Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is set to bring a vibrant array of community workshops, pop-up gallery exhibitions, live music and sustainable fashion to Bournemouth town centre and beyond for this year’s Arts by the Sea Festival and Fringe.
The comprehensive programme invites members of the public to explore free and ticketed events celebrating the extraordinary talent of AUB alumni, students, and short course participants.
The festival activity kicks off at 6 Old Christchurch Road on Tuesday 22 September, where a vacant high street retail unit has been transformed in collaboration with Jessica Toale MP into a dynamic pop-up gallery.
Running until Friday 25 September, the pop-up photography exhibition highlights fine art, architectural, and wildlife photography created by AUB Adult Learning and Short Course students ranging from a 34-year-old mother of two, a local heating and plumbing business owner, and a retired structural engineer of nearly 40 years, to a 71-year-old amateur photographer and a lifelong learner rediscovering her creativity four decades after failing her Art O-Level.
The pop-up space will also host an exclusive prelude showcase on Tuesday 22 September for The Shopkeepers, an Arts Council England-funded speculative fiction project by MA Fine Art alumna Lisa Moro, which explores forgotten high street histories and local commerce through augmented reality, physical relics and audio archives.
“I'm delighted to be partnering with AUB during my town centre takeover," says Jessica Toale. "AUB nurtures and represents some of the best creative talent in our town. The shop is designed to be a showcase for that. I'm looking forward to having the photography exhibition up all week, to meeting the artists and taking part in the shopkeepers and creative writing workshops. I'd encourage everyone to come down to check it out.”
“It’s fantastic to see our AUB Academy students given the platform to share their work with the wider public at such a celebrated local festival," adds Rob Hill, Head of AUB Academy.
“AUB is so much more than just a place for degree qualifications; we exist to nurture creativity at every stage of life and serve our entire community of local artists, makers, and lifelong learners. Giving our short course and adult learning participants the opportunity to exhibit alongside our degree alumni truly reflects that mission.”
As well as exhibitions, festival goers are invited to engage directly in creative expression through two hosted workshops during that week.
On Friday 25 September from 16.00 to 18.00, MA Creative Writing (Online) alumna Louisa Flynn hosts Writing the Elements at the Old Christchurch Road pop-up, guiding participants through elemental concepts, nature-focused prompts, and soundscapes to create collaborative prose and poetry.
The following day, the action shifts to Bournemouth Lower Gardens, where BA (Hons) Graphic Design alumna Tess Blanshard-Phibbs will lead 10 Minutes of Creative Calm at the AUB Marquee, offering a drop-in space where visitors of all ages can slow down and design visual future messages using typography and collage techniques.
Concurrently, Lisa Moro presents the live interactive installation of The Shopkeepers at the marquee, inviting passers-by to engage with the hidden histories of local retail spaces.
Sustainable innovation takes centre stage on Sunday 27 September at St Mark’s Church in Talbot Village for The Community Fashion Show, delivered in collaboration with Defashion Dorset as part of Sustainable Fashion Week and the Arts by the Sea Fringe.
The runway showcase will highlight eco-conscious responses to the climate emergency, featuring inventive costumes inspired by ocean restoration and rewilding created by BA (Hons) Design for Costume and Performance students, alongside fashion collections designed by AUB Foundation Diploma students using discarded upholstery offcuts.
Closing out the festival period from Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October, BA (Hons) Modelmaking alumnus Sam Edwards brings his Hearing Colours Sound System to Patch at Bobby’s in Bournemouth town centre.
Precision CNC-milled at the AUB Innovation Studio, this custom-built analogue hi-fi sound system combines audiophile acoustics with visual projection art across a three-day music takeover.
The weekend features global vinyl sets and live oil-wheel projections on Friday, hardware-only live electronic performances on Saturday, and chilled ambient soundscapes from festival veteran Rob da Bank alongside Goan small plates and a chai bar on Sunday.
