Celebrating 120 Years

A montage of images from throughout Falmouth University's 120 year history. All images have a blue overlay and the Falmouth University 120 logo. 

In 1902 Falmouth School of Art opened as an evolution of The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society, which aimed to 'promote the useful and fine arts, to encourage industry and to elicit the ingenuity of a community distinguished for its mechanical skill.’ 

The School started as we mean to go on - harnessing creativity to forge the future of industry. To celebrate this anniversary, we delved into the archives and quizzed our community to unearth the stories that have shaped us.

Our timeline: The moments that made us

Journey through our timeline to discover the moments that made us; from the inception of Falmouth School of Art in 1902 and the installation of our Chancellor Dawn French in 2015, to welcoming our new Vice-Chancellor Professor Emma Hunt in 2022 (and the triumphs and challenges faced along the way). 

Prospectus
Prospectus

The evolution of our prospectus


Explore how our prospectus front page has developed from the mid 1900s to the present day, and hear from the people that help bring them to life. 

View story

Stories from our community

In 2022, we quizzed former and current students, staff and friends of the University about their experience at Falmouth and what it meant to them. Read about the careers launched and connections made, below. 

All stories

Emily Joshua
Emily Joshua

MA Writing for Script & Screen alumna on award-winning period romance and working at the BBC

04 August 2026

“The quality of education I received at Falmouth gives me the belief I can now compete at the high...

MA Writing for Script & Screen alumna on award-winning period romance and working at the BBC
Postgraduate Prospectus 2027

Meet the stars of our 2027 postgraduate Prospectus

03 August 2026

Meet the stars of our new 2027 postgraduate prospectus. We're shining a spotlight on ten of our bril...

Meet the stars of our 2027 postgraduate Prospectus
Benj Gilbert
Benj Gilbert

Photography alumnus on winning Getty Images Young Photographer of the Year and working at Wimbledon

30 July 2026

Just one year after graduating, Benj Gilbert has won Getty Images Young Photographer of the Year at ...

Photography alumnus on winning Getty Images Young Photographer of the Year and working at Wimbledon
Rachel Rimell
Rachel Rimell

Online Photography alumna on founding film and photo festival

28 July 2026

Throughout the summer, Ryedale Film & Photo Fest is bringing a curated selection of photography, sho...

Online Photography alumna on founding film and photo festival
Kit Chapman
Kit Chapman

Online Creative Writing lecturer is shortlisted for Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize

24 July 2026

Earlier this year, Falmouth’s award-winning BA(Hons) Creative Writing (Online) lecturer, science j...

Online Creative Writing lecturer is shortlisted for Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize
Professor Larra Anderson - Vice-Chancellor Falmouth University 2026
Professor Larra Anderson

Falmouth University announces appointment of next Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

23 July 2026

Falmouth University is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Larra Anderson as its next V...

Falmouth University announces appointment of next Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
Four headshots

Falmouth University honours four champions of Cornish and cultural identity with 2026 Honorary Awards

22 July 2026

Falmouth University is proud to introduce this year’s Honorary Award recipients, each recognised f...

Falmouth University honours four champions of Cornish and cultural identity with 2026 Honorary Awards
Old-fashioned computer with smiley face on screen, connected to electronic device with windsock
Robyn Cook art

MA Fine Art Online Course Leader explores 'thoughtful, generous and alive’ research-led teaching

22 July 2026

One of our students recently wrote about how she felt “part of something thoughtful, generous and ...

MA Fine Art Online Course Leader explores 'thoughtful, generous and alive’ research-led teaching
matthew biggar

Online Film & TV graduate films Antarctic extremes on “impossible” trip

21 July 2026

When disabled adventurer Darren Edwards set out to reach the South Pole, the goal was extraordinary....

Online Film & TV graduate films Antarctic extremes on “impossible” trip
Saltwater Breath
Saltwater Breath

Online Film graduates see their student projects screened at Cornish cinema

17 July 2026

Three of Falmouth’s MA Film & Television (Online) graduates are preparing to see two of the films ...

Online Film graduates see their student projects screened at Cornish cinema

Join our alumni community

We love to keep in touch with our alumni. Head to our Alumni page to share your news with us, join our Falmouth Connect LinkedIn group and subscribe to our newsletter, which is packed full of stories, opportunities and useful information. 

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Falmouth student singing into microphone and playing keyboard.