Brunel University of London commemorates a festival to celebrate 60 years of contributions to creativity in various artistic fields.
5 May - 3 June 2026
Brunel Creates is a month-long celebration of creativity across our campus community bringing together students, staff, alumni and partners for a vibrant programme of music performances, theatre, film screenings, exhibitions, lectures and panel discussions. The majority of the events are connected to student work and assessment across Arts and Humanities, offering a unique opportunity to experience the creativity and talent emerging from our classrooms, studios and rehearsal spaces.
Alongside student showcases, the festival will feature special events with alumni and visiting artists, highlighting the breadth of Brunel’s creative community. Brunel Creates aims to celebrate artistic expression across disciplines while opening our campus to wider conversations about culture, creativity and ideas.
We've got an incredible line-up of events planned for you! Click on an event to be redirected to its booking/information page.
Brunel Creates Logo
Name coined by Anisa Choudhary, Senior Marketing and Brand Officer at Brunel
See what we have in store
Exhibitions:
60 Faces of Brunel: Opens 5 May and runs till end of June at the Arts Centre Atrium
As part of Brunel University of London’s 60th anniversary celebrations, 60 Faces of Brunel is a photographic exhibition showcasing 60 members of staff from across the University. Captured throughout the year by the Media team, the portraits celebrate the people behind Brunel’s success, from academic colleagues to professional services staff and those working across campus in a wide range of roles.
Together, they reflect the diversity, expertise and commitment that shape the Brunel community every day. 60 Faces of Brunel is a tribute to the individuals who make the University what it is today, offering a moment to recognise their contribution as we mark 60 years of Brunel. No registration required, just drop-in anytime between its opening on 5th May till the end of June!
The Year Round Installation: Open 6-8 May as part of Soundscapes at the BZ Square Marquee
Step into a calm, reflective space and experience The Year Round, an immersive sound and film installation presented as part of Soundscapes within the Brunel Creates Arts Festival. In a world filled with noise and distraction, this installation invites you to slow down and reconnect with the quieter rhythms of the natural world. Across a series of screens in a comfortable, informal setting, visitors are encouraged to sit, pause and immerse themselves in a cycle of music and moving image inspired by the seasons.
The work began on the Winter Solstice 2024, with a new song and film released each month, responding to shifting light, weather, place and time. Rooted in poetry and observation, the project explores our relationship with nature and the passing of the year. The films, captured close to the artist’s home, offer an intimate visual counterpoint to the music, creating a gentle, meditative experience. At the heart of the work is vocalist Melanie Pappenheim, alongside composer Colin Riley (piano, cello and electronics), with contributions from a collective of musicians including Jeremy Avis, Mandhira de Saram, Nic Pendlebury, Gareth Davis, Kate Halsall and Agnese Toniutti.
Dr Colin Riley’s research is as a composer. His work often explores how integration takes place between artforms to foster new ways of constructing and listening to music. The Year Round is one of these projects featuring song-settings of poetry with film about particular times of the turning year. Since the winter solstice of 2024 these ‘visual-music-poems‘ have become available online, unravelling as the year progresses. For the first time The Year Round is being presented as a complete body of work as the songs loop continuously through the day. Come and experience their beauty and intensity. Sit and take time out from your daily timetable routine.
No registration required, just drop in anytime and stay as long as you like and let the sounds and images carry you through the year.
Creativity should be something everyone can experience.
Benjamin Zephaniah