Gathering support to Emil

To education lovers, to photography lovers, to art, to growing mindset lovers and to Grundtvig lovers, 
as we write, we formers students of Emil Schildt, his activities as teacher in Vraa Hojskole are suddenly brought to an end.

In the midst of blurry conditions that causes this end, we would like to recall how life changing it has been for us to be students of Emil. It could be tempting here to make the list of the ones of us that became successful photographers, and this list would not be short. But that would fail Emil visions on photography and education, which stand far from the so common run for success or recognition.
Indifferent to our background, portfolios or not, experienced photographers or not, Emil would teach anyone, from our first and dumb steps in handling a camera, from our pictures of pets to our more develop projects. He would gently push our boundaries and creative shyness, encourages us to try totally new things, and over all, to remember to play, to have fun, to not overthink and to connect with pleasure in the process.

This approach allowed us to grow, to find our creative voice, and also to learn loads with no boundaries. Emil would get enthusiastic to our requests on learning new process or try different techniques.

As students, we got access to knowledge professionals photographers and students of classic photography in schools all around the world crave to learn, and often can not, by lack of teachers, or facilities. Emils collector habits allowed us to have access to incredible cameras that are mostly stored now in museum, locked away from creative use.

What a loss now that this access is gone and put to an end. 

As Emil is an artist himself, we have been lucky to stand on his side while he was working, displaying generously all his process and knowledge, when so many artists keep secrecy on their technics. Emil would always share any single tips of his, because the most important was not to restrain knowledge to get personal recognition, but to expand it so more could enjoy express themselves, push boundaries of the media, create new and unsual images and have fun with this process.

Emil gave us access to unique tools, knowledge, aesthetic, and sense of value and humanity, giving us the confidence to be better human and creative beings. Most of us could never have afford such access to such knowledge and facilities, and this highly democratic, open, inclusive vision of teaching his art has been for us an immense chance.

Today we want to celebrate this chance we got to have met Emil and to have been able to learn in a such unique and generous way. We want to acknowledge the impact he had on so many life during his long and unique teaching career. Many photographers and better creative human had grown on his side, making slowly and gently the world a much more beautiful and aesthetic place. 

Old students    Contact the author of the petition