Creative | University of Brighton Alumni Association

Melody Hesaraky’s story since graduating

Melody Hesaraky graduated in BA Hons Design and Craft in 2014. She was one of our shortlisted Alumni Award nominees. Here is her story. What have you got up to since leaving the university? In 2014 I received my BA(Hons) Bachelor of arts in 3D Design and Craft from University of Brighton. My curiosity and…

The Future of Footwear – by Alex Witty

Alex Witty is one of our (BSc) Product Design students. Alex has won several awards and prizes, including the ‘Santander Universities – University of Brighton Growth Grant’, and the ‘Fred Maillardet Breakthrough Award’. Here’s Alex’s story in his own words: “I’m Alex Witty, a 3rd year Product Design (BSc) student at the University of Brighton…

Need it Made by Alex Burn

Alex Burn graduated in Product Design in 2010. As a result of his experiences during his time at Brighton, he then set up his company Need it Made. Here is his story: In the final year of my Product Design and Technology course where we were given free rein to complete any project we wanted…

Alison’s leading role for the Fringe

University of Brighton graduate and recipient of an honorary doctorate degree, Alison Lapper MBE, has been chosen as Freedom Season Ambassador for the Brighton Fringe Festival. The Freedom Season was created in 2018 as a way for disabled, neuro-diverse, deaf and hard of hearing audiences and artists to access the festival more easily. The season…

How Dumbo inspired top fashion designer

Walt Disney’s big-eared elephant Dumbo is the inspiration for the latest collection from one of the UK’s leading fashion designers, Brighton-based Ong Oaj Pairam. Ong, who graduated from the University of Brighton with a BA(Hons) in Fashion and Business in 2008, is famed for his luxury women’s wear designs including his film premiere creation for…

Graduate’s ‘Naked Truths’ chosen for national exhibition

A University of Brighton graduate has been selected to exhibit her work in FBA Futures 2020, the annual survey of contemporary figurative art being produced in UK art schools. Miranda Forrester, who graduated this year in Fine Art Painting, created ‘Naked Truths’ which will feature in what is the UK’s largest annual survey of its…

Painting Oxbridge’s first female professor

A Brighton graduate has been commissioned to create a portrait of the first female Oxbridge professor. Sara Lavelle was selected by a management committee at The University of Cambridge’s McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research to paint pioneering archaeologist Professor Dorothy Garrod. The painting, which is on display at the Institute, marks the 80th anniversary of…

The rise and rise of a Brighton graduate

A TV producer and director behind some of the UK’s biggest shows revealed today how his “invaluable” time at the University of Brighton helped kick-started his meteoric career journey. Winston Gallagher graduated with a Media degree in 2003 and has since worked with the likes of Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and on some of…

The Brighton Effect: Serge Attukwei Clottey

Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey’s performance installations highlight Ghana’s soaring levels of pollution and help draw attention to social injustice… In Ghana, jerrycans play a vital role in transporting water in times of drought but leave behind an environmental catastrophe, lying discarded by the side of the road, on city dumps and beaches and clogging…

The Brighton Effect: Hair of the Dog

Textiles graduate Jade Evans reveals how she’s creating home furnishings from dog hair as told to Alice Leader. “I grew up with long-haired German Shepherd dogs for pets and I remember their hair being everywhere. When you brushed them you’d end up with these massive bundles of hair. I’ve never forgotten that image, so when…