To Newcastle University,

We are writing on behalf of FILM students (Film Practices, Film & Media, Film PGRs) within the Media, Culture and Heritage, SACS, who are housed in Culture Lab.

We have recently been informed that the building is to be withdrawn as a teaching and independent study space for our Film Programmes due to architectural issues. While we acknowledge that these issues must be addressed, we are highly concerned that the loss of this space will severely compromise our ability to work productively and maintain the strong community that is central to a FILM as a subject area.

Although the architectural issues have been briefly mentioned to us, their severity and long-term implications have not been clearly explained. This lack of clarity has led to uncertainty and concern amongst many students that these problems will not be resolved quickly, particularly as no clear plan or timeline has been communicated. Therefore, we request that these issues be fully and formally explained to the student body or the student-Staff Committee (SSC) so that we can fully understand the reasoning behind this decision.

We also question why construction work cannot be carried out during the Christmas and New Year period or in Summer and why the issue appears to have been neglected until now. The lack of communication around these matters makes students feel that FILM is being deprioritised, despite paying the same tuition fees as all students in SACS and outside.

Losing the Culture Lab would side-line FILM students. As it is, we are being asked to share limited resources in the Old Library with students of all year groups of the whole School and outside too. This threatens to dismantle the close-knit, collaborative community that was actively promoted to us during open days and throughout our studies. For many FILM students, community is integral to our academic success as teamwork and cross-year collaboration (including events like Ballroom24) are essential elements of our degrees and outside of academia learning. Dispersing students across shared spaces will inevitably make coursework and exam periods more stressful and isolating.

We are particularly concerned about the practical difficulties of relocating editing suites and classes to the Old Library. The existing facilities there are designed for individual use, not group instruction, and lack the studio space that are necessities for collaborative work and learning. It is unclear how discussions can take place in this shared environment, or how sufficient editing suites could be accommodated without disrupting other students. Even as individual use, it is not appropriate for Film students.                             

Furthermore, this decision has serious implications for incoming students. By the start of the 2026 term, both second- and third-year students will have been recruited on the understanding that they would have access to the Culture Lab along with the software and technology that comes with it, a promise still being made on university tours. Proceeding with the closure without a like for like replacement (if not better) will risk undermining trust between students, staff, and the university, a trust which has already been massively affected by the strikes at the end of semester two last year.

If the Culture Lab is indeed unsafe for further study, we request that definitive evidence of this be presented to the SSC or the student body. However, should relocation prove unavoidable, it is important that FILM students and staff are provided with a new, dedicated hub that preserves our academic and community needs. Anything less would be unacceptable.

We ask that the university treat this issue with the urgency that it deserves, ensuring transparency, consultation, and a fair outcome for all FILM students and staff.

Yours sincerely,

FILM@CultureLab