The University of Edinburgh recently announced their decision to close three vital undergraduate courses at Edinburgh College of Art. Jewellery and Silversmithing, Textiles and Performance Costume are closing to new admissions in 2027 and will be taught out over the next four years.

We call on University of Edinburgh Principal, Sir Peter Mathieson, Edinburgh College of Art Principal, Professor Juan Cruz, and Vice-Principal, Professor Sarah Prescott, to reverse these planned closures immediately.

These courses represent the remainder of its undergraduate degrees in craft disciplines and teach vital making skills, alongside nurturing creative imagination and design expertise. These closures will devastate educational opportunities for future generations of professional makers and designers. As young people look towards a sustainable A.I. resistant career, the closure of these courses denies Scotland's creative talent the skills and training required to build successful futureproofed careers in craft and design.

Collectively, these graduate cohorts are ranked amongst the best in the UK. Makers working in jewellery and textiles have directly helped to establish the reputation of Scottish craft internationally and contribute to cutting edge research in materiality and design. Graduates of ECA's Performance Costume course have gone on to become lead costume designers for the stage and screen, including Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones.

International visitors, collectors, curators and academics tell us that Scotland punches above its weight in terms of its contemporary craft and design culture. This shortsighted decision will have a significant impact on Scotland’s future creative success and represents an enormous loss for the UK’s cultural landscape.

Please sign and share this petition to help us save these vital strands of Scotland's craft and design education ecosystem.