HCA celebrates Class of 2026 at its graduation ceremony

A total of 107 undergraduate and postgraduate students graduated from HCA’s degree programmes, marking the end of their studies and the beginning of the next stage of their creative careers.

The Class of 2026 included graduates from across HCA’s undergraduate courses, including Fine Art, Illustration, Graphic & Media Design, Artist Blacksmithing, Contemporary Design Crafts, Jewellery Design, Textile Design, Photography, Games Design and Popular Music.

Postgraduate students also graduated from three of HCA’s MA programmes; Contemporary Crafts, Fine Art, Photography.

Graduates were joined at the ceremony by family, friends, staff, members of the wider HCA community and civic dignitaries including His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire, Edward Harley CBE and the Vice-Chair Herefordshire Council, Cllr Kevin Tillett.

This year’s graduation address was delivered by Bob and Roberta Smith, OBE RA - who accepted a honorary fellowship from the college. The acclaimed contemporary artist and campaigner known for his colourful, text-based work and longstanding advocacy for arts and creative education.

Smith has an existing connection with HCA and Hereford, having previously visited the college to deliver a public talk and worked with students from its Fine Art programme as part of the college’s 170th anniversary celebrations.

Speaking to the graduating Class of 2026, he reflected on his own route into the arts, and how creativity can empower individuals.

The ceremony followed an already successful summer for many of this year’s graduates.

BA (Hons) Jewellery Design graduate Friday Lawrence received the Association for Contemporary Jewellery Graduate Jeweller Award at New Designers 2026, the UK’s leading showcase for emerging design talent.

At the prestigious event, work by fellow HCA students in this class attracted recognition from organisations including the Society of Designer Craftsmen, The Goldsmiths’ Company, the Visual Artists Association, Find a Maker, Craft Cohort and Ezen Japan.

Friday - who joined HCA as one of the college's many mature students - has also been selected as one of just 15 emerging artists and makers from across the UK to exhibit in Portal 2026 at Llantarnam Grange, which opens on 12 September. The annual exhibition brings together selected new graduates and is designed to support emerging artists as they begin to establish sustainable professional careers.

The graduates form the latest generation to join HCA’s growing alumni community, which spans more than 170 years of creative education in Hereford.

Throughout their final year, students have presented work publicly through exhibitions, performances and HCA’s annual Degree Show, which transformed the college’s College Road campus into a major showcase of emerging creative talent in June.

For many, graduation marks the next step into professional creative practice, employment, freelance work, further study or the development of their own businesses and studios.

The ceremony also came during a busy week for HCA’s wider creative community. HCA’s College Road Campus is currently part of Herefordshire Art Week, with the HCA Showcase bringing together work by graduates, alumni, staff and short-course students until Saturday 12 September.

This week, the college also began enrolling hundreds of students on Post-16 and Foundation diplomas - the largest intake in the college's history - supporting them as they take their next steps on their own creative journeys. 

There is still time to apply to join a degree and diploma courses this Autumn - or to book onto an October Open Day and find out more about the college.