12 February 2013

125 years of art education to be celebrated

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) has announced plans to make contact with its thousands of graduates, supporters and former staff to help mark the 125th anniversary of full-time art teaching in Dundee.

The former Dundee Technical Institute in Small's Wynd, now part of the main University of Dundee campus, was created in 1888. The art school went through several guises and formed part of several different institutions before being officially renamed Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in 1974, and merging with the University 20 years later.

Tens of thousands of talented artists and designers have trained at DJCAD over the past 125 years, including Turner Prize winner Susan Philipsz, and nominees David Mach, Louise Wilson and Luke Fowler.

Designers David Salariya and Russ Nicholson, film directors David Mackenzie and Clio Barnard, and photographer Albert Watson are among the other alumni to have made a significant imprint on the cultural landscape. Musicians Tom Simpson (Snow Patrol), and Malcolm Duncan and Roger Ball (both Average White Band) also attended DJCAD.

The management team at DJCAD are to mark the anniversary with a commemorative book, exhibition and other events scheduled for later in the year. In preparation for this, they are seeking to engage with as many members of the Dundee art scene, past and present, as possible.

"We want to hear from everyone for whom Duncan of Jordanstone has played a major role in their lives," explained Professor Tom Inns, Dean of DJCAD. "This is a place where careers have been launched, where inspiration could be found in every corner.

"It's also a place where people fell in love, where hearts were broken, and friendships formed. We want to hear about all kinds of memories - practice, professional and personal. People and community are at the very heart of art and design and we want to tell the very human story of this wonderful college as well as the bricks-and-mortar tale.

"Our graduates and other members of the DJCAD community have gone on to do many wonderful things around the world and we want them to tell us all about it. Re-connecting with the DJCAD Diaspora is a key objective of this project, and we will no doubt find out how more about how the work done in Dundee's Perth Road is having an impact in the most unexpected areas and ways."

A full programme of the 125th anniversary events will be announced in the coming months. Anyone who wishes to share their memories of Dundee's famous art and design college can do so by joining the 'DJCAD Memories' Facebook page, www.facebook.com/DjcadMemories, completing the form at www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad/125th-form/, or emailing m.s.macdonald@dundee.ac.uk.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD) is the creative hub at the heart of the University of Dundee in Scotland. DJCAD is one of the top art schools in the UK, offering first-class undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in art and media, communication design and craft. DJCAD is part of the University of Dundee. At DJCAD, teaching and learning are led by research. Many faculty members are currently practitioners in art and design who are engaged in world class research. www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad/.

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