Work of creatives to be featured at RGU’s virtual Postgraduate Showcase

The exhibition, will combine the work of students from the Masters Art and Design programme, as well as the first two cohorts on RGU’s Creative Entrepreneurship short course, which was launched earlier in the year to provide fully-funded business development support for creatives in Scotland.

The show will go live on Friday, September 25, and will be featured within the innovative www.graysdegree.show site, which was created by local agency, Design and Code, for the undergraduate Gray’s Virtual Degree Show in July.

Within the exhibition space, the work of full-time and part-time MA students from across a diverse range of specialist disciplines will be featured with work ranging from fine art to communication design and photography.

There will also be 31 individual spaces for the Creative Entrepreneurship students, where the public will be able to view their work and see how their businesses have evolved as a result of the programme.

Jon Pengelly, Course Leader for the MA Art and Design at Gray’s, commented: “This year has been extremely challenging for the Master’s students who have graduated this year.

“But for me what has been most impressive is the level of work produced and the ambition within this work, having not been compromised at all by these restrictions, and students finding alternative ways of working and new directions as a consequence.

“In many ways these developments and innovative personal practice[s] are testament to their Master’s level performance and I would like to congratulate all the students on the diversity and incredible creativity and sensitivity seen within this work.”

Hilary Nicoll, who led on the development and delivery of the Creative Entrepreneurship module with colleagues from RGU’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, commented: “It has been challenging, but ultimately inspiring, to be teaching this new course during these difficult times.

“Our first cohort were due to start the week after lockdown, but we were able to move the whole course online, using RGUs fantastic virtual learning environment.

“While we missed out on being present in a room with these amazing creative people, we still managed to deliver an excellent learning experience that included plenty of interaction amongst the students. For cohort 2 were able to offer the course across the whole of Scotland, resulting in some great collaborations and networks forming.

“I hope this course has helped the participants weather the storm of Covid and given them tools to help support them as they move into ‘the new now’, whatever that may look like. I would encourage everyone to come and see the fantastic work of these truly creative and resilient entrepreneurs.”

RGU’s Virtual Postgraduate Showcase opens to the public with a launch event on Friday, September 25 -  www.graysdegree.show.