Southampton is making incredible strides in promoting culture and the arts
Stuart Joy
I am the Course Leader for a number of degrees at Southampton Solent University including BA (Hons) Film and Television, a position I’ve held since September 2019.

I have always lived in Southampton, and my family’s ties to the city go back as far as 1857. The city’s history, diversity and evolving creative culture have always been part of my life.
As a child, I was always fascinated by the power of storytelling, but it wasn’t until I first watched Christopher Nolan’s Memento that I realised how a film could leave a lasting impression on its audience.
The intricacy of its structure and the way it forced the audience to piece the narrative together stayed with me for days, igniting an interest that has ultimately shaped my life. That passion led me to study film at university and eventually begin my PhD, which delved into trauma in the films of Christopher Nolan.
During this time, my growing academic interest in film and the desire to share that knowledge led me to obtain a job as an Associate Lecturer at Southampton Solent University in October 2011. Fourteen years later, my current role as a course leader involves overseeing curriculum design, teaching students and supervising their final major projects. I also collaborate on academic and creative initiatives that connect classroom learning with real-world applications, such as examining the relationship between the contemporary screen and current social, political and cultural issues.
I think Solent University stands out because of its strong emphasis on practical, industry-relevant education. Our state-of-the-art facilities, dedicated staff and close connections with local and national creative industries provide students with valuable real-world experiences.
The BA (Hons) Film and Television course at Solent prepares students for a wide range of careers in the media industry. The course combines practical skills, like directing, producing and editing, with critical analysis of the screen as a medium. Graduates often go on to careers in film production, television, screenwriting, media marketing and more, with many finding roles in both independent and mainstream sectors.
We encourage our students to engage with creative and community projects by integrating these into their coursework and extracurricular activities. Students contribute as crew members, researchers or creative leads, which gives them practical experience and opportunities to collaborate with local communities and industry professionals.
For students, involvement in community projects builds their portfolios, industry connections and confidence, all of which are crucial for launching successful careers. For the community, these projects showcase local stories, foster cultural pride and highlight the power of collaboration between academic institutions like ours and local organisations.
I think this type of collaboration also helps instil a sense of personal and civic pride for both students and residents, giving them a platform to celebrate and share their stories. Students often come away with a greater appreciation for their local heritage and residents feel empowered by seeing their lives and experiences represented creatively.
Our students are often involved with projects created by Southampton Forward: most recently, recording live theatrical productions featuring local performers as part of Home Theatre and interviewing community legends for City Reflections.
For Home Theatre, filming within residents’ homes presented unique logistical challenges, particularly around framing and composition in compact or unconventional spaces. Students had to adapt quickly, making creative decisions to maintain production quality despite constraints such as limited lighting and tight filming schedules.
For City Reflections, the emphasis shifted towards organisational and interpersonal skills. Students managed a continuous stream of interviewees, ensuring each community champion felt comfortable in front of the camera. This required adept planning, time management and the ability to create a welcoming atmosphere to capture authentic, engaging stories. Both projects exemplify the real-world demands of the creative industries while enabling students to make tangible contributions to their community.
Another recent highlight of my work at Southampton Solent University has been The COPD Big Baton Pass, a 24-hour live broadcast event hosted from our campus for World COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) Day. This ambitious collaboration highlighted how universities can bring together expertise across the medical community and our university to address significant societal issues while offering students invaluable hands-on experience.
Southampton is making incredible strides in promoting culture and the arts. As a trustee of CityEye, an independent charity that inspires and supports individuals and communities to experience and be changed by film, I am proud to be part of local initiatives that drive cultural engagement. Collaborations between the city’s universities, artists and communities ensure that culture remains both accessible and impactful.