Ishaan Anurag

MA - Visual Communication

Following in the footsteps of his family, Ishaan’s Postgraduate journey was set in stone from an early age. University led him to proudly showcase his culture and heritage through his work.

“The main reason I wanted to study a postgraduate course was to reboot my creativity. If there was one thing I wanted, it was to feel that spark again, so these pushes and pulls gave me the drive to pursue my MA. 

I decided on pursuing a Master’s very early on in my life, so I’ve felt very headstrong about it and had a plan in place for a while. Many members of my family have obtained a postgraduate degree, which inspired me from a young age. 

Initially, being in the UK was very overwhelming. I realised the Western audience didn’t understand some aspects of Indian culture, which is what I like to portray in my work. I decided to use this to my advantage and teach others about the sides of my culture they may not know about. It was also important for me to educate other Indians that have been brought up in the UK on these various cultural aspects.

There’s no denying that Birmingham is an incredibly diverse city and the university follows suit. Something special that happened during my time at BCU was a potluck that me and my course mates hosted. The potluck consisted of each student bringing an item of food from their culture or religion, which was really fulfilling as we all got to learn more about each other’s backgrounds and try new things.

To me, nothing is more exciting than being given the chance to develop yourself further and expand your opportunities. I have had the chance to participate in workshops and exhibitions which I feel like really helped to expand my horizons. I am proud to say I have explored new ways of boosting my creativity through learning different techniques, trying different processes and seeing myself achieve new milestones.

As an introvert, I need time to open up to others and tend not to reach out. My peers and staff on my course reached out to me first, which instantly made me feel welcome and at ease. This started before I had even arrived in the UK.

I can confidently say BCU has helped me come out of my shell. Part of this was because of the way my course was structured – it forced me to talk to my peers to get feedback and collaborate. The diversity of the university also helped me open up and let go of my awkwardness. I did not struggle to become part of the community: it felt like I was already in it.

I AM BCU is something I feel I can own and say it proudly. It has become a part of my lifestyle.”