The Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) annual Degree Show commences this week, but as Dundee University continues to navigate a financial crisis, many students say the cost of exhibiting their work is “unaffordable,” with some spending up to £1,000.
A highlight of the Dundee University calendar, the show draws visitors and key figures from across the arts industry and beyond. Matthew and Crawford will be transformed into one of the biggest free arts venues in the country, with over 400 students final projects on display.
However, behind the spectacle, DJCAD continues to endure institution wide cuts, understaffed departments, and students are increasingly shouldering the costs.
Students have reported significantly high costs to curate and display their work at the degree show, with the University providing the space, but little else. One final-year Textiles student preparing for the Degree Show told TJJ:
“There is no financial help from the University. They even make you buy the rollers to paint the [display] walls white. Everything that you want to use has to be paid yourself.”
A University spokesperson said that “whilst there are some costs that relate directly to public display, these are mostly covered by the University, although some students may choose to produce additional material or work for this aspect, which is not a requirement.”
“The University is proactive about seeking sponsorship and donations, and this has benefitted DJCAD students. We continue to offer significant subsidy and flexibility around costs relating directly and indirectly to Degree Shows.”
The cost of producing, printing, mounting, and presenting work has been described as a financial burden, varying depending on specialisms.
Although costs can escalate, students stressed that tutors do not pressure them to spend money, and that taking on additional expenses is ultimately a personal choice. One that depends heavily on what each student can afford.
But several students also told TJJ they feel an unspoken pressure to spend more, believing that producing larger, higher‑quality or more polished work could influence how their projects are received; and, ultimately, their final grade. Millie Smith said:
“You feel pressured to create a high volume of work, therefore you can end up spending large amounts of money to create the workload expected” She added that “the class is very competitive” in terms of “the more you spend or harder your seen to work can be perceived as a threat to others.”
A University spokesperson said:
“Students are never in a position where they have to spend an unreasonable amount on materials to produce the work required to meet the requirements of their modules.
“Although some practices are inherently more costly, particularly where this involves making and manufacturing, the level to which we subsidise materials costs is effectively higher for programmes that use more materials.“
A fourth year Graphic Design student told TJJ anonymously that their department ran out of mounting sheets, which are essential for presenting work, just days before hand-in.
“We only had two rolls for 30 students. Some people literally have nothing to mount their work on.”
Interior & Environmental Design graduate Elissa Lee said she “made furniture, so had to source higher quantities of materials such as wood and fabric” adding that “it’s important to reuse as much as you can.”
Fine Art Graduate Emma Thomson said she “deliberately used recycled or inexpensive materials in order to keep the cost of my work down. Everything apart from my leather map was recycled.”
A fourth year Product Design student, who requested anonymity, said they spent £600 curating their final project.
Illustration students benefit from a student-run shop that helps reimburse costs, however the initial input is still significant. Graduate Joshua Dau said “the sum we spent initially was quite substantial… but most of us were able to make back the money we spent.” Still, he emphasised this may be “potentially unaffordable for some.”
Fourth‑year Wen Xi broke down her costs:
“Printing A3 artwork costs about £1.10 per page; I spent £30 printing, Foamboard is £2 to £16 depending on size… I got a deal of £10.20 for four A1 at Hobbycraft, Mounting spray is almost £9.”
“Illustration isn’t the most expensive course, but it will still burn through your wallet when you least expect it” she added.
Architecture student Samuel Jackson said that “course-related costs in Architecture have always been high; aside from standard art supplies, the printing costs from required bi-weekly pin-ups and model making add up throughout the year.”
“Whilst the course has begun to steer towards digital submissions as well as the use of technology in daily teaching to avoid unnecessary costs, there is still a large financial burden on students when it comes to printing presentations, design journals, and building physical models at critical review points.
“This includes the end-of-year shows, which have all traditionally been a key part of learning within the curriculum, and arguably should remain as such.”
Juteopolis: A forgotten legacy?
In a city built on its Textiles industry, Textile Design students who face some of the highest costs.
Dundee was once known globally as Juteopolis; the Jute Capital of the World, home to some of the world’s biggest textile factories, with over 120 mills and 10s of thousands of workers powering its economy, building its communities and feeding an industrial revolution that built and defined the City’s identity for over a century.
One student said, “People in textiles are paying between £200 up to £1,000.”
“Students that have more money are at an advantage as they can get things printed to higher quality and produce more work.”
Much of the costs for textiles students stem for the need to outsource their digital printing. Fourth‑year Millie Smith said her “fabric bill came to £515, and it cost me £200 on top of that to digitally print stuff.”
“We sent away our samples to the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) , if our colours and so forth were right we then send away our final samples.
“They [our lecturers] didn’t really want us to do it in-house because the only printer we have is old and out-dated.”
Smith explained that “there is only one digital printer, which our technician said the department got around 10 years ago, needs serviced every couple of years.”
“Its expensive to service, and because there is no money, it hasn’t been serviced in years, which means the quality of the print drops, therefore we send it elsewhere.”
Multiple students independently confirmed to The Jute Journal that they submitted samples to GSA to be digitally printed.
Another final year student said that those with “more money are at an advantage as they can get things printed to higher quality and produce more work.”
One student explained that students who can afford to pay for more fabric sample, to produce more developments, can try out new ideas. They said they couldn’t do it, leaving them feeling like they might not attain a grade they are capable of.
A University spokesperson said:
“it is, and has always been the case, that students make choices about their practice and can choose to use higher-value materials or, in some cases, use providers outwith those used by the University.
“This is an individual choice, although is not encouraged and does not benefit students in terms of assessment outcomes.”
The student continued, stating internships in creative fields tend to be unpaid. noting the catch 22 that in order to break into the industry, one needs experience, but students “can’t afford to work for free for a couple of months.”
Another student added that they believed “financial pressures will affect people wanting to go into the arts” after graduation. They said “a lot of people end up going into teaching as it’s a stable income rather than a job pursuing their own design journey.”
As the Degree Show opens its doors to thousands this week, the work on display will speak for itself. But for many students, the price of participation has been costly.
These individual costs sit within a much larger story.
Last year, TJJ’s investigation into the impact of the financial crisis on DJCAD revealed wide-spread staff departures, workshop closures, and shrinking resources.
For DJCAD students, the Degree Show remains a celebration of creativity. But it is also unfolding inside an institution under unprecedented strain, where students shoulder high costs to currate and present work.
A University spokesperson added that “the University is proactive about seeking sponsorship and donations, and this has benefitted DJCAD students. We continue to offer significant subsidy and flexibility around costs relating directly and indirectly to Degree Shows.”