Meet some of our staff, students and alumni - find out how they got into their industry, what they learned during their time at ARU, and what inspires their creativity.
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Music TherapyAmanda LeeAfter graduating from our MA Music Therapy, Amanda returned to her home country of Taiwan to work as a freelance music therapist.
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DramatherapyCharlee TsaiSince graduating from our MA Dramatherapy, Charlie has worked as a dramatherapist in London before returning to Taiwan to promote dramatherapy in her home country.
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Fashion DesignCosmin DiaconuCosmin Diaconu studied on our BA (Hons) Fashion Design, and since then has established his own brand Retrogusto, worked for Levis, started a denim repair company, and even worked on designs for Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour.
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PhotographyKyle HorneKyle is a BA (Hons) Photography student and Course Rep at ARU’s Cambridge School of Art. He’s also a music photographer and runs his own online music magazine.
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Fine ArtAnna DermitzakiAnna Dermitzaki graduated from our MA Fine Art degree in 2021. Since then, she has worked across the arts and charity sectors and now works within the curatorial art team at the Eden Project, Cornwall.
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IllustrationKate WinterKate Winter is a Senior Lecturer on our BA Illustration degree, and a graduate of our MA Children’s Book Illustration. In 2024 she won the Klaus Flugge Prize for her book "The Fossil Hunter", published through Puffin Books.
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Drama & English LiteratureLeila KhanLeila Khan landed acting roles in Netlix’s Heartstopper series and the BBC’s Death in Paradise Christmas Special while studying on our BA (Hons) Drama & English Literature degree.
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Film ProductionNigel Sandridge and Erato KalliniErato and Sand are graduates of ARU’s MA Film and Television Production course and together formed the company NoMargins Media, working with artists and creatives on a range of projects.
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DramaKai ToktassynKai graduated from our BA (Hons) Drama degree in 2022, and since then has been building a career as a film actor and producer/ manager in his home country of Kazakhstan.
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Musical TheatrePippa O’BrienPippa teaches on our BA (Hons) Musical Theatre, and is also an actress and singer with a prolific career of performances on both television and stage, including the Only Fools and Horses musical and Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge.
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Senior Lecturer, IllustrationDr Nanette HoogslagNanette is Senior Lecturer in Illustration at ARU, and a practising illustrator and organiser/curator. She is also Principal Editor of the Journal of Illustration.
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ActingOliver OxleyOliver Oxley is one of the first cohort of students on our BA (Hons) Acting degree, which started in 2022-3. He also performs with various theatre troops around Cambridge.
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ActingTrey AugustusTrey is a mature student on our BA (Hons) Acting course at ARU. Originally from California, after three years working in the UK he decided to concentrate on his acting, taking up roles with various troupes around Cambridge as well as joining our course.
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Film and Television ProductionMegan WigginsMegan Wiggins came from Long Beach, California in the US to study on our MA Film and Television Production. She’s also a member of ARU’s volleyball team, and was awarded an athletic scholarship to play for the university.
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Creative WritingJan CaseyJan Casey graduated from our MA Creative Writing course in 2010, and has since established herself as an author of historical fiction, publishing four novels through Aria Fiction and now working on a fifth.
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Fine ArtRosie RuoxiRosie graduated from our MA Fine Art in 2022 and is now establishing herself as a practising artist in China, as well as preparing for her PhD.
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Interior DesignEleanor PennyEleanor Penny graduated from our BA (Hons) Interior Design in 2020 and, following various roles in design-related companies, now works for Cambridge-based design studio Layrd Design.
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Fine ArtIan WolterIan Wolter graduated from our BA (Hons) Fine Art in 2015. Since then he has been awarded many high profile commissions and awards, including the Art Laguna Prize.
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Film ProductionJosh NewmanJosh Newman is Senior Lecturer in Film Production at ARU. A filmmaker with 25 years of industry experience in TV, film, visitor attractions and online marketing, he has a broad interest in using video storytelling for education, communication and social justice.
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Computer GamesMichal StaniewskiMichal moved to the UK from Poland when he was about 8 years old. He graduated from our BSc Computer Games Technology with a first class honours, and is now a game developer at Jagex.
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Film and Television ProductionGabi KaziukonyteGabi graduated from our BA (Hons) Film and Television Production in 2020, and now works as Senior VFX Co-ordinator with Cambridge-based visual effects studio VineFX.
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PhotographyAliz Kovacs-ZoldiAliz graduated from our BA (Hons) Photography degree in 2022, and has been working freelance as a portrait photographer since then. She received the Student Photographer of the Year Award from Amateur Photographer magazine after their coverage of her major project work.
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Writing and English LiteratureSam MillarSam Millar graduated from our BA (Hons) Writing and English Literature degree in 2019. His first poetry collection Retail Park was published in 2022 by Querencia Press.
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Fine ArtFrancesca GagniFrancesca Gagni is on the final year of our BA (Hons) Fine Art degree. An Italian national who emigrated to the UK in 1998, she is hoping to go on to teach fine art when she graduates.
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Music TherapyRachael StalkerRachael Stalker graduated from our MA Music Therapy degree in 2022, and now works as a music therapist at a Special Needs School near Cambridge.
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Film and Television ProductionAgata KazmierczakAgata graduated from our BA (Hons) Film and Television Production degree in 2022. She currently works as a Technical Operator at BBC News in London, mostly mixing sound for live programmes and bulletins.
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Graphic DesignLexi CurtisLexi Curtis is a student on our MA Graphic Design degree, as well as the Course Representative and President of the Z.A.M.P. (Zines And Mini Publications) Society.
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Dramatherapy PlacementMadelaine and RebeccaMadelaine is a graduate of our MA Dramatherapy degree. During the course, she attended a placement under the mentorship of Rebecca at London Disability Network and now works as a registered Dramatherapist.
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Music Therapy PlacementCaterina and AnaCaterina is a student on our MA Music Therapy. As part of the course she attended a clinical placement under the supervision of Ana at Hollanden Park Hospital, further developing the skills she learned on the course with real-world practice and patients.
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IllustrationKristin RoskifteKristin Roskifte graduated from our BA Illustration in 1998. After studying for her MA, she returned to Norway to write and illustrate her own picturebooks. Her latest, 'Everybody Counts', was awarded the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize 2019.
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Graphic DesignMardiya AurangzebMardiya is a graduate of both our BA (Hons) Graphic Design and MA Graphic Design and Typography. She now works as a freelance Graphic Designer as well as teaching graphic design to FE students.
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WritingMegan HerdsonMegan is a graduate of our BA (Hons) Writing and Film Studies and MA Creative Writing, and worked as Senior Campaign Officer at ARU until 2022.
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Graphic DesignBlessing RaimiBlessing Raimi is a Digital Designer at award-winning media agency DTV Group, and a graduate of our BA (Hons) Graphic Design course.
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Writing and FilmMichael BruceMichael is a BA (Hons) Writing and Film student from Macon, Georgia, in the US, who enjoys making horror films in particular.
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Film and Television ProductionVictoria BurrowsVictoria is an alumni of our BA (Hons) Film and Television Production. After graduating, she worked as a runner for Technicolor, before becoming Production Coordinator and then Producer. She is now working as a VFX Coordinator for Scanline.
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Children's Book IllustrationAining WenAfter graduating from our MA Children's Book Illustration, Aining returned to Beijing to work as a children's book editor with Daylight Publishing House. She has also published several picturebooks of her own, including 'Fairy Song', 'Secrets of Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments', 'Goodnight Baby', and the Bologna-shortlisted 'Cello Swan'.
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Fashion DesignMonique BrownTechnical Officer Monique Brown began her career as a costume designer for feature films, working on the likes of Luc Besson's 'The Fifth Element' and George Lucas' 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace'. She now works in our fashion studios, helping students and staff develop their creative process.
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ScreenwritingToby VenablesToby Venables teaches screenwriting modules at ARU. A professional screenwriter with a particular interest in horror, he has co-written a BAFTA-winning film, 'His House', for Netflix, and also published four novels.
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Graphic DesignNick JeevesAs well as teaching Graphic Design, Nick Jeeves produces books as editor for the Ruskin Arts Publications and The Public Domain Review. He also publishes small editions of original writing and revived historical texts through his own imprint Mulita Small Editions.
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Music TherapyJamal J GlynnJamal graduated from out MA Music Therapy in 2011 as the first MA music therapist in the world to use the steelpan as primary instrument. After this, he returned home to Trinidad, and within three weeks was assigned to the Ministry of Health.
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IllustrationChris DraperChris Draper is Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Illustration at Cambridge School of Art and a freelance illustrator who has worked on editorials for the likes of New Scientist, GQ, and The Independent newspaper; book covers for major publishing houses; and advertising for BT, NatWest, Weetabix, E-Cover, and Patek Phillipe.
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PhotographyDr Julia JohnsonJulia Johnson is Senior Lecturer on our BA (Hons) Photography. She runs a major first-year practice based module, and also oversees the contextual study element for a number of Cambridge School of Art courses.
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Children's Book IllustrationBo YangBo Yang is a freelance illustrator in Beijing, and a graduate of ARU's MA Children's Book Illustration course.
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Fashion DesignOlivia WelshOlivia is a graduate of our BA (Hons) Fashion Design at Cambridge School of Art, ARU, and founder of the fashion brand Olivia Annabelle.
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Art & DesignDr Idrees RasouliAn award-winning designer, academic, and researcher of products, processes, and places, with a focus on innovation and transformation, Dr. Idrees Rasouli is Deputy Head of Cambridge School of Art and Associate Professor of Art & Design, responsible for influencing and shaping the future of Art & Design education to deliver world-class teaching and research at the intersection between Art & Design practice.
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Graphic DesignConnie EsavwaConnie Esavwa graduated from our BA (Hons) Graphic Design, and is now hoping to get a job in a design/marketing agency or a publishing house.
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PhotographyJemima WillcoxJemima Willcox is cofounder of The Willcox Collective, a Cambridge-based visual content creation agency who consider themselves adventurers on a quest to deliver tech companies the best in visual content. She graduated from our BA (Hons) Photography in 2012.
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Fine ArtDavid RyanDavid is an artist involved with painting, video and also music. At ARU he is an Associate Professor in Fine Art 0.2, mainly dealing with PhD students as a supervisor.
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IllustrationCatherine RoweCatherine Rowe is a graduate of the BA (Hons) Illustration degree course at Cambridge School of Art, ARU, and founder of Catherine Rowe Designs.
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Digital Media ProductionEmily GoddenEmily Godden splits their time between lecturing on our BA Digital Media Production and running award-winning social enterprise Virtually There Studio, creating exhibitions, experiences and educational opportunities to benefit both the environment and personal wellbeing.
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Music TherapyRosie AxonAfter studying MA Music Therapy, Rosie Axon became Founder and Director at Chiltern Music Therapy, a not-for-profit organisation that provides music therapy to people of all ages across the UK.
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Children's Book IllustrationShelley JacksonShelley Ann Jackson is an author, illustrator and designer of children’s books, and at ARU she is Associate Professor and Course Leader for our MA Children’s Book Illustration. Even though she teaches illustration, she also gets to use her experience with writing and design on the course, because the three are inextricably linked in children’s books.
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Audio & MusicMark PickeringMark works at ARU as a Technical Officer and part-time lecturer for our BSc Audio Music Technology. Outside of ARU he works as a video director, and audio professional in both creative and technical capacities.
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Creative WritingJade SlaughterJade Slaughter studied on both our BA English Literature and MA Creative Writing, and is now Creative Content Manager for Scouts, the UK’s largest co-educational youth movement. Leading a team of content producers specialising in writing and design, they collaborate with studios and freelancers to produce digital, print, social and film content for the charity.
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PrintmakingJohn WilliamsJohn looks after the printmaking room and equipment at Cambridge School of Art, providing technical and practical support to students, staff, AA2A artists and other visiting artists.