Posted 15 June 2026

Since 2016, the Annual Student Sustainability Awards has given Leeds Arts University students the opportunity to showcase work that addresses environmental, social, and ethical issues.  

As a signatory of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Accord and in alignment with our Sustainability Framework, the Sustainability Award prompts students to consider the relationship between their work and the United Nations SDGs and to articulate how their work may influence new ways of thinking or action on their chosen issue.  

This year’s undergraduate winners are final-year BA (Hons) Comic and Concept Art student Kole Morris and final-year BA (Hons) Textile Design student Joe Gurr. MA Graphic Design student Shiv Sagar Morwal won the postgraduate category, and Extended Diploma in Creative Practice student Chloe Greenwood and Foundation Diploma in Art and Design student Robin Mayer won the further education category.   

The University has also recently worked with secondary school students to place the focus on sustainability in practice through the Easter School, one of our free Widening Participation programmes targeted at Year 10-12 students from underrepresented groups. The Easter School showcases creative pathways and builds knowledge and confidence to support creative practice and progression to higher education.  

The programme included recycled and reusable materials in scrap sculpture activities, Tetra Pak printing, and the conversion of 2D scrap into a designed product, with global sustainability goals underpinning the design concepts. There was also an opportunity for the students to look at the work of a range of practitioners who focus on sustainability, including current students and recent Sustainability Award winners.   

At Leeds Arts University, we recognise the role of education in enabling students to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours needed for sustainable development. These are just two examples of how the University works to embody sustainability through teaching and learning opportunities, enabling future graduates to contribute positively to a more sustainable world.  

 

Graham Morley, Director of Estates and Resources, Leeds Arts University 

Artwork by Chloe Greenwood, Extended Diploma in Creative Practice student, Leeds Arts University