25th February 2003

Dear friend,

I am sorry if you have had something like this letter twice but I
overlooked our special APHE discussion list, so I am writing again.  The
good thing is that I can now tell you the definite dates for the next
conference and AGM of the Association are the 8th and 9th of May at the
Arts Institute at Bournemouth. More information about this will follow in
due course but we would like feedback from you about what you would like us
to discuss before very much more time elapses.

If this letter is a bit of a mystery to you so far, you didn’t get the hard
copy or the version posted to the photography/education discussion list. I
wrote to update you about the Association for Photography in Higher
Education and invite you to formalise your membership as I believe that
you, or former photography programme leaders or senior members of staff,
have been involved in the past.

The APHE was originally a semi-formal group of programme leaders who met
annually to discuss issues emerging for photographic educators.  It took
its present form when the Association for Photography Degree Courses joined
with the HND Photography Group in the mid 1990s.  In recent years the APHE
drew up Articles of Association and represented the interests of those
offering post 16 photographic education to government agencies.  Most
importantly, at various meetings to draft the Subject Benchmark Statement
for Art and Design for the Quality Assurance Agency, the APHE made sure
that photography was not overlooked (as it had been in the Creative
Industries Mapping Document, published by the Departure for Culture, Media
and Sport, 2001).

Since the last AGM, held at Swansea Institute of HE in February 2002, the
committee met on a number of occasions to plan the next conference, liaise
with the Association of Photographers (AOP), and, either myself or the
Deputy Chair, Catherine Fehily, has attended the CHEAD and the ADC-LTSN
Media and Communication Reference Group meetings. (We'll keep you informed
about these meetings via [log in to unmask]). The posts of secretary and
FE representative will be up for re-election in March since, unfortunately,
Deborah Baker and Rita Heard have had to stand down as members of the
committee.  It is our intention to concentrate on the annual conference and
make it a serious forum for debate, purposeful in setting an agenda with
regards to the future of photographic education.

Any provider of post 16 photographic education is welcome to join the
Association for an initial registration fee of £50 and an annual
subscription of £50. At present, our own institutions are subsidizing the
APHE by paying for us to attend meetings etc. but we cannot continue to
rely on this kind of support; for one thing it makes it impossible for
anyone to put themselves forward for election if their own institution is
unwilling to support them. Contact Paul Proctor, our treasurer, to rejoin
([log in to unmask]).


We certainly need to be in the position of being able to make our views
known in this time of rapid change. In the next few years we can anticipate
a different pattern of recruitment and later start to the academic year.
Membership of the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design is
essential but expensive. As regards to photography, there is the distinct
risk of it disappearing as a discrete subject in HE. Out of the 1000 (yes
1000) courses listed under the heading of photography on the UCAS website,
only 53 are photography as a single subject. In my opinion, and I hope
yours, we should do what we can to make it obvious that it is essential to
study photography in HE if we want a visually literate population.

We have provisionally titled the conference in Bournemouth Responding to
change: setting the syllabus and managing the institutional agenda. To
assist us to prepare for it, please respond to the questionnaire about your
photography course and what the important issues are for you. I'll send
this separately today. I would like us to formulate a plan of action for
the APHE during the conference.

Overall, the APHE aim to:

• provide a platform for the dissemination of research in photography
and or photographic education;
• share, support and develop effective practice in photographic
education;
• promote better understanding of the diversity of photographic
education, to enable greater clarity for students considering appropriate
vocational /academic routes;
• promote links between photographic education providers,
practitioners and the relevant industries;
• organise an annual conference on issues of importance to members;
• represent members’ views in the formulation of Government policies
regarding photographic education.

The Association can only do this with the willing and enthusiastic support
of its membership. Therefore, on behalf of the committee, I invite you to
register your course, pay the modest annual subscription fee and join us in
making good use of our Association.


Yours sincerely,

Cary Welling
Honorary Chair APHE
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To rejoin, contact [log in to unmask]