<p dir="ltr">The report features a series of recommendations for the higher education sector, businesses and government to encourage the realignment of the perception of the value of creative graduates and ensure there is equality of access and opportunity for individuals.</p> <p dir="ltr">Case studies within the report highlight some of the many exciting industry briefs, live projects, and innovative schemes that students and staff from Arts University Plymouth have been a part of. Named projects include:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">BA (Hons) Textile Design graduate Ayesha King <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/into-the-sea-textile-design-graduates-finisterre-seasuit-collab-hits-the-shelves">designed a wetsuit</a> suitable for Muslim Women in collaboration with Finisterre’s Seasuit Project.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/alumni/workroom">Workroom</a>, Arts University Plymouth’s creative business incubation programme.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth's <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/what-is-the-studiolab-for-embodied-media">StudioLab for Embodied Media</a> is leading empathetic materials research to explore responsive, wearable, bioactive materials that can sense and respond to physical and psychological changes in the human body. </p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth’s <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/empowering-women-and-girls-voices-through-collaborative-design">work with award-winning women’s rights charity Trevi</a> in design workshops for a Plymouth-based ‘Reclaim the Night’ march in support of women’s right to free and safe public spaces and quality of life.</p></li></ul> <p>Professor Stephen Felmingham, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) &amp; Professor of Artistic Research at Arts University Plymouth, sat on the steering group of creative specialist higher education providers contributing to the report, and coordinated Arts University Plymouth’s response.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Dr Kate Wicklow, Policy Director at GuildHE said: "The UK has a world-leading creative industry. In 2022, government estimated that it provided over 2.4 million jobs and generated £126bn in gross value added (GVA) to the economy. This report addresses the challenge of defining creative graduates’ value by critiquing current methods, providing robust longitudinal data and realigning the perception of the value of creative graduates."</p> <p dir="ltr">Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks, Vice-Chancellor &amp; Chief Executive of Arts University Plymouth, said: "Creative graduates contribute to the success of the UK's creative industries, communities, individuals, and other sectors in often unacknowledged ways. GuildHE continues to advocate for specialist universities like ours, lobbying for national opportunities to help creative communities thrive."</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://guildhe.ac.uk/about-5/">GuildHE is an officially recognised representative body for UK Higher Education</a>, championing distinction and diversity in the sector. Our 60+ members include universities, university colleges, further education colleges and specialist institutions, representing over 250,000 students. Member institutions include some major providers in professional subject areas including art, design and media, music and the performing arts; agriculture and food; education; business and law, theology, the built environment; health and sports.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://ukadia.ac.uk/">UKADIA</a> is the UK Arts and Design Institutions Association, a grouping of leading specialist arts and design institutions drawn from all regions of the UK. <a href="https://www.wearecreative.uk/about/">Creative UK</a> is the independent network for the UK’s Creative Industries.</p> <p dir="ltr">Read the report ‘<a href="https://guildhe.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Value-of-Creative-Graduates-Report-2024-GuildHE-and-UKADIA_compressed-1.pdf">The Value of Creative Graduates</a>’</p> <p>Read the <a href="https://guildhe.ac.uk/the-value-of-creative-graduates-lisa-mann-executive-director-of-innovation-at-aub/">accompanying blog by Lisa Mann</a>, Executive Director of Innovation at Arts University Bournemouth, Chair of the Steering Group and representing UKADIA.</p>