UCA announces 2012 honorary degree recipients
Hollywood director Gareth Edwards, the founder of Glastonbury Festival Michael Eavis and graphic design pioneer Adrian Shaughnessy will all receive honorary degrees from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), at Guildford Cathedral next month.
Monsters director Gareth Edwards, who is currently working on the remake of the biggest celluloid monster of them all, Godzilla, will receive an honorary Master of Arts degree during the graduation ceremony for UCA Epsom and UCA Farnham students on 4 July 2012.
The writer/director graduated from UCA Farnham, formerly West Surrey College of Art & Design, in 1996 where he produced one of the first ever student films to combine live action with digital effects.
Gareth set up his own visual effects company and worked on award-winning television shows, such as Atilla the Hun where he made all 250 of the special effects, and Hiroshima which earned him a BAFTA.
He went on to win a short film competition that he shot in two days with no crew and one actor, which led to the hit feature film Monsters in 2010.
Gareth Edwards said: "When I received an email from UCA recently, my first thought was that they had finally realised that I hadn't returned a book to their library when I graduated but when I realised they were awarding me an honorary degree, I was shocked, flattered and hoped it wasn't a clerical error.
"I feel privileged and honoured to receive this award from an institution that has played such an influential role in my career, and where I also spent three of the most formative and inspiring years of my life. I also hope it means that I'll get to keep that library book now, too."
Dr Simon Ofield-Kerr, Vice-Chancellor at UCA, said: "We are delighted to award Gareth Edwards with an honorary degree.
"Gareth began pushing the boundaries of digital filmmaking while at UCA and his original way of working, and talent, has taken him on an exciting journey to Hollywood.
"As a graduate of UCA, he will instantly have a special connection with our students and I am certain that his story will inspire."
Michael Eavis CBE, founder of the Glastonbury Festival, will be presented with an honorary Master of Arts degree on 4 July 2012 for his services to the creative arts.
The first festival in 1970 was attended by 1,500 people and provided free milk at the farm. Today, it is the largest green field music and performing arts festival in the world with 150,000 music fans and raises millions for good causes.
UCA became the first academic institution to have a presence at the Festival in 2009 and has returned every year since to offer festival-goers a free creative arts workshops including pottery, life drawing, sculpture, photography, TV and much more.
Michael Eavis said: "After 42 years organising the Glastonbury Festival, it's brilliant to still be picking up top awards such as this one, from such a formidable institution as UCA."
Dr Simon Ofield-Kerr said: "The Glastonbury Festival is a national treasure and continues to promote the creative arts to a wide and varied audience.
"Michael has done a tremendous job of organising this culturally-important event for more than 40 years while also staying true to his core values and raising millions of pounds for charity."
Graphic designer and writer Adrian Shaughnessy will receive an honorary degree at Guildford Cathedral on 3 July 2012.
Adrian's award-winning design studio Intro was an early adopter of digital technology and a pioneer of motion graphics within graphic design. Since 2004, he has written, designed and art directed numerous books on design and founded his own publishing company which is actively engaged in forging new ways of publishing and distributing books in the digital era.
The University for the Creative Arts has 7,000 students, studying at campuses in Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester.
Honorary degrees will be awarded to chief executive of the Design Council David Kester, media entrepreneur Geoff Miles, and Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic, at UCA's graduation ceremonies in Kent.
For more information contact:
David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk
