Introducing the artists of tomorrow. This summer, the UK’s top art schools are spotlighting rising voices in visual culture. Graduate shows are where future greats first make their mark. They offer a platform to the freshest new talents – creatives who are making waves, pushing boundaries and changing the way we see the world across a huge variety of media. Here are five showcases to add to your diary. From traditional craft to new media, their message is loud and clear: arts education is essential in driving innovation.
UWE Bristol: Showcase 2025
1,200 graduates. 40 courses. Showcase 2025 spans Bower Ashton and Frenchay Campus, as well as key cultural venues across Bristol – Arnolfini and Spike Island – alongside an extensive digital Showcase. It stands out for its focus on the union of art and technology. Expect exhibits across everything from photography, filmmaking and writing, to architecture and engineering. Highlights include coastal light paintings by Joshua Hitchcock; Sarah-Jane Bonner’s architectural façade, designed to support bird life in urban environments; and Between Frames, a short film by Teddy Gibbons and Lily Ainsworth. Showcase 2025 also incorporates drama performances, including The Workshop, an avant garde piece; PrePlanIt, which looks at the female body; and ’24, a pertinent study of division and ideology. 6 – 11 June.
Arts University Plymouth: Graduate Shows 2025
“Innovation” is the word that comes to mind when looking at Arts University Plymouth’s graduate work. This summer, its exhibitions provide heartening and boundary-breaking solutions to contemporary challenges – across art and design, digital media, traditional making and much more. One example is textile designer Jo Nudd, who blends craft, science and technology to envision a more sustainable material world. Nudd pushes against toxic production processes, instead taking cues from nature to make bio-materials: yarn from fish waste, coloured with algae and berries, as well as compostable lampshades. There are a number of shows to attend, each offering creative perspectives for a changing world: Foundation Diploma (21-22 May); Extended Diploma (3-5 June); Undergraduate (20-26 June) and MA (21-31 July).
Norwich University of the Arts: Grad Fest 2025
Grad Fest is Norwich’s biggest exhibition of art, design, architecture, media and performance. From June to September 2025, it transforms the university campus buildings into an exciting destination for talent discovery. Highlights from the Undergrad Festival, which runs 13-26 June, include students from the BA(Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion course. They are rewriting the rulebook on what “fashion photography” can be. Discover rising stars such as Abbie Green, who celebrates intersectionality with Feminism Is (2025), and Anthony McLoughlin, an image maker taking a deep dive into the Mod subculture that emerged in London during the early 1960s. Beyond this, there’s a lot to look forward to: the Postgrad Festival runs 5-9 September, and an immersive digital showcase launches later this summer.
York St John University: School of the Arts Festival 2025
York St John University’s School of the Arts Festival runs 15 May – 13 June. It comprises a series of events, performances, screenings, exhibitions and celebrations from Art, Design, Performance and Production courses. The Art Degree Show, which runs 6-12 June, is a celebration of new approaches to fine art, illustration and photography. It resists easy definition and embraces a bold exploration of ideas, materials and identities. Most importantly, it proves that art can be a powerful mechanism of resistance and renewal – these are creatives who do not accept the world as it is. Instead, they imagine what it could become. The festival opens with landmark event Reignite IX: The Next Generation – celebrating York’s emerging talent and reinforcing the city’s commitment to the creative industries, with keynote speaker Joanne Coates.
London College of Communication: Shows 2025
Design, media and screen: London College of Communication promises to introduce audiences to the next generation of “fearless creative communicators.” First up is the Photography exhibition, running 15-19 May, which will highlight fresh imagery by visionary emerging creatives – featuring powerful black-and-white contributions from Jenna Rubenstein. It’s accompanied by a Symposium on 17 May; a curated day of talks and panel discussions that’s set to offer valuable insight into the worlds of documentary and photojournalism, with speakers including Roy Mehta. The Design showcase opens 30 May – 3 June, spanning everything from graphics to user experience. After that comes the Screen show, which runs from 13-17 June and spotlights animation, film, TV, gaming, music, sound and virtual reality.
Image Credits:
1. Abbie Green, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion, Norwich University of the Arts. Feminism Is, (2025). Photography, Editing and Direction by Abbie Green. Models: Heidi Payne, Yasmin Carey, Kimberly Chusonis, Ayomide Bolarin, Imogen Withers, Emma Bucknam. Assisted By: Molly Pearce, Olypmia Diamandakis.
2. Teddy Gibbons & Lily Ainsworth, BA(Hons) Filmmaking, University of the West of England.
3. Jo Nudd, BA (Hons) Textile Design, Arts University Plymouth.
4. Anthony McLoughlin, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion, Norwich University of the Arts. Under the Influence: The Modern World, (2025). Photography and Creative Direction: Anthony McLoughlin. Assistant: Rosalind Foster. Talent: Anthony McLoughlin.
5. Ibai Acevedo, via Stocksy. Lead image for Reignite IX: The Next Generation.
6. Jenna Rubenstein, BA (Hons) Photography. London College of Communication.
