Teaching and learning
Sustainability in the curriculum
Education for Sustainable Development is fully embedded within our Creative Learning Strategy. For example, the ‘Positive Change’ theme highlights how creativity shapes a more ecologically and socially secure future by manifesting new possibilities for an equitable world. Read the full Creative Learning Strategy PDF.
Every unit of study includes Learning Outcomes that focus on students’ understanding and application of sustainable practices. Additionally, at least one project brief per unit explicitly addresses sustainability challenges to deepen community awareness and engagement.
Sustainability Awards
Sustainability Awards at Gradfest
In July 2025, the Sustainability Working Group presented the inaugural Sustainability Awards at Gradfest, celebrating graduating students who demonstrated outstanding commitment to sustainable and ethical practice. Winners from Textile Design, Graphic Communication, Architecture, and Interior Design were recognised for embedding sustainability at the heart of their creative work.
Find out more about our award-winning student work
Architecture and Interior Design Industry-Sponsored Awards
Alongside the university-wide awards, Architecture and Interior Design students are recognised annually through industry-sponsored prizes at Gradfest. These awards celebrate excellence in sustainable design, focusing on adaptive reuse, wellbeing, inclusivity, and low-impact materials. They encourage future-focused practice, strengthen industry connections, and support graduates in building sustainability-led portfolios.
Events
Sustainable Fashion Week
This September, Norwich University of the Arts proudly hosts the Norwich Hub for Sustainable Fashion Week 2025. Led by staff, students, and the Sustainability Working Group, the hub will showcase creative, ethical, and regenerative approaches to fashion. The programme includes workshops, talks, and community collaborations highlighting fashion as a force for positive change. With sustainability embedded across our courses and a campus rooted in Norwich’s textile heritage, we are excited to champion thoughtful, future-focused fashion in the heart of the city.
Student work
Explore examples of student projects engaging with sustainability: Creative Conscience Awards 2024.
Recent projects include:
- The Hospital Rooms Project
- Fibrebroads
- Fashion Zombies in collaboration with Jeremy Hutchison
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Sustainability in campus and operations at Norwich
Learn more about the sustainability of our campus and operations, including energy and carbon management, and ethical banking and investment. -
Sustainability in our community at Norwich
Learn about community sustainability initiatives at Norwich. We believe creative education plays a vital role in tackling global challenges. -
Sustainability in research at Norwich
At Norwich University of the Arts, sustainability is integral to our research culture. Through creative practices, our researchers explore how we can live more sustainably and adapt to the rapidly changing world around us.
Latest News
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BA Animation •Success for Norwich Graduates at Royal Television Society East Student Awards
Norwich students were nominated across seven categories, with Henry Schwind, a graduate from BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production, winning the Craft – Camerawork category. -
East Gallery •Culture in Norwich: East Gallery
Claire Allerton, East Gallery Curator, discusses everything our city-centre art space has to offer – and why a visit to Olivia Sterling’s Pity the Meat! exhibition is a must this spring. -
Alumni •Norwich ranked in QS World University Rankings for Art and Design
Norwich University of the Arts has been ranked in the 201–300 band globally for Art and Design in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, marking its first-ever inclusion in the internationally recognised ranking. -
MA Communication Design •In conversation with: Bevan Dolon, MA Communication Design
Bevan shares his design influences, creative practice and experience studying a postgraduate degree at Norwich University of the Arts. -
East Gallery •Sterling vs Bacon: Artists in dialogue in Olivia Sterling’s Pity the Meat! Exhibition
Pity the Meat! sees artist Olivia Sterling’s work in dialogue with the 1959 Francis Bacon painting, Two Figures in a Room. Eddy Frankel, art critic and former art and culture editor for Time Out, explores what brings them together – and sets them apart. -
BA Animation •Access and representation in a changing landscape: How women can shape the future of computer arts and technology
Access and representation remain central issues for the computer arts and technology industries. Helen Piercy, Animation Lecturer at Norwich, explores the opportunities emerging for graduates in a rapidly changing landscape. -
Institution •Director of Research Development collaborates with TED-Ed on new animation
Professor Alison Goodrum worked with the TED-Ed team to develop the short film which explores the history of hats. -
Institution •Norwich University of the Arts showcases institutional and research achievements to Research England
The University was delighted to welcome representatives from Research England, to share key institutional and research developments. -
Institution •Norwich appoints new Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Norwich University of the Arts is pleased to announce the appointment of Rebecca Wright as its new Deputy Vice-Chancellor. -
BA Textile Design •In conversation with: Lucy Perry, MA Textile Design
Lucy shares her experience of creating a 360° digital installation, in a collaborative exploration of nature and technology. -
Institution •Norwich University of the Arts earns prestigious 5-star QS Star Excellence rating fo Teaching
Norwich University of the Arts has been awarded an overall four-star rating in the prestigious QS Stars University Ratings, marking a significant milestone in the University’s first-ever submission to the internationally recognised assessment framework. -
Employability •Norwich University of the Arts celebrates 10 years of the Big Book Crit
Hundreds of Norwich students have shared their work with leading creative professionals over the last decade. -
East Gallery •Announcing the East Gallery Fellows 2025-2026
Norwich University of the Arts is pleased to announce the selected awardees of this year's East Gallery Fellowship. -
BA Business Management •Dean of Creative Education Awarded Prestigious Principal Fellowship from Advance HE
The University is delighted to announce that Hilary Carlisle, Dean of Creative Education and Professor of Design, has been awarded Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) by Advance HE -
BA Degree •Norwich University of the Arts to Host ELIA Academy 2027
Norwich University of the Arts is delighted to announce that it has been selected as the host institution for the ELIA Academy 2027. -
BA Business Management •In conversation with Norwich’s newest lecturers in Marketing and Business Management
We joined Norwich's newest lecturers, Stephen Balmer-Walters and Laurie McAllister, to find out more about the University's Marketing and Business Management courses.