An interesting reference I came across relating to our discussions last week, is the Anti-University of London. It was a short-lived experiment in alternative radical education in the late 1960s. Founded by a group of activists and theorists including anti-psychiatry, psychiatrist, R.D Lang (anti-psychiatry) and cultural theorist Stuart Hall (representation). Both were critical of the hegemony of institutions and the ideologies that underpin them.
Like Illich, they were critical of all societal institutions. They wanted people to come together and interact without the socially prescribed roles these institutions require. The anti-university came into being as non-hierarchical collective, where ‘real’ un-regulated interaction and learning could happen.
It was interesting for me to discover more about this radical alternative model for learning and education and about their criticism of mainstream institutions and the commodification of education.
Although this kind of marxist collective feels a long way from possible in today’s London, in 2020s, there are still organisations remaining that aim to bring education out of the more mainstream institutions and to people who might not be able to or want to access them. Camden Working Mens College is one that springs to mind. https://www.wmcollege.ac.uk
Although they do operate as an institution, their ethos is more accessible and diverse teaching and learning. They have a wide eclectic range of subjects and courses, short term, part time and for all ages and backgrounds. They have large discounts for many people in the community who may face a financial barrier to learning. This seems to be a good example of how this kind of alternative, accessible ‘radical’ education can survive and operate in today’s corporate education system.
Joseph Berke was one of the founders.
‘We have to step out of Structure A to be able to see it. But one can’t step out if there is nowhere to step to.’ (Joseph Berke, The Guardian, 15.2.1968)
Anti-University Research Article by Jakob Jakobson
(Image below from this paper)