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Arts University Plymouth shortlisted in national Whatuni Awards 2025
Wednesday, 2 April, 2025 — Recognised in both ‘Facilities’ and ‘Student Support’, Arts University Plymouth is the only university in the South West shortlisted in any category of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025
<p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth has once again been recognised for excellence in creative education, announced today as the <strong>only specialist arts university in the UK</strong> shortlisted for both the <strong>‘Facilities’</strong> and <strong>‘Student Support’</strong> categories, and the <strong>only university in the South West</strong> <strong>shortlisted</strong> in any category, in the <strong>2025 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs)</strong>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This national recognition confirms Arts University Plymouth’s position as a creative university that competes and leads on a national stage when it comes to delivering world-class resources and a student-centred environment.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">The Whatuni Student Choice Awards are the only national awards based entirely on verified student reviews, celebrating institutions that consistently go above and beyond to support their students. For 2025, over 35,000 reviews were submitted by students across the UK.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The university’s inclusion in both ‘Facilities’ and ‘Student Support’ builds on strong, student-driven recognition in recent years. In 2024, students voted Arts University Plymouth:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>#2 in the UK for Facilities</strong> (WUSCAs 2024)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>#3 in the UK for Student Support</strong> (WUSCAs 2024)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>#2 in the UK for Student Satisfaction</strong> (Times Higher Education analysis of NSS 2024)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>University of the Year for South West England</strong> (WUSCAs 2024)</p></li></ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks, Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive, said:</strong><br /></p>
Arts University Plymouth being shortlisted once again by our students in these highly competitive national categories is a clear recognition of our commitment to excellence in both the spaces where students learn and the systems that support their personal and creative development. We’re proud to stand out as the only South West university to make the shortlist in any category, and even prouder that this continues a wider pattern of student recognition across recent years.
Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks, Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive
<p dir="ltr">Home to <strong>Fab Lab South West</strong>, the region’s leading digital fabrication hub, Arts University Plymouth offers one of <strong>the richest and most diverse material ecosystems</strong> of any specialist arts university in the UK. With over <strong>13,000 square metres</strong> of studios and workshops across six buildings, students are encouraged to move fluidly between disciplines, weaving their creative practice through shared spaces in a uniquely open-access, collaborative studio culture.</p>
<p dir="ltr">From Arts University Plymouth’s <strong>Materials Lab</strong> for hot glass and ceramics, to the <strong>Multimedia Studio</strong>, <strong>Drawing Lab</strong>, and <strong>Imprint Lab</strong>, students gain practical experience in both traditional processes and emerging technologies. As an <strong>Adobe Creative Campus</strong>, the leading arts university also empowers every student with access to industry-standard digital tools, preparing them to thrive in a creative economy that values both innovation and craft.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth’s shortlisting for ‘Student Support’ reflects its distinctive, research-led and data-informed model of care, designed with and for students, particularly those navigating neurodivergence and creative block.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The university’s <strong>Student Support team</strong> offers a comprehensive, free-to-access programme that includes <strong>free counselling</strong> sessions with trained therapists; a dedicated team providing <strong>disability support</strong>, including Inclusive Learning Support Workers and guidance on <strong>reasonable adjustments</strong>; general wellbeing advice; mindfulness training; help with creative block and imposter syndrome; meditation; yoga; welfare guidance, and acupuncture sessions that help students reduce stress, improve focus, and reconnect with their creative practice.</p>
<p>The winners of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025 will be announced at a national ceremony in London on <strong>21 May 2025</strong>.</p>
