A year of awards and acclaim for MDX creative arts students

Industry recognition and community engagement highlight achievements across multiple subjects

Students and alumni from the Arts and Creative Industries Faculty at Middlesex University received a wide range of recognition during 2025, reflecting an impressive pool of talent and creativity.  

A series of exhibitions through the year showcased the quality of student work. The North London Degree Show 2025 celebrated the work of recent graduates in arts and creative subjects, featuring a thrilling fashion show alongside displays of final-year projects spanning fine art paintings and photography, to films and short animations, graphic design and interior design portfolios, and 3D games. 

Fine Art graduate Varshga Premarasa presented a solo exhibition at West End gallery Niru Ratnam just one year after graduating. Born in London with a Tamil Sri Lankan cultural background, Varshga draws on her heritage in her work, which was also exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery as part of a showcase of 13 emerging artists from the Asian diaspora.

Fellow Fine Art graduate Fa Razavi was shortlisted for the Artists’ Collecting Society Studio Prize 2025. Known for her bold colour palettes and symbolic imagery, Fa held several solo exhibitions in London and made her New York debut this year with a solo show.

Illustration graduates were also recognised. Graduate Lotte Siu won a New Blood Award for emerging creative talent and was commissioned to design the official festival bandana 

It was a strong year for Animation students. Recent graduate Arturs Voblikovs scooped multiple RTS Student Awards at both London regional and national level for his film Anomaly, a stop-motion animation that uses satire to explore social issues in Latvia. Two further student films also won awards in the Design and Writing categories in the London competition.

Music students and graduates achieved notable successes. Music graduate Francesco Pio Gennarelli set a world record by delivering the longest-ever solo performance of John Cage’s organ piece As Slow As Possible, performing continuously for 25 hours at the University’s Hendon campus, with the event livestreamed internationally. Meanwhile, Middlesex Jazz graduate James Mollison won a BRIT Award with his band, Ezra Collective.

Creating a highly original spa concept to attract new wellness tourists made Interior Design student Francesca Conidi one of only three winners of a design accolade at the highly competitive NEWH (The Hospitality Industry Network) Awards, which recognises outstanding student talent in hotel and restaurant design. Francesca’s bold spa design for the Mama Shelter hospitality brand wowed the judges. 

Fashion students and graduates also enjoyed an amazing year. Romanian-born and London-based graduate Mirabela Brinzan showcased pieces from her MA Graduate Collection ‘Memento Mori’ on the This Is ICON runway at London Fashion Week. Mirabela was praised as a powerful emerging designer, establishing her place in fashion with structured tailoring, bold narratives, and a fusion of feminine and masculine style. 

Continuing this success, recent Fashion graduate Kat Smith won third prize in the Bradford Textile Society Design Competition 2025, in the Associate of Fashion and Textile Courses Award category. The brief focused on responsible design, including recycling, sustainable fibres and zero-waste techniques. Judges highlighted Kat’s innovative use of laser cutting as both a zero-waste method and an alternative print process that reduces chemical waste.

As well as developing their creative talent at Middlesex, our students also contributed to Barnet’s cultural life and community during the year. Third-year Interior Architecture students were collectively recognised by respected higher education forum Interior Educators for their vision to re-design a north-west London church facing demolition. Over 30 students worked as a team and with church and community members to enhance the church in Somers Town for residents and other groups. 

During the summer, three of our PhD students set up a community dance company, which staged innovative participatory performances and workshops on and off campus. Non-profit collective PhDance, which was formed by Jingwen Lu, Sangdi Zhou and Xuefei (Shaffi), aims to fuse traditional Chinese movement such as Tai Chi with contemporary Western dance.

The year ended with successful campaigns by our creative students to support community efforts to combat violence against women and girls across the borough. 

Four Graphic Design students - Miranda Best, Jack Kennedy, Mia Mason, and JJ Williamson - created a ‘Reflect Before You Speak’ campaign materials that were introduced to Barnet Council’s Street Scene Depot to encourage staff to reflect on language and behaviour that might be disrespectful or threatening to women and girls. 

Meanwhile, three posters designed by Graphic Design student Helena Lara and Illustration student Jessica Lynch were chosen by the Council to raise awareness of online abuse and aggression towards women and girls to be displayed at over 40 bus shelters around the borough.

“The success of our students and graduates from creative disciplines this year is testament to their talent and hard work, and the support and encouragement of their tutors. 

“It has been very encouraging to see their work recognised and celebrated across exhibitions, performances, professional industry work, and awards, while also seeing the positive impact that many of our students have had in our community in Barnet and beyond.”

Professor Janet Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Interim Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries 

Find out more about studying arts and creative industries courses at Middlesex University.