13 of the best stories from London College of Communication in 2019

As the year (and the decade!) comes to a close, we’re celebrating 13 of the top stories from London College of Communication in 2019 in our recap of the year.

From our students quizzing Twitter boss Bruce Daisley for a BBC Radio Four show to our staff curating major, critically-acclaimed exhibitions, it’s been a busy 12 months for our diverse community of students, staff and alumni.

In no particular order, check out some of the remarkable highlights from the year below…

1. MA Screenwriting graduate wins Best Single Drama at BAFTA Television Awards 2019 for Killed by my Debt

Still from the film Killed by my Debt, featuring the main and supporting character — Killed by my Debt, written by Tahsin Guner. Photo courtesy of BAFTA (2019)

MA Screenwriting graduate Tahsin Guner won Best Single Drama for his film ‘Killed by my Debt’ at British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Television Awards 2019. Produced by BBC Studios Documentary Unit for BBC Three, the hour-long film depicts the story of Jerome Rogers, a 19-year-old motorbike courier who took his own life in 2015 after unwittingly racking up debt from two minor parking fines.

2. Professor of Photography Val Williams curates major new ‘Seaside’ show for Turner Contemporary

A family, wearing sunglasses, sit on a beach and drink tea. — Down to the Beach. Photographer: Raymond C Lawson. Courtesy of Nicholas Cordes, with kind permission of the Lawson family

London College of Communication’s Professor of the History and Culture of Photography, Val Williams, has co-curated a major new exhibition for Turner Contemporary – examining the relationship between photographers, photography and the British seaside. Featuring works from the likes of Jane Bown, Henri Cartier Bresson, Vanley Burke, Anna Fox, Susan Hiller, Paul Nash, Martin Parr, and Ingrid Pollard, ‘Seaside: Photographed’ has gained glowing reviews from The Financial Times and The Guardian.

3. Design for Visual Communication grad wins Bronze at Cannes Lions for children's mental health toolkit

One Mindful Mind 3 — One Mindful Mind. Photo by Rajlaxmi Jain.

Postgraduate Diploma Design for Visual Communication graduate Rajlaxmi Jain has won two Bronze Lions at Cannes Lions for a mental health toolkit for primary school children. The toolkit, named One Mindful Mind, includes five resources and has been praised by the NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, a Mumbai hospital keen to develop the project further for use with autistic children.

4. Interactive map launched to show best local restaurants for healthy food

Staff at Costa Azul behind the counter at their restaurant. — Staff at Costa Azul. Photo by Veronica Otero.

A new interactive map shows the best restaurants and food businesses on and around the Walworth Road, as part of the Where Walworth Eats campaign. Developed by London College of Communication, the map aims to highlight the many different cuisines and cultures that can be found in Elephant and Castle. The project has received support and funding from Southwark Council as part of its High Street Fund.

5. BA (Hons) Sound Arts and Design graduate wins Golden Lion at Venice Biennale 2019

BA (Hons) Sound Arts and Design graduate Lina Lapelytė took home the Golden Lion at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, the Biennale’s version of a gold medal, for Best National Participation for Lithuania. Lina graduated in 2009 from the course which focuses on the creative use of sound as a medium for film, animation, interactive programming, digital improvisation, and installations.

6. BA (Hons) Photography Course Leader wins Education Award at Royal Photographic Society Awards

Photo from Once, a series by Beverley Carruthers, which features a shrouded figure on a misty moor. — Photo from Once, a series by Beverley Carruthers.

BA (Hons) Photography Course Leader Beverley Carruthers has won the Education Award and been granted an Honorary Fellowship at the 141st Royal Photographic Society's Awards. In winning the Education Award, Beverley is recognised as providing an outstanding contribution to photographic education. This includes exceptional course development and management in combination with inspirational teaching in the field.

7. MA Animation grad's 'Roadkill' selected for Cannes Film Festival, shortlisted for BAFTA, wins Best Animation at Aesthetica Short Film Festival

A male model of a deer, taken as a still from a stop motion animated film, waves to another deer in a shop scene. — Still from 'Roadkill' by Leszek Mozga, MA Animation graduate

London College of Communication MA Animation graduate Leszek Mozga’s short film ‘Roadkill’ has been selected to premiere at Cannes Film Festival, shortlisted for a BAFTA, and won Best Animation at Aesthetica Short Film Festival. A stop-motion animated thriller, 'Roadkill' is set in a world where deer are the dominating species. Leszek describes the world where "one alpha male deer goes for an evening car ride and has an unfortunate car accident."

8. MA Interaction Design Communication graduate wins €25,000 for Bio Art & Design Award 2019

MA Interaction Design Communication graduate Michael Sedbon has been awarded €25,000 to realise his bio art project in the Bio Art & Design Award 2019 (BAD Award). Michael's project explores the era that will be marked by the agency of everything non-human: from self-organising urban infrastructure to ubiquitous politically driven digital networks.

9. London College of Communication and LADbible partner on major project to explore how VR can combat harassment

Woman wearing VR headset pointing — Image © Sundeep Verdi

London College of Communication is developing an innovative virtual reality project in partnership with LADbible and King’s College London to help participants empathise with sexual assault survivors, as well as develop the skills to intervene when faced with instances of sexual harassment. The ‘Virtual Reality against Sexual Harassment’ project has secured funding through NESTA’s Amplified fund and will develop two distinct immersive user experiences.

10. Southwark and Lambeth charities offered free creative work through Talent Works

Two men, one client and one student, sit on a table in a cafe while a camera-woman films — BA (Hons) Film Practice students Charis Mills and Danny Fowler with Talent Works client Toucan Employment

Lambeth and Southwark-based charities, social enterprises and community groups benefitted from free creative solutions through another iteration of Talent Works – an established community project run by London College of Communication which has seen 170 stduents work with 97 local organisations. Students across the College's Design, Media and Screen Schools made films and animations, built websites, designed print materials, created social media assets, and advised on strategy.

11. Postgraduate Diploma Design for Visual Communication graduate wins silver in the European Design Awards

Postgraduate Diploma in Design for Visual Communication graduate Valentina D’Efillippo has won Silver award in the European Design Awards with her user's guide: The Brain. Recently named one of campaign’s 30 creative female leaders in the UK, Valentina has won the award for ‘The Brain: A user’s guide’. The designer, illustrator, and creative director has been working with public organisations, start-ups, agencies and global brands for the last years, but just recently returned to run her own practice full-time.

12. London College of Communication wins TIGA Games Industry Award for Best Education Initiative for Games Fusion Project

LCC Screen School staff group photo after winning award for Best Education Initiative at 2019 TIGA Awards. Photo courtesy of TIGA.

London College of Communication has won The Independent Game Developer’s Association (TIGA) Games Industry Award for Education Initiative and Talent Development in recognition of the Games Fusion Project. The Games Fusion Project is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and developed in partnership with Queen Mary University of London. The TIGA Games Industry Awards recognise excellence in games development, business and education and celebrate the achievements of both small and large games development studios.

13. Students quiz Twitter boss Bruce Daisley for BBC Radio Four show

Posed group photo of Bruce Daisley with BBC producer and LCC students smiling at camera — European Head of Twitter Bruce Daisley poses with BBC presenter Ruth Barnes, producer Kim Normanton and students from London College of Communication. Image © Sundeep Verdi

Students from London College of Communication quizzed Twitter boss Bruce Daisley for top job-hunting tips for a new show for BBC Radio Four. Four students across BA (Hons) Journalism and BA (Hons) Public Relations were featured on ‘Out of Office’, a new series exploring the changing world of work. The students – Maha Khan, Daryl Ho, Jennifer De Souza, and Jennifer Revell – met with Head of Twitter for Europe Bruce Daisley as part of the recording for the show, getting top tips on navigating the ever-changing landscape of applying for jobs.

Congratulations to all students, staff, alumni and friends of the College and good luck for 2020!

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