Flash mob kick starts the School of Art and Design's Degree Show 2012

Coventry University art and design students kick started their annual Degree Show today with a flash mob in the city centre’s Upper Precinct.

Twenty final year Performing Arts students from the University’s School of Art and Design surprised onlookers near the Precinct Cross fountain by breaking out into an eight beat dance routine to The Jackson Five’s ‘Blame It on the Boogie’.

The event marks the launch of the undergraduates’ Degree Show 2012, which is set to exhibit the original work of the UK’s next generation of creative talent from Thursday 3rd May until Sunday 10th June.

Final year students from a wide range of courses within the School of Art and Design – from Automotive Design and Fashion to Media Production and the Visual Arts – will be showcasing their final year projects to the public at various locations across the city centre campus.

Everything from stage productions and short films to cutting edge low carbon transport design solutions will be on show, alongside the photography students’ gallery and a dedicated fashion show.

The Performing Arts students themselves will be putting on their own Performing Arts Festival – ‘Spectrum 2012’ – to open the Degree Show, which will take place in the Ellen Terry building on Jordan Well and at other venues across the region.

The dates and locations of each exhibition are as follows:

SPECTRUM 2012 (the Performing Arts Festival)

• Opening night – Thursday 3rd May, 7pm-10pm.
• Performance Festival – Tuesday 8th May to Friday 25th May.
• Venue – Ellen Terry and other local venues.
• Featuring a selection of dance, music and theatre performances, both live and on film, from Performing Arts students.

Catwalk Fashion Show

• Thursday 7th June, Square One (The Hub).
• 2pm for schools and colleges (free entry), 8pm for the public (£10).

Art, Design and Media exhibitions

• Including Industrial Design, Photography, Media Production and Design and Visual Arts.
• Saturday 2nd June – Sunday 10th June.
• Venues – Ellen Terry, Graham Sutherland and Maurice Foss buildings. Also selected locations in The Hub.
• Detailed times and locations to be confirmed.

Professor Martin Woolley, Associate Dean of the Coventry School of Art and Design, said:

We are delighted once again to be able to showcase to the public the diverse array of creative talent in our student population, and to give those students an opportunity to shine in the spotlight.

As demonstrated in the Chancellor’s budget last week, the creative industries are more highly-prized than ever in these times of financial stringency. Our Degree Show, therefore, represents a timely insight into the potential future impact of the students who will graduate into this sector and help to sustain the UK’s rich and varied artistic reputation. We hope you will come along to see first-hand how the next generation is already making its mark.

For further information, please contact Alex Roache, External Press & Media Relations Officer, Coventry University, on +44 (0)24 7679 5050 or email alex.roache@coventry.ac.uk.