Annual showcase REVEALs next generation of creative and cultural talent

A student showcase which is one of the highlights of the North East’s cultural calendar is under way once again, as Northumbria University launches its 2025 Degree Shows.

The annual REVEAL events series provides final-year students across a wide variety of programmes and subjects with the opportunity to share their talents with the public and industry experts, in a variety of exhibitions and open evenings taking place between now and July.

This year’s REVEAL will be one of the biggest events to be staged yet, with student work exhibited at venues across Northumbria’s Newcastle City Campus, including the University’s own Gallery North, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Vane Gallery in Gateshead.

With an exhibition from Social Sciences students studying Sociology and Criminology making a return to the line-up for 2025, students studying Animation, Architecture, Creative Writing, Fashion, Film, Fine Art, Graphic Design, History, Interior Design, Music, Product and 3D Design and Theatre and Performance are all given the chance to share their work with visitors via REVEAL. Short films, performances, presentations, photography and carefully curated displays of work all help bring final-year projects and dissertations to life, while giving students first-hand experience of showcasing their skills.

Experiential learning is a cornerstone of Northumbria’s strategy to power an inclusive economy – helping to place graduates in highly skilled jobs across the North East and beyond. The University has built a strong reputation for working with industry partners to offer high-quality, real-world learning experiences that enhance career opportunities – especially for students from backgrounds without ready access to professional networks. By continually expanding its provision of experiential learning, Northumbria aims to equip all students with the skills necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving job market.

A five-day exhibition of work by Fine Art students, running from Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 May, will be jointly presented across Level 1 at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Vane Gallery in Gateshead and Gallery North at Northumbria University. The exhibition will provide a platform for multidisciplinary artists whose work spans painting, sculpture, photography, moving image and installation.

Andrea Phillips, Baltic Professor and Director of the Baltic x Northumbria University Institute said: “Our BA Fine Art students have developed their work across three years in the context of guidance from both Northumbria’s staff of internationally experienced artists and curators, and the excellent professional expertise of curators, educators and technical producers at Baltic.”

Kelly MacKinnon, Associate Professor of Architecture and Co-Director of Cultural Partnerships at Northumbria University, said: “The degree shows are the culmination of a remarkable journey for our final-year students, who have honed their skills, supported by exceptional staff who are experts in their field. The work showcased as part of REVEAL is a celebration of an expression of the true value of experiential learning and rich partnership activity.

“Our students are the next generation of creative and cultural talent. They will go forward with the flexible skillsets required to take their learning into everyday life, making the most of opportunities to help tackle the challenges facing society today through their work.”

A dissertation conference will take place on Wednesday 28 May with final-year History students presenting research findings on their chosen time period and theme. And on Friday 30 May, Theatre and Performance students will present a programme of group and solo performances, devised as final-year projects. Film students will enjoy a private gala evening at Cineworld in Newcastle where their short films will be screened for family, friends and invited industry guests.

From Thursday 19 June to Wednesday 2 July, displays of work from across the Design disciplines, including Fashion, will take over the University’s City Campus East (CCE2) building ready to be viewed by visitors. This will include a Fashion Catwalk Show held at Northumbria Students’ Union for invited guests. At the same time, in Sutherland Building, the Architecture Studios will be dressed and ready to showcase project boards and carefully constructed models developed throughout the year by Architecture students.

Dr Carly Guest, Programme Leader for the BSc Sociology programme at Northumbria, said Social Sciences students across a variety of programmes were busy developing innovative ways to display the outcomes of their projects in the University’s Student Central Library between Wednesday 25 June and Tuesday 15 July.

“This year we have BSc Sociology, BSc Criminology, BSc Criminology and Sociology, as well as BSc Criminology and Forensic Science students getting ready to display their work,” explained Dr Guest. “For many of the students, their programmes culminate in a dissertation project or work-based dissertation which includes developing a detailed presentation on their progress during a work placement. So there are lots of ways we’re looking at exhibiting this work to make sure it keeps the true essence and meaning of everything our students have delivered.”

This will include board games, zines and short films for visitors to interact with, as well as poster presentations, poetry and collages.  

Discover more about REVEAL and register to attend one of the many free events taking place between now and 15 July at www.northumbria.ac.uk/reveal