Celebrating Emerge
News
Emerge turns five years old
Friday, 24 October, 2025This year is a particularly special year for BSU’s Emerge. Launched in Autumn 2020, the multidisciplinary studio for recent BSU graduates turns five this year.
Emerge Studio provides vital space, training, and mentorship, bridging the gap into professional creative practice and portfolio career development.
Over the years, the Emerge studio has become a collective made up of Bath Spa University graduate residents, community creative residents and industry professionals supported by a small team from the University's Careers and Employability team, who work together to simultaneously celebrate and challenge each other's creative thinking, to develop skills and learn from one another.
On the opening night of EMERGE’s 2025 End of Residency Showcase on Thursday 16 October, the studio hosted a fifth anniversary celebration evening. Attendees from across the BSU community gathered to enjoy an evening of live performances and a group exhibition showcasing work from EMERGE residents across multiple creative disciplines. Creative Mentor and BSU Alum Nigel Fryatt of Polymathic and Professional Development Officer Stu Matson of Bath Carnival and Buckley DJ provided music and a taster of their atmospheric display at the recent Summer Lates at the Roman Baths.
The celebrations didn’t stop there. Following the opening night, up until Thursday 24 October EMERGE’s studios are open to visitors, and a programme of workshops are being hosted for everyone to enjoy. The full schedule is available via TicketSource.
Charlotte Godfrey, Emerge Studio Manager said:
"Emerge Studio has become a focus point for our students as they graduate as a tangible goal at the end of their undergraduate or postgraduate journey. Not only that, we have also led on opening up the University doors to the wider community through our Creative Mentor programme and collaboration with the Inclusive Communities team to provide studio space for the wider creative community through our ReEmerge Programme.
“Over 5 years our studio has supported our residents to stay within Bath to develop their professional careers and in turn has helped to underpin a growing and thriving emerging creative network in the city."
Current Emerge studio resident, Siri Bolin is an actor and theatre maker, originally from Sweden. She graduated from Bath Spa University in 2022 in BA Acting.
Reflecting on her time at Emerge, Siri said:
“Emerge offers great mentorship and I have grown to believe in myself and my ideas as a creator.
“Emerge have also helped me to practically prepare for entering the world of freelance work, with workshops on tax, funding, goal setting and how to look after your mental health as a creator. I feel ready for the next step of my career.”
Flourishing under the guidance and mentorship, Siri has developed the play Leaving is Hard - debuting at SparkFest and now set to be performed at the Alma Theatre in Bristol on 15 November.
Siri continued:
“The best part with Emerge is the wonderful, supportive community of talented artists of different disciplines and ages, always willing to share their expertise, time and encouragement.”
Katie Baird, an illustrative maker primarily working with ceramics alongside oil pastel and painted print is also a resident at Emerge. Katie graduated from BSU in 2023 from BA (Hons) Textile Design for Fashion and Interiors. Katie said:
“I’m really thankful to have been part of Emerge and its wonderful community for the past two years.
“Through the studio I’ve had support in starting and growing my business, and gained various opportunities."
Katie regularly sells at local markets and art events now, having gained experience of this while at Emerge:
“My first trading experience was provided through Emerge, at Bath Christmas Market, which started my practise down its current path.
“The studio team have always been incredibly supportive, and I feel lucky to have been a resident.”
With Christmas around the corner, Katie will be selling her makes across Bath and Bristol, including a return to the Bath Christmas Markets in December.
Are you interested in an Emerge residency after graduation? Find out more about Emerge on the BSU website.