, switching back to remote learning from January to March this year, and now reopening for an extended Summer Term until August, clearly has been a formidable challenge.
We could not have imagined 14 months ago that it would be possible to organise our courses in such radically different ways to support creativity and teach specialist skills, and it has been a revelation. However, the teaching and staff teams have achieved more than to simply cope with an unprecedented situation. We have seen how the provision we put in place has enabled students to thrive and exceed their own expectations during such a time of crisis.
“At a time of such uncertainty and unrest the Art School has dealt with everything with incredible integrity and diligence ensuring the wellbeing of all who attend and work on campus.” Joanna Grogan, BA Historic Carving: Woodcarving & Gilding.
“I’m extremely grateful to the way the school has handled the pandemic, doing their utmost to continue to deliver our course and actually giving us back the studio time we would have missed had we stuck to the original course schedule.” Lucia Ferguson, MA Fine Art
“The fact that the art school is planning a full physical grad show [for the class of 2020] in these COVID times, speaks volumes about the level of care that it gives to its students.” Andrew Szczech, MA Fine Art – previously BA Fine Art
Along with so many other organisations, the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the Art School at all levels. 2020 saw some income lost but 2021 will be even more challenging through a combination of increased costs and a reduction in student numbers. There have been many useful lessons learned over this year that are feeding into strategic planning. To be able to realise plans that will stabilise our financial position we do need help now. As a small, independent charity, with no direct public funding or significant reserves to draw upon, the Art School has always been a lean organisation operating on a tight margin. This, compounded by the fact that the Art School has not been eligible for any of the government rescue packages, has led to the particular challenge we are finding ourselves in and is why we are seeking your support at this time.
Thank you for giving our appeal your attention. We will be grateful for your contribution; at any level you feel able to offer.
How to donate |
