Held in-person for the first time since the pandemic, the School welcomed students alongside their family, friends, and the general public to celebrate and showcase their achievements across two evenings.

On Thursday 26^th May, the Luton Degree Show opened to guests, featuring a visual treat including work created by Art & Design, Media Make-up and Character Design, and Fashion Design students.

The following day, on Friday 27^th May, the celebrations continued at the Bedford campus where Dance and Acting students put on a showcase performance for the live audience.

Final-year Dance student Lucy-Alice Wren performed in the Bedford showcase. She said: “The Degree Show was an amazing opportunity to showcase three years of hard work. I felt like my time as a dancer came to an end in a way that I felt proud of. In the future, I know looking back that the Degree Show will be something that plays an important role in my memory of my course.”

Dr Carlota Larrea, Head of the School of Arts & Creative Industries, said: “It was fantastic to see our students’ work on display at the Degree Shows and testament to the high quality of work produced that we were able to draw a great crowd who appreciated and engaged with these brilliant visual pieces. The Luton and Bedford shows were both great evenings of entertainment and celebration and I am very grateful to all the wonderful students and staff involved for bringing these events together.”

The work displayed was created by students from all years of study, from foundation year to postgraduate.

Shelly Ward-Lindsay, a Contemporary Arts Practice student, displayed a series of vibrantly coloured paintings on glass, entitled ‘Florida Pink’, created using recycled double-glazed units.  

She said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase all the artwork that we collectively worked so hard to complete and represented a great achievement for all of us after the challenges of the last couple of years. I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition which was buzzing with people all excited to view our work with lots of questions and compliments about the wonderful art on display.”

Third-year Photography student Irena Gil, who showcased her ‘Family Album’ photography installation, added: “Our Degree Show is a remarkable achievement that we have been able to pull together, demonstrating excellent collaboration, planning, and creativity. I am extremely happy that while the past three years have been quite difficult for us as students and as artists, we have been able to adapt and overcome the obstacles and physically showcase our work.”

As part of the festivities, the School also welcomed back students who graduated in both 2020 and 2021 to highlight their time at the University.

The Luton Degree Show exhibition was also open to the public for two weeks between 26^th May and 9^th June, with locals being encouraged to observe the students’ work.