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RepositoryUniversity Archives and Special Collections Centre
Reference NumberUAL/OH/2/18
TitleGeorge Blacklock
Description Interview with George Blacklock, Dean of Chelsea College of Arts (retired).

The interview can be accessed in QuickTime Movie and Waveform Audio formats

Interview description:

Video 1 [00:00] George Blacklock; Dean of Chelsea College of Arts; entered as Associate Dean; Dean of Wimbledon; move to Dean of Chelsea. [01:03] Discusses role; academic and operational; move to current site; reorganizing Chelsea space. [02:40] Own background; Stourbridge College of Art; MFA at Reading; Junior Fellowship at Cardiff College of Arts; move to London; Butlers Wharf; 1987 move to Wimbledon as an Associate Lecturer; progression to Dean. [05:05] Becoming a fractional member of staff; differences between Wimbledon and Stourbridge; course offering. [07:21] Wimbledon environment; staff-student sports; community; introduction to Theatre; change in pressures due to government grant cuts; initiation of Erasmus exchanges; first to get a computer at Wimbledon. [10:23] Erasmus arrangements; contracts and finances; opportunities for students; benefits of programme; current improvements. [13:17] Overlap in teaching across colleges; specialist ethos at Wimbledon; development of subject areas; early to develop Theatre Design courses; accidental crossovers between disciplines. [16:32] Own teaching; methodological approach to teaching and painting; role as Course Leader; supporting students; confidence building. [18:44] Formation of university; Michael Bichard guiding university; Wimbledon becoming a part of process; financial protection; joining with Camberwell and Chelsea; art school ethos; learning structure of university; joining committees; ensuring Wimbledon had a voice. [21:58] Role as Associate Dean; role in joining UAL; meeting with Peter Watson and Elizabeth Rouse; scrutiny of unitisation. [24:15] Discusses college’s options for joining; Kingston; UAL merger as better solution; ethos understood; opened possibilities for students; expanding community. [26:44] Research Assessment Exercise; became Acting Dean; matching course structures of university; maintaining student experience; increased rigour. [28:56] Evidence for improvements to assessments; process of merger as positive; travelling to Wimbledon; Chelsea in the centre; size as uniting three colleges; parity of experience at other colleges. [33:07] Benefits of diversity of colleges for students; Erasmus; move to Chelsea; staff involved in university structures; clear professionalism; Chelsea’s history of Fine Art. [37:09] Ensuring parity for students; more overseas students; functioning of campus; ever-changing nature of university; adapting space; developing new spaces; improving student experience. [41:19] Lack of opportunities to teach as Dean; masterclasses; focus of job as managerial; painting approach to managing; sense of community; like-minded creatives; perspectives from teaching creative subjects. [44:34] Deans Group; collective thought; Black Asian and Minority Ethnic students; benefits of different perspectives; strengths of university. [47:15] Colleges as friendly rivals; connection with Central St Martins; links to LCC; contact with other colleges; day of the dead celebration. [49:53] Largest change is introduction of fees; changes in approach; students more demanding; education becoming more selfish; style of education changing; diversity; leadership; improving quality of degree shows; relationships with industry; live project benefits. [54:23] Brexit as large unknown; certainty is in knowledge; period of transition; art schools analogous to football clubs; lasting institutions; focus on ensuring optimum learning; purpose of college; develop research arena in design. [58:09] Plans for retirement; painting; revert to self before art school. [59:34]
Date27 July 2017
CreatorRosa Kurowska-Kyffin
Extent1 audiovisual recording; length 00:59:34
LevelFile
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