Cyprus College of Art - Foundation and Ethos

Foundation and Ethos

The foundation of the College in 1969 was highly unusual. It began as a discussion in a pub in the English city of Leeds, where the artist Stass Paraskos was a tutor at the Leeds College of Art. In this discussion it was suggested Paraskos organise a summer trip for the art students and tutors to Cyprus. Agreeing to do this, Paraskos started an annual event, which attracted students from other British art schools, and eventually grew into the Cyprus College of Art. This informal start led by artists remains a central part of the ethos of CyCA today, with artists rather than administrators still playing a central role in the institution, and stressing the freedom of the artist to be creative rather than academic bureaucracy.