Alumni News

In a world of single-use fashion and flat-pack furniture, a BCU Alumnus is on a mission to give a new lease of life to treasures which could have ended up in landfill.

Two BCU graduates have collaborated on an art exhibition which is currently on tour at Handsworth library, inspired by its users. 

We’re delighted to boast an incredible alumni community, including many inspirational women excelling in their chosen industries. This International Women's Day, we’re looking back at some of the great successes from our talented graduates in the past year.

A BCU Alumna and illustrator successfully crowdfunded her music festival children’s book, leading to a reading of the book being recorded by CBeebies at Glastonbury Festival. 

School of Acting graduate Jonathan Houlston will be starring in the stage adaptation of Farm Boy, Michael Morpurgo’s sequel to War Horse. 

Karina Jassi graduated with a BA (Hons) Textile design degree from BCU in 2023. During BCU’s Inspired Festival that same year, Karina exhibited her work and won the ‘Bespoke Textiles’ Award, landing her a month-long internship at British Couture brand, Jennifer Clair. We sat down with Karina to ask her about her experience working there. 

A BCU Alumna is one of the many faces working hard behind the scenes to bring the multi-award-winning musical, Hamilton, to stages across the country in its first UK and Ireland tour. Stage Management alumna Lauren Wood, who joined the Hamilton team last summer, has worked on touring productions since she graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2017.

Acting Alumna Danielle Pinnock has won a Hollywood Create Alliance (HCA) TV Award for her portrayal of Alberta in the US adaptation of hit sitcom Ghosts, saying it “feels surreal.” 

BCU Media and Communications Alumnus Steve Wynne, who was part of the Sonic AM team 30 years ago, returned to campus this week to meet with the Redux Radio team, be interviewed live on  air and offer advice to those following in his footsteps. 

Mark Cund completed a BSc (Hons) in Computing and Electronics in 2008, before returning to study for an MSc in Automotive Calibration and Control, which he graduated from in 2012.

Nicholas Anderton-Franklin, who graduated with a BA (Hons) Theatre Design from BCU in 1999, has been growing his collection for almost 20 years.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire alumni Seth Bye and Chris Roberts, the musicians behind Filkin’s Drift, have taken sustainable touring to the next level after completing their latest tour by foot.

From Line of Duty to Peaky Blinders, Acting alumnus Nigel Boyle has become a staple of British television since he graduated in 2002.

Mercia Jensen, who graduated with a first-class honour’s degree in Nursing in 2017 and completed a postgraduate certificate in Public Health earlier this year, faced a series of challenges to get to where she is today.

Olivia plays a key role in planning rehearsals, browsing music, and coming up with new ideas, as well as working closely with the professional dancers and producers, and putting together creative plans for upcoming shows.