Why come to an Open Day at AUB?

It’s one thing reading about what a university offers via their website or through a prospectus (that being said, ours is quite hard to miss). But Open Days at AUB truly give you a hands-on feel for what our courses are like.

We spoke to Anne-Marie Howat, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Textiles Design, about what can be expected from their course’s Open Day session:

“We’ll talk to you about what you’ll discover over your three-year degree and describe the scope offered to find your way in problem-solving with colour, pattern, and materials for your future career! We’ll show you our student’s amazing work, our state-of-the-art facilities, and how we craft the degree curriculum to allow you to personally learn and choose your interests as you go.

“We cover routes into your Textiles Design journey through numerous workshop introductions, dye, hand and digital print, embroidery, manipulation, knit and digital jacquard weave alongside other more bespoke design and making skillsets. We show you how we design and problem-solve for fashion fabrics, interiors fabrics and hard materials, and for CMF design (colour materials and fabrication). Above all, we show you how exciting the discipline and design industry is and how important these specific and transferrable skill sets are in the world around you.”

Corinna Budnarowska, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Fashion Communication, also gave us a look into their sessions:

“On the day, we like to absorb visitors into our studio culture with examples as a taster of the wide range of print, screen and experiential communication methods covered on the course. We’re a practical course creating physical and digital work, and this is evident when applicants visit and see our equipment and studios and get to meet the staff team and some of our students.”

If you’re interested in a particular subject or craft, an Open Day at AUB is your chance to experience it and become an #AUBMAKER, as well as the industry and future career it might lead you to.

Our Open Days run from 09.00–15.00. They take place outside teaching hours, so you’ll have the chance to fully immerse yourself in our creative community.

Be sure to check our Open Day page for more details, but here’s a quick rundown:

When you first arrive on-campus, you’ll need to register with us at University House – there are plenty of guides and directions to help you get around. Here, you’ll pick up an Open Day guide, which has a full timetable of your course sessions and informative talks, along with some fun freebies. After that, you’re free to explore!

We’ll be hosting informative talks throughout the day. These repeat three times, so feel free to go whenever suits you. You can take part in your dedicated course-specific talks in our industry-leading studios and spaces, plus campus and accommodation tours, and get advice from our Student Services and Finance teams, meaning we can answer all your burning questions. These tours include an open house of our on-campus Halls of Residence, and during the afternoon, tours to our two off-site halls in town, Madeira Road and Home Park.

In the meantime, there’s plenty happening on campus too. Why not try out our all-day Printmaking workshop with our very own AUB Alumni, Robin Mackenzie and Katy Harrald? We’ll be serving a wide range of refreshments and snacks throughout the day at The Arts Bar and Costa, The Refectory for lunch and our on-campus Starbucks to keep you warm. Keep an eye out for mini Dutch pancakes too!

Alongside discovering what we’re all about, our helpful teams will be on campus to answer your questions and queries.

Our informative talks include a welcome to AUB, followed by Student Services, Funding and Accommodation, then Admissions, Entry Requirements and Portfolios. If you have more questions about support, be sure to check out our Info Hub for small, round-table talks with our staff from important teams. Luke Spencer from AUB Futures tells us how they can help:

“While coming to university can be exciting, we understand that you may have lots of questions. Our team of friendly and experienced staff will be on-hand at our Info Hub during Open Day to answer any queries you may have about student life, as well as what we offer in Student Services. This includes counselling and wellbeing support, advice on disclosing a disability, and accommodation and financial support to name a few. Whatever your question, we’re here to help!”

We understand coming to our Open Days can be a bit of a commitment, and it’s not always possible to attend. That’s why we have some great alternatives so you can still experience AUB and get a feel for what we do.

As a more casual option, why not book a place on one of our separate Campus Tours? These run on select Fridays for around one hour, during which you’ll have the opportunity to explore our creative campus with one of our student ambassadors – this is a great chance to ask them student and university life. Check out our Open Day page to see our upcoming dates.

If you need to plan an Open Day visit in advance, the Open Day Hub is your gateway into our creative community. Here, you can sign up for future events, watch live and recorded course talks, chat with current students and more. All it requires is a quick sign-up.

If you’re looking for a more accessible option, why not try AUB:360? This is our online tour of the entire AUB campus and surrounding areas. Check out our facilities, studios and even local gems such as the beach, Poole Harbour and spots along the Jurassic Coast – all from one interactive page.

Ready to experience AUB? Here’s some parting advice on how to make the most of your Open Day.

• Register your interest and download our Open Day guide
• Apply for our Open Day Hub
• Double-check your seminars and course talks in advance
• Have your QR code at the ready – we'll be scanning it at registration
• Most of all, enjoy it!

Open Days are your chance to immerse yourself in our creative community. Get stuck in, ask questions and experience AUB firsthand.