Each summer, South Bank Colleges hosts The Show — an annual celebration of creative talent across the Clapham, Brixton and Nine Elms campuses. This year's event once again transformed studios, corridors and communal spaces into galleries bursting with imagination and ambition.
Showcasing the work of students from art, design, photography, animation, architecture, illustration, and media pathways, The Show 2025 reflected the extraordinary diversity of ideas and voices developing across the colleges.
Among the highlights was Lilly’s subversive take on beauty standards — a mix of clay, costume and self-portraiture that blurred the lines between humour and social commentary. Edima’s looping animation The Blues offered a poetic meditation on the stories found in everyday moments, while Ioana’s vividly illustrated piece Comforting the Disturbed explored how fear can become familiar — even strangely reassuring.
Photography students impressed with both technical precision and emotional depth. Michelle’s portrait diptych Duality contrasted cold restraint with burning emotion, held together by a steady gaze. Laura reimagined the domestic kitchen table as a cinematic space full of intimacy and detail. Joshua explored costume, composition and control in The Boxed — a grid of altered selves in quiet conversation.
In graphic design, students demonstrated a clear sense of branding and audience awareness. Minel’s imagined Istanbul music festival MAVERA was brought to life through bold typography, colour palettes and promotional materials. Cristofer’s Sabor Del Sol brand identity for an Ecuadorian restaurant blended vibrant visuals with cultural storytelling — from menu designs to mobile app layouts.
One of the students, Marika, contributed Layers of Being, a haunting, mixed-media piece reflecting on the invisible emotional layers of identity. Using masks, sculpture, and texture, the work explored what remains hidden beneath the surface in both built and human environments. Shadi’s photography project Fontes Veritatis documented public signs, poetry and messages across the city, asking viewers to reflect on the many small ways truth presents itself in everyday life.
These highlights represent just a fraction of the creativity on display. Across all departments, students used their final projects to push boundaries, experiment with techniques, and communicate powerful messages — personal, political, emotional, and imaginative.
The Show continues to be a testament to the talent, ambition and originality of South Bank Colleges students. And as this year’s cohort moves on to further study, work, or independent practice, their work here marks not an ending — but the beginning of many exciting creative journeys ahead.
