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Student Showcase Archive

Show 2016: The Royal College of Art Graduate Exhibition

The Royal College of Art's 2016 Graduate Exhibition takes the form of three separate events this year – Curating Contemporary Art (CCA) 9–20 March, Fashion 9–10 June and Show 2016 June 23 – July 3, across the Kensington and Battersea campuses.

Show season opened with Curating Contemporary Art, whose graduating MA students presented four independent projects for their graduate show CCA16 – open to the public from 9 to 20 March in the galleries at Kensington Gore.

Fashion Menswear and Womenswear, including Accessories, Footwear & Millinery specialists, will present their work at the Averard Hotel, Lancaster Gate, on 9 June with a Showroom on 11 & 12 June (invitation only). Head of Fashion Zowie Broach explains, 'This year we will be showing just as London Collection Mens begins, so we become l'avenir... in effect the new arrivals, what is to come as far as the aesthetic and visual language by silhouette, material or movement.'

Show 2016 opens to the public on Sunday 26 June, and is open daily 12–8pm daily until Sunday 3 July, except Friday 1 July (Convocation), when the Show is opened exclusively for viewing by graduands friends and family. Convocation (the graduation ceremony) takes place in the impressive surroundings of the neighbouring Royal Albert Hall and is streamed live, for those unable to attend in person.

On Saturday 25 June, there will be a College-wide open day, when prospective students are invited to visit the College and the Show, and find out more about taught MA, MRes and Research programmes.

In Kensington, the Architecture and Interior Design programmes that together make up the School of Architecture show together in newly renovated spaces on the first floor of the Brutalist Darwin Building. The School of Design programmes – Design Interactions, Design Products, Global Innovation Design, Innovation Design Engineering, Service Design and Vehicle Design – show together in the Kensington galleries. The School of Communication – Animation, Information Experience Design and Visual Communication – will present their work in converted studios, galleries and performance spaces within the Stevens Building.

In Battersea, the School of Fine Art shows across the Dyson, Moving Image, Sackler and Sculpture buildings. The School of Humanities – Critical & Historical Studies, Critical Writing in Art & Design, Curating Contemporary Art and History of Design – will together present a curated programme within the Dyson Gallery. The Textiles programme joins fellow School of Material programmes Ceramics & Glass and Jewellery & Metal, to take up residency in the Woo Building.

The College has a long-standing policy of employing Visual Communication graduates to produce branded, graphic design materials for print and web. This year's Show identity is designed by RCA alumni Antonio Bertossi and Esa Matinvesi (both MA Visual Communication, 2014), who have already established careers as graphic designers with projects including the identity and exhibition design for GraphicsRCA: 50 Years.

The annual graduate Show is the highlight of the RCA calendar, attracting over 40,000 visitors, intense media coverage and attention from top international employers, policy makers, funders, researchers and patrons. Most importantly, it provides a public platform for our graduating students that allows them to reach the right audience for their work, across fine art, design and the humanities.


Show 2016 is open to the public 26 June to 3 July 12 midday to 8pm (closed Friday 1 July)

Royal College of Art Kensington: Animation, Architecture, Design Interactions, Design Products, Global Innovation Design, Information Experience Design, Innovation Design Engineering, Interior Design, Service Design, Vehicle Design, Visual Communication

Royal College of Art Battersea: Ceramics & Glass, Critical & Historical Studies, Critical Writing in Art & Design, Curating Contemporary Art, History of Design, Jewellery & Metal, Moving Image, Painting, Performance, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Textiles