How to get involved
The annual Arts Awards are a joint endeavour between UAL and Arts Students' Union. This collaboration celebrates and recognises the impact which UAL staff across job families have on teaching, learning, and student experience through a variety of education awards. It's also an opportunity for UAL colleagues to recognise students who have been champions of the UAL community.
All UAL students may nominate their tutors, lecturers, technical staff, support staff, and peers for their hard work and support. A panel of students and staff shortlist the nominations and select winners, who are then announced at a celebratory event each May.
The Arts Awards look a little bit different each year – the current Student Officers determine the award categories and students design and create the trophies and certificates. Previously we've been joined by Showtime Photo Booth, the go to company for photo booth hire in London.
We hope you’ll take part by nominating a member of the UAL community, applying to be our Student Design Assistant, or attending the ceremony!
Arts Awards 2024
You can download the Arts Awards 2024 Evaluation and Impact Report. This report was created by Arts SU's Education Quality Team based on 600+ nominations and contains an overview of the key findings and recommendations based on the testimonials submitted by students and staff.
You can read an overview about the report and it's key findings here.
The Ceremony
This year's Arts Awards ceremony will take place from 5pm on Wednesday 22nd of May, at Central Saint Martin's, Granary Square.
Book your free ticket now
Nominations
Award nominations will be open between 19th of February through the 10th of April.
The awards
Outstanding Teaching Award
For the staff members who:
- inspire students to develop their knowledge, understanding, and passion of their subject area;
- are imaginative and creative in their teaching, and empower students to be the same;
- are engaging, informative and knowledgeable, and encourage students’ creative development;
- apply cutting edge developments in their field to their teaching;
- surpass traditional ways of teaching to make their subject accessible, diverse, inclusive, and sustainable.
Outstanding Technical / Operational Support Award
For the staff members who:
give and enable outstanding technical and/or operational support by working with students and staff;
exceed expectations to equip students with expertise in and aside from curriculum;
use innovative methods to find creative solutions, and enhance the student experience;
foster a sense of community.
Outstanding Post Graduate Supervisor Award
For the staff members who:
actively supports postgraduate students throughout their postgraduate journey;
supports postgraduates with their personal and career development, as well as with research projects;
has a pioneering approach to supervision;
goes the extra mile to help postgraduates navigate their student experience and get involved with the student community.
Student Voice Champion Award
For the staff members who:
- have a positive impact on students’ experiences by having regular conversations with students to understand their feedback;
- work with students and Course Reps to continuously review and adapt teaching practice to improve the student experience;
- go the extra mile to acknowledge and address student concerns;
- are friendly and welcoming, making students feel comfortable to approach them;
- show students that they understand the pressures they face and recognizes students’ individual needs;
- provide opportunities for students to co-create and develop the curriculum.
Social Justice and Sustainability Award
For the staff members who:
- demonstrate their commitment to social justice and sustainability through and outside of their practice;
- challenge the status quo in their discipline through developing accessible and inclusive methods or practices that surpass expectations;
- exceed the threshold expectation of embedding social justice, decolonisation and sustainability into the curriculum;
- support students to push for social justice causes and improved sustainability at their college or the university level.
Making a Difference Award
For the staff members who:
- have truly exceeded expectations within their role and are therefore recognised outside of the other categories.
Staff/Student Collaboration of the Year Award
For the staff and students who:
- have collaborated on a project, campaign or event, which could be related to teaching, wellbeing, community, or something else that has contributed to improving the student experience;
- used formal or informal student feedback to inform the direction and aims of their project;
- created a positive change for students as a result of their joint efforts;
- set an excellent example of a positive working relationship between staff and students and what can be achieved in collaborative working.
Outstanding Student Contribution to Community Award
For the student who:
- champions community building at UAL to develop communication and collaboration that meets pre-covid levels;
- develops new or continuing communities in either their course, school, college, or liberation group;
- fosters an inclusive and accessible environment in their community;
- establishes creative ways to bring their community together and foster a collaborative environment.
Student Rep of the Year Award
For the student reps who:
- go above and beyond to champion the views and interests of students in the school or on their course;
- work with staff and students collaboratively to escalate and resolve issues affecting the student experience;
- communicate updates and information to students to close the feedback loop;
- consult a variety of students in their school or on their course to ensure they can represent the whole student voice.
Student Campaigner of the Year Award
For the student who:
- has identified a key issue affecting all UAL students and initiated a campaign to resolve it, including all students, not just reps;
- developed a campaign idea which resulted (or is resulting) in tangible positive change;
- led their own campaign, which could include a campaign initiated on the SU ideas page, and mobilised clear student support;
- embeds inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability into their campaign
Students’ Union Special Recognition Award
This award does not have any set criteria, and will be awarded to a member of staff, or team, at the discretion of the Arts SU elected officers.