The principal and chief executive of Plymouth College of Art is to step down after 11 years during which it became a major degree-awarding higher education institution.
Professor Andrew Brewerton will retire from his role heading the independent, university-sector art school in July 2021, bringing a 27-year career in academic leadership to an end. PCA’s board of governors will now begin putting in place arrangements to appoint a successor.
During Prof Brewerton’s time as principal, PCA transferred from the further education (FE) to higher education (HE) sectors, in 2014, doubled its student numbers, and gained degree-awarding powers at BA and MA levels.
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Under his leadership the college also constructed new craft, design and fabrication workshops and created Fab Lab Plymouth - establishing Palace Court and Palace Studios as its pre-degree campus. It also founded the Plymouth School of Creative Arts, now Millbay Academy, at the Red House.
These developments have been the subject of independently commissioned films by Freelands Foundation and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios respectively.
PCA, established in 1856, also emerged with new visibility as a public arts venue under Prof Brewerton’s tenure, fostering its own distinctive gallery programme and participating in multi-site exhibitions across the city such as British Art Show 7 and the forthcoming British Art Show 9. It also became the home for independent film in the city as.
And the college’s biennial Making Futures symposium established itself as an international cross-disciplinary community for contemporary crafts, with international editions at Beijing Design Week, in South Korea, and partnering with The British Council in the Philippines.
Partnerships also included PCA’s role as founding associate of Tate Exchange, and with The British Council in fieldwork in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Georgia, Myanmar and Pakistan.
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It also partnered with the West Bund Art Centre on the FutureLab project in Shanghai, and led Plymouth’s successful bid to become the 海角视频’s first Fab City.
PCA also established on Union Street in partnership with Millfields Trust. It became only the second 海角视频 university to be awarded the Social Enterprise Gold Mark, in 2017.
Prof Brewerton also worked with colleagues to promote social equality and widening participation. In 2016/17, the college had the highest percentage from across the South East, the South West, and London, of full-time students aged under 21 attending university for the first time from neighbourhoods with traditionally low participation in HE.
In 2018 PCA was ranked fifth out of HEIs in the 海角视频 for class equality and widening participation by Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), making the college the only specialist arts institution to rank in the top 10.
Prof Brewerton said: “It has been a privilege to serve this great art school as principal these 11 years, a period in which PCA has found a distinctive voice in its advocacy of arts and cultural learning and practice, and social justice, in our city – a voice whose essential message, ethos and values now resonate far beyond this region, nationally and internationally.”
The professor also served on national bodies including the National Council of Arts Council England and the Creative Industry Federation’s 海角视频 Advisory Council, and was vice-chair of the Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI2) for International Education.
He is currently chair of trustees of Plymouth Arts Cinema, vice-chair of 海角视频ADIA and an advisor to the Cultural Learning Alliance.
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David Noyce, chair of governors at PCA, said: "Under Andrew’s tireless and transformational leadership, PCArt has grown from a specialist FE college into a HE institution with a growing national and international reputation for creative arts pedagogy.
“It has been a privilege to work with a person of such vision and ambition. Andrew’s commitment to social justice has been truly inspirational and has helped to amplify the voices and values of so many of the people working at and alongside PCA.
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“Although his departure will be a huge loss for our community, I’m equally confident the strong leadership and culture that Andrew has embedded will endure and continue to empower staff and students to make their marks on a global stage. I’m confident Andrew will remain one of our most dedicated advocates and we wish him well for the future.”
Harriet Moore, president of the PCA Students' Union, said: “Andrew has been an exceptional principal and advocate for PCA. On behalf of the student body, I want to thank him for his passion for social justice and arts education for all.
“His commitment and dedication have created a wonderful community, which I've seen expand even in my short time working here.
“Andrew has made himself accessible to every student at the college, but on a more personal note, I'm grateful to him for his support in what has been a very difficult year to begin my role as Student Union president.
“I'm very thankful for the leadership, advice and mentorship he has given me. I'm sad to see him leave, but it's safe to say this is a well-earned retirement.”