GSA Degree Show 2023: Events Guide

Open Studio Summer Courses

The Glasgow School of Art, throughout Jun and Jul
The GSA's Open Studio team are running courses for anyone interested in developing their skills in practices across art and design disciplines. From expressionist portraiture and life drawing to introductory courses in jewellery design and painting, Open Studio offers a range of opportunities to people interested in developing their art, design and craft skills at all levels. Please visit the Open Studio pages on the GSA website for a full programme of activities.

Open Studio Summer Exhibition

Fleming House, Glasgow, 2-11 Jun 
Running as part of the summer Degree Show, this exhibition showcases work made by young people across several different access and community-focused projects at the GSA. This includes work by High School pupils in Widening Participation portfolio courses, the GSA’s Community Engagement creative residency at Garnetbank Primary School, and Castlehead School of Creativity and Articulation from Further Education colleges in Scotland. 

Portfolio Preparation Course

The Glasgow School of Art, Aug 23-Feb 24
Are you thinking of applying to art school? The GSA’s Portfolio Preparation Course gives you the time and space to develop your portfolio in a collaborative, dynamic studio environment. The course is structured to help you choose a specialist area to study, and has a track record of getting students places at top art schools across the UK. Please see the course pages on the GSA website for more information. Taster courses for those interested in the Portfolio Preparation Course are also available from the GSA Open Studio; find more info about that on the GSA website.

Race, Rights Sovereignty

Glasgow and online, throughout the year
The Students’ Association and the GSA exhibition curate this public event series, exploring the relationship between race, place and creative practice. Since 2022, Race, Rights and Sovereignty has been programmed by Natasha Thembiso Ruwona. Events in the last year have included public lectures and discussions with Furmaan Ahmed, Claricia Parinussa and Hussein Mitha, as well as workshops with Martha Adonai Williams and Clarinda Tse. 

Graduate Degree Show 2023

Glasgow and online, 1-10 Sep
Hot on the heels of the summer Degree Show, the Graduate Degree Show showcases the work of students on Postgraduate programmes across the school. From fashion collections to innovative service design, medical visualisation to painting and sculpture, the Graduate Degree Show explores the rich work of our students on many of our Postgraduate programes. To view the Graduate Degree Show online, visit gsapostgradshowcase.net

GSA OPEN

Glasgow and online, throughout the year
Whether you’re just starting to consider coming to art school, or you’re almost ready to hit ‘send’ on your application, GSA OPEN offers events to support you at whatever stage you're at on your application journey. Our year-long programme encompasses campus open days, online open house events, student-led campus tours, portfolio advice sessions and one-to-one sessions with staff.

GSA Open House

The Glasgow School of Art, 27-28 Oct
At Open House, our studios and workshops are open for prospective students interested in studying at The Glasgow School of Art at Undergraduate or Postgraduate level. Programmes across each of our five schools, as well as our support departments, put on programmes of activity to help you find out more about life and study here, from visiting our Student Halls to exploring different parts of our campus and facilities. Attending Open House gives you a great insight into the GSA’s unique studio culture as well as the specialist facilities which support student learning.

The GSASA and GSA Teaching Awards

The Glasgow School of Art, 7 Jun
This June sees the return of our Teaching Awards, a joint partnership between the GSA and our Students’ Association. Every year students nominate staff and their peers who have contributed to the GSA community. The awards are student-led and celebrate the staff and students who contribute and enrich our creative learning communities at the GSA.

GSA Exhibitions

Reid Gallery, year round programme
The Glasgow School of Art Exhibitions Department curates an innovative year-round public programme that links into the GSA staff research, teaching and learning, student experience, creative network, our communities, contemporary practice and heritage. Our cross-disciplinary programme of exhibitions, performance, seminars, talks, off-site projects, publishing initiatives and outreach aims to explore the creative, social and educational nature of contemporary practice. Follow the GSA on Eventbrite, Instagram and Twitter to keep up-to-date with our programmes and events. 

London Design Biennale and Eureka 2023

Somerset House, London, 1-25 Jun
The Glasgow School of Art Pavilion at the London Design Biennale presents Undercurrents: Art and Ocean in Africa and the Pacific, an interdisciplinary and international research project showcasing the creative outputs of eight community-based art projects that surface cultural and emotional connections with the ocean in Ghana, South Africa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. This is a DEEP Fund project, led by the School of Simulation and Visualisation's Professor Stuart Jeffrey and Dr Lisa McDonald for UKRI-funded One Ocean Hub.

GSASA Degree Show After Party

GSA Students’ Association, Glasgow, 1 Jun
The GSASA Degree Show Afterparty comes home to The Vic Bar, celebrating the graduating student cohort. This year they’ve teamed up with PONYBOY for a night of music, art and performance that will transport you to a night of make-believe.

The Vic Reopening in 2023

GSA Students’ Association (GSASA), Glasgow, TBC
The GSASA have been working hard on their plans to reopen The Vic Bar over the summer months in time for Freshers’ Week in September. Much loved by students, staff and the wider communities around the school, the GSASA look forward to welcoming you all in for drinks and food again soon. 

On Not Knowing: How Artists Teach Conference

The Glasgow School of Art, 9-10 Jun
Hosted jointly by The Glasgow School of Art and UniArts Helsinki, this conference will take place in person at The Glasgow School of Art, featuring an international cohort of artist educators. Within art schools, academies, departments of art and across the range of environments in which artists teach or facilitate learning, there has been a sustained questioning of the values and assumptions that have underpinned various aspects of teaching in the arts. This conference sets out to determine what is special about the way artists teach.

European Academy of Design Conference: Extreme Making

The Glasgow School of Art, 16-20 Oct
This conference hub explores the present and future possibilities of doctoral research and education in design through creative practice research, located in making and materials, critical theory and history, and by identifying ways in which new knowledge emerges in studio-based inquiry. We use the term ‘extreme making’ to suggest the breadth of practices in design, from established craft skills and techniques, through to smart technologies and materials, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and systems design.