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There is just one month to go before the submissions open for UAL Awarding Body's annual Origins Creatives exhibition!

We are excited to announce that this year, global art platform, , will be curating the exhibition. We reached out to with founder, Calum Hall, to find out more about who Creative Debuts are, why they believe it is so important to give young people access to the creative industries, and what they are looking forward to most about Origins Creatives 2025!

Tell us about the story behind Creative Debuts and how it came about?

Growing up in the North East of England in a single parent, working-class household, I presumed the lack of opportunities for myself and fellow artists studying at school was just typical of the lack of prospects in the area in general. However, when I moved to London for university at Goldsmiths, it became abundantly clear that for artists looking to pursue a career the path is very unclear - that being said, unless one has the financial backing and contacts to call on, which most of us don’t! Motivated and inspired by the breadth of creative talent that is currently going under the radar, Creative Debuts is committed to disrupting and democratising the art world and to connect artists with art lovers while improving access for everyone to art.

How does Creative Debuts connect artists with brands and industry?

Creative Debuts provides a range of services connecting artists to opportunities. We have an artwork subscription service that transforms the walls of offices throughout the UK with partners that include Amazon, eBay, Spotify, and many real estate/property businesses. Events are also a big part of how we connect artists with businesses, these have included showpiece events with adidas in some of their European flagship stores, with our London Oxford Street activations boasting over 2,500 attendees on the launch events. Finally, we support businesses with commissioning and purchasing art from our creative community. This has included commissions from the likes of Instagram, Disney, Hugo Boss, Birkenstock, and many others. Our mission is to get artists unique and exciting opportunities and importantly getting them paid fairly.

How can arts institutions engage in meaningful change to improve inclusion and access for young people in the arts?

What advice do you have for young people/students who want to pursue a career in the creative sector?

Be yourself and have fun. Authenticity and consistency are key in developing a creative practice especially when there are so many distractions. Try to avoid judging everything by social media interactions and keep exploring, experimenting, and collaborating.

What are you most looking forward to in your role as curator for Origins Creatives 2025?

I can’t wait to see all the incredible submissions from the creative stars of tomorrow! It’s an honour to be selected as the curator for Origins Creatives 2025! With everything happening in the world and the challenges that young people are facing, I am really excited to see how the young creatives are using their artistic voices to bring stories to life and the celebration of a wide range of artistic disciplines. I am also very much looking forward to curating the show at Mall Galleries, the space is truly a curator's wonderland and to be able to curate an exhibition in such a prime central London location with talented emerging creatives is certainly a milestone moment in my career. The mission of Creative Debuts aligns so well with Origins Creatives that I hope that beyond the exhibition it’s an opportunity to support many of the artists through our variety of services and to connect them with brands, business and art lovers.

The submission window for this year's exhibition is from Monday 19 May to Friday 20 June 2025.