Generous DJCAD students and visitors raise cash to help Glasgow peers

Published On Fri 13 Jun 2014 by Grant Hill

Students from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) have shown solidarity with their stricken peers in Glasgow by raising almost £900 for those affected by the blaze that engulfed one of Scotland’s most-loved buildings last month.

Keith MacLeod was exhibiting at the 2014 DJCAD Degree Show when he heard about the fire at Glasgow School of Art (GSA). Despite their only being two days of the Dundee show left, Keith and his classmates immediately sprang into action to organise a collection and stood by the reception of DJCAD encouraging visitors to donate for the remainder of the run.

A total of £879.15 was raised and Keith will now discuss how the funds can best be used with management at GSA.

“I felt terrible thinking about what it would have been like if it had happened to us at DJCAD,” he said. “The art school is a second home for students and to see that being destroyed must be heartbreaking, especially on the day of their final Degree assessment.

“That is the most stressful day of your university career and the thought of losing the work before it was assessed is horrific.

“The money was raised simply by myself and a few others standing in the reception of the Matthew Building holding a bucket as we had no time to plan what we could do. People were very generous and my fellow students spread the word and we raised an amazing amount between 10am and 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

“I couldn't sit looking at my work thinking some artists at GSA might have lost theirs. The Degree Show is the showcase of four years of new experiences and hard work and every art student deserves to enjoy theirs so I felt I had to do something. What the money will go towards is still being decided, but I will just be happy knowing we were a part of helping our fellow art students in any way possible.”

Twenty-two-year-old Keith is originally from Edinburgh and studied Art Philosophy and Contemporary Practice at DJCAD. He will stay at the University in the role of Sports Union President in the next academic year

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