The University of Warwick is proud of its long-standing connections with Venice. Our History and History of Art departments have collectively taught students in Venice for well over 50 years. From 2007, the University had a base in the Cannaregio district of the city. Other departments, including Italian Studies, WBS, Global Sustainable Development, Economics, WMG, and the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance, also used this space to deliver short courses and host academic conferences.

Circumstances necessitated the search for a new premises. After an interim period during which we were hosted by Ca’ Foscari, a new location was identified: the Palazzo Giustinian Lolin.

The opening event for the new venue was held on the 22nd May followed by a series of bi-lateral meetings between academics from Warwick and their counterparts from Ca' Foscari University on the 23rd May.

BA English and Theatre Studies alumna Vinitaraj Aulak may have only graduated in 2021, but she wasted no time chasing her dreams and securing a radio presenter role on BBC Asian Network. Here she shares how her undergraduate degree taught her to break the mould and follow her passions.

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons premiered at Warwick Arts Centre in 2015 and won three Judges' Awards at the National Student Drama Festival, before appearing at Latitude Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Camden People's Theatre, London.

The play is now on in London's West End at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

The playright, Sam Steiner, is an alumnus of Warwick University (English Literature 2014) and gave an interview to our alumni team about his experience of breaking into playwriting for stage and screen.

Before Warwick, alumna Armani Chante Samuel-Carthy (BA Film and Literature, 2022) found work experience with support from a charity, who help students from underprivileged backgrounds into the creative industry. Fast forward to now, she’s the proud owner of a first-class degree, her own production start-up, a role with Netflix, and even more determination to write her own shows. It’s no wonder she’s been featured on Powerful Media’s Future Leaders 2022/3 list, which recognises 150 of Britain’s most outstanding Black university students.

We know our arts alumni go on to do wonderful things after they leave us, and we love that everyone’s story is a little different. Arts advocate, Sunday Times columnist, mum, self-confessed cake scoffer, women’s fiction writer and ex Tellytubbyland resident alumna Pernille Hughes (BA Film and Literature, 1994) has had a rollercoaster of a journey since she graduated from Warwick. Here she tells us how she found her writing voice, and why your arts degree will always be a good talking point.

Theatre Director Ali Pidsley (BA English and Theatre Studies, 2014; MA English Literature, 2016) shares how Warwick inspired him to set up a different kind of theatre company.

Mika Watkins studied English Literature at Warwick, before going on to create and executive-produce the hit YouTube premium series Origin. Her writing credits include Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix horror series Cabinet Of Curiosities; Stan Lee’s Lucky Man on Sky 1; and BBC1 period drama Troy: Fall of a City.

Mika will return to the English Department next Wednesday, 1^st February to share her experiences in the TV and film industries with current Arts Faculty students.