Bournemouth, Education | Posted on August 1st, 2025 | return to news

Arts University Bournemouth celebrates graduation success

An impressive 71 per cent of students at Arts University Bournemouth graduated with a higher degree – either a first or a 2:1 – this year.

Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) celebrated the success of its graduating students, with the vast majority achieving top degree results.

A total of 71 per cent of this year’s cohort graduated with either a first or a 2:1.

Graduates and their friends and families gathered at The Pavilion in Bournemouth for four graduation ceremonies held between Thursday 24 and Friday 25 July.

AUB’s Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer Lisa Mann said: “Completing a degree in the arts is never a passive journey; it demands courage, critical thinking, resilience and vision. Our graduates have created, questioned, and reimagined the world as only artists, designers, performers, architects, creatives, filmmakers, animators, writers and makers can.

“The creative industries are a huge success story for the UK economy. Arts, Design and Culture contributes around £124bn to the UK economy annually. These industries are so important to so many: festivals, theatre, cinema, music, galleries, innovation, technology, health and wellbeing. The interface between creativity, science and technology is becoming more and more apparent, and social prescribing is recognising the arts as key to human health.”

AUB also conferred five Honorary Fellowships this year. The 2025 recipients were: Roma Agrawal, an engineer, author and presenter best known for working on the design of The Shard; Sophie Deen, an entrepreneur, children’s author, and advocate for the ethical use of AI; Grace Gorman, a professional hair and make-up artist for stage and screen; Ilishio Lovejoy, an ESG practitioner; Clary Salandy, a London-based carnival and theatre designer; and Elspeth McBain, CEO of Lighthouse, Poole, the South West’s largest arts centre.

Mann said: “These esteemed figures from across the worlds of art, design, media and performance have demonstrated a significant contribution to the creative arts and are well-recognised and respected among their peers and contemporaries.”

After receiving her Honorary title, Elspeth McBain said: “I am truly honoured by this award and deeply grateful for the recognition of Lighthouse’s contribution to the cultural life of the region. On a personal level, it is a real career highlight, but the whole team at Lighthouse is thrilled.”

To find out more about studying at AUB, visit aub.ac.uk.