Coming to work in a new organisation, particularly an archive service, can be quite daunting, as you have to familiarise yourself with the nature of the organisation and the archives it holds pretty quickly. This is why its been great to get stuck in to some enquiries. One of the best ways to get to grips with an archive is by answering enquiries, as it involves researching your holdings, and you come to learn quite quickly where you might look for future enquiries.
The first I was given was to be an ongoing project to carry out over my first few weeks here. I was asked to put together a timeline of the history of the College, which was great for someone new to the organisation. Using various sources, I have managed to complete a timeline from the foundation of the Art School at Arwenack Avenue, Falmouth, in 1902, right up to 2013/14, when UCF will become Arts University Cornwall.
It has been a fascinating journey, and particularly interesting to see how the College grew, as well as coping with several threats of closure. My main resource was a series of research files, created by a team of researchers who were to make a book about the College. The book was shelved, but our archives service was able to hold on to the many pages of research that had been done. The majority of their sources were newspaper articles, minutes from meetings, reports, and histories written by old principals and students, as well as interviews.
This advert from the Falmouth Packet shows what classes were available for students in 1938. Back then, the School was a private venture, with classes costing a few shillings a session. By the end of 1948, the art classes had been recognised by the Ministry of Education and the School became the Falmouth School of Art. The School relocated to the Woodlane site, and continued to grow until it was finally recognised in 1975 by the Council for National Academic Awards as a centre for a three year programme of study leading to the award of a BA Honours Degree in Fine Art. In 1984 the School was threatened with closure by the National Advisory Body for Public Sector Higher Education but a rescue mission was put into action, strongly supported by Cornwall College, and a reprieve was granted. The Falmouth School of Art changed its name to the Falmouth School of Art and Design in 1987, and then again to Falmouth College of Arts in 1995. In 1999, the College aqcuired the Tremough site to accommodate the increasing number of students and courses taught, and in 2004 Exeter's Cornwall campus was transferred there. In the same year, the Privy Council granted the College the power to award taught degrees under their own name and in 2005 it became University College Falmouth. The latest development was the merge with Dartington College of Arts, which saw the transfer of Dartington courses to Tremough in 2010. The next stage for the College's development will be 2013/14, when the new specialist Arts University in Cornwall will be created.
I'm really glad I had the chance to do this research. What I have very briefly outlined above is the rapid growth and transformation that the College underwent over the last century, and I now feel I have a good knowledge of the organisation and the context of the archives service. As the college developed, so did its resources, which allowed for an archives service to serve not only the students, but also any potential external users. Just as the College will continue to grow, we hope to too.
The first I was given was to be an ongoing project to carry out over my first few weeks here. I was asked to put together a timeline of the history of the College, which was great for someone new to the organisation. Using various sources, I have managed to complete a timeline from the foundation of the Art School at Arwenack Avenue, Falmouth, in 1902, right up to 2013/14, when UCF will become Arts University Cornwall.
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| Foundation stone of Falmouth Art School, laid by Lord Levan in 1901, at the site at Arwenack Avenue, Falmouth |
It has been a fascinating journey, and particularly interesting to see how the College grew, as well as coping with several threats of closure. My main resource was a series of research files, created by a team of researchers who were to make a book about the College. The book was shelved, but our archives service was able to hold on to the many pages of research that had been done. The majority of their sources were newspaper articles, minutes from meetings, reports, and histories written by old principals and students, as well as interviews.
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| Advert from Lake’s Falmouth Packet, 14th January, 1938 |
I'm really glad I had the chance to do this research. What I have very briefly outlined above is the rapid growth and transformation that the College underwent over the last century, and I now feel I have a good knowledge of the organisation and the context of the archives service. As the college developed, so did its resources, which allowed for an archives service to serve not only the students, but also any potential external users. Just as the College will continue to grow, we hope to too.
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