Alumni return to campus to share their creative career journeys and inspire students
In February, we welcomed 12 alumni back to Newcastle University to impart their wisdom and lessons learned from working in the creative industries.
12 March 2026
Organised by the university’s award-winning Careers Service, the 2026 Creative Careers showcase invited current students to hear from inspirational alumni in the creative sector.
Held on campus on 26 February 2026, Creative Careers 2026 encouraged students to join a host of industry professionals for insightful events, workshops and panels to equip themselves with useful advice and practical skills to kickstart a career in the creative sector.
Over 60% of the expert panellists who joined us on campus came from Newcastle’s alumni community, with careers ranging from tourism entrepreneurs to audiobook editors, and published authors to artists!
The day began with a sold-out session on working in the arts, culture and heritage industry, with three of the four panellists being Newcastle graduates themselves. Throughout the day, sessions covered journalism and publishing, sports media, and even included a prosthetics makeup workshop for TV and film.
Read on to meet the 12 Newcastle University alumni who shared their stories and discover how you can also make a difference to current Newcastle students.
Abi Dodwell (BA Hons English Literature, 2016; MA Film Theory and Practice, 2017)
Abi is the Founder and Managing Director of Red Biscuit, a thought leadership agency built to help brands lead with expertise – not noise.
After graduating from Newcastle University in 2017, Abi spent several years working for B2B marketing agencies in the region learning the ropes, before setting up on her own in August 2024.
During the Creative Careers showcase, Abi shared her experience of working in the marketing, communications and PR industry – from the skills and creativity needed to thrive, to the journey of setting up your own business.
Arthur Ferridge (BA English Literature and History, 2024)
Arthur is a Sports Journalist for the London Standard, covering the biggest stories in sport from Premier League Football to the Rugby World Cup.
He worked as Head of Sport for student newspaper The Courier before graduating from Newcastle University in 2024 and later studied at the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) before embarking on a career as a freelance sportswriter for Hayters TV, the Independent, and other titles.
He returned to campus this February, along with fellow Newcastle graduate Daniel (below), to share his experience in sports media.
Daniel Wales (BA Hons Journalism, Media and Culture, 2022)
Daniel is a Sports Reporter based in the North-East of England. Most recently, he worked as the Northern Sports Editor at Local TV Ltd, where he produced high quality stories and multimedia content for both television and online audiences, covering local, national, and international sport.
While Daniel specialises in football, he also has strong interests in cricket, Formula 1, tennis, and golf.
Grace Allsún (BA Hons Journalism, Media and Culture, 2025)
During the Creative Careers showcase, recent graduate Grace shared her journey from The Courier office to a freelance journalism career with ITV.
Grace was Head of Current Affairs for the student newspaper, overseeing a team of 15 sub-editors, and in the 2025 NUSU Media Awards won the ‘Outstanding Contribution to The Courier’ award.
Since graduating, Grace has developed her skills as a multimedia journalist and photographer, working with ITV News, BBC Studios, London Fashion Week, The Northern Echo, Journo Resources and The Courier Online.
Jakub Stadnik (BA Fine Art, 2024)
Multidisciplinary artist and creative entrepreneur Jakub was the very first speaker at the very first session of Creative Careers 2026!
Jakub launched the BFreak Project during the 2020 pandemic, building a global community of 1,400+ creatives united by a passion for art. Over the years, the startup has evolved from an educational website into creative workshops and international exhibitions.
After graduating in 2024, Jakub relocated to London and worked three jobs to fund his MSc in Entrepreneurship at UCL. Currently, he is the founder of Table for Art, a marketplace platform connecting London venues and artists - transforming empty tables during "dead hours" into art workshops.
Kieran Macfadzean (BA Hons English Language, 2017; MA International Multimedia Journalism, 2018)
After graduating from Newcastle University, Kieran began his career in his hometown of Carlisle with That’s TV. Working within a small team, he produced and presented the local news bulletin, taking on everything from planning and scripting to shooting and editing. In 2022, he moved to ITV Border.
Kieran’s experience at That’s TV helped him to advance quickly, and over the past 3 years, he’s worked as a production journalist, permanent On-Screen Journalist for the West Cumbria region and most recently, joined the Carlisle-based reporting team.
He now travels across Cumbria and the south of Scotland, covering a breadth of stories for the local 6pm news bulletins. His work has taken him all over the country and has given him the opportunity to meet and interview people from every walk of life.
Madeleine Letherby (BA Hons Sociology, 2017; MA International Multimedia Journalism, 2018)
Part of the journalism masterclass panel with Kieran, Madeleine works for ITV Tyne Tees as a Production Journalist – a role that they have held for the past three years.
Madeleine’s role is varied and includes everything from planning and researching stories, writing for digital platforms, filming content for broadcast, and producing both the morning and evening bulletins. They have also gained experience within the ITN newsroom, contributing as a producer and liaising between regional news teams and the national newsroom operation. Before joining ITV, Madeleine worked as a radio journalist for BBC Radio Newcastle.
Rachel Pattinson (MSc Strategic Leadership, 2023)
Rachel shared her journey as an award-winning children’s author in the publishing and production panel for Creative Careers, but this is just one string on her bow.
Day-to-day, Rachel manages partnerships, bids and marketing in a digital development agency in Newcastle. She’s also one of the co-founders and directors of Women in Tech North East CIC, a venture that began during her time at Newcastle University Business School and is a director and trustee of an arts charity.
Rachel’s debut children’s novel Seven: Distracted Detective won the Hachette Children’s Novel Award at the Northern Writers' Awards 2023 and is supported with public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Rachel writes stories and non-fiction for children and young people responding to the world we live in.
Sarah-Jayne Taylorson (MA Media and Public Relations, 2018)
Since graduating from Newcastle University, SJ has worked across a range of digital marketing and PR roles, both in-house and agency-side. After moving into agency roles, she specialised in digital PR, combining her knowledge of traditional PR with SEO.
She has worked with a wide range of clients across industries, including finance, health and ecommerce, notably with household brands such as HelloFresh, Bensons for Beds and DASH Water. She is now Head of Digital PR at Manchester-based agency Cedarwood Digital, where she leads the department, overseeing strategy, managing and developing the team, and driving growth through new business.
Sophie Ahmed (BA Hons English Literature, 2017)
English Literature graduate Sophie is a Production Manager in Audio Drama at Audible, where she oversees the creation of original scripted content.
With a background spanning audiobooks and radio, Sophie brings a passion for immersive storytelling – earning Silver for Best Audiobook Producer at the 2024 AudioUK Audio Production Awards.
At Creative Careers 2026, Sophie shared her valuable insight into the world of publishing and production.
Thushara Chandrasiri (MA International Studies, 2007; PhD, 2012)
Newcastle graduate twice over, Thushara is the Editor in Chief of DARKUS magazine. He joined us at Creative Careers to share his insights with students during the magazine making masterclass hosted by Ian Wylie.
Founded in 2012, DARKUS is a platform which celebrates creativity across sectors such as music, fashion, travel, lifestyle and more. Recent clients have included the likes of INNSiDE by Melia Newcastle, Sephora, LUSH, Monster Energy, Virgin Voyages and Reading and Leeds Festival.
Valerie Doulton (BA Hons English Language and Literature, 1974)
After leaving Newcastle University in 1974, Valerie trained as a theatre director at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She has subsequently staged work at the National Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith, the Garrick Theatre, the Royal Exchange Manchester and the Wales Millennium Centre.
In 2002, Valerie launched her own performance company, The Live Literature Company, partnering with many of Britain’s leading performers and touring work internationally to Portugal, France, Italy, India and Greece.
Alongside running the company, Valerie has worked as a writer and as a teacher of performance studies.
Sharing your own career journey with students on campus
You can play a vital role in supporting current students as they enter the workplace and climb the career ladder. Share your own career journey to highlight the abundant options available to new graduates and help them feel confident in their choices.
You can support current students, both in person or virtually, throughout the year. Some examples of potential activities you could help with include:
- Providing your insight into the reality of working in some of the most sought-after graduate destinations and sectors.
- Helping Chinese students kickstart their career through our China Career Gateway.
- Mentoring a current student, providing one-to-one guidance and support.
- Participating in our annual Creative Careers event, inspiring students who are interested in careers within the creative sector.