Guildford School of Art
Coordinates: 51°12′58″N 0°48′22″W / 51.216°N 0.806°W
Guildford School of Art was one of several schools of art run by Surrey County Council. In 1969 it merged with Farnham College of Art to become the West Surrey College of Art and Design. It has now been renamed the University for the Creative Arts.
The school had once enjoyed a reputation as a major centre of photographic excellence under the Head of Photography Ifor Thomas. Among his students were Jane Bown, John Hedgecoe, John Cleare, and Ray Dean. Staff included Thurston Hopkins. One of the part-time staff, always critical to the intellectual and creative health of the school, was Alfred Lammer.
In 1966 the school was inspected by the Summerson committee on behalf of the National Council for Diplomas in Art and Design (NCDAD) which was charged with deciding which art schools were capable of awarding degree-equivalent Diplomas in Art and Design. The committee concluded that Guildford School of Art was beneath consideration. Surrey County Council, realising the threat to its reputation, called in Professor Lewis Elton of the University of Surrey to assess the school independently. Elton reached the same conclusion as the Summerson Committee. Surrey County Council then decided to award a "Guildford Diploma" in an effort to shore up the school's position. This effectively deceived many students who believed the school was awarding the Diploma in Art And Design but with a different name.
In 1968 it was the scene of a major "sit-in" by students disaffected by the poor quality of the teaching and resources there. The "sit in" began on 5 June with the resignation of the students' union. A few days later an attempt by the Principal, Tom Arnold, to persuade the students to desist, failed.
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