Police close Oxford Street as 500 supporters engage in an ongoing battle for the future of Sydney’s premier art schools.

Students from one of Sydney’s premier art schools, the National Art School (NAS), took to the streets yesterday in protest against a flagged merger with the University of NSW. “NAS staff, students and Friends of the National Art School are deeply concerned that a proposed merger with UNSW will threaten the school’s unique educational offering, which boasts a much higher than average number of face-to-face teaching hours, studio access and professional training and equipment,” the NAS said in a statement published by news.com.au. Supporters of the NAS are hoping long-term funding can be secured from the Federal Government in the same way that NIDA is funded.

^{Footage of the protest uploaded by ArtsHub}

Protests began in June when the University of Sydney announced that it had been exploring opportunities to merge the Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) at Callan Park in Rozelle, with the University of New South Wales School of Art and Design – with the intention of eventually bringing the National Art School into that fold. After a public outcry, this...