... für Dartington College of Arts.

Das einzige, was die mittels einer "top-down"-Entscheidung eines höchst undemokratischen Gremiums getroffene Entscheidung, das College zu schließen (nichts anderes bedeutet die geplante Fusion mit Falmouth) jetzt noch verhindern kann, ist eine Intervention der britischen Regierung, genauer gesagt ein Moratorium, das die unvoreingenommene Erwägung alternativer Optionen endlich überhaupt erst ermöglicht.

Dartington ist in England, aber ähnliche Probleme gab und gibt es auch in Deutschland, und es sollte uns allen ein Anliegen sein, die immer größer werdende Wüste der akademischen Monokultur so weit wie möglich einzudämmen... deshalb, liebe Mitlesende, bitte ich Euch herzlich um Eure Hilfe (und wer von Euch Dartington im Allgemeinen und "glorious Devon" im Besonderen nicht kennt, dem sei ein Besuch dieses schönen Fleckchens Erde wärmstens empfohlen! Reisetips könnt Ihr gerne bei mir erfragen...)

Was Ihr jetzt tun könnt, dauert keine drei Minuten:

1.) Den folgenden Text kopieren

Dear

I am writing to ask you to support a year’s moratorium on the decision to relocate Dartington College of Arts, Devon, to Falmouth. This high-risk strategy jeopardises the future of one of Britain’s leading arts education institutions. Furthermore there has been a grave democratic deficit in the decision to move the college.

I am concerned about the risk of the proposed transfer. Even if the merger does succeed, there is no guaranteeing the quality of the resulting institution. Thus, I support the development of the South West region, though the creation of a University of the Arts in Cornwall and with Dartington College of Art remaining onsite.

Experimentation, creative innovation and thriving communities of practice are essential to foster the Arts. The closure of small artistic communities, the very places where this occurs, will have a huge impact on the quality of the Arts in the UK. Dartington College of Art is a beacon of artistic experimentation, and was recently ranked in the top 10 of the Guardian University Guide 2008. Its’ closure (or transferral and incorporation into a large general institution) will be a blow for creativity in the UK

Britain’s economy is increasingly dependant on creative potential and capital, which play a major role in the UK’s world-class status in creativity. The existence of small specialist colleges, and institutional diversity with the HE sector play an essential role in fostering such creativity. The closure of centres of artistic experimentation and innovation such as Dartington will be to the detriment of the UK’s creative economy.

The decision to attempt to transfer the college was initiated by a new principal, taken with irresponsible haste, with no local consultation, and without exploring all the options for keeping it onsite. The current government espouses the values of democratic participation and citizen engagement, yet this decision has been made without the participation of any local government institutions.

I am asking for a year’s moratorium, during which time there can be full local consultation, a thorough and transparent investigation of the options for keeping the college onsite and the participation of local government institutions in this process. I urge you to support the moratorium and to do all you can to ensure it occurs.

Yours sincerely

2.) Die jeweiligen Namen einsetzen und mailen an:

James Purnell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
james.purnell@culture.gsi.gov.uk

John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
denham.ps@dius.gsi.gov.uk

Dankeschön!
(Weitersagen ist sehr erwünscht! :-))