Degree Show unveils immersive work, powerful stories and creative ambition

Manchester School of Art at Manchester Met is celebrating the Class of 2026 with its annual Degree Show exhibition, showcasing the creativity, ambition and innovation of final year students across art, design, fashion, digital arts, performance and architecture. 

The exhibition, More to Come, is open to the public from 6 to 19 June and takes place across the University’s Lowry, Chatham, Grosvenor, Righton, School of Digital Arts and Manchester Technology Centre buildings. The annual showcase celebrates the achievements of more than 1,200 graduating students and offers visitors the chance to experience work spanning disciplines including fine art, filmmaking, photography, textiles, animation, architecture and graphic design. 

This year visitors can pre-download the audio tour directly to their phones and listen through own headphones or devices as they move through the show. 

One of the exceptional pieces on display is Another Day by Paula Meir, a BA (Hons) Fine Art student, whose installation focuses on the hidden, lifelong harm of domestic abuse. 

Meir says: “Over the past year I have collaborated with Trafford Domestic Abuse Services (TDAS), meeting women in support groups and refuges, and gathering anonymised fragments of language drawn from lived experience. These real-world phrases became the starting point for Another Day. By placing them onto domestic ceramic forms and within an immersive environment, I wanted to explore how language can become normalised within everyday life and how seemingly ordinary spaces can carry complex emotional and social histories. 

“The work is not intended to tell a single story. Instead, it encourages viewers to make connections from their own experiences and consider the role language plays in shaping relationships, power structures and cultural behaviours.” 

Another highlight of the exhibition is Dale Upton’s installation Radiance As Resistance. Dale is a BA (Hons) Graphic Design student, and his motion graphic was inspired by his ongoing passion for queer self-expression and emphasises the historic use of rhinestones in the queer community. 

Upton says: “Across drag, burlesque, theatre, film, photography, and fashion, rhinestones illustrate not only aesthetic sensibilities but also the cultural politics of queer self-representation. They remind us that even in the face of a society intent on dimming their light, queer people will always express themselves defiantly, with glamour and grace. 

“I have a deep personal connection to this as a queer person and drag queen. I have always been fascinated by the beauty of drag and the use of rhinestones as a way to portray glamour, luxury, and elegance – even on a small stage in a bar – something I am personally very accustomed to performing in at my shows.”

Another powerful installation was created by Aisling Beegan, a BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation student. 

Beegan says: “My picture book At the End of the Garden is inspired by the Irish mythology concept of ‘animism’, the belief that everything holds a spirit. The main characters are personified spirits of an oak tree and an ash tree, who show a young boy, Charlie, the joy of the natural world. My aim was to use this concept to encourage children to engage with nature, and respect and appreciate it. 

“I was born in Ireland and lived there until I was 11 years old, so this story also allowed me to explore my own childhood, which was primarily spent outdoors, and to revisit the mythology and local folklore I was raised and surrounded by.”

More to Come continues Manchester School of Art’s long-standing tradition of championing emerging creative talent and providing students with opportunities to showcase their work to the public, industry professionals and creative networks. 

Professor Jenny Watling, Interim Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Arts and Humanities, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International, said: “Each year, the Degree Show reveals the extraordinary breadth of practice at Manchester School of Art. 

“The Class of 2026 has produced work that is bold, thoughtful and forward-looking, and More to Come perfectly reflects the energy, collaboration and innovation across our creative community.” 

The exhibition is free and open to the public from Saturday 6 June to Friday 19 June. Visitors can also explore the Art School Commissions Shop, located in The Lowry. The shop is a student-run retail space featuring a curated selection of affordable artworks, prints and objects created by Manchester School of Art students. 

Find out more about More to Come and how to visit on the Manchester School of Art website.