The Ben Pimlott Building, Goldsmiths, University of London. Pic: Victoria Galvin

The annual Goldsmiths Graduate Festival is currently being hosted at Goldsmiths,  University of London in New Cross. It features over 100 events, such as public lectures, musical installations and performances with an aim to showcase postgraduate talent.

New to the festival this year is the participation of students from universities in Madrid, Prague, Australia and Sweden, as well as Goldsmiths’ sister college, Queen Mary.

Tim Hickman, a PhD candidate in Goldsmiths’ Sociology Department involved in organising the programme, praised the festival for developing wider partnerships between Goldsmiths and other universities: “This is an opportunity to go global… and make these new partnerships and relationships with universities across the world.”

Les Back, Dean of the Graduate School at Goldsmiths, spoke about the growth of the festival since its inception in 2011: “My vision for [the festival] initially was [that it would be] great… for students to celebrate, and also communicate, their work and their ideas — [to have] a festival that was about thinking, making and communicating.”

This year the festival boasts its busiest and most diverse programme to date, on the theme of “Cultural Alternatives”. Hickman says the event is one of the biggest of its kind as a result of the nurturing environment of Goldsmiths and the enthusiasm shown by the participants.

Staff and students will be presenting their work from April 29 until May 17.

The Goldsmiths Graduate Festival is free and all events are open to the public.