Kelly Bryant, an MA Fine Art graduate from Arts University Plymouth, is gaining national and international recognition for a compelling body of immersive, site-responsive artwork that reanimates hidden histories through projection, textile and sculptural practices.

Following acclaimed presentations in Plymouth, Chicago and Turin, Kelly’s practice exemplifies the powerful potential of immersive media to tell complex, human-centred stories. From transforming Devonport’s Market Hall into a garment of light for Dazzle Festival, to co-authoring the evolving sculptural installation Altered Realities at Green Hill Arts, Kelly’s work offers poetic interventions into public space, memory, and material.

A Thread Through History at Dazzle Festival

Her projection piece A Thread Through History, commissioned by Real Ideas for the 2025 Dazzle Festival, drew deeply on feminist histories and narratives of invisible labour. Using archival letters, glitch aesthetics and textile gestures, Kelly honoured the seamstresses of 19th-century Devonport, women whose skilled labour often went unrecognised but was essential to the economy and culture of naval Britain.

Working closely with Fab Lab South West technical demonstrator Matt Holmes, Kelly developed a bespoke scanning process that introduced fabric into the 3D capture of architectural forms. “We really didn’t know if it was going to work,” she said. “But it did, far better than we anticipated. The building became a fabric from its own data and DNA.” Her use of “incorrect” scanning techniques, embracing failure and distortion, added a rich visual glitch aesthetic that reflected the fragility and layering of historical memory.

“There was a paragraph I found in a local history book,” Kelly recalled, “that said the naval wives in Devonport were such incredible seamstresses that fashion houses in London would send their designs down because they knew they’d get the best quality garments.”

This became the emotional and conceptual core of the project. Working with The Box’s Media Archive and heritage sites like Coldharbour Mill, Kelly wove a layered visual and sonic tapestry. Letters written by naval wives to their husbands at sea are read aloud in the soundscape, alongside a haunting filmed sequence that shows a lone woman dragging an anchor along a beach, creating a potent image of care, waiting, resilience, and the unseen emotional weight carried by the women of the time.

Technically experimental but emotionally resonant, the project reflects traditions of feminist moving image practice and tactile media, recalling internationally significant artists such as Mona Hatoum and Susan Hiller in its interplay of narrative, embodiment and public memory.

Altered Realities at Green Hill Arts

Kelly’s most recent exhibition, Altered Realities, opened in spring 2025 at Green Hill Arts in Moretonhampstead. A sculptural light installation made in collaboration with artist Tony Weaver, the project explored co-authorship, site-responsiveness, and shared space.

Visitors were invited to witness the evolving installation in three stages, from collaborative development to immersive projections and sculptural documentation. “The projections are like a narrative skin that runs over and through the objects,” Kelly explains, “becoming a membrane for communication and transformation.”

The installation revisited earlier themes of embodied memory and material storytelling. Whereas A Thread Through History focused on the hidden labour of naval wives, Altered Realities extended that interest into relational authorship and spatial transformation.

Her films, recently screened at the 2024 Torino Underground Cinefest and the 2025 Blow-Up International Arthouse Film Festival in Chicago, added a global dimension to this locally-rooted collaboration. This echoed Kelly’s earlier projection work at the Paignton Picture House, where architecture and memory were interwoven in similarly evocative ways.

Although Kelly developed aspects of her installation using the digital technologies available at Arts University Plymouth’s Fab Lab South West, her focus remained on narrative and historical embodiment, a synergy between aesthetics and place that appears throughout the university’s postgraduate curriculum.

Ben Mundy, Fab Lab Manager at Arts University Plymouth, praised Kelly’s experimental approach. “Kelly’s project exemplifies the kinds of unexpected outcomes that happen when artists embrace the poetic potential of creative technology,” he said. “She used the tools in surprising, sensitive ways. This is exactly the kind of work the Fab Lab exists to support.”

“Kelly’s installation was a powerful demonstration of how immersive art can bring new resonance to local histories,” said Associate Professor Stephanie Owens, Dean of Arts, Design and Media at Arts University Plymouth. “By weaving digital innovation with deep cultural storytelling, she has created a compelling example of what’s possible when artists explore the intersection of place, identity and technology. Kelly’s practice reflects the leadership and experimental ethos that defines postgraduate study at Arts University Plymouth, and her collaboration with Real Ideas demonstrates the transformative potential of creative partnerships in immersive media.”

Now a studio holder at KARST and a lecturer in film production, Kelly continues to push the boundaries of how we experience narrative, material and memory. Her trajectory illustrates the calibre of practice emerging from postgraduate study at Arts University Plymouth.

Study immersive media in Britain’s Ocean City

The MA Immersive Media at Arts University Plymouth is designed for artists, technologists and creative thinkers ready to pioneer new experiences in virtual, augmented and mixed reality. Taught by leading practitioners and supported by specialist facilities including Europe’s largest immersive dome, this postgraduate course invites you to experiment across disciplines and to create work that is sensory, spatial and socially engaged.

From projection mapping and interactive installation to sound design and extended reality, you’ll develop a professional practice that is grounded in making and future-focused in ambition.

Explore the MA Immersive Media: aup.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/ma-immersive-media

In June 2025, Arts University Plymouth’s Fab Lab South West Technician and practice-based PhD researcher Matt Holmes was awarded the European scholarship place on TipoItalia, a prestigious two-week residency at the Tipoteca Italiana Fondazione in Cornuda, Italy. The programme brought together 12 participants from across the globe to explore Italian type design, letterpress printing, and digital type revivals under the guidance of internationally renowned tutors.

A competitive international opportunity

Selected as the sole European scholarship recipient for 2025, Matt joined fellow designers, printers and educators from the USA, Brazil, Germany, the Czech Republic, Australia and the UK. The residency, now in its fourth year, is organised by a team of US-based letterpress printmakers and offers only two fully funded places annually – one for a US-based student and one for a Europe-based student.

Based in Tipoteca’s extensive museum, archive and print shop, participants examined historic Italian wood and metal type, learning the art of “reviving” lost letterforms using specialist design software. Alongside creating a personal digital type revival, Matt contributed to group printing projects, producing type specimens and hand-bound books for the museum’s collection.

“I was like a kid in a sweet shop – hundreds of drawers of type, incredible presses, and the chance to work alongside people who really understand the craft. It was overwhelming in the best way possible,” said Matt.

Immersed in the world of letterpress

The experience also included rare access to Tipoteca’s library of over 5,000 historic volumes, type specimens and technical manuals, including handling a page from a genuine Gutenberg Bible, and guided trips to Venice and Verona to study calligraphy, signwriting, and rare books in public collections.

Matt’s type revival project, Frizzante, was inspired by bold, open-character wood type blocks from Tipoteca’s archive. The name reflects his light-hearted approach to the design process, and the abundance of sparkling water and prosecco enjoyed during the residency.

“To spend two weeks immersed in all things type was the hit of energy I needed,” he reflected. “It reminded me exactly why I’m doing my work and research – because it’s awesome fun, and there’s always more to learn.”

How you could follow in Matt’s footsteps

Students at Arts University Plymouth have direct access to the same Fab Lab South West digital fabrication facilities where Matt develops his research, alongside the Imprint Lab and specialist print studios equipped for screen-printing, typesetting, CNC routing, 3D printing and more. This environment supports creative pathways from undergraduate degrees such as BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking and BA (Hons) Graphic Design, through to postgraduate study, including MA Fine Art, MA Design (Communication) and MA Museum Studies.

Opportunities like TipoItalia are supported by the university’s commitment to knowledge exchange, creative research and international collaboration. Students can benefit from travel bursaries, global networks and the guidance of technical staff and academics who are themselves active practitioners.

Discover how you could access world-class printmaking and digital fabrication facilities – book an Open Day or explore our courses today.

Sharing skills and inspiring future makers

Matt’s participation in TipoItalia reflects Arts University Plymouth’s commitment to supporting staff in developing internationally significant creative practice and research. As part of the Fab Lab South West team, Matt will continue to share his expertise with students across disciplines, bridging heritage printmaking traditions with cutting-edge digital fabrication.

“I don’t necessarily think of myself as a printer – more ‘print adjacent’ – but experiences like this prove how valuable it is to step outside your comfort zone. That’s where the most exciting work happens.”

Arts University Plymouth has announced the renaming of Fab Lab Plymouth to Fab Lab South West, reflecting the pivotal role that the Fab Lab plays as a regional hub for digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and education in the South West of England. The announcement was made during the Big Creative UK Summit on 6-7 February 2025, hosted in partnership with Arts University Plymouth and the University of Plymouth, marking a new chapter for the largest Fab Lab in the region.

Founded by Arts University Plymouth in 2014, Fab Lab South West has empowered businesses, students, and the public by providing access to cutting-edge digital fabrication technologies. The Fab Lab has fostered a culture of innovation, bridging traditional crafts with contemporary technologies, and contributing significantly to Plymouth's creative economy.

Renaming the facility to Fab Lab South West underscores its expanding importance in driving the region’s creative and technological advancements. As part of the global Fab Lab Network, which includes over 2,400 labs across more than 90 countries, Fab Lab South West connects businesses, regional makers and artists with an international community of innovators.

Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks, Vice Chancellor of Arts University Plymouth and member of the UK Council for Creative UK, said: “Fab Lab South West exemplifies the transformative power of creative technologies in solving real-world challenges. This renaming reflects our commitment to supporting innovation, sustainability, and collaboration across the South West, empowering individuals and creative businesses to thrive.”

Design engineer Ben Mundy, Fab Lab Manager at Arts University Plymouth, added: “From rapid prototyping for startups to interdisciplinary collaborations, our lab has been a catalyst for change. As Fab Lab South West, we look forward to working with a wider range of businesses and makers across the region, broadening access to digital fabrication technologies and shaping the future of making in the South West.”

Renaming of Fab Lab South West was announced alongside Arts University Plymouth’s joint hosting of Creative UK’s Big Creative Summit for the South West region. Creative UK is the independent network for the UK’s creative industries, connecting, investing, supporting and championing the Creative Industries and creative voices across the UK.

Celebrating success: Innovation across sectors
Fab Lab South West has supported a diverse range of projects since it first opened, showcasing the breadth of achievements within its facilities. Some highlights include:

1. Agrikinetics: Sustainable innovation – A research project focused on growing elephant grass for sustainable insulation and building materials. Agrikinetics approached the Lab to explore whether the grass could replace imported paper and card pulp. Fab Lab South West produced moulds and a proof of concept for cartons, enabling Dorset-based Agrikinetics to put the ideas into production.
   

2. Sagetech: Reducing healthcare's carbon footprint – Fab Lab South West collaborated with Sagetech to prototype and develop equipment for anaesthetic gas capture, addressing a critical environmental challenge in healthcare. Anaesthetic gases, which have long atmospheric lifetimes and high global warming potentials, contribute significantly to healthcare’s carbon footprint. The equipment designed in partnership with Sagetech captures these gases, preventing their release into the atmosphere and helping to mitigate the healthcare industry’s impact on climate change.
   

3. Barnaby’s Brewhouse: Circular economy leadership – Devon-based Barnaby’s Brewhouse partnered with Fab Lab South West to tackle carbon dioxide emissions produced during beer fermentation. The Lab collaborated with the brewers to design and prototype a CO2 capture and purification system, enabling the reuse of CO2 to carbonate their beers. This innovation reduces reliance on external suppliers of fossil fuel-derived CO2, aligning with the brewery’s sustainable ethos. Once fully implemented, the system will capture more CO2 than needed for beer production, with potential applications for local agriculture under consideration.
   

4. Atkinson Architects: Enhancing renovation with digital precision – Renowned for their work on listed and heritage buildings across Devon and Cornwall, Atkinson Architects collaborated with Fab Lab South West to integrate advanced LiDAR scanning into their projects. The Lab supported the pulsed laser scanning of a Grade I-listed heritage structure on the Dartington Estate, providing highly accurate data to inform renovation projections. The partnership also resulted in the creation of an architectural model, enhancing project visualisation and planning for historic sites.
   

5. Aegean Diving Services: Cleaner marine maintenance – Aegean Diving Services, specialists in whole-boat cleaning, partnered with Fab Lab South West to design an innovative shroud for their underwater grinding equipment. The shroud enables the capture of detritus created during cleaning, preventing pollution and ensuring compliance with stricter environmental regulations. This collaboration demonstrates how digital fabrication can support sustainability in marine industries.
   

6. Laura Quinn: Innovating wearable glass – Internationally recognised glass artist Laura Quinn worked with Fab Lab South West to design bespoke connecting components for her wearable glass art. Using a combination of traditional glassblowing techniques and digital technologies, the collaboration allowed Laura to create modular, interchangeable designs that push the boundaries of how glass is used. This work reflects her commitment to sustainability and innovation in craft, making her pieces more durable, repairable, and adaptable.

The announcement also celebrates the international profile of the Fab Lab, exemplified by Fab Foundation President Sherry Lassiter’s recent keynote speech at Arts University Plymouth’s Making Futures 2024 conference. Lassiter, a key figure in the global Fab Lab movement established at MIT, emphasised how digital fabrication is driving sustainability, innovation, and community building worldwide.

This renaming aligns with Plymouth’s status as the UK’s first Fab City, a global initiative committed to producing everything the city consumes by 2054, and builds on Arts University Plymouth’s leadership in the creative industries.

For more information on the range of services available and how to work with Fab Lab South West, visit http://fablabsouthwest.org.uk.