Then and now: Student life

5 people, who are part of the Diploma in Art and Design Course, sit on the ground in front of Falmouth University in 1963.

Art School

Type: Text

In 60 years, how has student life changed? From parties to politics, two students past and present discuss their days at Falmouth.

Then: Martin Val Baker

Diploma in Art and Design, 1962-63

Martin recalls: “I was not a great success at school and dropped out of A-levels when someone suggested I should try art school. The new Diploma in Art and Design had just been introduced nationally; while the entry requirements denied many gifted students the chance, those like myself with a smattering of ability at art and the required five O-levels were welcomed with open arms.

“I went to Falmouth with my old friend David Tremlett; we were just 18 and living away from home for the first time. With seven other students we got lodgings with a Mrs Cornish in a large house with magnificent views across the harbour. Our accommodation with breakfast and evening meals cost us £1.15s a week out of our grant money of £52 a term. Despite this seemingly tight budget, we seemed to have a busy social life – mostly in the students’ pub, The Kings Head, where beer was 1s.3d a pint. There were regular parties at the art school and at Pendennis Head, where we would club together and buy a barrel of home-made farmhouse cider.

It was a great adventure at Falmouth. We became an extended family and stayed close for many years to come.

“These were the days of the trad jazz boom and we had an Art School Jazz Appreciation Society, where we would sit around earnestly listening to classic records of the 1920s and 30s. The school band featured a trumpet, clarinet, cello, guitar and washboard. In an effort to expand the band I bought a trombone, which I totally failed to master. At parties, students fell into two camps: we ‘traddies’ would put our Ken Colyer, Bix Beiderbecke and George Lewis 45s on the record player and the other gang, led by Tremlett, would take them off and put on music by the newly emerging Beatles, or Screaming Lord Sutch. One thing most of us agreed on, however, was that Joan Baez and particularly Bob Dylan were gods.

“The tutors, mostly practising artists, were inspirational. Among others, Francis Hewlett and Bob Organ taught painting and Ray Exworth sculpture. When the year ended, I set off for London with some of Tremlett’s drawings to bolster my own folder (I lent him some of my graphic work for his interview at Birmingham) and secured a place at Hornsey. Almost all of us got places in major colleges. It was a great adventure at Falmouth. We became an extended family and stayed close for many years to come.”

Luca Vaccari and friends stand on Gyllyngvase beach in Falmouth.

Now: Luca Vaccari

Dance & Choreography BA, 2019-22

Luca writes: “At school I loved science and I secured a place to study Marine Biology at the University of Exeter. However, in my gap year I choreographed for a few theatre companies and realised that I wanted to pursue dance. It was a difficult decision, but I knew it was right and I was supported by friends and family. The dance facilities at Falmouth are regarded as among the best in the UK, yet I could still be by the sea and maintain my passion for marine life and ecology.

“After a year living in Glasney Village halls, I moved into a railway cottage near Falmouth docks with three other students. It was idyllic; I stayed through the summers and worked parttime in a local restaurant. Our social life centred around the beach. I don’t surf, but we enjoyed outdoor activities such as paddleboarding and snorkelling, and all the funny festivals in Cornwall – especially the Sea Shanty Festival. Where else would you find that? Popular pubs and clubs included Five Degrees West, Toast and Mangos, where we’d drink double vodkas or beer at £5 a pint and dance to cheesy chart tunes and pop anthems. My own music tastes are more eclectic: from hip-hop and RnB to Korean pop, or K-pop, which formed part of my dissertation and doesn’t get the respect I feel it deserves!

“After a year living in Glasney Village halls, I moved into a railway cottage near Falmouth docks with three other students. It was idyllic; I stayed through the summers and worked part-time in a local restaurant. Our social life centred around the beach. I don’t surf, but we enjoyed outdoor activities such as paddleboarding and snorkelling, and all the funny festivals in Cornwall – especially the Sea Shanty Festival. Where else would you find that? Popular pubs and clubs included Five Degrees West, Toast and Mangos, where we’d drink double vodkas or beer at £5 a pint and dance to cheesy chart tunes and pop anthems. My own music tastes are more eclectic: from hip-hop and RnB to Korean pop, or K-pop, which formed part of my dissertation and doesn’t get the respect I feel it deserves!

The dance facilities at Falmouth are regarded as among the best in the UK, yet I could still be by the sea and maintain my passion for marine life and ecology

“Social media is now a huge motivator and connector of people, both nationally and internationally and across sub-groups, and students here are interested in issues such as environmental justice and racial and gender equality. Cornwall is not especially diverse; it was crucial that Black Lives Matter was championed here so that anyone feels welcome to study or stay.

“I’ve particularly enjoyed seeing how the academic side of my course works and the application of dance theory to social causes. I hope to continue my passion for academia through the lens of dance, maybe as a lecturer one day or as part of an institution focused on research. As students we feel excited and a little daunted to be leaving. I’m heading to Germany for an internship at a top dance school, but as a friendship group we’re already planning our reunion. Perhaps we’ll get together at the Sea Shanty Festival each year.”