In recent years, through our heritage programmes NDACA and more recently, NDMAC, Shape has developed a relationship with Buckinghamshire New University which, from 2024, was reinforced by our official move from out of London to the university campus at High Wycombe. 

Since then we have delivered two exhibitions hosted by BNU in their new cultural centre at the Brunel Shed, by High Wycombe station. During these exhibitions we have grown closer ties with the BNU creative departments, and in late 2025 announced support in the form of a £500 bursary available to two disabled students studying art or design subjects. 

The funds for this award were made available thanks to a generous donation by former Shape trustee Mandi Stewart, herself a disabled artist, who raised the funds through the sale of a limited edition of handmade prints. Mandi has extensive experience of the further education system and wanted to provide tangible form of support and encouragement to students facing disabling barriers. 

As is widely known, undergraduate study can often be a pressurised time of life, with increased demands for success and achievement accompanied by financial constraints, compounded by uncertainties associated with unreliable housing and the pitfalls of leaving home for the first time.  

For disabled students, there can be additional frustrations and anxiety, for example in managing access requirements in the context of what is often a large sprawling campus in an unfamiliar town or city. Disabled students have told us of the challenges of finding employment on top of studies in order to support themselves financially; these challenges include a lack of accessible or flexible opportunities or owing to health issues. Obtaining tailored support from services designed to target disabled students can have its own challenges, since it can take significant time and effort to find out what support is available. Issues around securing accessible transport and parking can cause delays which may impact on a student’s capacity to attend lectures or tutorials in a timely manner, and when coming up against such barriers on a routine basis, we know it can be demoralising and fatiguing, as well as frustrating.   

All of this serves to remind us of the value of supporting disabled students in further education and why we are delighted to be able to make two awards to the current cohorts at BNU, of £500 each, in recognition of their talent and creative potential. 

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In wishing both students every success with their creative practice and future careers, we’d like to thank them for sharing insights into some of the challenges disabled students face. We are also most grateful for the input and support of Messua Poulin-Wolff, Course Leader/Senior Lecturer Fine Art, and Chris Allen AFHEA Course Leader and Lecturer, BA(Hons) Graphic Design & Illustration.

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Banner image: 'Nostalgia' (2025) by Sophie Cluderay. Description: Cropped photograph of an oil painting depicting a toddler with blonde hair, holding her small hand to her lips. Around her on the canvas are stars, hearts, and rainbows - some childlike, others pixelated - drawn with oil pastel.