Geofrey Manton MMU student commission 2013

Geoffrey Manton Student Commission (MMU) was a live commissioning project for the Humanities Building, initiated by Sharon Handley, resulting in ambitious, conceptually driven large‑scale artworks. Students responded to a real‑world brief and pitched proposals to a panel, gaining first‑hand experience of professional commissioning processes including negotiating budgets and proposing detailed budget breakdowns. The project was carefully scaffolded to emphasise commissioning as a process rather than simply an outcome, supporting students to understand rejection, revision and failure as integral to creative practice. Those selected were required to navigate the challenges of realising their proposals within budget and to deadline — testing, adapting and problem‑solving to deliver resolved, high‑quality work. The commission supported the development of professional resilience, financial awareness and readiness for independent practice within live contexts.