We are celebrating the outstanding achievements of alumni Bethany Williams, an internationally recognised artist and designer whose career has seen her win prestigious global awards and be featured in Vogue.
Bethany Williams began her creative journey at UCM, completing the Art Foundation diploma before progressing to study Critical Fine Art Practice at university. She later spent three years working across the fashion and art industries, before completing a master’s degree in menswear at the renowned London College of Fashion.
Since then, Bethany has built a globally respected creative practice, earning major industry recognition. Her accolades include the Vogue Fashion Fund Prize and the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, alongside being recognised by the LVMH Prize and the Woolmark Prize. Her work has also been featured in Vogue, where she collaborated with sustainability editor Emily Chan on a personal piece exploring creativity, recovery, and wellbeing.
Reflecting on her time at UCM, Bethany credits the Art Foundation year as pivotal, describing it as transformative. She said: “If I’m being honest, it was my favourite year of my life. It was so nice to find people who were interested in the same things — it was like finding your people.”
The Art Foundation course encourages exploration across a wide range of disciplines including fine art, fashion, textiles, 3D design, film, sound, and photography.
Bethany added: “A lot of people come in with an idea of what they think they’ll do, but you actually leave doing something totally different. It gives you the time to explore and develop your portfolio. I always say it’s so good to do the Art Foundation — it helps you make the right decision when you go to university.”
Her international success highlights the strength of that creative foundation, with her work continuing to push boundaries by combining design with social impact.
Following a period of illness, Bethany returned to the Isle of Man to recover, reconnecting with her creative practice. This experience has informed her recent work, including collaborations with Bethlem Gallery at Bethlem Royal Hospital, where she developed research-driven projects exploring mental health and recovery.
This body of work will return to the Island in 2027.
Bethany’s journey showcases how creative talent nurtured at UCM can lead to global recognition — from award-winning work to features in one of the world’s most influential fashion publications.
Applications for the Art Foundation course starting this September are now open.