Last week I (Ian Phillips‑McLaren) had the pleasure of teaching a Gum Printing course in London at The School of Art, Architecture & Design, part of London Metropolitan University. This was an exciting moment — as far as I know, it’s the first time gum bichromate printing has been formally taught at a UK university, and the students loved it.

Thanks to course leader James Cant (recently voted AOP Lecturer of the Year) for making this possible. This adds to the range of alternative photographic processes I now teach at London Met, giving students a wider creative toolbox and visual language to express themselves.

It was a pleasure to see them working, experimenting, and keeping this historic process alive. Some even returned to the darkroom the next day to create more images — a sure sign of how inspiring they found it.