Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) has officially entered a new era, unveiling its transformative AUB Strategy 2030+ and a refreshed visual identity at a high-profile event on campus.
Taking place on Wednesday 29 April, and attended by civic leaders, industry partners, business leaders and members of the creative community, the launch marks a pivotal shift for the century-old institution and signals an intention to become a global powerhouse for creative entrepreneurship.
The University’s new brand, designed to reflect the fluid energy of creativity and inspired by the movement of the sea, was recently brought to life through two extraordinary installations that span from the Dorset shoreline to the edge of space.
Speaking at the launch in the University’s brand-new cinema facility, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of AUB, Lisa Mann, emphasised that the University is making a definitive statement about its role in a changing world.
“Creativity never stands still. It moves, it shifts, and it shapes the world around us; and so do we,” said Lisa. “AUB Strategy 2030+ represents a university where creativity meets enterprise, where ideas become action, and where ambition becomes tangible impact.”
In a move away from static planning, the new strategy favours a continually evolving entrepreneurial mindset, with the bold ambition for AUB to become the UK’s leading Entrepreneurial Arts University. This transition includes a radical restructuring of the curriculum to offer specialist electives in freelancing and business start-up skills across all disciplines via the Future Skills Accelerator.
Strategy 2030+ is built upon three pillars: Creative Excellence, Future Skills, and Research and Enterprise, all underpinned by the core principle of ‘Opportunity for All’.
- AUB Creative Agency: A new student-led agency providing real-world experience and industry-standard solutions for regional businesses.
- Access 500: An initiative that commits to providing 500 free learning opportunities over the next five years to underrepresented potential learners or those in 'NEET' status.
- AUB Festival of Creativity: A new annual festival style event to be held on the university campus, debuting 4-5 July, that will provide free opportunities for the local community to engage in a multitude of creative and cultural activities.
- Entrepreneurship Electives: Modules in freelancing and business startup available to students across all disciplines.
To celebrate this landmark moment, AUB commissioned a monumental 50-metre-wide sand artwork next to the iconic Bournemouth Pier.
Created by the land art collective Sand In Your Eye and involving five AUB students, the piece served as a unique and powerful demonstration of the University’s creative philosophy.
AUB’s new branding, and its continual spirit of innovation soared to new heights thanks to Tom Liggett, a third-year BA (Hons) Photography student at AUB.
Tom achieved a world first by capturing images using cosmic radiation rather than light; sending analogue film into the stratosphere via weather balloons, reaching altitudes of over 121,000 feet and using the literal fabric of space to forge celestial abstract results.
Strategy 2030+ and the new visual identity are effective immediately, signalling AUB's unwavering commitment to social responsibility, creative excellence, and financial resilience in an ever-shifting global higher education landscape.
