Canary Islands' First Art Master's Delayed; Students Push ULL.

The University of La Laguna (ULL) plans to launch the Canary Islands' first master's degree in Artistic Production. This program will explore modern creative methods, blending theory with hands-on practice and experimentation. While the university started planning this in 2023, there is still no set start date.

In 2023, the ULL submitted a plan for the master's degree, which then went to the Vice-Rectorate for Teaching. They requested some changes, which the Faculty of Fine Arts addressed. Now, the university is still preparing a final report to send to Accuee (the Canarian Agency for University Quality and Educational Evaluation) for approval. This means that two years after the idea began, there is still no firm date for the program to start.

Because of these delays, a group of students and graduates from the Fine Arts Faculty has started a social media campaign to speed up the degree's launch. Calling themselves "La Lumbre" on Instagram, they want to show the strong demand from the Canary Islands' art community. They are collecting signatures for a formal request and are close to reaching a hundred, mostly from Fine Arts students. They hope to send their proposal to the university by the end of the month.

The students want to highlight the significant interest in this master's program and support the university's efforts to help them continue their education. They aim to gather as many signatures as possible, noting that "former students and people in the art world have told us they agree with our petition."

They believe this master's degree would help students develop their own projects, connect with the professional art world, and prepare for further studies, like a doctorate, or careers in cultural and research fields. They stress that "launching this qualification is crucial for strengthening the cultural and creative sector of the islands, and also for ensuring fair access to art education."

Without this master's degree, students often have to leave the Canary Islands to continue their studies, or even stop their education altogether. This is because "not everyone can afford to leave their home, family, or financial support." They also point out that "a Fine Arts degree already requires a significant financial commitment from both students and their families."

"We know the ULL wants to create this master's degree," they explain, "but by collecting signatures, we hope to constructively push for faster action and highlight the real need for this training." They also want to show the university that a committed academic and cultural community is eagerly waiting for this program.

The university acknowledges "a slight delay" in the master's degree's approval process. They expect it to be available for the 2026-27 academic year, or possibly the year after. "We are still working on it, and it will be sent to Accuee soon," they stated. However, the master's degree cannot start this year because Accuee's approval is essential before it can be launched.