The teams at Touchwood Shopping Centre and Solihull College & University Centre are celebrating after winning a prestigious award at the national Sceptre Awards, which recognise the best practice and people in the shopping centre industry across the UK.
Touchwood took home the accolade for Commercialisation Innovation of the Year, following a partnership with arts students from Solihull College & University Centre organised through Commercialisation Manager, Helen Viner. This included the centre hosting the students’ immersive and interactive Defy Complacency exhibition.
Defy Complacency allowed higher education students to showcase fine art, photography, graphic design, installation, sculpture, video, V.R and illustration work and ran from Friday 9th June till Saturday 1st July last summer. Touchwood offered the students use of a shop space to showcase multiple displays of artistic talent. All the work presented in the exhibition was completed by the College’s students studying on Oxford Brookes higher education programme.
With up to 50 individual exhibitors there was a bevy of artistic pieces on display. Photography exhibitor and 3rd year student Katie Hill from last year’s exhibit stated: ”The showcase was a real opportunity for us to promote our work. We created a footprint for ourselves in a busy, visible location.”
Tony Elvin, General Manager of Touchwood, comments: “At Touchwood we are passionate about offering the best guest experience at all times and our team is committed to continually seeking new ways to further surprise and delight. It was a pleasure to work with Solihull College and help to provide a platform for local talent to be properly recognised.”
The exhibition celebrated the diversity and talent emerging from local students and was open to the general public. The partnership proved so successful that Touchwood and the College are currently hosting another exhibition, Tint, showcasing work from the students studying this year. Make sure to come along to take a look at the newest work on display until Wednesday, July 3rd.
Find out more about Solihull College & University Centre’s Art & Design courses.
