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Meet Brighton’s Titans (Arts and Humanities)

Brighton’s College of Arts and Humanities offers a range of degree courses that are as diverse and vibrant as Brighton itself. So many of our students have gone on to excel in creative fields after graduating, and as part of the Brighton’s Titans campaign we’re pleased to share just a few of their achievements, and their thoughts.

Renowned artist Alison Lapper MBE graduated with a BA in Fine Art in 1992, and has since gone on to a hugely successful art career – receiving an MBE in 2003 for services to art. According to Alison, Brighton had a major role to play in setting her on this path: “Brighton gave me the confidence I needed to be successful,” she says. “Confidence about my art and my skills, about my body, about who I am. To begin with I wasn’t quite up to scratch and came out with a first class degree. I worked hard to do it and loved every minute of it.”

The theme of confidence is echoed by Fox Fisher, the film-maker, designer and transgender spokesperson who earned a postgraduate degree in Sequential Design/Illustration in 2005. “I learned that I could be valued as a creative,” he says. He also recalls being inspired by the diversity of his classmates. “The MA course, Sequential Design and Illustration was full of people from all walks of life, interested in all sorts of practices. This helped me realise we were all part of the same creative pot and there are many ways to approach a creative brief.”

Curator, artist and gallery founder Sophie Giblin found that discipline and focus were vital aspects of her Music and Visual Art degree. “I was in the studio every day and night. The drawing practice, which I still have today, taught me discipline and gave me a work ethic I use today in my work.”

She also valued the personal attention she received from her teachers: “My course was small and intimate – because of it I received large amounts of high quality mentoring and guidance from the lecturers.”