Arts University Plymouth

We can finally share the news: Arts University Plymouth is the Daily Mail Arts University of the Year 2027.

Alastair McCall, Editor of the Daily Mail University Guide, called Arts University Plymouth the “standout candidate” for the title. His citation highlights the quality and range of our creative courses and facilities, our teaching and graduate support, and the university’s importance to the creative industries across Plymouth and the South West.

We see the creativity, skill and care that students and staff bring to the university every day. It means a great deal to see that recognised with this award.

Read the full story: https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/arts-university-plymouth-daily-mail-arts-university-of-the-year-2027

If you are receiving A-Level results today, or supporting someone who is, and plans have changed, our Admissions team and academics are ready to talk.

Find current Clearing information at https://www.aup.ac.uk/clearing.

It's Results Day tomorrow! ✨

Good luck to everyone receiving their A-Level results tomorrow, we're wishing you all the best as you take your next step!

If you're considering university, Arts University Plymouth still has Clearing places available this September. Our Clearing Drop-In event on August 15 is a great opportunity to find out more, whether you've already applied through Clearing or are just starting to explore your options.

Our staff and students will be on hand to answer your questions, show you around campus and chat about courses, portfolios, accommodation and student finance.

Book your place at our Clearing Drop-In event: https://www.aup.ac.uk/events/clearing-drop-in-2026

Travelling from further afield? You can claim up to £80 towards your travel costs. Find out more here: https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/claim-up-to-80-when-you-come-to-visit-us2

Welcome to Chynna Bartlett, who has returned to Plymouth to become our first Commercial Development & Innovation Manager.

Chynna joins Arts University Plymouth after leading commercial strategy at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Her new role will help businesses, organisations and creative professionals make use of the university’s specialist facilities and expertise. She will also support the development of Fab Lab South West and our forthcoming programme of Short Courses.

Find out more about Chynna and her new role:
https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/chynna-bartlett-commercial-development-innovation-manager

Ones to watch: Graduates 2026 👀

Rachel Byrne — BA (Hons) Textile Design

Rachel's graduate project, Textile Botanica: The One Pot Colour System, explores colour as a material that can move, shift and be reused. Working with botanical sources including weld, madder, logwood, daffodil, ivy and oak galls, she transforms a single dye extraction into textiles, lake pigments, paints, inks and printed surfaces.

The project combines large-scale machine knitting, hand embroidery, Swiss darning and screen printing with an extensive swatch archive documenting how colour behaves across different materials.

Rachel recently won the London and South Regions heat of the Society of Dyers and Colourists' Design in Adversity Challenge, receiving £2,000 in funding support. Her work has also been recognised by Saltram House, Trevi House, Make Southwest, Dezeen and SDC Magazine.

Ones to watch: Graduates 2026 👀

Ippei Takizawa — BA (Hons) Craft & Material Practices

Ippei Takizawa's graduate project, Future Archaeology, transforms a mass-produced toy into a speculative relic by enclosing it within a hand-cut faceted glass vessel.

Using glass casting, blown glass, facet cutting, mould-making and digital fabrication, Ippei explores how familiar objects can take on new meaning when removed from everyday use. Distorted through the glass, the toy becomes visible but untouchable, inviting us to consider how memory, nostalgia and value shape the objects we choose to preserve.

Follow Ippei's work on Instagram:

Ready to try something new?

This September, Arts University Plymouth is launching a new one-year Certificate of Higher Education in Ceramics & Glass, created for people who want to return to learning, explore a long-held passion or take the first step into a new creative practice.

There's more good news too. Arts University Plymouth has been named by the Department for Education as one of the first providers approved for modular funding through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, supporting more flexible routes into higher education.

Whether you're looking for a fresh start, a career change or simply want to make more time for creativity, there's never been a better moment to begin! Go for it!

Find out more and apply here: https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undefined/cert-he-ceramics-glass