As the Edinburgh College of Art’s (ECA) five week strike reaches its close, ‘Strike Salon’ At The Embassy Gallery in Leith was a testament to the enduring solidarity between its staff and students. The exhibition invited any students, staff, and alumni of the ECA who had created work during the strike period to submit, which made for a huge diversity of work, spanning across mediums and themes.
Embassy made for a great venue for this, with its walls crammed full of work that made for a really lively and engaging experience, vastly different pieces sitting next to each other on the walls. The introductory text for the exhibition described it as a demonstration of the fact that “despite the systematic dismantling of the arts and humanities, the staff and students that make this university will not stop creating.” This wealth of creativity was deeply felt by the expansive selection of work displayed, and the packed out gallery for the exhibition’s opening showed just how committed the artistic community at the University is to creating work and strengthening solidarity through one of the most difficult periods in the ECA’s history.
While the strike period has been challenging both for students missing out on learning and for tutors unable to teach, the work on display at Embassy demonstrated that even in the absence of formal teaching, the community at ECA continues to be endlessly creative and engaged with their artistic practice. The atmosphere at the opening was warm and really hopeful, students and teachers mingling to discuss their work and their continued plans to work together to resist the University’s steady dismantling of the College of Art’s programmes.
Talks from Alternative Degree Show team member Joseph Semmens, ECA Fine Art tutor Bobby Sayers, and UCUE co — vice President Marion Lieutaud reminded us of the continued importance of the strikes and their mission, even as they reach their close. It never fails to be startling to be reminded of the dire situation at the ECA, with proposed course cuts and job losses forcing continued strike action. Seeing so many students and staff assembled for the Salon’s opening night, though, left me feeling deeply hopeful and enlivened to the project of creating a community of students and staff that work together to create the University we all want and deserve.
Photography by Marla MacCallum Hall.
