Discover Digital @ Birmingham City University

Professor Mario Minichiello

• Job Title:
• Head of Department
• Dept:
• School of Visual Communication
• Sector:
• Graphics & Typography
• Email:
• Mario.minichiello@bcu.ac.uk
• Tel:
• 0121 331 5807

Biography

Professor Mario Minichiello is Head of the School of Visual Communication at Birmingham City University, the largest school of this type in Europe. He joined the University two years ago following a career in visual communications. These are exciting times for Professor Mario Minichiello. His School is innovative, forward thinking and award-winning.

Mario and his team are involved in developing some exciting projects for the school with its industry partners and students. Some of these projects will help more people from the region gain access to the range of education opportunities and the creative expertise within the school. Others will present ways to engage in research and development or enable authors, illustrators and animators to develop their ideas and take them to a global market place.

 

"The point of art and design is to help to bring together talented people, and release the creative and entrepreneurial capacity of the city and region.  The University means business and is keen to help develop projects from scholarly research; to new products and ideas - we are here to develop talents of all our people."

 

Professor Minichiello heads a school of over 1,500 students, all of whom bring extraordinary and creative areas to the University, for example students this year have won the royal society of Arts award the D&AD award and we have a finalist in the national television awards for animation and this is added to the student business start up such as the SMILE "Design" group.

 

"At the heart of the school is the focus on developing content and that is a very valuable asset to have in the current economic clement. To apply that content our students have to have the right skills and opportunities. Our USP is that we look after our students and help develop them into the professionals that they truly aspire to be.  With partner institutions all over the world our students are in demand and are our best representative of the Birmingham City University’s Institute of Art and Design global brand’.

We offer a range of courses; all of them can boast close connections with industry. For example the advertising course sees agencies such as Saatchi and Saatchi and the UK's leading Art Director sTrevor Beattie and David Harris, Creative Executive Director, Wunderman, both of whom visit the School regularly.  The Illustration course has a reputation for its quality of work and has produced everything from children’s book illustrators to graphic novels. The course has hosted a number of Association of Illustrator’s events.

The photography course graduates are producing some of the best photography in the UK and the quality of the finished books exceeds the quality of many master courses.  Graphic Communication has become one of the most respected courses on the planet with partners and graduates all over the world. And our Association with visiting fellow in typography, Dr Caroline Archer of type events UK has improved the typographic content still further.

Animation, one of our newest courses, has developed rapidly to fill the need for more moving image and animation graduates. The work of its students is already outstanding.  We also have the Unique Theatre Performance and Event Design course. A programme of study with an outstanding reputation – it is preparing graduates for an expanding and diverse industry.  The MA Course has just staged one of the most inspiring and exciting shows of advanced thinking and talent. This course is key to the needs of all professionals in the graphic or visual communications industry allowing them to propose areas of study to rejuvenate their businesses.  Our show this year were some of the most exciting you will ever see much of the event is on line so judge for yourself.
 
Across the school there are guest lectures from industry specialists, as well as live projects, work placements and competitions. Among the key collaborators with the University are the Royal Television Society Awards and Magnum Photo Agency, Maverick and Rag Doll Productions.

 

Professor Minichiello has just returned from showing work at the Venice Biennale and as a platform speaker at the international art in society conference. Both events are on line as is much of his work.

"I have worked for the BBC and for major newspapers such as the Guardian and Financial Times but there is so much going on here, it's more than exciting, it’s exhausting!"