From Head of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies (STaCS)

Welcome to the second international art therapy conference to be held here at Goldsmiths. We hope that the conference will provide a rich balance of theoretical and experiential learning, art practice and the power of the image. It will also present a chance to meet up with old friends and colleagues and to meet new people and make new contacts. It is a great pleasure to see that we have so many delegates from all over the world and we look forward to the contribution that will be made from these multiple international perspectives. In this address I want to say a few words about Social Therapeutic and Community Studies (STaCS), the department in which Art Therapy sits at Goldsmiths and the provide a few thoughts on the significance of holding such a conference at a time when austerity and the increased marketization of Higher Education is challenging the values and role of the university in society.