I am absolutely delighted that the Conran Foundation is once again supporting the excellent Summer Graduate SHOW at the Royal College of Art. At a time when headlines seem endlessly made by MPs’ expenses, bankers’ bonuses and a failing economy, we need our young artists and designers to shine more brightly than ever. We need you to be optimistic, brave and have a tenacious belief in your work, because the creative industries are vital to the UK economy. We want you to be confident and help create a future that works, looks fantastic and has a very human centre.

Another positive note is provided by the new Rector of the RCA. This will be Dr Paul Thompson’s first SHOW at the helm of the College, and I congratulate him and his dedicated faculty of artists, designers, writers and researchers on helping to prepare this latest generation of RCA graduates for their professional launch.

So this is it. This is where your – and our – future takes off. We need you and your energy, your talent and your vision to make this a world we want to live in. Take my advice. Never forget that you’re part of the worldwide RCA community of artists and designers. It makes a difference, in every way.

Terence Conran