low light 7

Experimental work in progress by Paul Brown

‘What is not too explicit is the fittest for instruction because it rouses the faculties to act’ William Blake.

As an artist and thinker I consider my role as tutor to be that of an instigator culpable for encouraging acts of failed learning: troublesome knowledge. My protagonists in this are our students who trust the intentions enough to embark on the process. My colleagues share this vision being tutor-practitioners too.

Our students must be open minded. They need not have any ‘real’ experience of ‘making’ but must have a yearning to experiment, to take risks, to try out both high and low tec approaches. Failing and mistake making are celebrated and encouraged. So is excellence in what ever form: prose, sound, photographic print, 16mm film, 8mm film, analogue video, animation, interactive art, installation……………… as we poke into the past and subvert the present so the methods we apply and the outcomes ebb and flow.

Where do these ‘baby artists’ move on to? Well some will stay here (at Northbrook) others move on to the Slade, Goldsmiths, Chelsea, Napier, UCL, Westminster, Brighton, Newport, Bristol, MMU etc etc following a whole array of courses: philosophy, fine art, documentary film & photography, photography, animation, games design, interactive media, creative sound……….

We invite reaction and comment

Stephanie Bolt
Course Leader Foundation in Media Arts (Northbrook College)