One of the many sad things to happen to the creative industries this year is the impact Covid-19 has had on art and design students graduating this summer.
They’ve had their much-anticipated final year degree shows cancelled at universities across the UK, as social distancing rules and lockdown restrictions stop us from physically seeing their work.
But all is not lost. Many educational facilities and students have moved their annual events online. To show our support, we’ve pulled together a list of these virtual degree shows. If you can take a moment to browse people’s work and perhaps give them an encouraging tweet or comment on Instagram, too, that would definitely give them a boost. Check out Fresh Meet, too – part of the National Degree Show.
If we’ve missed anything, send us details of your show along with a web link to degreeshow@creativeboom.com. Good luck to all those graduating this summer!
Gray’s School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen: Virtual Degree Show
Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) Gray’s School of Art, Look Again and independent design agency Design and Code, are working collaboratively with the graduating students of 2020 to create a Virtual Degree Show to run 10th – 19th July 2020.
Launching on 10 July 2020 – Visit the show
Anglia Ruskin University: Present
This is the work of students in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences faculty at Anglia Ruskin University – all brought together online. Go explore.
Live now – Visit the show
Arts University Bournemouth: Align 2020
A showcase for this year’s graduates of BA (Hons) Graphic Design at Arts University Bournemouth.
Live now – Visit the show
Bath Spa University School of Art: Degree Show 2020
We can expect great things from Bath Spa University School of Art’s virtual degree show, launching at the end of June. More details to follow.
Live now – Visit the show
Birmingham City University: Forward
An online showcase of graduates’ work from Birmingham City University’s BA Graphic Communication course. Alongside the online exhibition, Forward has curated a series of talks and Q&A’s with leading designers from all around the UK. These talks serve to inspire and educate students as the next generation of designers looking to break into the creative industries.
Live now – Visit the show
Blackpool School of Arts: Vision Graduate Exhibition
Step inside a virtual gallery to view the work of this year’s grads at the Blackpool School of Arts.
Live now – Visit the show
Bolton School of the Arts, University of Bolton: Unlocked
The University of Bolton’s Bolton School of the Arts has launched its creative degree show, Unlocked. Visit the link below to see portfolios, showreels and 3D galleries.
Live now – Visit the show
University of Brighton: Graduate Show 2020
Illustration, Digital Music & Sound Arts, Photography, Media Studies, Fine Art Painting, Graphic Design, 3D Design & Craft… these are just some of the courses included in the University of Brighton’s final year degree show.
Live now – Visit the show
UWE Bristol: Bristol School of Animation
This is a top-class course that has seen three of its graduates from 2019 – Hector K-B, Cillian Dubock, and Ben Spybey – form a studio named Hagbox3. Check out this year’s class of 2020 now.
Live now – Visit the show
Brunel University, London: FutureProof
Brunel University has created a virtual gallery space, which you can browse the work of its Digital Media students online or via a VR headset.
Live now – Visit the show
Bucks New University: Stay Creative
Check out the Bucks Graphic Design and Illustration Degree Show 2020 and explore the website to discover projects tackling the problems of the future from urban greening, to LGBT rights, and much more. The grads have come up with the title Stay Creative from the slogan #stayathome. “As creatives, we feel it is important to identify and solve problems, whether that is local or on an international scale and although we have to stay at home, it doesn’t mean we can’t still #staycreative.”
Live now – Visit the show
UAL Camberwell College of Arts: The Gen Z Collection
This virtual show features a selection of work produced by second-year Illustration students at UAL Camberwell College of Art. It aims to explore different aspects of what it means to be part of Generation Z, especially during Covid-19. Everything is available to buy with all profits going towards the Southwark Foodbank (unless otherwise stated by independent sellers).
Live now – Visit the show
Cardiff School of Art and Design: Summer Show 2020
A showcase of virtual exhibitions to celebrate the work of Cardiff School of Art and Design students, graduating this summer. From BA Animation and BA Artist Designer Maker to BA Graphic Communication and BA Fine Art, delve into the work on display.
Live now – Visit the show
University of Central Lancashire: Virtually Made It
The University of Central Lancashire in Preston has a virtual feast in store, supporting all of its creative students graduating this summer.
Live now – Visit the show
Coventry University: Degree Show 2020
Coventry University is bringing together the work of nearly 500 students from all across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in this virtual degree show (nice work Peter & Paul). You can also check out those on the BA Graphic Design course who have launched their own online showcase.
Live now – Visit the show
University of Cumbria: Photosight
Graduates from the BA (Hons) Photography at the University of Cumbria are showcasing their work in a virtual degree show. “Photosight, as a concept, is hugely relevant today. When the world around us is changing at a rapid pace we need photography to record, measure and make sense of these unprecedented times. The photographers in this collective have been working towards this the culmination of their degree, not imagining the conditions we find ourselves in. Here they offer a considered, intelligent and engaging visual response to the world we live in,” says Dr Sarah Bonner, its programme leader.
Live now – Visit the show
University of Dundee: Art, Design and Architecture Graduate Showcase 2020
The Art, Design and Architecture Graduate Showcase 2020 celebrates the achievements of graduating students from University of Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and the Department of Architecture within the School of Social Sciences.
No longer online – Visit the show
Edinburgh College of Art: Summer 2020
A graduate show for final year undergraduate and completing postgraduate students from the Edinburgh College of Art, running throughout June and August. “Join us in celebrating the talent of our graduating students,” the website pleas.
Live now – Visit the show
Falmouth University: BA Graphic Design 2020
Covering just about every discipline – Editorial Design, Packaging, Typography, Branding – Falmouth University is celebrating the work of its students from its undergraduate Graphic Design course. Expect a similar virtual offering from its Illustration grads, too.
Live now – Visit the show
Glasgow School of Art: Graduate Showcase 2020
“We hope you enjoy our creative response to mounting a physical degree show during the current pandemic. Our digital platform enables us to share the work of our hugely talented graduates at this important moment in their careers,” says Penny Macbeth, director of the Glasgow School of Art. This summer, the institution has stepped up to showcase all of its graduates’ work online.
Live now – Visit the show
Goldsmiths, University of London: Hey Look, Something is Happening
Over 100 graduates of BA Design at Goldsmiths have something special planned later this month. Watch this space for a virtual exhibition of their final-year work. Follow their progress on Instagram.
Live now – Visit the show
University of Huddersfield: Degree Show 2020
This is the online graduate showcase of students of the BA Hons Photography course at the University of Huddersfield. “Each year you will find updates and information on each graduate in addition to previous year’s archives,” reads the website’s description. If you want to see the full Art, Design and Architecture showcase, go to radar.hud.ac.uk.
Live now – Visit the show
Lancaster University: Borderless
Final year Art, Theatre, Film and Design students at Lancaster University are putting on a digital degree show, and we’re all invited. Follow their story on Instagram.
Live now – Visit the show
Leeds Arts University: Graduate Showcase 2020
As a result of Covid-19 restrictions, the Leeds Arts University Show 2020 for Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, Undergraduate Courses, Extended Diploma in Art & Design and Access to HE Diploma (Art & Design) will be presented as digital exhibitions hosted on the University website as follows: Until 30 June 2020, you can view the work of students from the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. Starting on 1 July, everyone else. Details of the Postgraduate Courses show will be announced later in the summer.
Live now – Visit the show
University Centre Leeds: BUILD Degree Show 2020
University Centre Leeds welcomes you to view BA (Hons) Art Enterprise & Photography and Fashion, Theatrical and Hair and Media Makeup, final year shows, BUILD. This degree show is the culmination of the students’ creative outcomes in their final year of study at university.
Live now – BA (Hons) Art Enterprise and Photography and BA (Hons) Fashion, Theatrical and Hair and Media Makeup
Limerick School of Art & Design: Impact 2020
The Limerick School of Art & Design has stepped up this summer to provide an online platform for its graduates to showcase their work. From Animation and Motion Design to Fashion Design, Game Art & Design, and Graphic Design Communication – plenty to browse at your leisure.
Live now – Visit the show
University of Lincoln: BA Graphic Design
The University of Lincoln is creating a virtual showcase for all its creative graduates, including those on its graphic design undergraduate course. If you want a sneak preview of the work, check out @show_twenty on Instagram.
Live now – Visit the show
Liverpool School of Art & Design at Liverpool John Moores: Degree Show on Mars
If you can’t have your final year showcase in real life, why not stage it on Mars? This is what the BA Fine Art graduates have pulled together for their virtual show. “The Degree Show on Mars allows you to travel the surface of Mars and around the documented exhibition horizontally – going from artist to artist, or you can teleport vertically through a series of wormholes, seeing each artist’s response to the multiple times and spaces – navigation towards an uncertain future.” Nicely done.
Live now – Visit the show
Liverpool School of Art & Design at Liverpool John Moores: Degree Show 2020
For the whole of Liverpool School of Art & Design at Liverpool John Moores, there’s a degree show now browsable online, featuring graduates from Graphic Design & Illustration, Fashion Design & Communications, and Architecture – as well as Fine Art.
Live now – Visit the show
London College of Communication: Three Men Make a Tiger
For the graduates of LCC’s BA Photography course, this promises to be a wondrous virtual showcase of final year work, followed up with a free festival, taking place over three weeks, to help emerging artists and art graduates of 2020 across the word.
Live now – Visit the show
Loughborough University: Design Show 2020
Showcasing the work of over 160 of its creative students at Loughborough University, there’s also an Arts Degree Show launching at the same time to celebrate and support its 2020 graduates.
Live now – Visit the show
Manchester School of Art: Flipside
On our own doorstep, the Manchester School of Art is hosting Flipside to virtually showcase the work of all of its creative students. We’ll definitely miss the physical exhibition – as it’s an annual highlight for us at Creative Boom – but we’ll be there online when it goes live.
Live now – Visit the show
The University of Northampton: Designed by Humans
A graduate showcase of work from 2020’s BA Graphic Communication course. Programme Leader Trevor Brown says of the exhibition: “The challenge to remain engaged, positive and enthusiastic about their final projects from the isolation or hustle and bustle of their bedrooms, studies, kitchens and dining rooms can’t be underestimated. The uncertainty of tomorrow, next week and next month looms over us all, but looms large for the class of 2020 as their three years of university comes to a truly unorthodox end.
“Unorthodox yes but their skills have not been diminished, their creative powers are undimmed, and they have inadvertently developed some very powerful abilities; to swiftly and gracefully change and adapt in the face of adversity, to find strength in their own powers of self-belief and motivation, and to continue to create in order to create paths for their futures.”
Live now – Visit the show
Nottingham Trent University: Graduate Showcase 2020
Nottingham Trent University is set to showcase all 33 courses within its School of Art & Design. Full site coming soon! (Thanks to Kind Studio for the heads up!) As the preview website states: “Explore this community of curious and critical minds – a new wave of radical artists designers, influencers and makers.”
Launching on 16 July 2020 – Visit the show
Plymouth College of Art: 2020 Showcase
Graduating students from across Plymouth College of Art’s School of Arts + Media and School of Design + Communication will show off their work on a range of digital platforms from August to September 2020, with an additional curated Graduate Exposé 2021 on offer for alumni who choose to physically exhibit their work to industry guests and visitors one-year later.
Due to go live in July – Find out more
University of Reading: Greater Than A-Z
Show your support to the graduates of the University of Reading’s BA Graphic Communication course, as they’ve just launched their virtual degree show for 2020. The website’s description reads: “Communication has been the foundation of our development as designers. At Reading, we have built our design skills in many areas. In everything we have done, punctuation – graphic and typographic – has helped form our designing and refine our writing, bringing meaning, nuance and communication. Attention to detail defines our work: it is more than just A–Z.”
Live now – Visit the show
Shillington Education: Graduate Showcase 2020
Our friends at Shillington have launched an online gallery featuring an incredibly diverse range of work produced by its Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, New York, London and Manchester students. Before Shillington, the majority had never touched the design programmes and yet in just three months, they have the technical and conceptual skills to create a beautiful body of work.
Live now – Visit the show
University of South Wales: 2020 Vision
The Graphic Communication graduates at the University of South Wales will soon launch their virtual degree show, 2020 Vision, showcasing a range of design solutions to tackle real-world problems.
Live now – Visit the show
Staffordshire University: DigitalGradEX20
Hundreds of visitors usually attend the annual Art and Design Degree Show at the University’s Stoke-on-Trent campus but this year friends, family, employers and the public can enjoy the showcase from the comfort of their own homes. The online DigitalGradEX20 exhibition features final year projects from more than 450 students and features a range of creative degrees including Fine Art, Cartoon and Comic Arts and Animation.
Live now – Visit the show
Suffolk University: Intersect
Check out Intersect, the virtual capstone exhibition of Suffolk University’s Graphic Design senior class of 2020. “This site has been developed to allow visitors to experience the final step in our undergraduate and certificate degree processes,” it says. “The capstone project is the combination of years of study, developed skills, and personal interest. It is a concentrated deep-dive into a topic related to each student’s career pursuits.
“The work archived here demonstrates months of effort and years of dedicated study. Each of the eight featured designers has invested themselves wholeheartedly into their individual work as well as the collaborative efforts required to design this virtual experience.”
Live now – Visit the show
Swansea College of Art UWTSD: Summer Degree Show 2020
Soon you’ll be able to delve into a showcase of graduate’s work from Swansea College of Art UWTSD. “Despite the challenges of the past months our students have been highly innovative and shown an impressive enthusiasm to jump in, collaborate, create, design, make, and perform. This wonderful SCA showcase celebrates their fantastic achievements.”
Launching on 10 July 2020 – Visit the show
Truro and Penwith College: Unveil
For the six graduates of BA Applied Media at Truro and Penwith College, a partner of Plymouth University, they have just launched an online degree show entitled Unveil. Go check out their work and show your support.
Live now – Visit the show
Belfast School of Art at Ulster University: Class of 2020
The Belfast School of Art is showcasing all of its students on its various creative courses, from animation, fine art and ceramics to graphic design, fashion and animation. There are video interviews with some graduates, too, as well as a feast of work to peruse.
Live now – Visit the show
Ulster University: Interaction Design Belfast 2020 Graduate Show
Meet the graduates of BDes Hons Interaction Design, a course highly rated by industry professionals and benefits from partnerships with world-class companies such as Google, Deloitte Digital, Square, Booking.com, and others.
Live now – Visit the show
University of the Creative Arts: Online Graduate Showcase 2020
This week the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) launched its Online Graduate Showcase 2020. It features final work by graduating students studying the arts, technology and creative business across its four campuses, Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham and Rochester.
Live now – Visit the show
The University of the West of England: Future CEOs
And that’s not what you’d expect it stands for: CEOs, in this case, means ‘Climate Evolution Optimists’. Here lies a hint of the theme for this year’s BA Graphic Design graduate show at the University of the West of England.
Live now – Visit the show