Fine Art Sligo IT
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Crikey!! Nothing has changed, how awful! Im sorry to read that you also had such a horrible experience. I know of one ex student who killed himself in the recent years after graduating from this course and I know for a fact he also experienced bullying by the tutors. Im not suggesting their actions caused him to kill himself but you never know what effect your words and actions will have on another person or what someone is dealing with in their personal life. Its sad to think he was bullied the way he was in his last few years of life. When he died the none of the tutors said anything, not one of them even commented on our private student facebook group which they're all a member of.
Since this course ive gone on to further my studies 3 seperate times in 3 seperate universities and have never had an educational experience like the one I had in ITSligo art dept, it took me years to get over the self esteem issues and mental health difficulties I suffered as a direct result of the bullying I experienced by the tutors and the bullying they encouraged and facilitated amongst the students. With that said, I dont regret studying art, I wish I had studied it somewhere else but the degree served me well and im in an arts related career that I enjoy. The tutors on this course it seems try to grind students down and take no responsiblity for the outcomes of their behaviour, theyre on a total power trip.
Post edited by Airyfairy12 on0 -
I'm almost certain I know who that male tutor was - there is only one male who acted all goofy like that. I remember seeing him give an unsolicited backrub to a female student in her studio. The other lads tend to act professional.
And we all know who the female teacher is. How she still has a job is a mystery for the ages. It's actually enraging, these people have the cushiest jobs ever and they can't even be respectful. I would kill to have that jobs, and do a better job than her.
I have heard that the student numbers in the course are way down. There was 30 in my year and the lecturers complained they couldn't handle it, there wasn't enough studio spaces for everyone, and they admitted they assumed more people would drop out.
Hopefully the applicant numbers are due to people hearing and reading about what goes on there and that more people see these posts and avoid the place. You'll be miserable during your time there, forced to use archaic facilities and you'll graduate with more bitterness than career prospects.
I also remember when we took an overseas class trip,staff members got drunker than the students (saying quite a bit!) and one vomited all over the room he was sharing with students in the hostel.
The most hated woman teacher there is also hated by the other lecturers, I heard them talking about her but I guess because they were part time they felt they couldn't stand up to her.
I remember them basically forcing us to buy the paint the technician sold - the acrylic is like something you would give to a child, and that Georgian oil paint they make you use in 2nd year, like it's okay, you probably need to use cheap paint since they will try and force you into painting large work, and artist's quality stuff is definitely more expensive but I would never paint with that stuff now.
The teachers I had before studying there taught me way more than any painting teacher at Sligo IT. The since retired printmaking teacher was the only one who taught me anything useful. You could buy 3 books - Harold Speed's Oil painting techniques and materials, Carlson's guide to landscape painting and Robert Henri's The Art Spirit and that would give you more info than 4 years in that course.
Imagine waking up every day and deciding to bully art students, generally the most sensitive type of kids there are. I know sometimes they could do with a bit of 'toughening up', but the way to do it is with actually incisive critiques. There is one male painting tutor who is actually good at that (hint: the only one working there who actually gets solo shows, ie the only one who actually works in the industry outside of teaching). Unfortunately in our year he was in meetings all the time, I probably had one crit with him my whole time there. As stated here, the woman tutor just comes out with thoughtless vitriol and put downs.
If you're a current student just ignore her, she just wants to make you as miserable as she is and has nothing to teach you - you will never see her work in a current show.
In fact, the best way to deal with any crit you don't agree with is just ignore it. Because they probably won't remember what they told you anyway, and if they do, they will probably be more impressed if you stick to your guns. That's how they are. I remember a girl being told to change a whole bunch of stuff on a big painting. She did what was suggested only to be told the next time, 'What did you do? You ruined it!'
If anyone is thinking of studying there, figure something else out. It's bad enough to graduate with your job options being basically the same as having no degree - you should at least enjoy your time in college and not be tortured by people who would be considered unemployable in any other sector due to their personality disorders.
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The male painting tutor you mentioned who does the solo shows, I know who youre talking about, have had awful experiences with him on this course. He bullied an autistic student who was very talented & creative but lacked the social skills due to his autism. He made inappropriate comments to a 20 year old female student on a Christmas night out too. He's just as bad as the others.
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