Elly Mackay
18 November 2022: Current and future creatives from across the Canberra region have come together at the University of Canberra this week, as part of the 2022 FADx festival and exhibition.
It’s the first year since 2019 that the festival has been run on campus, with a virtual exhibition running in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The exhibition, which traditionally consists of works from graduating students at the Faculty of Arts and Design, has expanded in 2022 to showcase UC as the home of Canberra creatives.
“We know that many of those working within Canberra’s creative industries have completed their learning right here at UC,” said Professor Jason Bainbridge, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design.
“It really does make sense that Canberra’s creatives meet here, on campus – where so many of those talents are produced.”
The two-day event is made up of several components, including a visit from high school students to the exhibition, and a celebration of the faculty’s graduating students and their work.
It also showcases works from a variety of disciplines including Design, Communications, Culture and Heritage, and Global Studies as well as works from students studying at UC Brisbane through the faculty’s TAFE Queensland partnership.
“The students whose works are on display at the exhibition have shown incredible resilience throughout their degrees, with much of their study occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Professor Bainbridge said.
“They should be proud to not only be graduating with a fantastic portfolio of works, but with a varied skillset and the ability to adapt to even the most difficult of circumstances.”
Professor Bainbridge said the future of the creative industries in Canberra is bright.
“Here at the Faculty of Arts and Design, we have seen so many of our graduates go out and do incredible things in the creative space in the ACT,” he said.
“So many of Canberra’s events, landscapes, publications and multimedia are influenced by UC alumni, and it’s evidence of the quality teaching here, and the job-ready skills our graduates are leaving with.
“I can confidently say that our degrees are intertwined within Canberra’s arts landscape.”
An industry networking event – titled FADxpanded – also ran as part of the festival, and saw some of the biggest players in Canberra’s creative industries come together in the University’s Refectory.
Attendees at the FADxpanded evening were treated to a live graffiti artist show and a viewing of the graduate student works from the 2022 graduating cohort.
“Through FADX, we encourage our students to reflect on their education and what they’ve achieved throughout their degree,” Professor Bainbridge said.
“As emerging professionals, networking and exposure to those industry partners, and others in the creative space within Canberra, is invaluable.”
