Gathered around a printing station, three female students laugh in paint-splatted aprons whilst hand-rolling ink.
About Us

Outreach & Schools

Raising aspirations and awareness of creative pathways

Our Schools & Outreach team raise aspirations and awareness of arts education at college and degree study level. From careers fairs to online workshops, and employability talks to portfolio support - find out how we can connect your students with meaningful creative encounters.

<p>Our team are here to support you, and help students progress to studying arts at degree level; preparing for professional employment within the UK’s booming creative industries, which Oxford Economics projects could grow by over 26% by 2025 and contribute £132.1 billion in gross value added to the UK economy.</p> <p>We are passionate about building links with schools and colleges all over the country and endeavour to deliver first hand, relatable experiences to inspire your students to continue on with their arts education.<br /></p> <p>Please contact <a href="mailto:schools@aup.ac.uk">schools@aup.ac.uk</a> if you are interested in arranging a visit to learn more about studying art at college and degree level. We can provide talks on student life, portfolio reviews, and choosing the right course.</p> <p>If a face-to-face meeting isn't possible, we also offer virtual workshops and pre-recorded IAG sessions. To find out more please email <a href="mailto:schools@aup.ac.uk">schools@aup.ac.uk</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/aup-outreach" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Follow us on LinkedIn</a></p>
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Students explore art, design, fashion and digital media at our dedicated Pre-Degree Campus Palace Court and Palace Studios.

<p>See below for a range of engaging and inspiring materials for both teachers and students, including printable A3 posters, a menu of the workshops we can customise and provide for your school, as well as tips and advice on crafting the perfect personal statement. If you'd like to receive physical copies of any of our resources or our prospectuses, please email <a href="mailto:schools@aup.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">schools@aup.ac.uk</a>.</p>
<p>Our activities provide meaningful encounters with <a href="https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, 6 and 7</a>. To discuss ways in which we can work with your students and facilitate good career guidance please contact our team.<br /></p>
Gatsby Benchmarks

<p>Staff and students from Arts University Plymouth attend <a href="https://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/blog/calendar/category/careers-exhibition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">careers fairs</a> all over the UK; please get in touch to request our attendance at your school's next careers event. If you would like to discuss any of the above, please contact our team at <a href="mailto:schools@aup.ac.uk">schools@aup.ac.uk</a>.</p> <p>Throughout the year we attend a busy calendar of UCAS events, including Create Your Future Manchester and London. To view a list of upcoming dates visit our <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/events" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What's On </a>pages.<br /></p>
Thank you for the trip last Friday. Our children really enjoyed themselves and it was a really positive experience for them. It opened their eyes to a potential avenue they could go down in the future. They loved the workshop and enjoyed trying something that we can't offer at school.
Teacher from a local school, November 2023
Technician Dan Chapple shows two students examples of clay in the Plymouth College of Art ceramics studio. The table in the centre is filled with the students ceramic creations and tools for ceramics
A large class of school-age students pose for a photo in an industrial-looking warehouse with inflatable installations.
Pots of paint line up on a table in a rainbow of colours as a student, wearing a red apron, deposits some of the paint into a pot.
Hands pull ink across a textile screen laid flat on the table in order to transfer the design onto fabric
A girl stands at an easel against a wall covered in paintings and sketches. The easel has paper pinned onto it with the beginnings of a fashion illustration
A woman in dungarees poses in the centre of the room for a life drawing session. The focus is on a young girl drawing on a large sheet of paper on an easel.
Animator Jim Parkyn, who has worked with Aardman Animations, shows three students how to create a clay character.
Plymouth College of Art glass alumnus Ben Lintell demonstrates glassblowing in our glass workshops, he is watched by students sat on chairs.
Three girls sit at a table in black aprons, on the table are lino stencils and blocks which they are rolling ink onto and printing with.
A young boys hands are shown making a 3D printed puppet on a table.
Two young people stand at a busy event looking at Plymouth College of Art prospectus and having a conversation with eachother.
<p><a href="https://nextstepssw.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Next Steps South West (NSSW)</a> is a partnership of fourteen universities and colleges throughout Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, funded by the Office for Students (OfS). Arts University Plymouth has been a partner college in the Next Steps South West project since its launch in January 2017.</p> <p>As the region’s National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP), together NSSW helps young people navigate their personal journey to higher education (HE). Through impartial events and activities, NSSW inspires students aged 13-19 years old to fulfil their potential.</p> <p>NSSW’s targeted outreach interventions build aspiration, awareness and access to HE, ensuring target students throughout the region can make an informed choice for their future.</p><ul><li>Visit <a href="https://nextstepssw.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>nextstepssw.ac.uk</strong></a></li><li>Follow <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/NextStepsSW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Eprofile%3ANextStepsSW&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnextstepssw.ac.uk%2F" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@NextStepsSW</a></strong></li></ul>