New course may draw more art students

A new baseline arts course at UCOL in Palmerston North could boost the number of arts students at Whanganui UCOL, creative programmes head Sally-Jane de Salazar says.

The new course will start this year, if it gets enough enrolments.

Meanwhile, the long process of deciding what improvements UCOL's current arts and design courses need has moved to its next stage.

The Certificate in Art and Design level four programme at Whanganui UCOL has more than 20 students this year, and is a feeder into higher level glass, computer graphic design, fashion and fine arts courses. Ms de Salazar believes there is a demand for the same curriculum to be taught in Palmerston North - which will happen if 10 or more students enrol for the one-year programme.

"By offering the certificate in Palmerston, we are potentially widening the pool of people who will develop an interest in the degrees offered here at Whanganui UCOL," Ms de Salazar said.

Numbers in Whanganui UCOL's arts and design courses were healthy this year - even for the first year at Wanganui Glass School, whose numbers looked perilously low until recently. There were now at least eight students enrolled in the first year, Ms de Salazar said.

Whanganui UCOL's arts and design courses have a major role in underpinning Wanganui's busy arts scene.

Late last year UCOL began a process of reviewing those courses, with some Wanganui artists anxious about the result.

As a first stage, UCOL held a symposium in Marton, attended by 45 people, and another in Wanganui attended by 100 staff and students from Wanganui and Palmerston North, and members of the public.

The purpose of the symposia was to listen to successful artists and designers and hear how they became successful and how education could help.

The next stage was staff workshops in Wanganui and Palmerston North, talking about how courses were taught now and how they could be improved. Some of the findings could be implemented early, Ms de Salazar said.

After the current Whanganui UCOL break, Ms de Salazar plans to hold open forums with secondary school teachers, the arts community and new Wanganui District Council arts co-ordinator Deborah Wai-Kapohe.

The core working party for the revamp is to be Ms de Salazar, UCOL furniture design programme leader Danny Reilly and UCOL head of photography, arts and design Rachel Hoskin.

They are to work closely with Quay School of the Arts programme leader Katrina Langdon and UCOL School of Fashion programme leader Amanda Rayner, and also with Wanganui Mayor Annette Main, chief executive Kevin Ross and cultural manager Sally Patrick.

Ideas would then go to the UCOL Council and out for consultation. Small changes could be made as early as the 2013 year, Ms de Salazar said.

UCOL ARTS AND DESIGN REVAMP

• 
  Process began late last year
• 
  Started with two symposia
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  Continues with staff workshops
• 
  Goes to open fora with local interests
• 
  Core group of two from Palmerston North and one from Wanganui
• 
  Core group comes up with ideas
• 
  Ideas presented to UCOL Council and out for consultation
• 
  No major change likely until 2014