School of Arts and Creative Industries
Hero Carousel
School of Arts and Creative Industries
Industry Links
We provide our students with strong industry links – placements, collaborations and staff with real industry experience.
Interdisciplinary
We believe interdisciplinary learning is a core component of future work – cross-School collaborations and opportunities providing students with broader experience and skills.
Entrepreneurial
We want our students to be entrepreneurial – providing students with skills and experience to choose their own career path.
Industry Week 2025
An exciting week of unique opportunities, providing insights into careers in the creative industries across a wide range of disciplines. From industry insight visits to guest speakers, enterprise support and networking.
Who we are
Our academic staff create a diverse and innovative learning environment that will not only challenge you but also expose you to a rich mix of culture and knowledge.
You will be supported by excellent technical and administrative staff, and the courses are taught in purpose-built facilities to ensure you have a full suite of resources available to you throughout your study.
We are at the heart of the cultural life of our local communities and of London itself: supplying some of the key talent, skills and ideas that will help shape the future of the UK's creative economy.
The School of Arts and Creative Industries' breadth of media, fashion and performance areas are grounded in creative excellence and framed by extensive community and industry collaboration. Our music, dance, drama, performing arts and acting courses are part of the vibrant arts and theatre scene of East London, with our yearly FUEL performance festival standing as one example of this.
Our media courses engage you in a range of cutting-edge media practice and debates and allow you to learn by practising your skills in real live contexts, such as film festival participation (Film), football clubs (Sports Journalism) and games jams (Games). Our fashion design, textiles and marketing courses have innovation and enterprise at their heart, challenging the boundaries of traditional design, textile, fashion business and marketing. Our courses participate in a wide range of influential activities inclusive of the learning experience at UEL such as fashion weeks, trade shows and collaborative projects with industry partners in design, retail, styling, sustainable textile developments for industry and much more.
- All our students develop a range of practical skills and techniques while developing an understanding of the professional, cultural, social, technological contexts of their practice.
- As well as learning about your subject we prepare you for the jobs of tomorrow. We equip you with useful life skills.
- We provide you with strong industry links - placements, collaborations and staff with real industry experience.
- We believe interdisciplinary study is a core component of future work - cross-School collaborations and opportunities provide you with broader experience and skills.
- We encourage an entrepreneurial spirit.
- We celebrate the diversity in the School - a rich mix of students, staff, experience and opportunities nurture a creative and collaborative environment.
All our students are taught in discipline specific spaces equipped with facilities, materials and equipment loans for making, performing and collaborating on practical projects.
Students perform in a range of multi-purpose performance studios, production spaces and sound studios at our USS campus.
Fashion facilities at the Docklands campus include pattern cutting and sewing studios that boast state of the art machinery for manufacturing.
Production and media students benefit from a range of green screen, newsroom, mac labs, edit, games and animation suites.
Our subjects
-
![]()
Media
Our nine media courses offer the perfect mix of practical skills, knowledge and analysis, propelling you towards a rewarding future in the creative industries.
-
![]()
Performing Arts
The USS campus is equipped to help you succeed. Tap into our deep expertise and select from 11 performing arts courses to fully develop your skills in music, dance, theatre, and performance.
-
![]()
Fashion
Our fashion and textile department offers eight exciting courses in design, textiles, marketing and creative business studies.
Our staff
School of Arts and Creative Industries
Dean of School: Rosemary Stott
School office
- Dean of School: Dr Rosemary Stott
- Director of Education and Experience: Carla Trim-Vamben
- Director of Careers and Enterprise: Alison Lowe MBE
- Creative Director of Youth Empowerment Services Partnership and Venue, Director of Impact and Innovation: Professor Dominic Hingorani
- Director of the Youth Empowerment Services Partnership and Venue: Kritee Gower
- Head of Department Fashion and Music, Writing and Performing Arts: Beatrice Newman
- Head of Department for Media: Dekan Apajee
- Co-Head of Department for Music, Writing & Performance: Carla Trim-Vamben and Professor Dominic Hingorani
- School Business Manager: Buky Osifeso
- Deputy School Manager: Eunice Arkhurst
- Departmental Officer: Julia Agiejew
Department of Fashion
- Beatrice Newman – Head of Department
- Sharon Hughes - Course Leader BA Fashion Marketing and Communications
- Wesley Hartwell - Course Leader BA Fashion Design
- Tania Phipps-Rufus - Course Leader BA Fashion Culture and Business
- Alison Lowe - Course Leader MBA Fashion Entrepreneurship
- Catherine Hudson - Course Leader MA Creative Enterprise
- Kamilla Jones - Course Leader Fashion Studies Top-Up
- Kent Le - Course Leader International Fashion Business
- Basil Lam - Lecturer, Fashion Design
- Hattie Crowther - Senior Lecturer, Fashion Design
- Lesley Robertson - Cluster Lead and Partnerships for Fashion
Department of Media
- Dekan Apajee – Head of Department for Media
- Dr Andrew Branch – Course Leader, MA (Hons) Media and Communication Industries
- Dr Charmaine Dambuza – Course Leader, BA (Hons) Advertising, BA Media and Communication
- Lape Olarinoye - Course Leader, BA (Hons) Social Media, BA Media and Communication
- Dr Alex Thomas – Course Leader, BA (Hons) Media Production
- Dr Roberta Garrett – Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Creative Writing
- Terry Bailey – Course Leader, BA (Hons) Creative Writing
- Dr David Chapman – Course Leader, MA Filmmaking
- Dr Jill Daniels – Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Film
- Dr Lindsay Hallam – Course Leader, BA (Hons) Film
- Johannes Maier – Course Leader, BA (Hons) Film
- Julian Alexander – Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Film
- Dr Julia Dane - Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Advertising, BA (Hons) Social Media, BA Media and Communication
- Dr Renata Brandao – Course Leader, Journalism Cluster (BA Journalism, BA Music Journalism, BA Fashion Journalism, MA Data Journalism, MA Global Sports Journalism)
- Dr Naida Redgrave - Course Leader, Journalism Cluster (BA Journalism, BA Music Journalism, BA Fashion Journalism, MA Data Journalism, MA Global Sports Journalism)
- Simon Miles – Senior Lecturer, Journalism cluster
- Dr Mark Beachill – Senior Lecturer, Journalism cluster
- Daniel Gallan – Lecturer, BA Sports Journalism, MA Global Sports Journalism
- Imraan Younas – Course leader, Games Cluster (BA (Hons) Game Programming, BA (Hons) 3D Game Art, BA (Hons) Game Design)
- Dr Milly Gunn – Course Leader, BA (Hons) Game Design
- Dan Welsh – Course Leader, BA (Hons) Game Design
- Patrick Quinnell – Senior Lecturer, Games Cluster (BA (Hons) Game Programming, BA (Hons) 3D Game Art, BA (Hons) Game Design)
- Pooja Pottenkulam – Course Leader, BA (Hons) Animation
- Mal Hartley – Lecturer, BA (Hons) Animation
- David Lashbrook – Senior Lecturer, Media Foundation courses
- Dr Anna Robinson - Course Leader, Media Foundation courses
- Carl Hayden-Smith - Associate Professor, Media
Department of Performing Arts
- Carla Trim-Vamben - Director of Education & Experience & Co Head of Department PA
- Dominic Hingorani - Creative Lead of Theatre Square & Co Head of Department PA
- Clare Qualmann - Associate Professor and Course Development and Enhancement lead PA
- Sarahleigh Castelyn – Reader & Research Degree Leader
- Evi Stamatiou – Course Leader MA Acting
- Juliet Knight - Course Leader BA Acting for Stage and Screen
- Lynne McCarthy - Course Leader MA & MFA Applied Theatre
- Tom Drayton – Course Leader MA Theatre Directing/MA Directing for Stage & Screen
- Caroline Griffiths - Senior Lecturer BA Acting for Stage and Screen
- Carrie Mueller – Senior Lecturer across MA/MFA Suite
- Claudia Brazzale – Senior Lecturer across MA/MFA Suite
- Liselle Terret – Associate Professor in Performance
- Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy – Senior Lecturer BA Acting for Stage and Screen
- Paul Woodward – Senior Lecturer across Performing Arts
- Tristan Parkes - Senior Lecturer BA Acting for Stage and Screen
- Fred Folkes - Co Course Leader BA Dance
- Karine Goudout - Co Course Leader BA Dance
- Jo Read – Senior Lecturer, BA Dance
- Robert Nicholson - Senior Lecturer BA Dance & Interim ACI Quality Lead
- Yassmin Foster - Lecturer across Acting & Dance
- Sonke Prigge - Co Course Leader BA Music Performance & Production
- Tommaso Perego – Course Leader BA & MA Sound and Music
- Tony Nwachukwu - Course Leader BA Music Technology & Production
- Yumi Hara Cawkwell - Co Course Leader BA Music Performance & Production
- Fola Phillip – Lecturer across Music Suite
- Gordon Kerr – Senior Lecturer BA Music Technology & Production
- Guy Harries - Senior Lecturer BA Music Performance & Production
- Jeremy Gilbert - Professor across BA and MA Music Suite
- Tim Lawrence – Professor BA Music Technology & Production
- Martin Heaney - A brilliant soul
Technical staff
- Dean Todd - Technical Resources Manager
- Rob Reed - Technical Services Officer
Media
- Aklima Ali - Technical Assistant - Stores
- Josephine Callaghan -Technical Assistant
- Joao Cipriani - Technical Assistant - Stores
- Teresa Duran - Technical Assistant
- Angeline Ferguson - Technical Assistant
- Jack Florish - Technical Assistant
- Salma Vohra - Technical Associate
Performing Arts
- Jono Bell - Technical Associate
- Patrick Evans -Technical Assistant - Stores
- Steve Rolle - Technical Assistant - Stores
- Julian Shapter - Technician
- Karina Townsend - Technician
Fashion
- Zoe Hodgson - Technical Associate
- Nuraan Peterson - Technician
- Jo Primiano - Technical Assistant
Industry Links and Research
Research
The School of Arts and Creative Industries is a centre of excellence for innovative and creative research, across and between a range of disciplines - among them film and media, fashion, computer games; performing arts, music, dance and drama; cultural studies and creative writing. Our research is socially engaged, collaborative and interdisciplinary and is integrated into the student experience by our research-active staff.
It is also embedded in our East London location; issues of diversity and marginalisation, cultural and social regeneration, social justice and community cohesion, are central themes. Our research activities include not only academic books and articles but also theatre performances, musical and fashion events, gallery exhibitions, and films.
Our work addresses public policy, neoliberalism and the cultural impact of digital technology, alongside debates about creative practice, cultural memory and modern urban cultures. Both in scholarly publications and creative practice research, we aim to question and illuminate, which in turn engages and motivates students to become active participants alongside our researchers in wider civic and cultural life.
Research-informed teaching is a key part of our research culture. Student experience at all levels is enriched by the encounter with original research: students are taught by leading experts in their fields, and have opportunities to participate in creative external research projects through internships and placements. We have a lively programme of events and seminars that students are welcome to attend, offering interaction and debate.
Industry links
Our courses are focused on preparing students for careers in the creative industries, through a mix of skills and knowledge in production, theory, reflection, enterprise and industry engagement.
Students learn about the creative industries from day one and learn to produce work of professional standard for projects, festivals, business or entertainment, working to live or simulated briefs.
Our staff are makers, practitioners in industry or they research industry trends and developments. Companies we work with include V&A East, East London Dance, Urban Development (Music), ASOS, Amazon and Hand and Lock.
Interdisciplinary projects focus on the life and community of East London, bringing our courses to life through engagement with local enterprises, third-sector companies and local organisations.
Hear from our students
Krasimira Stoyneva is an award-winning fashion designer who pioneers the use of new materials and campaigns against animal cruelty with her slogan 'WEAR HAIR NOT FUR'.
I don't think I've ever been made to feel more welcome. Being surrounded by people who are friendly, social, and share your interests has to be one of the best things I can say about my university experience."
Ben Nizan
BA (Hons) Computer Games Design graduate