Making Futures 2017 an adult and child sit in the afternoon sun at Mount Edgcumbe Photo by Dom Moore

Making Futures is a biannual international conference hosted by Arts University Plymouth that aims to improve understanding of how contemporary crafts are practised in relation to developing global, environmental and sustainability issues.

Making Futures®

Kvervis are large ceramic vessels which are buried below the ground filled with grapes which are left to ferment to make wine in Georgia photo by Makuna Gotsadze

The British Council & Arts University Plymouth worked together to report on the future of crafts in the South Caucasus.

Crafting Futures

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As a research hub within Arts University Plymouth, StudioLab unites the disciplines of art, biology, digital design, network ecology, neuroscience, haptics and bioinformatics to better understand the relationship between sensory data, emotion and corporeality in the context of digital culture.

StudioLab for Embodied Media

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Worked with citizens, communities and businesses in Plymouth and the region to provide access to digital fabrication facilities, training in digital design and manufacturing and support with sustainable entrepreneurship.

Smart Citizens Programme (SCP)

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Arts University Plymouth is one of the key partners of Green Minds, a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) programme funded project that aims to plan and manage the green spaces of Plymouth.

Green Minds

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A two-day international gathering of hot glass blowing expertise and innovation, with talks and live demonstrations from expert glass blowers including Netflix ‘Blown Away’ winner Elliot Walker.

Melting Pot: Hot Glass Gathering

A large group of people pose for a photograph in a large warehouse style room strung with colourful bunting and paper lanterns AYCH Creative Jam November 2019

Atlantic Youth Creative Hubs is a European project funded by the Interreg Atlantic Area programme, aiming at building a model of social innovation for young people supporting social entrepreneurship, employment and education in the creative and cultural industries.

Atlantic Youth Creative Hubs

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The Made@EU project was a European FabLab partnership that saw the university working in partnership with prestigious organisations in Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Budapest.

Made@EU

Hidden Talent In Devon Making Change 2019

Hidden Talent in Devon is an exciting new project that enables people from a range of backgrounds to access creative workshops and learn new skills.

Hidden Talent in Devon

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SEED (Strategic Employer Engagement in Devon) enables local SMEs to access training in 2D & 3D digital design and manufacturing at Fab Lab South West (formerly Fab Lab Plymouth).

SEED (Strategic Employer Engagement in Devon)

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HackFest is a county-wide project that engages around 200 young people and schools across Devon in digital making, 3D design and coding activities, to create product prototypes that will solve societal issues of the future.

HackFest

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The Euranim project focuses on innovative digital animation technologies and their application in large-scale public and cultural works.

Euranim

Big Data and Environmental Futures Impact Lab

I Mayflower

iMayflower was designed to enrich Plymouth’s creative industries and empower creative people in the city, launched in 2019 and delivered in partnership with Plymouth City Council, University of Plymouth, Destination Plymouth, and Real Ideas.

iMayflower

Triple Edge was an international partnership that supported Vocational Education and Training, promoting tailor-made and participatory approaches that use gamification and digital tools to enhance entrepreneurial and digital skills in learners, companies and teachers.

Triple Edge

Market Makers is an initiative that aims to develop and promote arts and crafts talent in Liskeard.

Market Makers, Liskeard

A group of students working in Fab Lab South West

Fab Lab South West (formerly Fab Lab Plymouth) is an open-access digital fabrication laboratory based at Arts University Plymouth.

Fab Lab South West

A member of staff chats to visitors in Fab Lab Plymouth at the Fab City 2021 event Photo by Ray Goodwin

In 2019, Arts University Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, University of Plymouth, Real Ideas and Plymouth Culture worked jointly on a commitment towards becoming the UK’s first Fab City within a global network of Fab Cities.

Fab City Plymouth

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Made In Plymouth CIC was a a joint venture between Real Ideas, Arts University Plymouth, the University of Plymouth, and Plymouth City Council, working together to create a social enterprise souvenir line that celebrates and supports local artists and makers.

Made In Plymouth CIC

The Meanwhile Use scheme supports imaginative projects that occupy vacant spaces in the city centre

Cornwall Street Project Space

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Arts University Plymouth, in partnership with BFI, hosts the prestigious BFI 16-19 Film Academy programme. Open to young people from anywhere in the UK and from any background, the BFI Film Academy offers a real chance for talented 16-19-year-olds to be part of our future film industry.

BFI Film Academy

Arts University Plymouth's Research and Innovation work encompasses external activity undertaken at a regional, national and international scale.

Click on each image below for further information about some of our projects.
If you have a project or idea you would like to discuss with the university please email <a href="mailto:research@aup.ac.uk">research@aup.ac.uk</a>.

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Integrity & Ethics

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Our Research, Scholarship and Practice Activities gain national and international attention. Find out about our past and present research events and symposiums.

Events & Conferences

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Research Groups

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Connect with the research-active staff that make up our university's outstanding academic expertise.

Research Staff

Research and Scholarship at Arts University Plymouth is involved externally on regional, national and international levels. Find out about the research projects supported by or carried out by staff and students of the university.

Supported Projects

Proudly Supporting

Awards & Rankings