Our MA Visual Communication course is interdisciplinary and specialist in approach, reflecting the dynamic and contemporary practices within the creative industries.
The course will give you a wealth of opportunities to find your unique creative voice and further your practice, but don’t just take our word for it, see how studying MA Visual Communication has benefited some of our students and alumni.
Barnaby Kent
Barnaby used his time on the course to further his photography practice. Whilst studying he received a photographic bursary from independent arts organisation GRAIN, for his work in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
His current work (pictured below) explores the meeting of human and nature’s creativity through horticulture, reflecting on the solace and comfort individuals have found in the soil during Covid-19 and lockdown isolation.
The bursary will support Barnaby, and the other additional recipients of the award to make new work in isolation, or at a legally social distance, whilst reflecting on these times and contributing to creativity and wellbeing. The seven projects that are taking place in Birmingham have also been supported by Birmingham City Council, Arts Council England and National Lottery Players.
“Barnaby is a great example of a student who, throughout the Master’s programme, has developed his own unique creative voice and immersed himself within MA Photography to push at the boundaries of his specialism.” – Rob Gibb, MA Visual Communication Course Director
Taian 'Leo' Lu
After originally studying graphic design, Leo decided to develop his skills in animation through postgraduate study, specialising in film and animation, a pathway on MA Visual Communication.
The variation in study helped Leo to create ‘Break the Confinement’, alternative coming-of-age tale film that was selected for the New York New Filmmakers Festival and featured on the front page of creative publication It’s Nice That.
The film is told through frame-by-frame animation, entirely hand-drawn, and was inspired by Taian’s personal childhood experiences growing up in China combined with observations on Chinese parenting. The style is inspired by Japanese woodblock prints or Ukiyo-e and Chinese animator Yukai Du.
"Leo is a great example of a student who has immersed himself in the opportunities the course offers. The MA in Visual Communication provides a transformative experience in a challenging, yet supportive environment, empowering students to situate their individual practice within the context of a global industry." - Matt Tromans, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication
Leo follows a string of successful graduates coming out of the MA Visual Communication course. 2018 graduates, Shiyi Li and Mengxia Liu, both had their work selected for the St Etienne Biennale in 2019, and Mengxia has since featured in the prestigious magazine, Creative Review.
Yifan ‘Buddy’ Ling
Yifan, another graduate of the course, has become a bestselling graphic artist and won awards globally for her work.
Though she had been creating manga comics prior to starting her Master’s degree, she credits the course and her tutors for raising her profile and giving her the confidence to work as a professional comic artist after graduation.
Since graduating from Birmingham City University, Yifan has published multiple comic books in China and two in the USA, and her online comic story Guarding has had millions of readers.
To see more work from our MA Visual Communication students, take a look at a showreel of their projects.
