University of Cumbria alumni Molly Hughes and Sophie Steadman have recently returned from exhibiting at the world-renowned 60th Venice Biennale.

The art graduates, and founders of SoMo, were part of a collective invited to the international festival by Cumbrian artist Daniel Ibbotson.

Hughes and Steadman, both artist residents at the university's Brampton Road campus, earned their fine arts degrees from the Institute of Education, Arts and Society.

They found SoMo, an artistic collaborative project, during the final year of their degree studies. The project's mission is to foster opportunities for Cumbrian artists, including past and present students at the university.

Ibbotson, founder of the 'Proseed project', first met the graduates in 2021 when he addressed students at the Brampton Road campus. He later provided Hughes and Steadman with chances to gain industry experience at both Manchester and Glasgow Art Fairs.

Ibbotson also enlisted the pair for his Proseed collective, designed to support artists during the pandemic, offering them avenues like pop-up galleries and fair exhibits. The Cumbrian artist, whose work had its first Biennale airing in 2022, received an exclusive invitation to exhibit yet again at the festival.

This year, Ibbotson decided to share the opportunity by showcasing the collaborative works of the Proseed collective, which consists of over 40 artists, 30 of whom are from Cumbria.

With a discerning eye for their text-based art akin to his, Ibbotson extended this golden opportunity to Hughes and Steadman, believing it would considerably benefit the recent graduates.

Molly said: "Being a part of this experience was unlike anything I could have hoped for or expected so early on into my career as an artist. I feel so fortunate to have been thought of to exhibit alongside some incredibly talented artists from Cumbria."

Sophie added: "Having only graduated last year, I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity and am extremely grateful to be involved. Not only is the exhibition an amazing thing itself, but it’s also given me the chance to meet fellow artists, as well as exhibit alongside them. We both thank Daniel Ibbotson for the opportunity."

Exhibitions of the Proseed collective's work are open to the public in Venice until November 24 at Palazzo Bembo, situated near the grand canal and Rialto Bridge.

Ibbotson articulated that the pair stood to gain immeasurable confidence and experience from their Venice exposure, and he will keep seeking opportunities for showcasing their talent.

Meanwhile, the Brampton Road campus offers an array of undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes, including Animation, Film, TV, Fine Arts, Games Design and Development, Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography, Wildlife Media, and Creative Practice.

The institute is also in the process of finalising two digital degree apprenticeship programmes in creative digital design professional and digital user experience UX professional.

Its newest graduating batch will soon exhibit their work in a 'Made In Carlisle' exposition at the Vallum Gallery on the campus.

The public are welcome to visit this free exhibition between June 3 and June 7, from 10am to 4pm daily, followed by an open day taking place on June 8.

Details regarding the open day, and registration instructions, are provided on the campus' website.