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Architecture, Art and Design play a significant role in shaping our world, influencing culture, provoking thought, and inspiring action.
Studying a creative course at university will you the skills and expertise to develop your own visual identity and specialism. And opportunities will be yours for the taking, because your ability to communicate complex ideas with creativity and clarity will be in high demand when you graduate.
This year's Taster Day will take place 17 June 2026, where attendees can explore Architecture, Fashion, Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography.
- Get involved in hands-on workshops, turning your concepts into tangible creations
- Use our design studios and facilities that mirror the professional world to bring your ideas to life, giving you a better understanding of what it's like to study creative courses at university
- Get hands on as you experiment with various model-making techniques
- See how our courses offer real-client projects and placements at top brands, setting you up for a successful career in various industries
Creative and Cultural Industries Placements
Our Connected Degrees® put the power in your hands. Portsmouth is the only UK university that offers flexible sandwich placements for undergraduates.
Jake: I was extremely fortunate to get the experience at the football club. I don't think there's anywhere else that's offered anything like that. I did a placement with Premier League Productions. I think it’s massively helped me to get where I am today and I think that's something that's just been so beneficial for my career, to have that on my CV, to say I've worked in club football, I understand club football and how media works within it. Doing the placement year was absolutely crucial for me. I think it's massively thanks to the partnership between the football club and the university as to why I've got the experience that I do, which has then led me to employment.
At our Taster
Get ready to:
- Choose to get an in-depth overview of Architecture, Fashion, Photography, Illustration and Graphic Design courses when you save your place.
- Explore cutting-edge facilities, such as our industrial sewing machines, laser cutters and cloud software to render 2D patterns to 3D patterns which can be simulated onto an avatar, plus professional design software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign
- Tour our lively studio environments that simulate the professional world
- Learn about graduate destinations and career opportunities – our past students have gone into graduate jobs with big names in fashion like Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss and designers like Aardman Digital
- Discover the varied job roles that your technical skills could lead to, such as art director, design manager, advertising creative, visual merchandiser, branding expert, textile designer and more
- Chat with current students about life as a student at Portsmouth and the different creative courses that they study
- Gain useful ideas that you can channel into your UCAS personal statement and portfolio when applying to university, showing your creative passion
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Learn about Connected Degrees at Portsmouth, the only UK university to offer a three-year course with 4th year placement.
Taster Day location and meeting point
Check in opens at 09.00am at Eldon Building, Southsea, Portsmouth, PO1 2DJ. Look out for our students in purple T-shirts who'll help direct you.
If you're arriving by coach or minibus, we recommend parking on Museum Road, Portsmouth which is just outside of the Ravelin Sports Centre. For more information on checking in and how to get here, take a look at our guide to taster days page.
Programme
Check-in from 09.15am at Eldon Building, Southsea, Portsmouth, PO1 2DJ, and get ready to learn about studying creative courses courses at university.
Here's our guide to subject taster days, should you want to learn a little more about our Taster Days before booking or arrival.
Get ready for a Student Q&A and a look at the day ahead, where you’ll hear directly from those already shaping their creative journeys.
From insights into studying creative subjects to what a typical day looks like, this session will give you a clearer picture of what to expect as you explore your future in the creative industries
We have 5 exciting options for you to experience.
*Pick your first AM session from this list when you save your place
- Architecture & Interior Design
- Fashion Design
- Photography
- Graphic Design
- Illustration
If you can imagine it, you can create it. Get ready to turn your vision into tangible designs at our Taster. More details on the sessions will be available soon.
Take a short break to recharge with a quick lunch before the afternoon sessions begin.
We have 5 exciting options for you to experience.
*Pick your second AM session from this list when you save your place
- Architecture, Interior Design
- Fashion Design
- Photography
- Illustration
- or Graphic Design
Your second session will be a different option to your first, allowing you to explore a range of creative subjects and see how they blend together when working on projects.
More details on the sessions will be available soon.
Take a guided tour of the Graduate Showcase and the Eldon Building, home to the University’s creative and cultural industries.
You’ll explore exhibitions of final-year student work across disciplines such as architecture, design, film and photography, offering a glimpse of the innovative projects students create by the end of their degree.
We’ll finish the day with a short evaluation and farewell, giving you the chance to reflect on what you’ve experienced and share your thoughts. It’s also a moment to ask any final questions and think about the next steps in your creative journey.
* Sessions may be subject to change.