Squeezebox Of Delights
Active member
Hello all,
As well as being a mad accordionist, I am a student on the foundation violin making course at the world-renowned Newark instrument making school. A couple of days ago, Lincoln College informed us that they won't be accepting new students on the degree or foundation courses for the next two years, meaning that everyone on the foundation course who was offered a place on the degree - some as recently as a couple of weeks ago - has suddenly and unexpectedly had that place denied. There is no way the school will be able to survive after two years with no new students, and this is clearly an attempt to kill off the course. The college has said that the decision is due to a lack of applicants, but we believe this is not true. Apparently the University of Hull has not reaccredited the course, meaning it can no longer be run, and the two year time period is conveniently close to the point that the lease on the building runs out.
Obviously it is an enormous shame that the prospective students for the next two years will not be allowed on the course, but the bigger concern is that this course is the only one of its type in the UK and one of the highest regarded in the world, and losing it will be a massive blow to the lutherie trade and community in the UK and internationally. The instrument crafts course includes foundation courses in violin and guitar making, and degree courses in violin making and repair, guitar making and repair, woodwind making and repair, and piano repair and tuning. All of these are heritage crafts and have been well established in the UK for several centuries. The Newark school has been instrumental (no pun intended) in keeping them alive for over 50 years, and we can't afford to lose it!
We have a petition here - https://chng.it/gYyXRYTJSM - and would really appreciate it if this information could be shared around by as many people as possible!
Thanks in advance for your support,
Oskar
As well as being a mad accordionist, I am a student on the foundation violin making course at the world-renowned Newark instrument making school. A couple of days ago, Lincoln College informed us that they won't be accepting new students on the degree or foundation courses for the next two years, meaning that everyone on the foundation course who was offered a place on the degree - some as recently as a couple of weeks ago - has suddenly and unexpectedly had that place denied. There is no way the school will be able to survive after two years with no new students, and this is clearly an attempt to kill off the course. The college has said that the decision is due to a lack of applicants, but we believe this is not true. Apparently the University of Hull has not reaccredited the course, meaning it can no longer be run, and the two year time period is conveniently close to the point that the lease on the building runs out.
Obviously it is an enormous shame that the prospective students for the next two years will not be allowed on the course, but the bigger concern is that this course is the only one of its type in the UK and one of the highest regarded in the world, and losing it will be a massive blow to the lutherie trade and community in the UK and internationally. The instrument crafts course includes foundation courses in violin and guitar making, and degree courses in violin making and repair, guitar making and repair, woodwind making and repair, and piano repair and tuning. All of these are heritage crafts and have been well established in the UK for several centuries. The Newark school has been instrumental (no pun intended) in keeping them alive for over 50 years, and we can't afford to lose it!
We have a petition here - https://chng.it/gYyXRYTJSM - and would really appreciate it if this information could be shared around by as many people as possible!
Thanks in advance for your support,
Oskar
