What to Expect at the RÚNTA RISING Degree Show in Ireland
Degree shows serve as a critical bridge between academic training and professional practice in the creative industries. For employers, curators, and peers, these events provide a concentrated look at the next generation of artists and makers. In Ireland, one of the most anticipated events on the creative calendar is the annual exhibition from the TU Dublin Media Production & Digital Arts (MPDA) programme. This year, the Class of 2026 presents RÚNTA RISING, an exhibition that highlights the depth of creative talent emerging from the country’s higher education sector.
RÚNTA RISING draws direct inspiration from the subversive nature of the speakeasy. Historically, speakeasies operated as hidden, peripheral spaces that fostered unique cultural movements away from the mainstream. The students have adopted this concept to structure an exhibition that feels both intriguing and intimate. Rather than a traditional gallery layout, visitors are invited into a carefully curated environment shaped by exploration and experimentation. The exhibition deliberately focuses on veiled and often overlooked spaces, using them as a lens to examine complex human experiences. Attendees will find the artwork addressing moments of joy, kinship, intimacy, openness, loss, and vulnerability. This thematic approach ensures that the show is not just a display of technical skill, but a cohesive narrative experience that encourages visitors to immerse themselves fully in the creative environment.
Explore our related articles for further reading on Ireland’s creative education landscape.
Diverse Disciplines Featured by TU Dublin MPDA Students
Modern media production requires a cross-disciplinary approach, and the RÚNTA RISING exhibition reflects this reality. The TU Dublin MPDA programme requires students to work across a wide array of media and digital arts disciplines before culminating in their final degree show. By viewing the exhibition, attendees gain a clear understanding of how these distinct fields intersect in contemporary practice.
The exhibition features robust sections dedicated to design and visual communication, demonstrating how typography, layout, and digital interfaces guide user experience. Film and video installations form a significant portion of the show, highlighting the students’ abilities to conceptualize, shoot, and edit compelling visual narratives. Alongside the moving image, the integration of visual effects (VFX) showcases how students manipulate and enhance footage to build immersive worlds.
Audio production is treated as an equal partner to the visual elements. Visitors can expect to encounter carefully constructed soundscapes, foley work, and mixed audio tracks that demonstrate a high level of technical proficiency. Animation and screenwriting portfolios further diversify the exhibition, proving that these students can both write original scripts and bring abstract concepts to life through motion graphics and 3D modeling. Finally, photography and emerging media technologies round out the display, offering a look at how traditional capture methods blend with cutting-edge digital tools. Have questions about the MPDA curriculum or the RÚNTA RISING event? Write to us!
The Intersection of Emerging Media Technologies and Traditional Storytelling
A defining characteristic of the TU Dublin MPDA programme is its emphasis on emerging media technologies. In the context of RÚNTA RISING, this translates to projects that push beyond standard screen-based presentations. Students are utilizing augmented reality (AR), interactive installations, and spatial audio to create experiences that require active audience participation.
This integration of technology is never treated as an end in itself. Instead, the students apply emerging technologies to serve traditional storytelling goals. A narrative about isolation might be best expressed through an interactive audio piece that reacts to the viewer’s physical proximity, while a story about hidden histories might utilize AR to overlay archival footage onto physical photographs. By prioritizing the narrative over the novelty of the tech, the students demonstrate a maturity that is highly sought after in the commercial creative sector. Their work reflects a rigorous engagement with critical research and cultural context, ensuring that the technology enhances the message rather than distracting from it.
Why Industry Professionals Should Attend TU Dublin Degree Shows
For industry professionals—whether running a design agency, managing a film production crew, or leading an in-house marketing team—attending local degree shows is a highly efficient recruitment strategy. The RÚNTA RISING exhibition at Rua Red provides direct access to a pooled talent base that has already been vetted through a rigorous four-year honors degree programme.
Reviewing online portfolios is useful, but viewing work in a physical space allows recruiters to assess how a candidate handles spatial design, scale, and audience interaction. It also provides an opportunity to witness the students’ problem-solving processes. The final degree show is the result of months of project management, from initial concept and proposal writing to final execution and installation. Seeing the finished product allows employers to gauge a candidate’s work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to deliver a large-scale project on a strict deadline.
Furthermore, degree shows offer a low-pressure networking environment. Faculty members are typically present and can provide valuable context regarding a student’s specific strengths and professional trajectory. Establishing a relationship with the TU Dublin MPDA faculty during events like RÚNTA RISING can help companies build a reliable pipeline of entry-level talent tailored to their specific industry needs.
How Aspiring Creative Students Can Benefit from Attending
For secondary school students and prospective applicants currently navigating the CAO process, attending a degree show like RÚNTA RISING is an invaluable research tool. Prospectuses and course websites provide outlines and learning outcomes, but they cannot convey the actual culture and aesthetic direction of a graduating class.
By visiting Rua Red, aspiring students can evaluate the standard of work produced by the programme. They can ask current graduates directly about their experiences, gaining unfiltered insights into the workload, the availability of equipment, and the quality of the lecturing staff. Understanding the thematic choices of the Class of 2026 can also help prospective students determine if their own creative sensibilities align with the environment at TU Dublin’s Tallaght Campus.
When attending, prospective students should look beyond the final product. Examine the artist statements written alongside the pieces to see how students articulate their concepts. Take note of the range of mediums on display—if you are interested in film but notice the programme also produces strong animation and audio work, recognize that as an opportunity to build a versatile skill set. Submit your application today to secure your place in a leading creative program.
Practical Details for Visiting the RÚNTA RISING Exhibition
The RÚNTA RISING exhibition is hosted at Rua Red, the South Dublin Arts Centre located in Tallaght. This venue is a well-established hub for the visual arts in Ireland, providing a professional, museum-quality setting for the students to present their work. The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, 23 May 2026, at 15:00. This opening event is highly recommended for those who wish to experience the work alongside the creators, faculty, and invited industry guests. The exhibition will remain open to the public daily until Saturday, 30 May 2026.
For those unable to visit the physical exhibition in person, the TU Dublin MPDA programme ensures the work remains accessible. Individual student portfolios from the Class of 2026 can be explored online at mpda.ie. This digital archive allows remote audiences, international recruiters, and those with scheduling conflicts to review the breadth of creative practice produced by this year’s graduates. The website typically features high-resolution documentation of physical installations, showreels of moving image work, and links to interactive digital projects.
Supporting Ireland’s Creative Future
Events like RÚNTA RISING are fundamental to the health of Ireland’s broader creative economy. They mark the transition of students from an academic framework into the professional world, signaling their readiness to contribute to commercial and cultural projects. The fact that this exhibition is grounded in themes of vulnerability, joy, and overlooked spaces indicates a generation of creators who are not only technically capable but deeply observant of the world around them.
TU Dublin continues to play a vital role in fostering this talent. By providing the infrastructure, mentorship, and critical framework necessary for students to execute ambitious projects, the university reinforces its position as a primary driver of creative talent in Ireland. Attending the RÚNTA RISING Degree Show is a direct way to support these emerging professionals and witness the future of the country’s media and digital arts sectors firsthand.
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