Professionals from across the modern media industries came together as the University of Lincoln’s School of Media welcomed more than 30 successful alumni back to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Lincoln has for the last two decades produced leading lights of global media production, with its graduates going on to work at the cutting edge of today’s radio, film, television and online entertainment industries.
During a day of special ‘Meet the Graduate’ events, current undergraduate students were invited to network with alumni members and attend a dedicated question and answer session with an expert panel of former students. Panel members included TV Editor Stuart Lutes, whose credits include Big Brother, Sky News and John Bishop’s Britain, and Holly Smith from The Brewery, a visual effects company that has produced music videos for Coldplay and Take That.
They were joined by more than 30 other media professionals from the School’s alumni network, including national television editors, producers and researchers, marketers, teachers and representatives from across the creative industries.
Speaking at the event, Dr Sarah Barrow, Head of the Lincoln School of Media, said: “We are delighted to be joined by so many of our alumni members to help us celebrate the 20th anniversary of Media education at Lincoln. It is truly inspiring to hear about their many successes, and it is invaluable for our current students to benefit from their vast experiences and to understand the wealth of opportunities on offer after graduation.
“According to recent reports, today’s media and creative industries are the ‘economic powerhouse’ of the UK, so we are extremely proud to offer our students some of the best career prospects in the country.”
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the School also launched its new Media Mentoring Scheme, which will see current undergraduate students working with industry mentors to support their personal and career development. Through the scheme, 25 mentors currently working in the media industries will be partnered with second and third year students to support their smooth transition from study into work.
Jordan Livermore, LSM alumnus and Assistant Producer for Channel 4’s Gadget Man, will act as a mentor on the scheme and also participated in the School’s ‘Meet the Graduates’ event. He said: “It is great to be involved in the new mentoring scheme, as I know how daunting it can be for students who are finishing their degree courses and taking the first step onto the career ladder, but this scheme provides a gentle gradient for them and buffers the impact of moving into industry from education.”
The Lincoln School of Media is home to esteemed Visiting Professors including former Vice President of Warner Bros. Studios, Rick Senat, and Richard Adams of Microsoft Studios. It is also renowned for launching the careers of multimedia YouTube sensations Thomas ‘TomSka’ Ridgewell, who has over 2.5 million subscribers and almost 500 million views on his channel, and Jack Howard, who was hailed as an “inspiration” by Jon Kilik, the Hollywood producer behind the award-winning Hunger Games films.