Arts University Plymouth launches Workroom Create for alumni access to specialist facilities

<p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth has launched <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/alumni/workroom-create"><strong>Workroom Create</strong></a>, a new alumni membership programme designed to help graduates <strong>sustain, reconnect and grow their creative practice</strong> by accessing the university’s specialist workshops and studios. Workroom Create, is the latest addition to Arts University Plymouth’s growing Workroom portfolio of initiatives designed to support creative graduates.</p> <p dir="ltr">Developed through the <a href="https://www.wearecreative.uk/support/regional-growth-programmes/devon-create-growth-programme/"><strong>Devon Create Growth</strong></a> programme delivered by <a href="https://www.wearecreative.uk/"><strong>Creative UK</strong></a>, and informed by an alumni pilot, the scheme opens access in <strong>ceramics, traditional print, glass, wood, textiles, fashion and media</strong> for graduates who want to continue their creative journey after graduation. Applications to the programme opened on 29 September 2025.</p> <p dir="ltr">Apply and find full details at <a href="http://aup.ac.uk/alumni/workroom-create"><strong>aup.ac.uk/alumni/workroom-create</strong></a>.</p> <p>Designed especially for Arts University Plymouth alumni, the scheme makes it simple to <strong>stay connected to specialist facilities and a supportive creative community</strong> after graduation.</p>

<p>One participating graduate in the Workroom Create pilot said: “The pilot was very successful from my perspective. Having access to large-scale machinery that’s normally unaffordable to most individuals allowed me to try new materials and techniques.”</p> <p> Another participant said: “Excellent creative space, with availability on the days I needed. Access allowed me to prepare work for raku and glaze firing. Thank you to the team at Arts University Plymouth for rekindling my creative passions!”</p>

<p>Workroom Create sits alongside <strong>Workroom Grow</strong>, developed through Research England Knowledge Exchange funding, which supports graduates to establish and grow creative business start‑ups. Together, these initiatives form a cohesive Workroom portfolio designed to nurture creative careers beyond graduation, combining business incubation and ongoing practice development.</p>

<p>The <strong>Devon Create Growth</strong> programme, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and delivered by <strong>Creative UK</strong> in partnership with regional authorities and universities, supports creative businesses across Devon through <strong>mentoring, workshops and growth‑readiness support</strong>. This collaboration informed the development of Workroom Create and reflects Arts University Plymouth’s commitment to widening access to creative resources, strengthening regional impact and student retention.</p>

<p dir="ltr">For Arts University Plymouth, Knowledge Exchange means translating expertise, facilities and partnerships into real opportunities for people and place. By opening professional studios to graduates on a structured, paid basis, Workroom Create keeps creative talent active in the city, builds links between alumni and students, and encourages the exchange of skills and ideas that underpin a thriving local economy. This model of access-based Knowledge Exchange is recognised through the <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/arts-university-plymouth-kef5-graduate-startups">Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF)</a>, which highlights how specialist universities contribute to regional growth and creative enterprise.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Dr Alexandra Murphy, Research and Knowledge Exchange Manager at Arts University Plymouth, said: </strong>“Workroom Create closes the gap between graduation and sustained creative work. By enabling alumni to re-engage with specialist facilities, booking time with our presses, kilns and specialist kit, we’re deepening Plymouth’s creative ecosystem and helping graduates remain active contributors to the region’s cultural life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Anna Woźniak, Chief Growth Officer at DYME Consulting Group, led focus groups with graduates at the scheme’s conception and supported Arts University Plymouth through Devon Create Growth. Anna said: “It has been a privilege to see this project take shape through such care and creativity. The team’s thoughtful, iterative approach has created a model that will keep inspiring others, a real testament to the value of collaboration between higher education and the creative industries.”<br /></p>

<p>Workroom Create members can book access to facilities at Arts University Plymouth on <strong>Wednesdays (10am–12:30pm and 1:30pm–4:30pm)</strong> and <strong>Fridays (1:30pm–4:30pm)</strong> during the year, excluding scheduled closures at Christmas and Easter, and August for routine maintenance. All sessions are pre‑booked via the university’s SmartHub system, with alumni able to book 14 days in advance.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Membership options:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>£35 per month</strong> (equivalent to £420 annually); or</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>£325 per year</strong> (saving £95).</p></li></ul>

<p dir="ltr">Eligibility includes graduation from an undergraduate or postgraduate course at Arts University Plymouth and a relevant induction in the last five years for the specialist area requested.</p> <p>The model was <strong>co‑designed with academic, technical and timetabling teams</strong> to protect teaching access for current students while creating <strong>structured, bookable sessions</strong> for alumni. Workroom Create provides independent access to facilities, ensuring spaces remain available for professional‑standard use while alumni work autonomously.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth offers one of the UK’s richest ecosystems of materials, processes and technologies, with 13,000+ square metres of studios, labs and workshops across its city‑centre campus. Arts University Plymouth is <strong>#2 in the UK for Facilities (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024)</strong> and <strong>#2 in the UK for Teaching Excellence (Daily Mail University Guide 2025)</strong>, and is the <strong>top‑scoring specialist arts university in the UK in the National Student Survey (2022–2025)</strong>, an environment that alumni can access through Workroom Create.</p> <p dir="ltr">Built for access and connection, the scheme enables alumni and students to share creative spaces and learn from each other’s experience, encouraging collaboration, exchange and a professional studio culture that benefits both communities.</p> <p>From <strong>kiln firings </strong>and<strong> wheel-throwing</strong> to <strong>letterpress, screen printing </strong>and<strong> copper-plate etching</strong>, Workroom Create restores the hands-on, materials-first experience many graduates miss once they leave university.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Workroom Create is a place-based pathway that connects alumni back into Plymouth’s making infrastructure, sitting alongside <a href="https://fablabsouthwest.org.uk/"><strong>Fab Lab South West</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/alumni/workroom-grow"><strong>Workroom Grow</strong></a> (an incubation space to develop and grow the next generation of creative business start-ups).</p> <p>The scheme strengthens practical pathways for alumni, students, SMEs and cultural partners to collaborate on real projects, prototype new products and ideas, and to <strong>sustain creative careers</strong> across Plymouth and the wider South West.</p>