prospectus spreads grid - West Dean College

Edward James 1907 – 1984West Dean College is part of the Edward James Foundation set up in 1971 inresponse to James’s vision of establishing “an educational foundation wherecreative talents can be discovered and developed, and where one can spreadculture through the teaching of crafts and the preservation of knowledge thatmight otherwise be destroyed or forgotten”.In his lifetime, Edward’s passion for art followed in the tradition of aristocraticpatronage that dated back to the Renaissance. Edward’s interest in the arts beganin his early twenties when he began financing ballets, sponsored concerts andpurchased and promoted the work of the contemporary artists, particularly thoseartists linked with the participatory free association practices of the Surrealists. By1939, at the age of thirty-two, Edward had amassed what is now widely recognisedas one of the finest collections of Surrealist art in the world, with particularlyextensive holdings of works by Leonora Carrington, René Magritte, PavelTchelitchew and Salvador Dalí, the first artist whom Edward supported on a grandscale. More patron than collector but also the artist, at the centre of all his activitieswas the stimulation of creative energy.Edward James’s legacy, and indeed the legacy of the James family, continues tothis day and is housed on the family estate, now West Dean College, aninternationally renowned centre for education and training in conservation andrestoration, and in the visual and applied arts. In Edward James’s initial scheme,the link between the practical and the creative was emphasised. This philosophystill prevails.Edward James was a facilitator, and in all his activities he was committed to thecreative. He never completely turned his back on the past and had the imaginationand vision to recognise how the past could be used to see the marvellous. Withthis in mind, Edward James left his Estate to his Foundation in order to provide anopportunity for students, from all over the world, to live in, and be inspired by, anenvironment that was once only available to royalty or to aristocratic families.West Dean, with its distinctive character, colourful history, stunning views,beautiful student accommodation and reputation for excellence, has a wonderfulambience and exudes the atmosphere and charm of the Edwardian period.Edward James had a dream and through his dream has provided opportunities inwhich lives can be changed and the world transformed.It is this passion for creating new works and reinforcing traditional techniques thatdrives all the study at West Dean. With over 300 tutors and an average staff tostudent ratio of one to seven, West Dean is the ideal environment to explorecontemporary art production, practical hand-skills in craft and conservation.6