For the love of art



 Left to right: David Edwards, Maureen Edwards, Paul Slot.

This year, University of Brighton Faculty of Arts is proud to celebrate a landmark in the long relationship we have had with Burt Brill and Cardens, the firm of Sussex solicitors who have supported our Graduate Show for sixteen years.

The company have now injected close to £400,000 into what has become one of the biggest art and design shows in Sussex.

The worlds of art and law are not obvious companions but as the people at Burt Brill and Cardens explain, their 16-year partnership with the show is bound not by professional interest but by a commitment to support the community in which they live and work.



Our Burt Brill and Cardens Graduate Show 2011 will be the biggest and brightest ever, brimming with novel exhibits from fashion to photography and from sculpture to design.
 


Showcasing the work of over 500 graduating students who annually  transform our Grand Parade campus into the biggest gallery in the south-east,  this year we extend out into the city, with photography students exhibiting at nearby Lighthouse, the leading arts agency and commissioners based in Kensington Street, Brighton.

More than 15,000 visitors are expected to view the exhibits between 4 and 9 June. And this is not ordinary sponsorship but support which helps create futures. The show often leads to the commissioning of work and the purchase of collections by art lovers who are looking for emerging talent. And for the students, the show is the climax to years of study and, perhaps, the first steps along the paths taken by alumni such as Turner prize winners Rachel Whiteread and Keith Tyson, artist Alison Lapper and fashion designers Barbara Hulanicki and Julien Macdonald OBE.
 


Brighton and Hove and the University of Brighton Faculty of Arts are big names in the art world. Only last year, fashion guru Gok Wan was at our fashion show at Grand Parade, when he described the city as a creative space. He said: “If you want to do fashion, textiles or design then Brighton is like no other city in the country.”

It is thanks to the past 16 years of sponsorship from Burt Brill and Cardens that the graduate show has grown into one of the city’s cultural highlights, complete with a student prize-giving, family day and undergraduate open days.

Burt Brill and Cardens’ association with the show started in 1995 and David Edwards, managing partner, says: “We were very happy to become involved. Burt Brill and Cardens has a long history of supporting all sectors of the community and an art show at which every graduating student has the chance to show their work fitted the firm’s philosophy of providing legal services for all.”

David and his wife Maureen, marketing manager and customer support manager, have long shared an interest in art. David says: “I can remember coach trips around Europe, looking at the great cathedrals of France and that then led to an interest in Renaissance art. The challenge of all art is to say something original and that is why we find the student work so invigorating. Often, the most exciting art and design are produced at these times and before they have commercialised or refined their work.”

He says sponsoring the graduate show was important on many levels: “It provides a focal point and a joyous conclusion to the students’ degree courses.  It provides a great opportunity for the city and the university to come together in a moment of celebration and acts as a vital stimulus to the vibrancy of the city.

"All law firms are not the same and with the impending arrival of companies such as Tesco, RAC and the Co-op into the legal market, our sponsorship helps to demonstrate that the interest of law and justice are best served by law firms which engage with and support the local community rather than just pursuing commercial profit.

"Working in a profession where precedent and experience weighs heavily, we gain very considerable enjoyment from our sponsorship of the show and the exposure to students whose aim is to challenge, stimulate and inject fresh ideas into old situations.  That is a very useful counterbalance for us.”

Burt Brill and Cardens, he said, has long been embedded in the fabric of Brighton life: “The firm was founded by Herbert Carden and has operated from its office in the Old Steine, Brighton, since 1897. Sir Herbert was three times mayor of Brighton and one of the key figures in the town’s history.

“We are continuing those close ties. All of our staff will be at the show, many attend separately with their families, and we will also be introducing the show to many of our clients. We have always been a firm that acts for and looks after people and businesses in Sussex.”

Mr Edwards said that deep commitment didn’t end when the graduate show finished: “We run a display of works on rotation in our offices, and we also have some work on permanent display. 
And there’s one tradition he intends maintaining: “Every year, we purchase one or more works – and 2011 will be no exception.”

Anne Boddington, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, says: “Burt Brill and Cardens’ continued sponsorship and support for our graduate show has been vital as a springboard for the wealth of emerging talent and for our students’ graduation experience. Their friendship, generosity and commitment to the faculty and to promoting creative careers and emerging artists is greatly appreciated by staff and students alike. It has been a great privilege to have worked with them over the years to develop this annual celebration for our students and the city to enjoy.”

Professor Julian Crampton, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, added his endorsement and thanks, noting that: “Burt Brill and Cardens’ backing has helped the university provide a showcase for the tremendous talent that emerges each and every year from the Faculty of Arts.  Their professional and philanthropic contribution has benefited the university, our graduate experience and our engagement with our many public audiences.”

Read more about the Burt Brill and Cardens graduate show.