AUB Futures hosts engaging Creative Meets workshops

Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) has recently hosted a selection of networking workshops for all students, offering the opportunity to get face-to-face time with industry professionals.

Hosted by AUB Futures, Creative Meets 2025 took place over two weeks on 7 May and 14 May, featuring a selection of guest speakers from across the industry. Taking part in one-to-one streamlined sessions, students had the chance to share their work, ask questions and build valuable connections with creative professionals who've worked for the likes of ASOS, Tate Britain, Tache Craft, Wallis Agency and Kindful Creative, to name a few.

In total, over 200 students attended both events, enabling them to discuss their projects with professionals in their industry, many commenting on how useful the event has been for personal networking, sharing ideas and seeking funding initiatives to support their projects.

Creative Meets also hosted local freelancers and local businesses – Patch Workspace, Lucanart and Dorset-based magazine Pier Journal – as well as AUB Alumni, who found the event just as insightful and valuable as students did.

Nyah Boston Shears, now a Cultural Development Officer, studied the Foundation Diploma at AUB in 2019 and returned to talk to current students:

“Creative Meets has been such a validating, much-needed opportunity. I thoroughly appreciated taking a moment to reflect on how far I’ve come and taking part has built my own self confidence as someone who, all too often, gets imposter syndrome still being in the very early stages of my own creative career.

“There was no better way to do this than connect with so many inspiring emerging artists in such a short amount of time. It was a pleasure to be invited to advocate for Dorset’s culture sector and signpost local opportunities to these students. I left feeling incredibly proud and optimistic of what is in store for the county and hope these first conversations continue beyond the day itself.”

AUB Futures are hosting more upcoming events for students in June, including Crafting Your Career: How to Tailor Your CV for Any Role on 23 June and Job Hunting for Creatives: Strategy, Skills, and Success on 24 June – bookings for both talks are open to final-year students.