Rising talent showcase work at Art and Creative Industries degree show

Under clearing skies on a warm evening, the Liverpool School of Art and Creative Industries launched its inaugural degree show, welcoming hundreds of final-year students, families, alumni and industry professionals to celebrate the completion of their studies at LJMU. 

The John Lennon Art and Design Building once again transformed into a vast gallery, with every floor alive with bold, colourful work spanning the school’s many disciplines. Studios are brimming with creativity, offering visitors an immersive snapshot of the next generation of artists and designers. 

The evening opened with a welcome and prize-giving from Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power and school director Professor Rachel McLean, as outstanding students were recognised with awards from their degrees and some university partners, drawing loud applause from a packed atrium as they climbed the stairs to collect their prizes.  

Courses including Architecture, Fashion, Fine Art, Graphic Design and Illustration, History of Art and Museum Studies, and Interior Architecture presented an eclectic mix of work, from installations and large-scale pieces to soundscapes, film screenings and live painting. Fashion collections stood out on mannequins while guests were invited to bring their best outfits to party, while Film Studies students returned for a third year with a showcase of documentaries, features and posters created in collaboration with Graphic Design students. 

The work we are here to celebrate will move, provoke and inspire all who encounter it. As we celebrate more than 200 years of the School of Art and Creative Industries, we also celebrate something enduring and essential: the power of creative education to shape lives, strengthen communities and enrich society.

Professor Mark Power, Vice-Chancellor

Professor Rachel McLean, Director of Liverpool School of Art & Creative Industries, said: “The degree show is an opportunity to showcase the fabulous work our students produce with the support of our very knowledgeable, talented and well connected staff. This year was no exception.

“I am so proud of the work our students have produced and of the talented creatives and professionals that they have become. A fabulous show to celebrate the first in the new School of Art & Creative Industries.”

The celebrations continue beyond the exhibition. On 10 June, Fashion Design final year students will send their collections out onto the runway at the Fashion Industry North (FAN) show in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral’s Lutyens Crypt. Delivered in partnership with Leeds Beckett University, the event highlights emerging talent from across the North and champions greater inclusion and recognition within the UK fashion industry. 

The School of Art and Creative Industries Degree Show is open to the public until Friday 5 June, 10am–5pm on weekdays and Saturdays.