With the new Eldon Building west wing now completed, the new facilities in place and some incredible students coming through right now the 2014 Graduate Show that opens next Friday is sure to be bigger and better than ever before. The University of Portsmouth’s Graduate Show is a firm fixture in the creative sector diary for Portsmouth, with all of the creative courses exhibiting the work of the students plus the always popular fashion show. This year also sees the CCi TV live student TV channel broadcasting for 24 hours non-stop, the official opening of the building plus, in the following week, a series of public talks relating to Portsmouth and it’s visual creativity.

The School of Art and Design is hosting the series of public lectures on visual culture in Portsmouth which will be presented by local historians, designers and academics explore the city’s rich visual heritage, and provide insight into some of its most striking imagery and architecture. There are three lectures, all of which are free entry and run from 5:30pm to 6:30pm through the week of Monday 2nd June to Friday 6th June:

More than the Sum: Creative Collaborations in Portsmouth
Monday 2 June 2014
By Paul Gonella, Director at Portsmouth-based cultural hub, Strong Island.
Paul Gonella discusses the benefits of creative collaborations within the city. Drawing on his extensive experience of working with local artists and designers, Paul talks about collaboration on an individual and organisational level.

Stars in the Aisles: A History of Portsmouth’s Cinema Usherettes
Wednesday 4 June 2014
By Eva Balogh, Senior Lecturer in the School of Art and Design, University of Portsmouth.
Eva Balogh shines a spotlight on the unsung stars of Portsmouth’s picture palaces. Based on interviews and archival research, the talk provides a history of cinema usherettes, from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The Sound of Art: The Art of Sound
Friday 6 June 2014
By Dave Allen, art teacher and popular music historian.
Dave Allen takes us back to the late 1960s, discussing the lively creative scene at Portsmouth College of Art (now the University of Portsmouth’s Eldon Building). Dave explores the links and tensions between visual art and music at the time.

To book in advance a free seat for any or all of the lectures you simply spend 10 seconds on EventBrite HERE.