|
| Boby Joseph graduated BA (Hons) Sculpture & Environmental Art 2023 |
Three graduates from The Glasgow School of Art who entered higher education through non-traditional routes are part of Universities Scotland’s “40 Faces” campaign which launched Monday 15th April.
The Glasgow School of Art’s Widening Participation team delivers a range of activities for eligible secondary school pupils as part of both the SFC-funded Access to Creative Education Scotland (ACES) and the National Schools Programme. We also support students to progress from college to GSA through associate student schemes with Glasgow Clyde College and Forth Valley College and other work with college partners. This work has helped GSA to meet the 2030 widening access target several years early.
Sarah Louise McQuarrie feels there needs to be more crossover between colleges and schools and that they need to be presented as a valuable path towards university:
“I started by taking a Saturday class in Jewellery Making when I was 23 as something creative to do whilst working full-time and was encouraged after finishing to apply for the HND Jewellery Design course at City of Glasgow College. I loved it so much that I then completed the HND Jewellery Design course and gradually university felt like an achievable goal for me. From here I had the college’s support with my application for GSA, where I was offered 2nd year direct entry to the BA (Hons) Silversmithing & Jewellery course.”
“University gave me the support and confidence to develop an artistic identity, learn how to develop my ideas and confidently speak about myself and my practice.”
Sarah Louise was awarded the Association of Contemporary Jewellery College Prize at her GSA degree show in 2022, was shortlisted for Outstanding Student of the Year, selected as ‘One to Watch’ by Bright Young Gems, the prestigious industry mentoring programme supported by The National Association of Jewellers and was recently chosen to take part in the New Ashgate Gallery Rising Stars 2024. She current lives and works in London as a full time goldsmith and continues to develop and exhibit her own work.
Boby Joseph studied and worked as a nurse in India before coming to the UK to work in health and social care at NHS Scotland. Boby was passionate about studying Fine Art, but with no chances to pursue formal art education in India, and despite participating in a few different portfolio preparation courses, his applications to art school had been unsuccessful.
“I joined in HNC Art & Design in Glasgow Clyde College in 2019” says Boby, “I was in the Associate Student Scheme with GSA, and it had really helped me to suss my journey to art school entry. That associated scheme enhanced my knowledge about the application processes and what they expect in the academic portfolio. It was a wonderful chance for me to be in the GSA for the Co-Lab project called ‘Being Human’. The GSA staffs gave me guidance for the application and prepared me for the interview. I applied for Painting & Printmaking and Sculpture & Environmental Art, and both of my applications and interviews were successful. In 2020 September I joined Sculpture & Environmental Art at GSA, and I got direct entry to second year.”
Boby successfully graduated from the Sculpture and Environmental Art department with a BA (Hons) Fine Art in 2023, and is currently studying MLitt Fine Art Practice, Sculpture and Performance at GSA.
Samantha Jane Dick grew up in an Edinburgh tower block southwest of the city with their twin brother and mother. After finishing high school, they pursued a Foundation diploma in Art & Design at Edinburgh College and then went on to complete a two-year HND in Contemporary Art Practice (CAP). “This FE course particularly had a significant impact on my journey into art education” Samantha says “and without it, I would never have considered university.” Samantha’s initial applications to GSA were also unsuccessful. However, in a year out of education, Samatha become actively involved in Glasgow’s grass roots art community, exhibiting their work locally, sharing learning and creative exploration, and co-founding the art collective/gallery Where People Sleep.
“This experience was essential to my artistic and professional growth.” says Samantha “It allowed me to forge valuable connections with other artists and creatives while improving my confidence and skill set. As a result, I was able to successfully reapply to art school. I was awarded a direct-entry place to 3rd year SEA (Sculpture & Environmental Art) in 2017, becoming the first in my family to attend university.”
In spring 2023, Samantha was awarded a studentship with Techne AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership to take on a practice-based PhD with Kingston School of Art. Samantha’s PhD is based on research developed from a year-long investigation of the two Edinburgh tower blocks of their childhood, exploring the construction of communities within housing schemes, examining spatial justice and working-class history-making.
The successful journeys of Samantha, Boby and Sarah Louise are a testament to the extraordinary role university can play for those who face significant barriers to accessing higher education. The stories behind each of the “40 Faces” serves as a reminder of the importance of this agenda and a rallying call to all stakeholders involved to refocus on working together for its achievement.
The Universities Scotland “40 Faces” campaign aims to champion the diversity and success of widening access programmes from universities and higher education institutions across Scotland towards 2030. The individuals who comprise the “40 Faces” of the campaign reflect the diversity of underrepresented students including: students from the most deprived 20% of postcodes, from low-participation schools or those with care experience and/or estranged from their families. The initiative also includes mature learners, those who have progressed to university through a college route and those who have gone to university after years in the workforce.
“40 Faces” launches with only six years left for Scotland to reach the fair access targets, originally set by the Commission for Fair Access in 2016 and supported by the Scottish Government and by universities themselves. Universities have made major strides towards the 20% target, hitting interim milestones in 2021 and introducing the most progressive admissions policies in the UK, in support of this goal.
However with six years remaining to reach the targets in 2030 progress has plateaued in the face of mounting challenges, including the legacy of lost learning in schools during the pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and the persistent attainment gap in schools. The success of these three Glasgow School of Art graduates is testament to the extraordinary role university can play for those who face significant barriers to accessing higher education.
New polling commissioned by Universities Scotland from Censuswide as part of the campaign gives an insight into graduate attitudes towards widening access. When asked what factors are most important to widening access, over 600 graduates aged 24-40 who went to university in Scotland identified the following priorities:
- 38% said diverse routes into university are important
- 34% said that connections between schools, colleges and universities are key
- 28% said increasing the amount of non-repayable grants and bursaries available to students during studies is important
- 25% said investing more money in the education and wider support needs of each access student during their studies is important
- 25% said improving attainment in schools is important to the access agenda
The polling data is a strong fit with the themes emerging from the lived experience as shared by the “40 Faces” featured in the campaign. Four themes emerged most strongly, as key to making further progress. They are:
- Start young on self-belief – Schools and universities must continue to cultivate a strong and inclusive sense of belonging amongst underrepresented communities.
- Join things up – Achievement of the 2030 goals will only be possible with a holistic approach that sees progress at school, college and university level, including significant progress in the poverty-related attainment gap in schools.
- No wrong path – Multiple routes into university need to be available to suit diverse needs and offer second chances and equal access to chances later in life.
- Money matters – From the perspective of student finance, which focused more on non-repayable grants and bursaries, and the funding available to universities to support access initiatives and investment on a per student basis.
The “40 Faces” in the campaign reflect the diversity of underrepresented students including: students from the most deprived 20% of postcodes; those from low-participation schools; students with care experience and/or estranged from their families. It also includes mature learners, those who have progressed to university through a college route and those who have gone to university after years in the workforce.
“Sarah, Boby and Samantha are just three examples of the many phenomenal students we’ve worked with in Articulation and Widening Participation at the Glasgow School of Art. Our work focuses on supporting students to get in to GSA and to prepare them with some of the knowledge and skills they need to hit the ground running when they get here. Their success at and beyond art school is entirely their own” Elizabeth Beidler, Progression Manager at
The Glasgow School of Art.
Commenting on the campaign, Claire McPherson, Director Universities Scotland said:
“Participation in Scotland’s universities is at its most inclusive, and Scotland’s 19 universities and higher education institutions have truly shifted the dial on widening access. Admissions policies in Scotland are more progressive than anywhere else in the UK, with institutions working together for the benefit of people across the country, regardless of their route to university.
“Our universities are committed to widening access, however they cannot achieve this alone. With our 40 Faces campaign, Universities Scotland want to galvanise the sector and Scottish Government towards the 2030 widening access target, through sharing the lived experience of students and graduates.
“Universities across Scotland continue to advocate for students from underrepresented communities, even in the face of the erosion of public investment in Scottish domiciled places at university. Universities offer students opportunities to achieve their dreams of securing a higher education and the skills and career opportunities that follow, while also strengthening their self-belief, building confidence and offering a life-changing experience which cannot be found elsewhere.”
Read the full details of Universities Scotland’s “40 Faces” campaign HERE.
For further information contact press@gsa.ac.uk.
ENDS
Notes For Editors
Survey findings are based on bespoke consumer research conducted by Censuswide among 609 UK graduates of a nationally representative make up who achieved their degree in Scotland. The research was conducted between 05/03/2024 and 18/03/2024. All respondents were sourced using an accredited online research access panel. Graduates were asked if they considered themselves to be from a range of underrepresented groups related to widening access.
For more information, please contact the UUK team at MHP Group: uuk@mhpgroup.com
- The 2030 access goals were set in a report called Blueprint for Fair Access, published in 2016.
- Scotland’s universities led change to introduce the most progressive admissions policies to university in the UK. All universities with entry criteria (the Open University has an open admissions policy) now have contextual admissions, minimum entry requirements for applicants with contextual flags and will make a guaranteed offer to an applicant with care experience who meets the minimum entry requirements.
About The Glasgow School of Art (GSA):
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world.
Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3500 students and staff across architecture, design, digital, fine art and innovation in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands) and a thriving Open Studio programme delivering non-degree provision to over 1500 students annually.