OCA’s online degree showcase – Live!

I am delighted to announce that our first ever degree showcase at OCA launches this week at https://showcase.oca.ac.uk/. Students from the Creative Arts, Creative Writing, Painting, Photography and Textiles undergraduate degrees are all represented and the work is absolutely stunning.

Of 31 graduates,18 elected to take part and so we have a chance to start to see the college in all its richness and creative variety drawn together in one place – something that is only set to increase as the ‘younger’ degrees attain graduates and join us.

Graduating is a huge achievement for anybody but perhaps for students at OCA in this year in particular, it has been an exceptional triumph. Exhibition venues were closed, research trips impossible, caring and other responsibilities expanded, ill health and loss stalked the shadows. Through this period of uncertainty, these graduates found inner reserves and forged personal practices – making creative and innovative choices and often learning new (digital) skills unexpectedly. I hope you enjoy seeing the fruits of their labours as much as I have. How lovely to get a glimpse into other departments too.

A small team at OCA worked to bring this project together and I’d like to thank Curator Katie Taylor, Project lead Joanne Mulvihill-Allen, Web expert Stephen Highfield and Creative writing tutor Mary Charman-Smith for their commitment in extraordinary circumstances.

The OCA Student Association have been supportive in the provision of funding for the production of the show catalogue which can be downloaded from the showcase site in the About section. We very much hope to work more closely with OCASA in future years.

Finally, I’d like to thank the graduands for your support and enthusiasm, and of course for the excellent and professional work you submitted for the showcase. We learnt a lot from doing this for the first time, and your support and feedback will help graduands in the future. I wish you all the best in your careers – keep in touch!

Image: Patricia Farrar (1940 – 2021), Garden Soundscape