Global advertising giant and leading theatre director share industry insight at Falmouth

Worldwide Creative Director and founder of global advertising giant, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Sir John Hegarty and award-winning Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse, Michael Grandage are just two of the many high-profile names who have shared invaluable industry insight with staff, students, creative companies and members of the public at University College Falmouth in recent weeks.

Sir John Hegarty revealed his ten reasons why a recession is the best time to be in advertising and Michael Grandage, in conversation with Tim Brinkman from the Hall for Cornwall, explored the connections between his upbringing in Cornwall and a life in the theatre that has seen him work with many of the world's leading actors such as Dame Judi Dench, Jude Law, Derek Jacobi, Kenneth Branagh and Joseph Fiennes.

Sir John Hegarty's ten reasons ranged from how agencies can innovate by harnessing the opportunities offered by new and emerging technologies to how they can tackle social issues through interactive advertising.  Staff, students and design professionals were richly entertained by Sir John's host of visual examples that encompassed New York buskers performing tracks from Dig Out Your Soul by Oasis ahead of its launch to promote New York City; how the world's first branded-content TV channel for Audi has ensured its constant presence in the marketplace; and how visitors to Barnardo's website were encouraged to use their cursors to stop the circle of violence against children.

Following his talk, Sir John - along with Billy Mawhinney, BJL's current creative chief, following high-profile tenures at JWT, BBH and Ogilvy & Mather, and leading advertising photographer, Max Forsythe - led stimulating seminars with students from BA(Hons) and MA Graphic Design, and MA Creative Advertising.

Michael Grandage revealed to Tim Brinkman that his interest in the theatre was ignited by Daphne Lawry who ran the then West Cornwall Arts Centre - now the Acorn Theatre - in Penzance when she invited him in to build a set during his days at the Humphry Davy School; the transition from actor to director; and how he learnt to run a theatre, market performances, develop audiences and take creative risks at Sheffield and the Donmar, and become one of the UK's most influential Artistic Directors.

For further information about events at University College Falmouth, visit www.falmouth.ac.uk/events

University College Falmouth is the only independent Higher Education institution in Cornwall with the powers to award degrees in its own name.  It has two campuses in Cornwall - at Woodlane in Falmouth and Tremough in Penryn (which it owns, and jointly manages with the University of Exeter) - and a third campus at Totnes in Devon, following its merger with Dartington College of Arts in 2008.

This merger created a new institution focusing on the expansion of Falmouth's expertise in Art, Design and Media and Dartington's expertise in Choreography, Music, Theatre, Art and Writing.  The Devon-based courses will relocate to a new, high-specification Performance Centre at Tremough in 2010, paving the way for a new specialist Arts University in Cornwall by 2012/2013 that will be unique to the South West.

The College is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education, funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall Council.

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For further information about University College Falmouth, please contact Jilly Easterby MCIPR, Head of Public Affairs, Telephone: 01326 213792, or email:  jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk

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