Class of 2022: A guide to all the UK's graduate shows this summer

It's a refreshing return to normality after a long, crazy two years. Yes, there were some physical shows last summer (see our 2021 roundup for details), but that wasn't the case for all, by any means.

Indeed, many students graduating right now will have spent half of their studies locked away due to the pandemic, and summer 2022 may be their first opportunity to experience real events. So there's an extra reason to attend these shows in person – if you can – because we expect the buzz around them to be quite special.

So whether you're a senior designer scouting around for talent, a creative student looking ahead to your own event in the future, or just someone wanting to be inspired by great work, check out these great shows. And if you're exhibiting yourself, we wish you the very best of luck!

London

Central Saint Martins Shows, Central Saint Martins

After two years of digital-only exhibition, the iconic UAL college's graduate shows will appear in physical and digital form this year. Students will be exhibiting their work on campus from 16-22 June, but if you can't make it, you can still view everything online here.

Degree Shows, Goldsmiths University

Celebrating the best creative work from Goldsmiths students, spanning fine art, design, film-making, photography and more, this year's annual summer shows run until 26 July at venues across the UK capital.

Online degree show, Kingston University

Kingston School of Art's physical grad show has now passed, but the students' work is still available to view online. Subjects covered include fashion, graphic design, illustration, animation, product and furniture design, and photography.

RA Schools Show, Royal Academy of Arts

Running from 17 June-3 July, the RA Schools Show sees 15 students transform their studios to present new work across various media. Interestingly, the graduating artists have undertaken the three-year programme plus an additional year (2020-2021) to cover the loss of studio time during the pandemic.

The Degree Show, Ravensbourne University

For the first time since 2019, Ravensbourne showcases the work of its graduating students in physical form. The Degree Show is open to the public from 1-9 July at the university's Greenwich campus.

RCA2022, Royal College of Art

From 25-30 June, the Royal College of Art's 2022 grad show takes place across two locations: in Kensington and, for the first time, the major new RCA campus building in Battersea, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. It features the work of hundreds of students, covering subjects including sculpture and contemporary art practice, intelligent mobility, textiles and design products, fashion and architecture.

Degree Show, Slade School of Fine Art

The UCL school has already held its BA shows, but you can view the work online on the school's website. Meanwhile, Slade's MA shows are still to come, running from 17-25 June at its Gower Street campus.

New Creatives, Oxo Tower Wharf

This collective show at Oxo Tower Wharf showcases the best in graduate design and art from seven UK universities. Hundreds of projects are being showcased, from art, design and architecture to photography, music and drama. It runs until 24 July.

New Designers , Business Design Centre, Islington

Another collective grad show, New Designers, features the work of 3,000 hand-picked graduate design talents from around the UK. The first week (29 June-2 July) focuses on crafts, including textiles, fashion, ceramics and glass, and metalwork. The second week (6-9 July) features furniture design, graphic design, illustration, product design, industrial design, and spatial design.

Midlands

BCU Inspired 2022, Birmingham City University

Birmingham City University's graduates in art, architecture, fashion and textiles are exhibiting their work in physical graduate shows this year, from now until 25 June.

Coventry Degree Shows, Coventry University

Coventry Uni's in-person shows have already taken place, but you can enjoy its students' work online on the degree show website.

Festival of Creativity, University of Lincoln

This year's festival at the Lincoln School of Design is back to being a real-life, in-person experience, but still supported by online content. Work will be exhibited physically at the Brayford campus from 18 June-1 July.

Graduate Showcase 2022, Norwich University for the Arts

Norwich's grad shows took place in May, but the digital exhibition will launch in July. This will feature final student work from animation, fashion, fine art, film, graphic design, games, photography, and more.

Undergraduate Showcase, Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham School of Art and Design's grad shows on campus have now passed, but there are still two ways to view the class of 2022's work. Firstly, via the virtual showcase. And secondly, some of it will be on display as part of the New Designers exhibition in London (28 June-9 July).

Degree Show, Worcester School of Arts

Worcester School of Arts' grad shows took place in May, but the work is still available to view online. Subjects covered here include fine art, game art, graphic design, illustration and creative media.

South East England

Secret Showcase, Anglia Ruskin University

Open until 19 June, ARU's annual degree show celebrates the work of final-year students in the faculty of arts, humanities and social sciences. After two years online, this year, it returns in physical form to the Ruskin Gallery and across the Cambridge campus.

Some of the work on display has been shaped by recent events over the last two years, such as graphic design student Chelsea Man's manifesto 'Party of One', which features a fresh palette and strong typography, and asks why enjoying our own company is seen as such a bad thing. A selection of work can also be viewed online.

Summer Shows, University of Brighton

Brighton's undergraduate exhibition has now passed but can be seen in digital form on the university's website. Meanwhile, there are two more physical shows to go: the Architecture and Design end-of-year show (17-19 June) and the MA show (9-16 July).

Art & Design Summer Show, Buckinghamshire New University

Buckinghamshire New University's annual Art & Design Summer Show will be open to the public from 17-22 June at their High Wycombe campus (in W7 and on the first floor of Timberlake). The show features work from courses including creative advertising, graphic design, illustration and product design.

Graduate Show Takeover, UCA Canterbury

Art, design and architecture combine with activism, freedom and innovation as UCA Canterbury students present their ideas and work throughout its campus. The show runs until 7 July, and the work can be viewed digitally on the UCA website.

Graduate Show Takeover, UCA Epsom

UCA Epsom's Graduate Show Takeover promises the latest innovations and concepts in fashion, business and graphic design. It's open to the public until 7 July, and the work can also be browsed digitally on the UCA website.

Graduate Show Takeover, UCA Farnham

The Graduate Show Takeover at UCA Farnham's campus features a ton of fascinating, thought-provoking, exciting and innovative work. The physical event runs until 7 July, and the work can also be seen digitally on the UCA website.

Graduate Showcase, University of Portsmouth

Portsmouth's The Graduate Showcase presents physical, digital and virtual exhibitions in various creative disciplines from 17-24 June. Disciplines include architecture, art, design and performance, creative technologies, film, media and communications. Featured in the showcase will be the new Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR).

Graduate Show Takeover, UCA Rochester

You have until 7 July to view the graduate show at UCA Rochester, which puts work by students of fashion, photography, textiles, computer arts, games design and television production under the spotlight. Alternatively, view the work on the UCA website.

Arts Degree Show, University of Suffolk

From 22-30 June, the University of Suffolk presents graduate work across two locations: the Arts Building and The Hold. Featured disciplines will include architecture, digital film production, fine art, graphic design, graphic illustration and photography.

South West England

Undergraduate Summer Shows 2022, Arts University Bournemouth

From 24 June-1 July, the Arts University Bournemouth campus will transform into the biggest gallery space in the South West of England, as students display their final project work to the public. If you can't make it in person, you'll be able to view the shows online from 25 July.

Falmouth Showcase, Falmouth University

Falmouth Uni held its graduation show in May this year, but if you missed the physical event, it's now available to view online. So you can enjoy all the best work by their graphic design, illustration, fine art, drawing and photography students here.

Summer Shows, Arts University Plymouth

Previously known as Plymouth College of Art, Arts University Plymouth's creative graduates are taking over sites across the city, with a host of exhibitions and showcases running until 9 July. From immersive animations and cutting-edge fashion design to contemporary illustration and ceramics, these shows form part of the wider Ignite Festival of Creativity, which runs until 15 July.

Summer Shows, Solent University, Southampton.

Final-year work by Solent University students will be on display until 16 June at the University's Spark and Below Bar building. This end-of-year celebration displays work by final-year students on courses including fine art, fashion design, graphic design, illustration, beauty, architecture, photography, and interior design.

Wales and West of England

Summer Degree Show, Cardiff School of Art & Design

The Cardiff School of Art and Design (CSAD) Degree Show is now over in physical form, but the work can be viewed digitally on the exhibition website. Subjects featured include animation, architecture, fine art, graphic communication, interior design and textiles.

Summer Degree Show, Swansea College of Art

Swansea's physical shows took place in May, but the online exhibition will be launching in July 2022. In the meantime, you can enjoy last year's show in digital format.

Showcase 2022, University of West England

The Creative Industries Degree Show at UWE welcomes you to discover a new generation of artists, designers and practitioners. The work of over 500 students is being exhibited physically until 19 June, accompanied by an extensive digital showcase.

North West England

Degree Show, University of Central Lancashire

University of Central Lancashire's 2022 summer shows will run from 17-24 June in three buildings across its Preston campus. Booking is essential, and subjects will include architecture, film animation, art, 3D modelling and design.

Reconnect, University of Cumbria Institute of Arts

If you missed the University of Cumbria's degree shows this month, you could still view the work on its website. This includes projects by students of fine art, film and TV, game design, graphic design, illustration and photography.

Re-Boot! Degree Show, Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts

Third-year BA (Hons) students at Lancaster University will showcase their work in the Re-Boot! Degree Show from 23-29 June. The show takes at the campus' Peter Scott Gallery, LICA Building, and Bowland Annexe Studios. Visitors can expect to see painting, drawing, sculpture, new media work, film, innovative design projects, performances and film and theatre screenings.

Falling Into Place, Manchester Metropolitan University School of Art

This year's Manchester Met's School of Art show is taking place both in-person and online. The physical exhibitions run until 22 June at the Benzie, Grosvenor, Chatham and SODA buildings on the All Saints campus.

Yorkshire and North East England

Arts and Humanities Graduate Showcase, University of Huddersfield

Huddersfield's Arts and Humanities Graduate Showcase runs on campus from 16 June-4 July. If you can't make it, the same student work can be viewed online from 20 June onwards.

School of Design Degree Show, University of Leeds

From 16-30 June, visitors to the School of Design's Clothworkers Central building will be able to view new work from students in art and design, fashion design, fashion marketing, graphic and communication design, and textile design.

End of Year Show 2022, Leeds Beckett University

Celebrating the students from Leeds School of Arts in music and sound, performing arts, film, creative technologies, art and design, and architecture. This year, there's been a myriad of physical events running alongside a digital showcase.

Degree Shows, University of Sunderland

Sunderland University's undergraduate class of 2022 are currently showcasing their work until 31 August, at various dates, times and locations across the city. Subjects include animation, design, fine art, games art, glass and ceramics, and illustration.

Scotland

ECA Graduate Show, University of Edinburgh College of Art

This year's ECA grad show has already taken place. But if you didn't make it or would like to reacquaint yourself with the students' work, it can also be viewed on the website, which helpfully lets you search by topic.

Degree Show, Glasgow School of Art

Running until 19 June, over 600 students from GSA's five schools are displaying bodies of work that address some of the world's most important contemporary issues and challenges, from climate emergency and sustainability to gender, race and representation, health and wellbeing. The exhibitions are open to the public across the Garnethill campus.

Graphic Design Degree Exhibition at Glasgow Clyde College

The BA Hons Graphic Design students have had a successful year at Glasgow Clyde, with another high-quality online exhibition that showcases not just their final project, but work throughout their university career. Congrats to all those celebrating their graduation this month.

Welcome To The Real World, Gray’s School of Art

Taking place on the Garthdee Road, Aberdeen campus until 18 June, Gray's School of Art's 2022 exhibition is named 'Welcome To The Real World'. Explaining the title, Dean of Gray's School of Art, Libby Curtis, said: "The virtual world has done so much for us in recent years, but art and design is a sensory experience that should be appreciated in the real world." The show puts on display final year projects across a range of disciplines, including painting, contemporary art practice, fashion and textiles, communication design, three-dimensional design and photography.

Northern Ireland

Degree Show, Belfast School of Art

Running until 6-18 June, the Belfast School of Art degree show is open to the public, but you need to reserve a ticket in advance (don't worry, though, they're free). Alternatively, you can view the work by their graduating cohorts in the online gallery.