University of Brighton 25th Anniversary Alumni Magazine by University of Brighton

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT

25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

WELCOME to a very special edition of The Brighton Effect, our magazine for alumni and friends, produced especially to mark the 25th academic anniversary of Brighton achieving university status. We take enormous pride in the ongoing success of all our former students, wherever they are in the world and whichever path they choose. A number of our alumni are featured in the following pages. Cherry, 2016 Fittingly, the magazine has been created by several of our alumni, together with the help of MAISIE current students. And, for this celebratory edition, COUSINS three different covers have been produced, featuring FINE ART stunning photography from three of our alumni. PHOTOGRAPHY On behalf of all here at the University of Brighton, BA (HONS), 2014 I would like to say a huge thank you to the alumni who Since the age of 14, Maisie has utilised kindly spared their valuable time to be interviewed online platforms to and photographed. We are always happy to hear from showcase herself and work. Now with alumni and friends who want to contribute to our future her over 66,000 followers publications, so if you would like to do so, let us know by on Instagram, Maisie’s explores such emailing alumni@brighton.ac.uk. This is also the address work themes as femininity, power, nature and to use to pass on any feedback you have on this issue. all that is beautifully Enjoy delving in! grotesque. Her work has been exhibited in New York, Milan and at Tate Britain and she recently appeared on influential style magazine Dazed & Confused’s ‘Dazed 100’ list.

MRS SAM DAVIES

DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY AND ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON

Miyazaki, Japan, April 2000

MARK POWER

Bus Stop @ Brighton Pride, 2017

JJ WALLER

VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND FINE ART BA, 1981

EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BA (HONS), 1996

Mark worked in the editorial and charity markets before becoming a senior lecturer and professor of photography at the University of Brighton. To date, Mark has published nine books including Die Mauer ist Weg! in which he captured the fall of the Berlin Wall. A full member of Magnum Photos, his work is in numerous galleries and museums including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Pompidou Centre.

A former street entertainer and stand-up comedian, JJ’s photography career has seen him working on numerous awardwinning international advertising campaigns. Now working primarily as a street photographer, JJ’s images have appeared on billboards and tour posters and been published in books and magazines. His latest work, capturing the British at leisure, focuses on scenes in Brighton, Blackpool and Benidorm.

@UniversityBrightonAlumni @brightonalumni UniofBrighton

The University of Brighton is an exempt charity – reference number: XR7098.

CONTRIBUTORS: EDITOR:

PHOTOGRAPHY:

BUSINESS STUDIES HND, 1983

PHOTOGRAPHY MA, 2012

CREATIVE DIRECTOR:

ILLUSTRATIONS:

GRAHAM WRAY

FIONA LOMAS

LAURIE GRIFFITHS

JÂC COX

ILLUSTRATION BA (HONS), 2018

TOMÁS MORREN

EDITORIAL:

GAVIN NEWSHAM JULIETTE WILLS PRIYA KANTARIA NICOLA MORRISON JODIE RAWL TOM DAVIES LORENZO OTTONE

MASON MCDONAGH

CURRENT SPORT JOURNALISM STUDENT

HARRY TREND

CURRENT SPORT JOURNALISM STUDENT

JOURNALISM BA (HONS), 2018 The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Brighton.

CREATED BY:

mosaiccreates.co.uk

PRINT:

Gemini Print

The Brighton Effect is published for our global community of alumni and friends by the University of Brighton Alumni Association. © University of Brighton 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior consent of the publishers.

Life after university often takes a surprise path. Harvey Goldsmith, Norman Cook, Munroe Bergdorf and Tanya Streeter reveal their remarkable post-Brighton journeys

The wit and wisdom of inventor and entrepreneur Emily Brooke

04 SILVER LINES

42 VIEW FROM THE TOP

25 years of headline news

Meet Anji Hunter, Tony Blair’s most trusted advisor and once the most powerful unelected person in the country

06 THEN + NOW

CONTENTS

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed our nifty use of 25 in Roman numerals. Look out for it throughout this special edition.

40 WHAT I’VE LEARNT

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34 TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

A graphical guide to how times have changed

08 UNDER THE SKIN Actor and presenter Adam Pearson will change the way you look at him

12 STARS IN HIS EYES The world’s most sought-after fashion and celebrity (and royal wedding) photographer, Alexi Lubomirski, shoots from the hip

16 HEAD TO HEAD

45 PROSPECT EYE

Two vice presidents discuss the huge changes in 25 years of student welfare

25 years of undergraduate prospectuses. At a glance

19 ONE IN A MILLION Officially the world’s best teacher, Andria Zafirakou talks getting artists into schools and winning $1m

22 A MAN FOR THE AGES Student, tutor and professor, Roger Homan reminisces on a remarkable life at Brighton

24 PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON A photographic study of eight of our finest

46 THE BRIGHTON EFFECT Nine former students on how the University of Brighton helped define them

48 THE BIG BUILD A stunning £300m development is set to transform the University of Brighton — a new era begins

54 THE LAST WORD Vice-Chancellor, Professor Debra Humphris, reflects on the past and looks forward to the future

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SILVER

HITTING THE HEADLINES 25 YEARS OF MAKING NEWS

SILVER LINES

LINES

1992-93 BRIGHTON POLY SIGNS OFF! Out with the old, in with the new. In September, Brighton Polytechnic was granted university status and a new era begins.

2001 1999 BRIGHTON NAMED UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR The 90s ended with the University of Brighton becoming the first recipient of The Sunday Times University of the Year award. A clutch of excellent teaching quality assessments was behind the prestigious accolade, which also reflected the university’s strong research base and forward-looking approach. Research excellence was confirmed across the whole subject range from pharmacy, engineering and sport science, business management and education to social policy, leisure studies and art and design. The newspaper also cited the “staggering results” of the university’s Teaching Companies Centre. 4

WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH The Faculty of Arts and Architecture and the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences were given a ‘5’ rating in the government’s five-yearly national Research Assessment Exercise. The ‘5’ rating denotes work of international excellence in the research submitted. Confirmation of the international research standing coincided with the award of two prestigious new projects and research grants. The Faculty of Arts and Architecture announced that it was to take on an international graphic design archive, while the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences was awarded a £245,000 grant to develop a new treatment for the blood disorder sepsis.

2006

2014

2010

GRADUATE FASHION GOES GLOBAL

£7.6M SPORTS CENTRE OPENS

A spectacular new £7.6m sports centre on the Falmer campus opened its doors in October. Facilities include a 500m2 main fitness suite equipped with more than 80 stations of Life Fitness machines. There is also a six-court sports hall, two 180m2 activity studios, a seminar room and synthetic pitch along with a netball centre and outdoor pitches. The building also boasts a host of environmental features including a green roof, solar-powered heating and rainwater harvesting. The centre provides access to contemporary training facilities for the School of Education primary teacher training course and an expanded range of physical education opportunities to all students. As well as hosting a number of new sports clubs, the new centre also encourages more of the university community to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.

Custom designed to provide a rich teaching and research environment, the facility enables students to study the social significance of eating as well as the psychology of the consumption of food. “I’m completely overwhelmed by the facility,” said Stein (pictured centre). “It’s wonderfully sexy and so far removed from the facilities that I used when I was first training.”

SILVER LINES

Renowned chef and honorary graduate of the university, Rick Stein, officially opened the new £400,000 Culinary Arts Studio on the Eastbourne campus. The stunning studio incorporates an open-plan kitchen and restaurant and can also be configured as a research facility, allowing clients to test products in a ‘live’ environment or to commission bespoke research from the school.

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STEIN SERVES UP NEW STUDIO

Our 2014 graduate fashion show drew its biggest ever audience when it was streamed live to a global audience. In an innovative first, the Fashion and Business graduates’ catwalk show was streamed live from the Truman Brewery in London, creating a huge impact around the world. In addition, the university’s fashion was judged ‘world-class’ in a global survey by style website fashionista.com

2011 LORD WINSTON OPENS BIOSCIENCE BUILDING In July, scientist and TV presenter Lord Robert Winston opened the university’s £23m Huxley Building, the new home of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences. The Huxley Building contains state-of-the-art facilities for pharmacy education and research with modern laboratories for teaching all aspects of the pharmaceutical sciences. Named after the Huxley family, credited with contributing to the understanding of science, literature, commerce and politics, the building is home to breakthrough research into ageing, diabetes and activities promoting science,

2017-18

SILVER AWARD, GREEN LIGHT!

technology, engineering and mathematics to young people. Lord Winston said, “What’s really exciting at Brighton is the amount of engagement the university does. We now have a chance to reduce and make seamless the barrier between schools and what were previously mysterious, elitist and out of touch universities.”

In the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the University of Brighton received a prestigious Silver award for its teaching quality. The award signified that the quality of teaching and learning environment experienced by University of Brighton students consistently exceeded the rigorous national requirements for higher education in the UK. In another resounding recommendation, planning permission was granted for the £300m redevelopment of the university’s Moulsecoomb campus. ‘The Big Build’ finally gets the big go-ahead. 5

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NOEL EDMONDS’ HAIR ASIDE, A LOT’S CHANGED SINCE 1992.

THEN + NOW

THEN

Twenty-five years ago, you’d saunter to the pub, the wind billowing your big baggy jeans and hand over £1.29 for a pint of bitter. Small beer when your free student grant was worth £1,710. Today, you’d have to shell out £4.35 from your student loan. Still, it is craft ale so it must be worth it. Or perhaps in the early 90s, you deserved a relaxing coffee after spending three hours programming the video recorder to tape the wrong TV show. Well, select from a magnificent choice of either, er, black or white. From a jar. These days, who needs pesky shopping trips and socialising when you can stay on the couch? Facebook has 1.1 billion users whilst, according to Ofcom, nine in ten people in the UK now have internet access at home. Prompting UK households to spend an average of £4,611 per year online — more than any other country.

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON THEN + NOW

But let’s talk mobile phones. First they liberated us, then they connected us and now they control us. Back in 1992, the Motorola International 3200 was the first digital hand-held phone. Albeit the size and weight of a brick. Today, according to Deloitte, four out of five UK adults now have a smartphone. And with the sleek iPhone XS delivering the world to your palm, it’s hard to focus on anything else. Like that busy road you’re about to cross. No wonder there are plans to follow Germany and install crossing lights at knee-height to catch the attention of zombie walkers permanently glued to their phone. Still, why look up for traffic hurtling towards you when you’ve important emails to check. Globally, 269 billion of them are sent every single day. At least 14 of which aren’t from LinkedIn. Happy days!

NOW

ILLUSTRATED BY JÂC COX ILLUSTRATION BA (HONS), 2018

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

ND R E e

UNDER THE SKIN

K S N I

BY LORENZO OTTONE AND TOM DAVIES 8

* Business Management BA (Hons), 2007

Photography: Laurie Griffiths

ACTOR AND PRESENTER ADAM PEARSON* TALKS PREJUDICE, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND GETTING NAKED WITH SCARLETT JOHANSSON

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UNDER THE SKIN

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ACTOR, PRESENTER, CAMPAIGNER AND BEDFELLOW OF ONE OF THE PLANET’S MOST GLAMOROUS WOMEN, THERE’S CERTAINLY MORE TO ADAM PEARSON THAN MEETS THE EYE

UNDER THE SKIN

But first, the superficial. The Londonborn 33-year-old suffers from neurofibromatosis, a condition that affects one in every 2,300 people and which causes non-cancerous tumours to grow on nerve tissue. But rather than let the condition defeat him, Adam’s rich, full life is constantly changing the way people look at him. “My mum always raised me to live the life I have, rather than bitch about the one I don’t,” he says cheerfully. “So I’ve just got on with things.” Adam arrived at the University of Brighton in 2004 to study a degree in Business Management. “As soon as I arrived in Brighton, I fell in love with the place,” he recalls. “It just seemed the right place for me. It was incredibly diverse, multicultural, bizarre and a little bit mad in a good way. If you come to Brighton, you’re already a certain kind of person because the city attracts such open and diverse people.” Adam immediately embraced student life. “Me and my housemates used to be regulars at the Gloucester pub because they had great deals on shots,” he laughs. “But, the course itself was engaging, and one of my lecturers, Gary Priddis, was a very dry and funny man” “I thought Business Management would give me a good understanding of how businesses and the economy work. I reasoned that I could fit it in anywhere and I’ve been proved right because I still use that grounding in business and management in everything I do today.” 10

After leaving university, Adam took a number of jobs in television production before becoming a presenter on Channel 4’s Beauty & the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice. Since then, Adam has landed numerous presenting roles and has casted all five series of The Undateables. “I’ve always had an interest in television ever since my dad took me to see Live & Kicking and I met Andi Peters — that was when I got the media bug,” he says. “Everything else has just been a case of being in the right place at the right time.” Although, being in the wrong place at the wrong time almost scuppered his chances of playing opposite Scarlett Johansson in Jonathan Glazer’s critically acclaimed science fiction film, Under the Skin. “The funny thing is that on my way to the audition, I got hit by a car and broke my leg,” he laughs. “It was actually quite hilarious to audition with a broken leg, dosed up on morphine, awaiting surgery! “At the time, I honestly didn’t know Scarlett Johansson was involved in the project. All I knew was that Jonathan Glazer was directing the film. As a business graduate, I know all about him being the legend behind the Guinness adverts. I’d have been an idiot not to apply.”

THE MOVIE REQUIRED ADAM TO FILM A NUDE SCENE WITH JOHANSSON, SOMETHING EVEN A SEASONED ACTOR WOULD SURELY HAVE BEEN NERVOUS ABOUT.

“Once I got over the feeling of ‘Oh my God, this is Scarlett Johansson!’ I didn’t really think about it. As soon as they say ‘action’, you just do it,” he says. “Scarlett was brilliant. She’s really nice, down to earth, funny and intelligent “ More importantly, the film gave Adam the opportunity to change public perception. “I’ve done a lot of campaigning work with the charity Changing Faces about the portrayal of disfigurement in films. All I’ve ever wanted to do is raise the profile of disfigurement and disability. That’s why shows such as The Undateables and Beauty & the Beast are so important. “But I never want to bore people talking about medicines. It makes things more academic and intimidating. I want people to realise that disabled people can also be funny, get drunk and even have sex. So, I try to remove the mysticism around disability. In the media it’s always treated either as tragedy or sensationalism. There are often a lot of lies and you lose sight of the human side of the story and fail to realise that disabled people are exactly like all other human beings.” In his quest to raise funds for Changing Faces, Adam has even jumped out of a plane. So would he seek to raise awareness by appearing on a TV reality show? “I wouldn’t go on I’m a Celebrity… because I’m not an outdoors person, but generally I’d be happy to take part in TV shows if it helped to talk about certain issues and raise awareness. Although I had to refuse Come Dine with Me because I’m a terrible cook,” he laughs uproariously. “Not to mention, I’d be worried who they’d send round for dinner!” He’s also not exactly a fan of ITV2’s Love Island: “I tried watching it but it’s superficial poppycock. Worse, it misrepresents what love is and puts ridiculous pressure on young people to achieve an impossible body image. It’s a low self-esteem machine.” In an age obsessed with body image, where everyone possesses a camera and online trolls are able to hide behind their keyboards, Adam

UNDER THE SKIN

has had to deal with more than his fair share of prejudice. “I wouldn’t say I’ve become bulletproof, but you’ve got to realise that the internet consists of cowards and nerds. Well, 10% cowards and nerds and 90% porn,” he says laughing. “I never step into arguments on social media, I just share their tweets correcting grammar and spelling. I try to reply to them in a smart way without falling into their useless attempts to bully or provoke me. The way I see it is that the people who matter don’t mind and the people who mind don’t matter. To be honest, I don’t care what strangers think of me. Their ignorance will never be my problem.” In the flesh, Adam is engaging company — extremely funny yet downto-earth and refreshingly grounded. Admitting he’s still only just got over England’s semi-final World Cup defeat, he says, “The great thing about the World Cup was that it gave me a reason to be proud of my country. Although I’ll never forget having to comfort my friend’s kids after Croatia’s winning goal in extra time. I was equally as gutted but I’m always the funny uncle to them.”

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“I WANT PEOPLE TO REALISE THAT DISABLED PEOPLE CAN ALSO BE FUNNY, GET DRUNK AND EVEN HAVE SEX.”

SO, WOULD HE LIKE TO HAVE KIDS OF HIS OWN? “MAYBE ONE DAY. BUT FIRST I’D LIKE TO GET A DOG. A CROSSBREED THAT’S AS LAZY AS ME AND ONLY NEEDS WALKING TO THE PUB.”

Changing Faces supports people who have any condition or injury that affects their appearance. Formed in 1992, the charity helps people who have a disfigurement find a way to live the life they want. WWW.CHANGINGFACES.ORG.UK 11

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STARS IN HIS EYES

ST RS

STARS IN HIS EYES

IN HIS

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ALEXI LUBOMIRSKI

EYES

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ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST REVERED FASHION PHOTOGRAPHERS, ALEXI LUBOMIRSKI (EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BA (HONS), 1999), REVEALS HOW HE CAME TO SHOOT NUMEROUS GLOBAL ICONS INCLUDING PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE BY GRAHAM WRAY

STARS IN HIS EYES

Funnily enough that’s exactly what my tutor said. But that’s what I’d do every single time. And probably why I got a 2.2. I remember one of my tutors, Karen Norquay, who I had huge respect for, saying, ‘You didn’t really vibe with the ideas we were looking for but one day you’re going to make a great fashion photographer.’ I’d never even thought of fashion photography before so it was a huge revelatory moment. WHAT WAS YOUR BIG BREAK AFTER UNI?

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON?

As soon as I came to Brighton everything felt right. The university had a great vibe about it and walking around the North Laine on one of those gloriously sunny Brighton days, I fell in love with the place. It’s a beautiful city with such an incredible light. As a photographer, I knew this was where I had to be. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF BRIGHTON?

I’ve got so many but I don’t think you can print many of them! Brighton as a city is so much a part of the University of Brighton experience and it was an amazing time. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU LEARNED?

The course was very concept-based, so it really taught me how to form and develop an idea. They were brilliant at teaching ideas and giving you freedom rather than tying you to the desk or darkroom. So you’d get given one word and then have to expand that into a body of work. DO YOU REMEMBER ANY OF THE WORDS?

One of the project titles was called ‘Sunset’ and some of the students went to the old people’s home and took pictures of the residents’ hands because they were in the sunset of their lives. Really beautiful photographs that focused on the incredible texture of these old people’s skin. AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH ‘SUNSET’?

I went and found the best-looking girl and guy in the university. I went to the girl’s flat, picked out her glitziest dress and highest heeled shoes and put the guy in my dad’s suit. I handcuffed them together and shot them running through the NCP car park in Brighton. Then we snuck inside the back of the conference centre because it had this garish green carpet and orange walls which looked amazing. They were running around handcuffed like they were in a movie. 14

NOT VERY ‘SUNSETTY’ THOUGH

Six months before my course finished, I got hold of a list of all the top magazine and industry contacts and decided to visit them in London. I remember working treble shifts behind the bar at the Mash Tun pub to get enough money together. But I decided I didn’t want to be lugging a big portfolio around so I photocopied my pictures, reduced them to such a small size that they’d fit in my pocket and then crudely stapled them together. IMPRESSIVE…

Oh, I know! I was so naive, and of course everyone slammed the door in my face. I was so downtrodden that I just wanted to get back down to Brighton, crawl under my duvet and eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. But the last person I saw, Camilla Lowther, ran a photo agency. She looked at this sweaty, unkempt Brighton student and laughed when I pulled my crumpled bits of paper out of my pocket. She said I wasn’t ready to be a photographer but Mario Testino was looking for an assistant. So she introduced me to him after I’d graduated and that’s how I started working for him for four years. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY?

I’m not one of those photographers who tries to force their vision onto the subject. I want them to feel comfortable and to feel seen and heard. I’m very sensitive to how people are feeling on set and that comes from being an assistant when you’re observing the whole time. My wife is a huge influence on me. She’s strong and intelligent but also very happy and that’s part of her beauty. So in the people I shoot, I look for their happiness. HOW DID THE ROYAL WEDDING SHOOT COME ABOUT?

I got a phone call out of the blue from someone saying they were from Kensington Palace with a project I might be interested in. I just about stopped myself from swearing because it sounded like the sort of prank my friends would play on me. Two days later I met Harry and Meghan and within a week we were shooting the engagement pictures.

Above: Just your regular Sunday afternoon stroll on the beach before a chippy tea. Cate Blanchett photographed for Harper’s Bazaar UK, 2012. Previous page, clockwise; Aaron Eckhart, Kate Winslet, Alexi Lubomirski, Anne Hathaway, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Victoria Beckham, Sam Rockwell, and Lupita Nyong’o.

PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY KAREN NORQUAY FORMER HEAD, SCHOOL OF ARTS & MEDIA

STARS IN HIS EYES

“I had no doubts that Lubo (everybody called him that) would succeed in the tough world of fashion photography. From his project work, I could see he had a talent for working with people. He enjoyed making his subjects look interesting and beautiful and he clearly had a real rapport with people of all ages and got the best out of them. We encouraged our students to test the boundaries of photography which allowed Lubo to develop his own individual way of working. He was always responsive and extremely ambitious. But more than that, I remember him as a very kind, respectful and talented young student.”

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“IT WAS GREAT TO COME BACK AND SHOOT CATE BLANCHETT ON BRIGHTON BEACH AND IN A FISH AND CHIP SHOP.”

DID YOU GET TO ORDER THE QUEEN ABOUT?

No, but there wasn’t any time for niceties. I just feigned confidence and somehow organised everyone in order to get ten frames. At the reception, I’d just started to relax when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said I could grab five minutes with the couple in the rose garden for some more intimate photos. So I just grabbed the camera and ran outside for the shoot. It was on the way back in when I got the black and white picture of them on the steps. They were so at ease with each other that it made it relatively simple. THE WEDDING PHOTOS FEATURED ON A SERIES OF STAMPS. HAVE YOU LICKED THE BACK OF YOUR OWN WORK YET?

I haven’t actually used one yet so I’m going to savour that moment. I think my mum bought most of them. But that was the coolest thing about the whole project. I used to be a stamp collector as a child, so suddenly I was transported back to my childhood passion. ANY OTHER MEMORABLE SHOOTS?

WHAT WAS THE WEDDING DAY LIKE?

The pressure leading up to it was incredible because everyone kept messaging me saying ‘not long now’. At least with the engagement pictures nobody knew I was taking them. But the biggest challenge on the day was the timing. We had 25 minutes to do six huge group set-ups. I can only describe it as fantastic chaos. DID THE KIDS PLAY UP LIKE AT NORMAL WEDDINGS?

They were great actually. I just had to get them to smile and not run off. I’d heard them earlier talking about Smarties so when they got into position I said, ‘Who likes Smarties?’ All the kids — and some of the adults — went ‘Meeeee!’ and that’s how I got them smiling.

It was great to come back and shoot Cate Blanchett on Brighton beach and in a fish and chip shop. And shooting Angelina Jolie in the Namib Desert surrounded by cheetahs was pretty special. I remember shooting her and then feeling this sensation on my left leg. I looked down to see this cheetah licking my jeans and half my brain was thinking, ‘If I stop taking pictures Angelina Jolie is going to walk off set’. The other half was trying to weigh up whether it was worth losing a leg for! ANYONE LEFT THAT YOU’D LOVE TO PHOTOGRAPH?

I wouldn’t mind doing a sitting with the Queen on her own. That would be fun. I might even know somebody who can put a word in for me. MAYBE LEAVE THE CHEETAHS AND HANDCUFFS AT HOME FOR THAT ONE

Good idea. Thanks.

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A LOT’S CHANGED IN 25 YEARS OF STUDENT WELFARE. IAN CARTER*, VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT WELFARE IN 1992, MEETS THIS YEAR’S VICE PRESIDENT, AMY JAITEH.**

PRIYA KANTARIA POSES THE QUESTIONS

HEAD TO HEAD

WHAT WERE THE MAIN ISSUES AFFECTING STUDENTS 25 YEARS AGO?

IC In those days students got grants, they didn’t pay fees. So even though they didn’t get a lot, money was far less of an issue than it is now. On the campaigning side there were two big issues: sexual health and safe drug use. The big fear centred around sexual health — everyone knew someone who had HIV. I was also having to advise a lot of students who were parents and also international students. There was no kind of visa advice for them at that time. Nowadays, it’s much more professional because as universities are licensed providers of higher education, there are laws that cover all of those things; 25 years ago those laws didn’t exist. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT PRESSURES THAT STUDENTS FACE TODAY?

AJ Finance is the root of most of the mental health issues. It seems tied into students’ perceptions that they’ll be saddled with a large debt when they leave university. The press and parents pick up on the issue so students feel smothered by it and it triggers a lot of other problems. Every university is having to face the mental health crisis because a scarily

big number of students are affected. I don’t know if it’s because people are more open to talking about their problems, which is a great thing, or if it’s due to cuts in the NHS meaning more students bring it into university. IC Twenty-five years ago most students at university were from middle class backgrounds. But now there are so many more from non-traditional backgrounds and as a result they don’t have the support from home that students had back then. That in itself can inflame mental health issues. WHAT SOLUTIONS DO YOU PROVIDE TO STUDENTS WORRIED ABOUT DEBT?

AJ From a Union point of view, we try and educate students about finance, whether that’s teaching them to budget or to think about making savings through the NUS or advising them about services through the university. It’s also about educating students that ‘debt’ is the wrong word to use in terms of student loans and finance. ARE DRINK AND DRUGS STILL A PROBLEM FOR TODAY’S STUDENTS?

AJ It is still an issue for some students but not something we’re primarily concerned about. We don’t have many students that come and selfdeclare drug use or ask for advice. I guess it’s because of the way education has changed at school with kids and young adults openly talking about drugs and sexual health at a relatively young age. It’s so open at school, it’s not something they seek help for at the Students’ Union.

HEAD TO

* Social Policy and Administration BA (Hons), 1994; MBA Public Service Management, 2018 ** Biomedical Science BA (Hons)/BSc (Hons), 2017

Photography: Laurie Griffiths

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HEAD TO HEAD

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON HEAD TO HEAD

IC I think it’s to do with a snapshot in time. The rave scene exploded in 1988, so I was doing your job five years after rave, where loads of people were taking Ecstasy every Friday or Saturday night. It was such a huge part of youth culture that there was a lot of advice and campaigns around the safe use of drugs. Also, 25 years ago, HIV and AIDS were prominent, particularly in Brighton. So we did a lot of outreach stuff on the streets, like standing outside nightclubs giving people condoms. We also converted an old NHS ambulance and used to work out of the back of that. Priorities were so different then. Now there’s a whole infrastructure around these issues. AJ There are definitely still some parallels. One thing we’re focusing on this year is safe drug use. We know students are going to do drugs, so rather than stop them, our concern is to help them be safe. That’s why we’re looking at providing drug-testing kits. So, rather than us getting out on the streets with them, it’s about stepping in before that big night out to help students protect themselves. HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM IS SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS?

AJ It’s not so much social media at this age, it’s more to do with issues through online messaging. Whereas students would have talked face-to-face 25 years ago, now they’ll message each other and of course the message can get distorted. IC I’ll keep quiet on this one because social media simply didn’t exist in my time. AJ Yeah, I can imagine back then it was all a bit more straightforward if you felt in the mood for an argument! DO STUDENTS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CURRENT UNSTABLE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND WORRIES OVER BREXIT?

IC Students were definitely more politically active back in 1992. We used to put on buses to London and go on demonstrations, so we had a very political role. When I was at university, the Conservatives had been in power for a long time, so people were politically motivated and very vocal about it. Society was different then because people were concerned about what was happening to the welfare state and the cutting of grants. AJ One of the reasons students aren’t as politically active is that they typically don’t have a lot of time any more. They’re having to work part-time to self-fund university, so they’re unable to go on marches or get active because when they’re not studying, they’re having to work. Young people are also a bit disengaged from politics. IC Twenty-five years is a long time. Back then we all had parents and grandparents who were part of the war generation but now people don’t have an attachment to the welfare state. The last bastion of that is the NHS, but 25 years ago every bit of the welfare state was a hot potato — everyone saw every part of it, including free education, as a right. 18

“THERE’S A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS’ MENTAL HEALTH AND THE STATE OF THEIR HOUSING.”

HOW HAVE STUDENTS BEEN AFFECTED BY ESCALATING RENTAL PRICES OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS?

AJ It’s another huge welfare problem because there’s simply not enough local housing. I think there’s a direct correlation between students’ mental health and the state of their housing. IC I don’t remember housing ever being a big problem in terms of students not being able to find it. Landlords used to turn every spare bit of space into a bedsit. But there was a big fire in a multiple occupation house in Brighton and people died. After that, the whole idea of bedsits ceased — it became too onerous on landlords. But shared houses didn’t have the same requirements. As a result, you got less students under one roof, so prices went up. Most students now also need guarantors and that’s something we never had. AJ Yes, a lot of students come to us over the issue of guarantors. When leaving for university you think you’re gaining independence but then you suddenly find you need support from home. And you have to be financially sound to be able to act as a guarantor. IC Halls of residence have changed too; 25 years ago they were all fully catered but students hated that so the Union put pressure on to provide more options. Years later, there was an outcry from parents to provide more catering, so it went full circle. But at least there are more vegan options on the menu now than there were 25 years ago!

“25 YEARS AGO, HIV AND AIDS WERE PROMINENT, PARTICULARLY IN BRIGHTON. SO WE DID A LOT OF OUTREACH… ON THE STREETS, LIKE STANDING OUTSIDE NIGHTCLUBS GIVING PEOPLE CONDOMS.”

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON ONE IN A MILLION

IN A MILLION Image: ©The Varkey Foundation

MEET ANDRIA ZAFIRAKOU* — BRIGHTON GRADUATE, $1 MILLION PRIZEWINNER AND, OFFICIALLY, THE BEST TEACHER IN THE WORLD.

BY GAVIN NEWSHAM

* Fashion Textiles Design with Business Studies BA (Hons), 2002

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON ONE N A MILLION

lperton Community School is finally on the map. The secondary school in Brent, north-west London, is in one of the most deprived areas of the country and its students come from a hugely disparate and diverse range of backgrounds. That’s why the school’s Associate Deputy Headteacher, Andria Zafirakou, taught herself basic phrases in 35 languages, from Tamil to Hindi, Punjabi to Gujarati. “When a child comes into a big, frightening secondary school and the teacher greets them in their own language, the child is won over — the parents are too,” she explains. It’s one of the many reasons that Andria won the Global Teacher award earlier this year. Dubbed the Nobel Prize for Teachers, the 39-year-old saw off competition from 33,000 other teachers from 173 countries around the world to land the title and the $1 million prize. “Nobody knew us at Alperton and now everyone knows us!” she smiles. Andria was born in north-west London to Greek-Cypriot parents, attending schools in Brent and Camden before winning a place at the University of Brighton to study Fashion Textiles Design with Business Studies in 1998. “I fell in love with the place. It was undoubtedly the best years of my life,” she recalls. “I was in the Arts Department just near the Pavilion, a brilliant location, and I met so many like-minded people who became friends for life.” Sharing a house on nearby George Street with a photographer and an illustrator, it was, she says, “the perfect place for arty types” like her. A place where they could bounce ideas off each other and, conveniently, it was also within stumbling distance of her favourite club, The Beach. “The tutors at Brighton were just brilliant,” she enthuses. “Not least because they also had their own design work which was so inspiring. Some of the information and knowledge I gleaned from them went way beyond what I was learning about on my course alone. It was really eye-opening.”

But teaching was always the goal. Two years after graduating, she applied to become a teacher and the rest is history. Within a year of starting at Alperton, she was promoted to Deputy Head of Art. Today, she is the Associate Deputy Headteacher. Last year, a former colleague at Alperton nominated her for the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize. It was a glowing recommendation too, citing her “moral compass that underpins a passionate desire to give every student at her school the world — no ceilings, no limitations, no boundaries.” It was, according to Andria, a lovely gesture, but she didn’t really think anything of it. To her surprise, she received an email two months later informing her that she had reached the top 50 long list. Another two months passed. Then there was a Skype call. “That’s when I found out I’d made the top ten,” she laughs. “That’s when life really started getting mad.”

ONE IN A MILLION

Image: ©The Varkey Foundation

Above: The cheque’s in the post. Andria receives the coveted Global Teacher Prize from Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

In late March, Andria, along with finalists from across the world, convened in Dubai for a star-studded awards ceremony. “It was like the Oscars — only bigger,” she recalls. “Trevor Noah was hosting it. There was Al Gore, Mo Farah and Sheik Maktoum too. I wasn’t just out of my comfort zone — I couldn’t even see my comfort zone any more. I was cacking myself!” She didn’t expect to win but when she did, she didn’t even know about it. “When they announced my name I couldn’t even hear it,” she adds. “It was only when one of the other candidates congratulated me that it finally dawned on me.” And so, what Andria calls her “brilliantly bonkers” journey began in earnest. Indeed, when she returned home to Heathrow she was met not just by scores of children from Alperton, but by the world’s media too. From there, it was straight to Westminster to meet the Prime Minister and the Education Minister. There have also been

meetings with the PMs of Greece and Cyprus. “I’ve even had parents hugging me in tears. It’s all been beautiful and very humbling.” At times, she admits, she struggles not just with the new-found celebrity but also as to why she won the title. “I was up against nine other candidates who weren’t just superb teachers but superb human beings too. People who’d already done so much above and beyond in their own communities,” she says. “It’s taken me such a long time to get my head around it all. I keep asking myself ‘why me?’” Maybe it’s best not to ask Andria for the reasons she triumphed. Better, perhaps, to ask some of the kids that she personally escorts to the bus each day to make sure they’re safe or how about the Somali choir she established? Or the family whose child she bought a new uniform for out of her own pocket? “My job never finishes when I walk out of the classroom at the end of the day,” she adds. “It’s about caring about my community and, ultimately, the love of my profession.” Alongside the title of the world’s best teacher came that prize of $1 million. But there are conditions: Andria must stay in teaching for another five years and the money is also paid in instalments. So what are her plans, other than upgrading the Rich Tea for Hobnobs in the staff room? “There’s a growing sense that the arts aren’t that important in education — I want to change that,” she explains. “So, my idea is to get real-life artists and performers into schools to show what can be achieved through the arts, especially in deprived areas where the parents won’t have the money to take their kids to the theatre or the museum. “These days, headteachers are held to account for the school’s performances in core subjects, so if they need to bolster their maths provision with another teacher or spend that money on a drama group for only four or five kids, what do you expect them to do? They’re in a difficult position.” She pauses. “But that’s where I come in…”

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

“IT’S TAKEN ME SUCH A LONG TIME TO GET MY HEAD AROUND IT ALL. I KEEP ASKING MYSELF ‘WHY ME?’”

“THERE’S A GROWING SENSE THAT THE ARTS AREN’T THAT IMPORTANT IN EDUCATION — I WANT TO CHANGE THAT.” 21

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

A MAN FOR THE AGES

“Around that time, completely by chance, I bumped into the Principal on North Street and he asked me to return to help build a bridge between the tutors and students. I didn’t pass the medical because of my sight problems so I was given a temporary post teaching religious studies. I was on the Students’ Union as staff treasurer and attended political meetings. I was 30 years younger than any other members of staff which helped to ease the tension between the students and tutors amidst the backdrop of riots and strikes.” Roger then moved into the education department, lecturing prospective tutors on classroom control and lesson planning, cementing himself as an established and respected figure at the university over the following decades. As a postgraduate lecturer in religious studies, Roger witnessed the change in status from polytechnic to university in 1992. “Some of us were doubtful about whether we could change our culture from the vocationalism of a polytechnic to the intellectual culture of a university, typified as the pursuit for knowledge for its own sake. But we needed to

“WE HAD A MEN’S COMMON ROOM — NOT MUCH BIGGER THAN A CUPBOARD — AND WERE VIRTUALLY QUARANTINED IN THERE.”

become a university and under ViceChancellor Professor Sir David Watson everything dramatically improved. The spirit of the students came from the top down, from David himself, and we rapidly climbed the league tables.” Throughout the decades, Roger saw not just a shift in teaching methods, but also in the way tutors and students addressed one another. “The biggest difference I’ve seen is that teachers are now trained to teach educational skills to students. When I was at school, it was more about the development of personality, which wasn’t politically correct development but that’s how it was. “When I returned as a tutor, the students were comfortable calling me Roger. Although even in my last year, there was an Asian postgraduate student who would call me Professor, telling the rest of the group to treat me with more respect.” Now retired for almost ten years, but still an ambassador for the university, Roger continues to enjoy reading, writing submissions for various journals and not getting up at 5.30am. But ask him what he prizes most from his long and distinguished career at Brighton and the answer’s unequivocal: “Without doubt, it’s the number of Christmas cards I still get from students every year.” He may have touched the lives of thousands of students during his career, but there’s one last statistic Roger is particularly proud of. “Not many people know this,” he chuckles, “but I was the first male student at Brighton not to wear a tie — and the last ever tutor to wear one.”

A MAN FOR THE AGES

Photo: Mark Power

Photography: Laurie Griffiths

Roger Homan is unique. At the age of 74, he remains the only person to have played an active role in the entire history of the University of Brighton. Roger was present at the university’s humble beginnings, joining what was then Brighton Training College as a student in 1963. Qualifying as a teacher in 1966, he returned to Brighton as a tutor and eventually became Professor of Religious Studies as the polytechnic transformed itself into a university; he retired from his post in 2009. Joining the Brighton Training College at the age of 19, Roger enjoyed classes in English Literature and Divinity at its Eastern Terrace campus on the seafront in Kemp Town. It was the first year in which men were allowed to enrol at the previously women-only college. “The arrival of men at the college was unsettling for both sexes,” he recalls. “We had a men’s common room — not much bigger than a cupboard — and were virtually quarantined in there. In between lectures, we used to play table tennis in the basement but the girls never came down. Academic standards were not particularly high back then. The emphasis was much more on appearances and morals. Tutors addressed students as Mr and Miss and social distances and boundaries were clearly delineated.”

Roger qualified in 1966 just as a wave of student riots began to spread across the country. Chaos and disruption were brought to campuses as students protested against capitalism, elitism and the Vietnam War. “The riots and protests caught on in Falmer in the late sixties and early seventies,” says Roger. “Respect between tutors and students was completely lost, students daubed graffiti over all the walls and it all became very tense and difficult.

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

ROGER HOMAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON SPANS MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY. THE FORMER STUDENT, TUTOR AND PROFESSOR SHARES A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES WITH NICOLA MORRISON

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

BY LAURIE GRIFFITHS

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

THE ICON

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PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

THE TAILOR

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PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

THE DANCER

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UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

THE NUCLEAR PHYSICIST

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PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

THE SPORTS SCIENTIST

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PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

THE VLOGGER

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PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

THE WRITER

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UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

THE ARTIST

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UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON MOLLY PARKIN THE ICON

TEACHERS’ CERTIFICATE, 1954 Painter, novelist, journalist, actor and fashion icon, Molly became an arbiter of style at the height of the ‘Swinging Sixties’. Owning a boutique in Chelsea, she later became fashion editor of Nova, Harpers & Queen, and The Sunday Times. Also an acclaimed artist, her work has been displayed at Tate Britain and the Royal Pavilion Art Gallery, Brighton. In 2012, she was awarded a Civil List Pension by the Queen for her services to the arts.

DR STEVE INGHAM THE SPORTS SCIENTIST

SPORT SCIENCE BSC (HONS), 1996

One of the UK’s leading figures in sport, Steve has been integral to the development of Britain as an Olympic superpower. Providing support to over 1,000 athletes, including Dame Jessica EnnisHill, Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent, 200 of his athletes have achieved world or Olympic medal success. Steve also wrote the bestselling book How to Support a Champion (Simply Said, 2016). A popular motivational speaker in sport, business and education, Steve now consults via his own company, Supporting Champions.

GRESHAM BLAKE THE TAILOR

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JP OMARI THE DANCER

FASHION DESIGN WITH BUSINESS BA (HONS), 2000

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS BA (HONS), 2003

Gresham revitalised classic British tailoring by making it relevant to a younger audience. Opening his Brighton shop in 1999, his style, described as ‘Savile Row with a rock star twist’ attracted a huge following. His London store opened in 2012 and numerous celebrity clients helped launch his men’s, women’s and children’s ready-to-wear collections. More recently, Gresham has expanded into corporate wear with clients including The Savoy and Brighton’s Grand Hotel.

Multi award-winning hip-hop dancer, teacher, choreographer and entrepreneur, JP is a director of Streetfunk, one of the UK’s most successful street dance schools. As a breakdancer, JP reached the semi-finals of BBC TV dance show, Strictly Dance Fever in 2006. He has since worked with Dizzee Rascal, Sean Paul and Orbital. He also co-owns Marina Studios, a dance and fitness studio complex in Brighton.

JESSICA KELLGREN-FOZARD THE VLOGGER

SCREEN STUDIES BA (HONS), 2014

A progressive social media personality, Jessica is a YouTuber and presenter (with over 312,000 subscribers) and a model for vintage fashion brands. Across a variety of social media channels, she writes and vlogs about a mixture of accessibility issues, gay culture, deafness, beauty, vintage fashion and a love of old Hollywood glamour.

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GRAHAM DUFF THE WRITER

EXPRESSIVE ARTS (THEATRE) BA (HONS), 1985 A prolific screenwriter and producer, Graham wrote all 53 episodes of BBC3’s multiaward winning Ideal. He also created and wrote the Sky Arts horror series The Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells, as well as Mark Gatiss’ Radio 4 sci-fi sit-com Nebulous. He co-wrote BBC2’s Hebburn and Dr. Terrible’s House of Horrible and story edited the movie Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, and all 50 episodes of Radio 4’s Sony award-winning Count Arthur Strong’s Radio Show!. His book Foreground Music is being published in 2019.

DR CHANTAL NOBS THE NUCLEAR PHYSICIST

EXPERIMENTAL NUCLEAR PHYSICS PHD, 2018

PORTRAIT OF BRIGHTON

Chantal works at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy as a Radiometric Researcher as part of the Nuclear Technology group. Her research focuses on monitoring the high energy neutrons produced in nuclear fusion reactions, which is vital for the safety and success of a future fusion power plant. At the heart of cutting-edge research, Chantal work aims to create materials for selfsustaining devices to provide a more environmentally friendly way to run the National Grid.

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ALISON LAPPER THE ARTIST

FINE ART BA (HONS), 1993 HONORARY DOCTOR OF ART, 2014 Born without arms and with shortened legs, a condition called phocomelia, Alison is a full member of Foot Painting Artists of the World. Using photography, digital imaging and painting to question physical normality and beauty, she has used her body as subject matter for artworks, including a sculpture displayed in Trafalgar Square. An author, TV presenter and after-dinner speaker, Alison was awarded an MBE for services for art in 2003.

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

HARVEY GOLDSMITH*, STARTED OUT STUDYING PHARMACY AT BRIGHTON, YET BECAME BRITAIN’S MOST SUCCESSFUL MUSIC PROMOTER. THE MAN WHO STAGED, AMONGST OTHERS, THE ROLLING STONES, PINK FLOYD AND LIVE AID, REVEALS HIS REMARKABLE JOURNEY TO JULIETTE WILLS

TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED Photography: Laurie Griffiths

The world’s most unlikely pharmacist has just recounted his sixth jaw-dropping tale of rock‘n’roll excess in as many minutes. Harvey Goldsmith was clearly born to entertain, not dispense medication, so the music industry should perhaps kneel and give thanks that his formative years at Brighton Technical College (one of the institutions which later merged to form the Polytechnic) didn’t quite go according to plan. After sailing through ten O-levels and ‘a handful’ of A-levels, Harvey opted to study Applied Pharmacy in 1965 at Brighton. “I briefly considered going to London University to do their pharmacy degree,” says the Enfield-born 72 year old. “But it was too theoretical for my liking. Brighton’s course was far more interesting and challenging because it also incorporated Latin.” At that stage, Harvey’s ambition was to be a pharmacist, working in perfumery. Signing up for a year’s pharmacy apprenticeship before his course commenced, just to ensure it was for him, was an early indication of his sound business sense. “I took a work placement at a local chemist and learned a hell of a lot. I was fascinated by how women would choose cosmetics based not on an understanding of what was in them but purely on marketing. I later applied that to the live rock industry.”

But before that, Harvey’s world was about to be rocked. “I was really chuffed to be going to Brighton, spending my time at the seaside in a vibrant town doing something I loved. I couldn’t have been more excited,” he says, pausing before adding, “so it was something of a blow when my course was cancelled after six weeks due to lack of funding. “We were told we could re-register for the London Uni degree (at Brighton) or leave, do our apprenticeship and come back a year later. I’d already done that bit, so I reluctantly registered for the London Uni course which really upset me, because I really wanted the Brighton degree.” (Harvey would have to wait until 2012 for that, when the University of Brighton awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Arts). Disillusioned, he headed to the Students’ Union and, looking to lighten his mood, asked where the entertainment was. “I heard them talk about the chess club, the bridge club, the rugby club. Apparently that was the entertainment,” he laughs. “I said that we should open a club and the president said, ‘Go on, then, genius.’ So I did.” Harvey’s ‘Club 66’ opened on Friday nights in the Students’ Union canteen in January 1966. “It was an instant success, you couldn’t get in the place,” he smiles. “I became Rag Chairman and Social Secretary, and I was soon making a lot of money for the Students’ Union. Suddenly, I started getting calls from other colleges along the South Coast to put on entertainment for them. I realised I had a knack for it and it began to take over my life.” Harvey officially left college to run The Kangaroo Club by Brighton’s Clock Tower before heading back to London to set up an office in Primrose Hill with “a student mate and a computer geek from my time at Brighton”. More shows followed at the legendary Roundhouse and at the open-air Crystal Palace Bowl. “Those open-air shows were the precursor to all the festivals that followed,” says Harvey proudly. “We worked with all the big names — Elton John, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Genesis, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison and The Who. It was crazy. We used to wake up in the morning and think ‘what can we do today’? And, whatever we wanted to do, we just did it.”

TALES OF THE UNEXPECTE * Honorary Doctor of Arts, 2012

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

“THERE’S NO SUCH WORD AS ‘NO’ IN THIS INDUSTRY… YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU WANT TO, YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.”

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

Harvey’s stunning Live Aid performance is wrecked by four desperate wannabees.

••

TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED ••

The same mentality applied to artists’ increasingly difficult demands. When Alice Cooper toured Britain, the band insisted on having American Budweiser beer in their dressing room. The fact it was unavailable in England at the time, Harvey saw as more of a challenge than a problem. “There’s no such word as ‘no’ in this industry,” he says matter-of-factly. “So I found someone who worked at the US Air Force Base in Ruislip where they used to have Budweiser flown in strictly for their own personnel. I drove there, bought 12 cases and at midnight, in the middle of Piccadilly Circus, transferred the lot to the tour manager’s van. You can do anything if you want to, you just have to find a way to make it happen.” Any special requests for Cooper’s snake? “Mr Snake was a funny one,” he laughs, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head, “because I thought that was the name of a 36

member of the crew, so I booked Mr Snake a hotel room. You can imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a bloody python!” A string of high-profile concerts later — including The Rolling Stones’ ‘Start Me Up’ tour — paved the way for Harvey’s most memorable feat: 1985’s Live Aid, the biggest show on earth, which saw Harvey and Bob Geldof organise 17 hours of live music at Wembley and Philadelphia, raising almost £150m for famine relief in Africa. Not that the huge and challenging event wasn’t without technical problems. “A member of the crew tripped over Paul McCartney’s mic cable for his opening song and pulled it out, rendering the most famous musician on the planet inaudible to the watching world,” chuckles Harvey. Though certain challenges proved more tricky to solve. “David Bowie and Mick Jagger were trying to work out if they could do a duet, with one of them in Philadelphia and one in London. We couldn’t make the sound work because of the time difference, so Mick suggested one of them went up in a rocket. So, I called NASA and said, ‘Can Mick Jagger or David Bowie go up into space because we reckon if one was in a rocket, that would eliminate the time difference.’ Sadly, I was told it wouldn’t work. And, do you know, that’s about the only thing I’ve ever had to admit defeat on.” That, and a certain pharmacy degree. Although, perfume’s loss was definitely the music industry’s gain.

THREE MORE TALES OF LIFE TAKING A SURPRISE TURN AFTER BRIGHTON

MUNROE BERGDORF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND MEDIA* TO MODEL AND ACTIVIST

* English Language and Media BA (Hons), 2008

TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

AS TOLD TO PRIYA KANTARIA

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

Photo: Dimitris Theocharis

“I only really started to discover myself when I came to Brighton. University afforded me the time and space to think about who I was as a person. It also gave me time to read, nurture my own voice and the opportunity to discover other things. University was a culture surge, and every single art form influenced me. I loved living in the city. I made a ton of mistakes but also a thousand memories. My favourite place was the seafront. It was a great place to focus my thoughts when things were getting overwhelming. I was a really open person at university but I wasn’t as attuned politically or socially as I am now. My enquiring mind was enlightened at Brighton, not necessarily by an activist drive but the seed was planted. It was at university that I started identifying as gender non-conforming. I felt really comfortable in expressing my gender in an androgynous way there. At Brighton I described myself as gender queer, or non-binary. Non-binary wasn’t in the language then, there wasn’t the gender expressive language that there is now. Society had always told me I was male and everyone around me had treated me as male, so I think I was in that period of unlearning. I was used to being referred to as ‘he’ but I hadn’t transitioned yet so I hadn’t really formed the language to express how I felt. People at the university were very respectful of that. When I eventually started my transition, it was really tough. Transitioning isn’t just a physical thing, it’s difficult mentally. It’s about identifying as someone that you’ve always been but haven’t always outwardly looked. I got into modelling because I made a lot of contacts in the fashion industry when I was hosting some club nights. One was for a Lebanese couture designer and modelling suddenly just grew organically. It was creative and didn’t feel like work, but it gave me a platform to speak publicly about my own gender transition, so it directly led to my involvement in activism. I think modelling is about a personality. It’s about confidence and connecting with what people want to see in aspirational imagery. But there were times when it was difficult being mixed race with hair stylists and make-up artists not understanding black hair or how to work with black skin tones. So there were hurdles but it was a great job. Crucially, my experience enabled me to make my Channel 4 documentary, What Makes a Woman?. I hope it provides a precedent for trans people being involved as heavily in telling their own stories because there was so much sensitive information in the film. I felt trans people hadn’t had the chance to tell our own stories. It’s always people speaking for us or narrating for us, and yet we’re the subject, so it’s very voyeuristic. But that documentary all came from my heart. Right now I’m busy putting together the foundations of a really exciting online project. I also plan to write a book. It’ll be autobiographical and you can be sure there will be plenty of my Brighton adventures in there.”

“MY ENQUIRING MIND WAS ENLIGHTENED AT BRIGHTON, NOT NECESSARILY BY AN ACTIVIST DRIVE BUT THE SEED WAS PLANTED.” 37

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

“I was at the all-girls school Roedean when I realised I really wanted to study at Brighton. I loved the place and, being beside the sea, immediately felt comfortable there. Originally, I wasn’t going to stick with the Public Administration course, but I ended up adding French and that really suited me. I didn’t really live the university life because I lived in Rustington rather than on campus, so had to drive in every day. But I vividly remember drinking down at the pier and bonding with course mates in my first week. I had trials for the lacrosse team but by then I’d had two knee surgeries so turned up with two giant leg braces on, looking like Forrest Gump. During the first game, both of my knees collapsed and I retired my lacrosse stick at half-time. But on the upside, in my second year at university I met my husband and we’re still married today! After I left university in 1993, my husband and I decided to move back to Grand Cayman where I grew up. Thanks to my public administration studies, I landed a job in government working as a social secretary. But it was when we moved to Austin, Texas in 2000 that my freediving career began. Freediving is plunging to the greatest possible depths on a single breath without scuba gear. I first discovered I had a talent for it while spearfishing with friends. They encouraged me to take it a bit more seriously and it was a fun journey of self-exploration. Can I dig that little bit deeper? Can I push that little bit harder? I think my whole freediving career was tapping into that 30% that the human race doesn’t know they have. Every week I aimed to dive ten feet deeper than I had previously. I needed to challenge myself because I simply don’t back down. If I’ve said I’m going to do something, nothing is going to stop me! In truth, the world record I set in 2002, when I dived 525ft, was a mess. The total dive time was 3 minutes and 26 seconds but 160 metres down I was hit by nitrogen narcosis, a condition which can affect divers and causes irrational thought patterns. So it took me 17 seconds to release a simple catch to propel me to the surface. I can’t deny it didn’t shake me and it took me ten years before I could talk about it. The record still stands today but I don’t want it forever — I’m actually disappointed it hasn’t been broken! These days I’m heavily involved in the environmental work of the Plastic Oceans Foundation which is dedicated to ridding the oceans of plastic pollution. It’s a really devastating problem, but not something we can’t turn around. Since childhood, I’ve had a bond with the ocean and it felt like the sea was saying, ‘Here’s how you can help me.’ I always said I would repay it, so right now it’s payback time.” AS TOLD TO HARRY TREND * Public Administration BTEC HND, 1994

Photography: Lawrence Curtis

TANYA STREETER PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION* TO WORLD CHAMPION FREEDIVER

“EVERY WEEK I AIMED TO DIVE TEN FEET DEEPER THAN I HAD PREVIOUSLY. I NEEDED TO CHALLENGE MYSELF BECAUSE I SIMPLY DON’T BACK DOWN.”

NORMAN COOK, AKA FATBOY SLIM BRITISH STUDIES* TO SUPERSTAR DJ UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

Photography: Laurie Griffiths

“THE CHANCES OF SUCCEEDING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WERE VERY SLIM, SO MY DEGREE GAVE ME THE CONFIDENCE TO PURSUE MY DREAM WITH WILD ABANDON…”

“If I’m honest, after doing A-levels I just wanted to go to college and avoid real life for another three years and formulate my plan for what I really wanted to do in life. At the time I didn’t have the confidence to throw myself whole-heartedly into the music business. The chances of succeeding in the industry were very slim, so my degree gave me the confidence to pursue my dream with wild abandon. I knew that if it didn’t go to plan, I could fall back on my degree later in life and get a proper job. Back then, there were no electronic music courses or schools of performing arts. There were no courses for what I wanted to do. When I first started DJing, the only regular work you could get was weddings and parties because in those days DJing wasn’t a career, it was a hobby. Emotionally, I wasn’t ready to go into the music business aged 18. I just don’t think I’d fully grown as a human being. College is a good time for growing up. You learn about life away from your parents, you learn how to cook and wash your own clothes and interact with each other to form proper relationships. It’s a very important time. Being a poly student taught me to stick with something for three years which was an important lesson. I’ve never used those letters after my name, but the process of earning them got me where I am. One of my most memorable student experiences was protesting cutbacks by joining a sit-in at Mithras House. We occupied it for what must have been about four or five days before we were eventually forcibly evicted by the police. Once I’d moved to Brighton I just couldn’t help but get involved with music. At that point I was really into club music and started DJing as a hobby in local nightclubs. It was a great decision in that era, because with electro funk going into rare groove it was a really exciting time to be a DJ. After finishing college, I formed The Housemartins with my old school mate, Paul Heaton. The band was a fantastic introduction to the music industry but I subsequently found that I got more pleasure out of making my own music and doing it at my own pace. But ultimately, the band helped me get my foot in the door of the music industry and was a first taste of success before my solo career took off. These days, I’ve got to the stage where I’m just starting to take things easier because my health and my sanity means more to me than my career. In the last couple of years, I’ve realised if I’m going to carry on doing this I need to do it at a more sedate pace because physically I can’t take the late nights and the travelling. But I also figured I’ve come so far I could happily do this until I either retire or die.” AS TOLD TO MASON MCDONAGH * British Studies BA (Hons), 1985

lea Eu La st e reka kn ser xpe m oc lig ct om ke ht . I en d m if wo ts e o a wh uld hap ff ite n’t pe m v ha n y b an ve wh ike ha cr en in dn’ eate you Br t n d igh ea th to rly e n. UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

WHAT I’VE LEARNT

. se ui ze sg la di B in e in om ms im ns fr le e t ze a tio e ob th la as lu am pr t l. B t ed so r n rk e a ia bu ow st u a h fic t all t y. ju e o em dac ne igh e ec an re ng ad ea be erl am refl p s a cha er tr a h en Las ren to com s lem to ft as be th he ve s a ob ad l a t w lly wi , t el o a Pr e h ery . I tua us ess urs d W to B USA ’s ac ymo usin on o now e it n b iti e th but yno ogy pos se w s s ol re el wa chn to ing te us yth er ev

Just do it. If you’ve got a bright idea, just take the leap. You’ll learn so much more and get so much further by getting on with it rather than researching and worrying about doing it.

INVENTOR AND ENTREPRENEUR, EMILY BROOKE MBE (PRODUCT DESIGN BSC (HONS), 2011) CREATED THE LASERLIGHT — A BIKE HEADLIGHT WHICH PROJECTS A SYMBOL OF A BIKE ON THE ROAD AHEAD OF THE CYCLIST. NOW SHIPPING TO 65 COUNTRIES, HER COMPANY, BERYL, ALSO PROVIDES SMARTBIKE TECHNOLOGY FOR BIKESHARE SCHEMES IN LONDON, NEW YORK AND BEYOND

WHAT I’VE LEARNT

g Bi a b reat kes c ik fo an O othe onc e, h r ins d pl e a in n a p r ha ntr lf y pira anes , y la lf at ou ti a a o o r i wi nd b u c ne, is fr ng a r m n. O e fi, e an yo ee nd ind n i c ’t u th t’s j aus go ’re s to th the is ou us e I an tr in gh t m sh yw ap k. ts. e un he pe Bl and th re d iss m e . y There are many ways to skin a rabbit. Initially, I was petrified I wasn’t doing things the right way. The truth is there are loads of right ways. Now, I make a decision on the information I’ve got available and get on with it. You’ll learn more from your mistakes anyway.

Breakfast is king. I can’t function as a human without it. After half an hour’s meditation and yoga, nothing beats poached or scrambled eggs with avocado on toast.

I u Don s ’t hi tim ed t kn l e do l an . I o t ock in d ’d hin it g? th se k u rid ” A ink e a cyc ntil e a nd “W cyc lin yo nd th h lis g w u’v fe en I at o t sw as e tr ll i d n ea a w ie n id ea ti a d i lov a rt ng st t. e w cha h a up e o ith rit re y a f it. y bi ou ke

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

s. se es o p kn t t u ea en ick rse. d w I w ’t p ou an es. idn n c hs ag d lia gt gu nd ta en an s a y I str at l th m ur le on on yo rib x m en ow ter si ev r Kn I’m n fo g — n ila hi M nyt a

Have the courage to live your own life. Life’s too short not to do something you really love. Originally I was reading physics at Oxford but it didn’t make me happy. I missed creativity, so instead, I studied Product Design at Brighton. Probably the best decision I ever made. I’m rubbish at curtseying. Before Prince Charles presented me with my MBE, I was really nervous about the curtsey. I’d spent weeks practising but still wobbled at the big moment!

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON Image: Tom Stoddart Archive / Getty Images

VIEW FROM THE TOP

SHE ROSE TO BECOME ONE OF TONY BLAIR’S MOST TRUSTED ADVISORS IN THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT AND LATER A POWERHOUSE AT BP AND IN PUBLIC RELATIONS. ANJI HUNTER* TELLS JODIE RAWL ABOUT HER REMARKABLE CAREER

Clockwise from above: Anji holding court with PM Tony Blair, turning a deaf ear to Press Secretary Alastair Campbell, teenage besties with budding rock god Blair and defeating Peter Mandelson at the World Staring Championships.

Anji Hunter doesn’t immediately strike you as someone who was once dubbed the ‘most powerful unelected person in the country’. She may ooze passion and charisma, but she’s also remarkably modest, down-to-earth and keen to express gratitude for her humble beginnings. Now aged 63, Anji has had a colourful career in politics, business and PR. At her most famous, she was Tony Blair’s trusted gatekeeper and advisor, in opposition and government, for 13 years. But her success didn’t come overnight and she clearly hasn’t forgotten the people who helped get her there. “I simply couldn’t have done any of it if I hadn’t been at Brighton Polytechnic,” she enthuses. “The extraordinary encouragement and support I received from all my tutors there was pivotal. “Much more than me knowing Tony Blair, it was more about what I’d learnt at Brighton and the confidence they gave me. It was an extraordinary crowd of people who taught me and I’ll forever be grateful for having done my degree there. I couldn’t have had a better experience.” Rewind to 1984, when Anji began her degree focusing on History and English at Brighton Polytechnic. She was one of three mature students on the course and mother to a one- and two-year-old. Already living in Newick, Sussex, Anji was instantly drawn to the four-year

course that would allow her to look after her children while studying. “Right from the beginning I took it incredibly seriously,” she says. “It was tough with everything else going on in my life, but my driving ambition was to get a first.” With the help of the polytechnic’s crèche, Anji used her characteristic determination to juggle motherhood and study, duly achieving her ambition of achieving a first. An average day involved lectures in Mithras House and then racing home to care for her children before continuing her coursework, churning out essays on her typewriter into the early hours of the morning. It was early evidence of the strong work ethic that she carried through the rest of her career. “I was really very lucky in that I had incredible tutors,” she recalls. “Catherine Eccles and Bill Coxall were the heads of English and History respectively and were so influential I’d meet up with them years after graduating. Marxist Dr Roger Wells was an extraordinary man. He gave me a whole different perspective on history that totally blew me away. My mind was completely opened and I became very interested in politics.” Anji went on to study ‘British Political Thought’ in her final year, a subject that ignited her growing interest in politics. “You have to remember it was a very political time, the miners strikes were on and there were huge clashes and

* Combined Studies (Humanities) BA (Hons), 1988; Honorary Doctor of Letters, 2014

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON VIEW FROM THE TOP

Image: Anji Hunter Image: Anton Corbijn / Anji Hunter Image: Alan Davidson / Shutterstock

riots in London,” says Anji. “It was a very lefty university and there were always people collecting for the miners’ wives and then right in the middle of that was the IRA’s bombing of Brighton’s Grand Hotel at the 1984 Conservative Party Conference.” She wrote a dissertation entitled “Whither the left?” which documented the history of the Labour Party up until the current day. “I did sort of swing lefty then and joined the Labour Party,” she says. But it was her independent learning assignment that would propel her into a career in politics. “The title of it was ‘Summer 87 — An Insider’s View’. And it meant that I had to go off and sit in the House of Commons.” Ordinarily, this would be problematic for a student. But not for Anji, who in her mid-teens had become close friends with a student at nearby Fettes College. Tony Blair was two years her senior but the pair hit it off immediately. “We were just really good mates right from the beginning,” she says. “All of our friends knew each other and from that moment on we always kept in touch.” It proved to be a valuable friendship indeed. Because while Anji was still studying, Blair had gone on to become an “I’D BEEN A MP and was able to organise a TEACHER AND A pass to the House of Commons MOTHER AND NOW so she could complete her For six to eight I WAS LAUNCHING assignment. weeks, she sat among politicians MYSELF INTO A in the House of Commons and POLITICAL CAREER documented what she saw. “I completely immersed myself in THAT WOULD that summer session,” she says. RAPIDLY TURN INTO “And when the research period was over, Tony suggested I AN ASTONISHING come back and work for him.” RIDE.” So Anji duly completed her final exams on the Friday and on the Monday started work as Tony Blair’s research assistant. “I’d been a teacher and a mother and now I was launching myself into a political career that would rapidly turn into an astonishing ride solely because the guy I worked for ended up becoming Prime Minister!” In a tiny office alongside Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Anji perched on a wastepaper bin with a footstool as a desk. There she confidently began researching for Tony’s speeches, writing press releases and anything and everything else that was asked of her. “Luckily Brighton had taught me how to be a good researcher,” she laughs. “You cannot possibly write a first class essay unless you have done really thorough research.” Having learnt the value of building rewarding relationships with professors and librarians at Brighton, Anji flourished in her next role as Tony Blair’s alliance builder. Immediately she formed productive and long-lasting relationships with colleagues, journalists and, ten years on, businessmen, on behalf of the Prime Minister. But Anji was never interested in becoming an MP herself. In 1997, when Labour won the general election and Blair became Prime Minister, she was

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON VIEW FROM THE TOP

appointed Director of Government Relations. “I had considerable scope to do what was required so I didn’t need to be an MP to achieve that,” she says breezily. “I was never attracted to the limelight aspect, I was only interested in the politics and working out how to get things done. And the way I felt I could best get things done was in the position I was in — working as a very close special advisor to the Prime Minister.” It was a role in which she was branded by some as the ‘black spot’ and the ‘tie selector’. “That was the most hilarious thing because being the tie selector and the tea maker was all part of the job!” she laughs. But more importantly, Anji was also tasked with ensuring the Prime Minister was always at the right place, at the right time, and right on message. “It was quite a responsibility,” she recalls. “Working in Number 10 was an adrenaline surge every day. There really is absolutely nothing like it. Very highoctane stuff just happened the whole time. “But there would also be funny moments every day. I remember one incident at the 1998 G8 summit. “It was during the height of the ClintonLewinsky scandal and an English tabloid newspaper had sent along a Monica Lewinsky lookalike. She would have lunged forward, thrust herself on President Clinton and that would have been the photo on the front pages of all the papers around the world. But we’d rumbled the stunt so myself and a female colleague suddenly found ourselves pinning this woman to the floor to keep her out of sight of President Clinton. I remember her looking up at us and saying, ‘Nice try — but I still get paid, you know.’” In 2001, Anji left Downing Street and joined BP as Director of Communications before nine years later moving to mining company Anglo American as Head of External Relations. It was the type of environment she knew well, “The biggest “BACK WHEN I WAS difference I noticed from my A STUDENT SITTING time at Number 10 was the speed at which decisions IN THE HOUSE and results could be made OF COMMONS in the private sector.” After marrying Sky TAKING NOTES, News Editor-at-Large, Adam THERE WERE ONLY Boulton in 2006, Anji joined 60 FEMALE MPS Edelman, the biggest private PR company in the world. AND NOW THERE As a Senior Advisor at their ARE OVER 200…” London HQ, she offers guidance to women in the industry. “The majority of our workforce are women, but, funnily enough, the majority of the executives are men,” she says. “All the tips I give women are based on my own career. They’re all from what I have learnt or observed and I can illustrate them with an anecdote which really helps to drive the message home.”

Our conversation turns to equal pay for women, a subject Anji is passionate about. So how did she react when she discovered that following the Labour Party’s victory in the 1997 election, Alastair Campbell and Jonathan Powell were earning considerably more money than her? “As we were coming up to that election, Tony had asked me to run the election campaign and the leaders’ tour,” she says. “So, when we actually won and formed the Government, I was appalled to find that my two counterparts, Alastair and Jonathan, had already been in to see the Civil Service months before and had negotiated their salaries. I’d never even given it a second thought so I still don’t know if I was more shocked at their affront or my own naivety. In the end, I went and hassled and got parity of pay because I never felt I was in less of a position than Alastair or Jonathan.” Not that Anji claims to have experienced gender discrimination herself. “Back when I was a student sitting in the House of Commons taking notes, there were only 60 female MPs and now there are over 200,” she says proudly. “So it has changed dramatically, but I was very happy to be working at a time when all parties were in favour of changing everything to make it easier for women to work. So it has got much better in my lifetime.” Although she says she has no desire to return to working in politics, Anji still sees her career as a series of building blocks. “There’s not a single thing I’ve ever done that I wish I hadn’t,” she says boldly. “But, none of it would have happened if I hadn’t gone to Brighton and had that particular experience with those particular tutors at that certain time. The whole experience totally transformed my life.” Ask her what advice she’d give this year’s graduates and without missing a beat she flashes back a two-word answer: “Aim high.” Anji Hunter certainly did that.

25 YEARS OF UNDERGRADUATE PROSPECTUSES. AT A GLANCE.

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

NINE FORMER STUDENTS ON HOW THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON SHAPED THEM…

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT

“I was lucky to be at Brighton when Joanne Brogden taught fashion design. She was so strict and direct, the best teacher I came across. She encouraged me to concentrate on fashion illustrating which led to a career working for newspapers and magazines and BARBARA HULANICKI OBE eventually all the fashion FASHION ILLUSTRATION, 1956 shows in Paris. Thank HONORARY DOCTOR OF LETTERS, 2010 you Miss Brogden!” FASHION DESIGNER AND BIBA FOUNDER

NATASHA KHAN MUSIC AND VISUAL ART BA (HONS), 2003 SINGER AND MUSICIAN, AKA BAT FOR LASHES

“I remember discovering the work of Steve Reich and Susan Hiller when I was at Brighton. I started to think these other forms of art were kind of ceremonial, ritualistic, magical and strange. It opened my eyes to new ways of being creative. There’s still a really relaxed artistic atmosphere in the city which really suits me.”

“I’m amazed by how much my horizons have been expanded at Brighton. Becoming president of the Student Union has helped transform my communication skills. Speaking to thousands of students has opened my eyes to ensuring everyone is treated fairly and with respect.” 46

TOMI IBUKUN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING BEng (HONS), 2018 STUDENTS’ UNION PRESIDENT 2018/19

JO WHILEY APPLIED LANGUAGES BA, 1986 RADIO DJ AND TV PRESENTER

“At Brighton I learned to be independent, made incredible friends and joined the Doctor Who society! More importantly, one of my lecturers helped me land a slot on Radio Sussex. It was a huge opportunity and led me to where I am today.”

“I absolutely know I wouldn’t be where I am now were it not for my time at Brighton — the course is broad, it breeds interesting and highly versatile characters adept at working and enjoying the real world. I’m deeply proud to have gone there.”

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT

ROGER COWDREY TEACHING, 1968 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONSULTANT, AUTHOR AND MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

CAMERON LESLIE INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT BA (HONS), 1995 DIRECTOR, FABRIC NIGHTCLUB

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

“Brighton reaffirmed my desire to impart learning, gave me the initial skills to relate to young people, taught me that learning could and should be fun, and made me realise you can do anything if you really want to. It also gave me the best three years of my early life.”

SONIA CARGAN SOCIAL ADMINISTRATION BA (HONS), 1991 CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER, AMERICAN EXPRESS

ROD FLAVELL HUMAN MOVEMENT/HUMAN BIOLOGY BA (HONS), 1981 FOUNDER AND CEO, FDM GROUP

“The friends and contacts I made and the lessons learned at Brighton have stood me in good stead over the years. It was a brilliant experience and without the alumni introductions, I would never have got my first job in technology.”

SHEILA FLAVELL MARKETING MA, 2002 MBA 2004 CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, FDM GROUP

“Brighton really broadened my perspective on the range of options and opportunities that were available to me. The path I took after university was undoubtedly shaped by my time there. I feel so fortunate to have been supported in my early days by a team who really wanted me to be the best I could be.”

“I loved my time at Brighton so much I went on to study for a second degree! As well as being an excellent learning establishment, I made some lasting friendships with both fellow students and staff. Learning should be fun and learning at the University of Brighton is definitely that.” 47

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON THE BIG BUILD

A STUNNING £300M* DEVELOPMENT IS SET TO TRANSFORM OUR MOULSECOOMB CAMPUS AND REGENERATE A HUGE AREA OF THE CITY.

* The £300m investment includes our Moulsecoomb campus and the Preston Barracks site.

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

Artist’s impression of proposed Moulsecoomb campus and Preston Barracks development.

THE BIG BUILD

‘THE BIG BUILD’, AS IT’S BEEN OFFICIALLY NAMED BY STUDENTS, WILL SEE THE CREATION OF A NEW BUSINESS SCHOOL BUILDING, FIVE HALLS OF RESIDENCE AND A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ACROSS LEWES ROAD, LINKING BOTH SIDES OF THE CAMPUS. As well as creating an inspiring new environment for students and staff, the development is part of a wider masterplan for the old Preston Barracks site that will also include new homes and affordable housing, a new business start-up hub, numerous retail and food outlets and improved social spaces with extensive landscaping and planting. The massive project by the University of Brighton, in partnership with developers U+I and Brighton & Hove City Council, will create a new gateway into the city and transform the local area, creating over 1,500 jobs and attracting over £500m into the city over the next ten years. Work is getting underway on transforming the Moulsecoomb campus and the Preston Barracks site, with the construction work expected to be completed in 2021. 49

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON THE BIG BUILD

The Big Build consists of: Five new halls of residence A new Business School building with flexible modern learning and social spaces A new Students’ Union with social spaces and fitness facilities A new multi-storey car park to replace existing parking facilities A landmark pedestrian bridge bringing both sides of the campus together

Once completed, the campus will benefit from new green spaces incorporating over 300 additional trees, much improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists and excellent public transport links as part of the area’s wider development. “This partnership aims to deliver one of the most ambitious and transformational projects for the city in a neighbourhood where meaningful regeneration is long overdue,” said Professor Debra Humphris, Vice-Chancellor. “The overall scheme has the potential to have a huge positive impact both for the local community and wider city, as we look to deliver on our aspiration to create an inspiring place where people can live, work and learn together.” Richard Upton, Deputy Chief Executive of U+I, added, “This will breathe new life into a corner of Brighton that has lain derelict for decades. It’s one of the largest and most ambitious regeneration projects that Brighton has ever seen. We will deliver world class, imaginative urban design, leaving a lasting legacy that befits such an inspirational city”. 50

WHY IS THIS DEVELOPMENT TAKING PLACE?

As our single largest campus, Moulsecoomb is short of student accommodation, which places pressure on local housing. We also know from student feedback that the campus would benefit from improved social and recreational facilities. In addition, we want to provide modern and flexible teaching spaces for all of the schools based at the campus.

HOW DISRUPTIVE WILL THE DEVELOPMENT WORK BE?

We are committed to minimising any disruption to students, staff and the local community and this is a key requirement of all of the contractors we are appointing. The works are being phased over two to three years to reduce their impact. All of our existing buildings and facilities will remain open and a detailed transport plan has been developed to minimise disruption along the Lewes Road.

The new multi-storey car park will open in 2019. We anticipate that the new Business School building and pedestrian bridge will be open in 2021. The student bedrooms and improved public spaces and landscaping should also be completed in 2021.

WILL THIS LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN STUDENT NUMBERS AT THE CAMPUS?

Our current strategy commits us to maintaining current numbers rather than increasing them. The main focus of the development is to further improve the experience of students studying here.

WILL PARKING AROUND THE CAMPUS BECOME MORE DIFFICULT?

We are committed to reducing car use and promoting sustainable transport. The new development will benefit from further improvements to cycling facilities, pedestrian access and public transport. No parking spaces will be available to students in the new halls of residence other than those with a disability. The new multi-storey car park replaces all existing car parking spaces on a like-for-like basis.

THE BIG BUILD

WHEN WILL THE NEW FACILITIES BE AVAILABLE?

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

We are very conscious of the need to ensure that students based at the campus during the works are not unduly affected. It is not unusual for works of this kind to be carried out on a working campus. We will be consulting with our students throughout and reviewing arrangements for teaching, examinations, open days and other key events to ensure that these are not affected by the works.

BIG BUILD BIG QUESTIONS

HOW WILL STUDENTS CURRENTLY STUDYING AT THE CAMPUS AND JOINING OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS BE AFFECTED?

HOW SUSTAINABLE WILL THE CAMPUS BE?

Sustainability is one of the core values of the university. The Cockcroft Building is already one of the most sustainable in the city and the Advanced Engineering Building meets the highest possible standards. All of the new buildings are being constructed to BREEAM Excellent standards. The campus has a sustainable transport plan and will benefit from the planting of a mix of over 300 new and mature trees and much-improved green spaces.

WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT?

You can contact the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communications team: bigbuild@brighton.ac.uk 51

THE BIG BUILD

PRESTON BARRACKS WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1793 AFTER IT WAS FEARED FRENCH REVOLUTIONARIES WOULD INVADE ENGLAND AND TAKE THE SHORTEST ROUTE TO LONDON BY LANDING TROOPS NEAR BRIGHTON. James Gray Collection, the photographic archive of the Regency Society.

Preston Barracks pictured in 1850. Below: The stables that later detained a young Spike Milligan before the site became derelict.

The Lewes Road site housed the infantry, their supporting artillery and contained stabling facilities for over 1,000 horses. In the 1840s, Lord Cardigan, who led the notorious Charge of the Light Brigade, held several court martials there. But the barracks’ most famous occupant was legendary comedian Spike Milligan. In his memoirs, Milligan detailed how, as a serving officer in the 56th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery, he was forced to spend two weeks in detention at Preston Barracks after being caught hiding rifles in a loft. Milligan’s punitive tasks included shovelling coke into a single pile in the pouring rain. But his guards also appreciated his artistic ability and his numerous drawings adorned the walls of the barracks for years after. Since then, the Intelligence Corps, Royal Corps of Signals, the Territorial Army and local Cadet Force all used the Ministry of Defence base, before it lay sadly derelict for over 20 years. The Big Build is about to change all that.

Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

BARRACK TO THE FUTURE

2019

LINE

_Multi-storey car park completed _Work begins on new Business School building _Work begins on student accommodation and Students’ Union

THE BIG BUILD

_Full approvals received for all final plans _Work begins on multi-storey car park

_Business School building completed _Pedestrian bridge installed _Student accommodation completed _New Students’ Union completed _Landscaping fully completed

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

TIME

2018

2021

UNIVERSIT Y OF BRIGHTON

THE LAST WORD

VICE-CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR DEBRA HUMPHRIS THE LAST WORD Illustration: Tomás Morren

Our 25th anniversary year has provided a timely opportunity to both reflect on the past and to consider the challenges and opportunities ahead for the university. Over the past 25 years, we have all witnessed huge changes in society, technology, policy and demography, many of which continue to shape higher education. Twenty-five years ago when Parliament passed the Further and Higher Education Act, it heralded a significant moment of change for HE in the UK, enabling polytechnics to become universities and opening opportunities for more people to attend university. In May 1992, there were approximately 984,000 18- to 24-year-olds in full-time education. By July 2016, this had risen to 1.87m. In the context of the country shifting to a services and ‘knowledge economy,’ the expansion of higher education has been a vital engine for wider social mobility. Universities like Brighton have opened up the opportunity not just for more people, but a greater diversity of people, to attend and benefit from a university education. Continuing changes in government policy have also seen a landscape few would have imagined in 1992 — the introduction of income contingent loans, the loss of grants and a new regulator, the Office for Students. Last year, the Higher Education and Research Act moved the sector towards the creation of a ‘market’ in education, following an earlier removal of the student number cap in 2015. This has transformed the environment in which we operate, opening up more choice for students. There is also a greater emphasis on transparency and scrutiny across the sector, including the establishment of new expectations around senior pay. While there are a wide range of views on these changes, the critical capability universities must exercise, as we did 25 years ago, is to continue to evolve and adapt to deliver life-changing education, research and enterprise; to generate, apply and learn from knowledge, to create practical wisdom.

University of Brighton Vice-Chancellor, Professor Debra Humphris

In the immediate period ahead, we need to remain mindful of the economic and skills challenges that are likely to come following Brexit. We must engage actively in the potential research and enterprise opportunities that will emerge with the “IN MAY Industrial Strategy, and we must ensure we can 1992, THERE WERE clearly articulate the APPROXIMATELY value for money we 984,000 18-24 YEAR represent for students OLDS IN FULL-TIME and taxpayers. To do this we must EDUCATION. BY JULY continue to invest 2016 THIS HAD in the university. To RISEN TO 1.87m.” that end, The Big Build and our development of the Moulsecoomb campus represents a vital next stage. During my time as Vice-Chancellor, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many of our wonderful alumni and friends, all making an impact in society in so many different ways — just a tiny fraction of whom are highlighted in this edition. For many of you over the past 25 years, and indeed many years prior to that, you have benefited from an educational experience that has shaped your future. As we move forward I will be reaching out to explore how many more of you can help support your university and those who follow you in a range of exciting ways.

£25

FOR BY DONATING £25 TO MARK THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF YOUR UNIVERSITY, YOU’LL HELP US INSPIRE MORE STUDENTS TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. YOU’LL ALSO ENABLE US TO TRANSFORM OUR FACILITIES AND FURTHER ADVANCE DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION THROUGH OUR CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH AND ENTERPRISE.

BE PART OF OUR FUTURE.

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UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON Mithras House Lewes Road Brighton BN2 4AT 01273 642600 alumni@brighton.ac.uk