Jazz in Wales

News about gigs, festivals, famous names, new artists and more compiled by DJ Andy Roberts in Cardiff, Wales. Send your updates to andy @ jazzinwales.co.uk

Monday, March 03, 2008

Glamorgan drops Jazz Summer School

The University of Glamorgan has dropped the jazz course from its annual summer school due to funding issues.

Jazz has been an integral part of the summer school for more than thirty years, with its roots in the Barry Summer Schools founded by Pat Evans, and developed by Tony Oxley and Gordon Beck.

In a statement, the university said: "We are sorry to disappoint you this year with no jazz provision.

"The public monies that fund the summer school is linked to widening access and student progression onto our Treforest campus.

"It is with great regret that we have been unable to identify such a path with respect to some elements of the summer school curriculum, including the Jazz provision.

"As such, this subject has been deleted from the brochure for the summer of 2008."

Thanks to Derek Roberts for alerting me to this - he's naturally very disappointed by the news.

"This is a very sad day for the development of jazz in Wales and the UK as a whole," he says.

"This course has been run in Wales for over 30 years, and the cream of British jazz has passed through the doors, as tutors and students.

"Anything you can do to bring the University to account and persuade them to reconsider would be greatly appreciated."

Derek says the jazz summer school organisers are trying to set up an alternative at Trinity College in London.

But it'll be scant comfort to the many students from Wales - myself included - who've been taught on our own doorstep by some of the leading figures on the UK jazz scene - Dave Wickens, Bobby Wellins, Pete Churchill, Liane Carroll, Chris Bachelor, Stan Sulzmann and countless others.

For details of Glamorgan Summer School, see the website at www.glam.ac.uk/summerschool or phone 01443 482828.

1 Comments:

  • At 1:42 pm , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Very sad news - I know many people (myself included) who would never have done the course if it wasn't in Glamorgan. So much for widening student access and progression at the reforest campus - instead of achieving this, they are now ensuring that there will NOT be any access, or progression for this long standing, and (nationally) well-respected, and well attended course.
    Overspent at ATriUM more like...

    Brett

     

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