Falmouth University has appointed four new distinguished individuals to its academic community as Fellows.
The four have significantly impacted creative and artistic practice around the world and each has a strong link to Falmouth’s community of creative practitioners. They join the University’s dynamic fellowship community of creative and artistic professionals from around the world.
Graduate of Falmouth University, Hew Locke (OBE) becomes a Fellow, having completed his BA in Fine Art at Falmouth College of Arts (now Falmouth University) in 1988.
A member of The Royal Academy of Arts, Locke’s achievements as a sculptor and contemporary visual artist include Procession, a large-scale installation at Tate Britain, and his façade commission Gilt at The Met, New York.
Collecting his Fellowship award from chancellor Dawn French, he told graduates: “I spent my time at Falmouth experimenting. I specialised in impossible projects and glorious failures. The largest watercolour in the world didn’t work out, collecting sea glass and melting it down for windows didn’t work out either. I know the challenges that you’re facing seem immense. I believe the main thing is to just keep going. Don’t question too hard when you want to try some strange, new direction, just do it. Make connections with other artists…make the work your friend, as it’s my friend. I wish you all and your friends (and your art friend) the very, very best for the future…”
Morwenna Banks, actor, comic and screen writer, has strong links with Cornwall. Now with a long list of writing credits including Hollywood film, Miss You Already, award winning TV series Funny Woman and Slow Horses, she was conferred as Honorary Fellow at the ceremony for Falmouth’s School of Communication.
She dedicated her Honorary Fellowship to her mother, who grew up near Falmouth as well as female comedy titans Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
She said: “When I was asked to accept this honorary award, I was going to politely decline. I had a massive attack of imposter syndrome. I felt I didn’t deserve it… I grew up a stone’s throw from here and had absolutely no roadmap or precedent in my life for being a writer and performer. I didn’t know it could even be a job. I had no connections, was miles from anywhere – and London was nearly six hours away on an unaffordable train.
“The idea of a creative place like this university existing here in Falmouth back then was unimaginable. Mum died a few years ago but she was born and bred in Cornwall and lived right near here all her life. But when I decided to write and perform, Mum never questioned it. I was never an imposter in her eyes, I was just doing my job. And she was proud of me. Thank you to my wonderful local family some of whom are also here. Thank you to Cornwall for giving me a unique world view. Today is an honour and Mum…this is for you!”
Other new Fellows include Petroc Trelawny and Charles Wace.
Classical music radio and television broadcaster Trelawny is best known for presenting Breakfast on BBC Radio 3. Raised and educated in Cornwall, Petroc started his career at BBC Radio Devon and became one of the nation’s youngest newsreaders, presenting bulletins for BBC Plymouth’s Spotlight.
Wace, meanwhile, began his career in newspapers and broadcast media before founding Twofour, one of the UK’s largest independent production companies, in 1998.
He has since chaired PACT, the UK screen sector trade body for independent production and distribution companies, and holds posts as director of Creative UK, chief executive of investment company Limesnapper and chairman of Beagle Media, a corporate communications and thought leadership company based in Cornwall.
