Platform Graduate Award

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Platform Graduate Award</strong> is an initiative led by CVAN South East (Contemporary Visual Arts Network South East) to support emerging graduate artistic talent to further their practice with an exhibition and professional development opportunities. Established in 2012, the award has now evolved to provide a £500 bursary and six months of mentoring support to a small cohort of awardees, each of them an outstanding graduate from one of the several participating regional higher education partners. The scheme focuses on artists in the first year after graduation; a critical time when the loss of the university support structure and financial pressures can test an artist’s dedication to their practice. For the participating galleries, this is a way to keep in touch with the most promising emerging practice, and with higher education institutions. More broadly, the scheme aims to stimulate artist networks outside of London and encourage artists to stay in the region, with the Platform exhibitions viewed by over 60,000 visitors annually. <br /></p> <p dir="ltr">This year the award is a partnership between four galleries: <br /></p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://aspex.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aspex</a> (Portsmouth) </p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://mirrorplymouth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIRROR</a> at Arts University Plymouth </p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Modern Art Oxford</a> </p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.phoenixbrighton.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Phoenix Art Space</a> (Brighton)</p></li></ul> <p dir="ltr">Our participating graduate artists this year are:<br /><br />From <strong>Arts University Plymouth</strong>, BA (Hons) Fine Art graduates Sharon Douglas, Debbie Miller, Magdalena Tudor alongside BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing &amp; Printmaking graduates Spike Barwis, Gail Thomas, Conor Trapnell. </p> <p dir="ltr">From the<strong> University of Plymouth</strong>, BA (Hons) Fine Art graduates James Hampson, Katie Watkins, Berenika Weinreb-Osiecka.</p> <p dir="ltr">From <strong>Falmouth University</strong> BA (Hons) Fine Art graduates Ruby Abott, Vasilia Panteli, Francesca Pease.<br /><br />We would like to offer our congratulations to the shortlisted artists and we invite you to view their exceptional work in the <strong>Platform Graduate Award 2026 </strong>exhibition at Arts University Plymouth.<br /></p>