A stellar Falmouth summer: success stories from our community
30 September 2025
While our campuses may be quieter over the summer, our creative community certainly aren’t. Our students, staff and alumni spent this summer winning awards, scoring nominations, exhibiting work internationally and forging exciting practices across the creative industries and beyond.
Here, we look back at some of the most inspiring successes of the summer.
Studio Kiln: the Falmouth alumni refreshing Vinted’s global identity
Nathan Smith and Charlie Hocking are the creative minds behind Studio Kiln, a design studio in Penryn that was recently chosen to refresh the brand identity of Vinted, Europe’s leading second-hand fashion marketplace.
It is the latest milestone for the pair, who met by chance in a shared workspace before discovering how much they had in common.
Falmouth student wins global entertainment award while interning at Disney+
After building vital creative skills in the first two years of her Falmouth degree, from confidence and resilience to collaboration, Illustration BA student Rhea Haynes is now finishing her placement year working for subscription giant Disney+ in London, where she put those skills to practise to win an entertainment industry award.
Falmouth students and alumni win four Pencils at D&AD Awards 2025
The prestigious D&AD Awards recognises the world’s best of design and advertising, as judged by creative leaders and innovators.
This year, four projects created by Falmouth’s students and alumni have been awarded the coveted Wood Pencil awards, with the recipients showcasing their work to an audience of millions in the creative industry.
World premiere success for Professor Mark Jenkin at Venice
Distinguished Professor of Film Practice at Falmouth University, Mark Jenkin, continues to cement his reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive filmmakers with the world premiere of his latest work, Rose of Nevada, starring George Mackay and Callum Turner.
The film debuted last week at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, where it immediately captured the attention of audiences and critics alike.
Popular Music alumna announces debut album on major label Fiction Records
Singer-songwriter and Popular Music BA alumna Lily Lyons is set to release her debut album Reopen the World on Fiction Records this October – the label best known as the home of English rock band The Cure. Having signed to Fiction Records in April 2024, Lily’s debut EP Fabric was released shortly afterwards to critical acclaim. She has since played at Glastonbury, supported established acts like The Staves and will embark on a series of headline shows in support of her album release this winter.
Singer-songwriter and Popular Music BA alumna Lily Lyons is set to release her debut album Reopen the World on Fiction Records this October – the label best known as the home of English rock band The Cure.
Falmouth University achieves University Mental Health Charter Award
Falmouth University is delighted to be the first and only specialist creative arts institution to achieve the University Mental Health Charter Award, a national accreditation recognising sector-leading mental health and wellbeing support for students.
Falmouth Illustrators make prestigious World Illustration Awards shortlist
Two members of Falmouth’s online Illustration master’s community have been shortlisted in this year’s World Illustration Awards. Current student Hugh Hadfield and 2024 graduate Liberty Opal have been selected for the Awards which showcase the best work from illustrators all over the world.
Presented by the Association of Illustrators in partnership with the Directory of Illustration, the Awards focus on supporting and celebrating creativity by connecting illustrators with their peers and the global illustration industry.
Photography lecturer showcases work in renowned Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition has been held annually since 1769, marking it as a longstanding and renowned showcase of painting, film, photography and sculpture.
This year Lottie Davies, Senior Lecturer in Documentary & Editorial Photography BA, has been selected by visual artist and Royal Academician (RA) Helen Sear to be featured in the exhibition’s Large Weston Room.
Falmouth Illustration graduate named in Association of Illustrators Top 10 UK graduates list 2025
Graduate life has got off to a flying start for illustrator Rosie Dunbar, who has captured the attention of the Association of Illustrators (AOI), the leading professional body for illustration in the UK and beyond. Since 1973 the AOI has been championing illustrators and the illustration industry with education, promotion and campaigning to achieve a thriving industry.
Rosie, who graduated from Illustration BA this summer, has been named in the AOI’s ‘10 UK Illustration Graduates to Watch in 2025’ list, an annual feature showcasing the most exciting new illustration talent emerging from UK universities.
Game Academy students shine at The Rookies
Three students from Falmouth’s Games Academy have reached the finals stage of The Rookies, an international awards platform celebrating emerging talent in games, animation, visual effects and design.
Game Art BA students Jack Ferrari and Izzy Foo, and Computing for Games BSc student Louis Ashton were all named finalists. Their achievements place them among some of the most promising early-career artists and developers worldwide. Two animation films also received recognition, as mentioned in this news article.
Creative Advertising alumni awarded Most Promising Creative Team 2025
When Caitlin Chakraborty and Indi Morland became friends while studying Falmouth’s Creative Advertising MA, little did they know they would soon be working together as creatives to produce television campaigns for Sky Mobile, Women’s Aid and Santander.
Working with well-known faces such as Lily James, Ant and Dec and the Despicable Me animated characters, their creative work has now garnered acclaim from the Creative Circle Awards who have recognised the pair as Most Promising Creative Team 2025.
Falmouth course leader produces new podcast hosted by comedian Russell Kane
Multi-award-winning comedy producer and Comedy Writing MA (Online) course leader Simon Nicholls has recently produced Evil Animals, a new podcast series for BBC Sounds hosted by renowned comedian Russell Kane.
Described by the BBC as the “feral sibling” of Kane’s hugely popular podcast series Evil Genius, the new podcast takes the ‘evil or genius?’ formula of the original series and applies it to animals (rather than famous figures from history). The opening episodes of Evil Animals take on hamsters, dolphins and cats, with future episodes set to voyage deep into the animal kingdom.
Acting alumni brings student project to Edinburgh Fringe festival
What began as a short film created during Piers Mackenzie’s final year at Falmouth has blossomed: becoming a stage production that has already received glowing five-star reviews and sold-out international performances.
Entitled COURIER, the production is a solo show written by and starring Piers and is inspired by the Acting BA alumni’s time working as a Deliveroo rider while studying at Falmouth.
Falmouth student comes second in World Adobe Championship
Hallie Mitchell, a student who chose to study Falmouth’s Photoshop ACP short course on top of her Graphic Design BA degree, has beaten 10,000 other students to become the UK and Ireland’s Adobe Champion 2025. Now, she has come an incredible second place in the Adobe World Championship, winning a $4,000 scholarship and silver medal.
This impressive achievement happened when Hallie took the Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) exam as part of the short course, an exam that tests students on their skills and knowledge, naming the entrant with the highest score as champion.
Honorary Graduate Troi Lee is awarded an MBE for his work with Deaf Rave
Troi Lee is the founder of Deaf Rave, an inspiring organisation that gives the Deaf community a platform to enjoy and share their love for music through performances incorporating DJ sets, visual vernacular, sign song, sign rap and dance at music festivals and events – often also featuring haptic vests and vibrating floors or furniture that allow music to be physically felt.
They also conduct DJ-ing and VJ-ing workshops and community activities for Deaf children and young adults, empowering those who are D/deaf and Hard of Hearing with new skills and opportunities.
Falmouth University: Our year of transformation
Falmouth University has been shortlisted as Specialist Institution of the Year 2025 in the Times Higher Education Awards, recognising Falmouth as a place drawing on its 120-year art school heritage to push the boundaries of creativity and technology for the future.
