We’re very pleased to welcome Hannah Phipps, our newest addition to the dBs Bristol team, who joins us as our new Head of Campus.
Hannah Phipps has been in the world of music education for over ten years now, but it wasn’t always the case. Studying French, Spanish and European Studies at university, Hannah quickly realised that music was her true passion after graduating, and happened upon a reception job at BIMM.
Over the next ten years, Hannah would ascend the ranks, working in a myriad of roles before becoming College Principal in 2020, a position she held for a further three years.
Alongside her professional endeavours, Hannah is an active songwriter and musician for two different bands; an avid lover of fashion who crafts her own outfits; and a lover of la chanson française, classic French pop music from the 1950/60s.
We caught up with Hannah to hear about her first week and her plans for the future…
Hey Hannah! What’s your first week been like?
My first day on campus coincided with the ‘New Wave’ Showcase, which was amazing as I got to see and hear the incredible facilities in action. I had the opportunity to chat to some of the students about their work, and began to understand how their creative journeys had been shaped by the community around them; the spaces, the facilities, the people and the city itself. The standard of work and level of creativity was unbelievable and I left feeling energised and inspired - not only for my new role as Head of Campus, but for my own music making too.
What are you most excited to get stuck into in your new role?
I'm really excited to get to know everybody properly, and to figure out how we can combine our shared expertise and experience as a team to keep innovating in the field of creative industries education. From my short time here, it's clear that this is a community of very talented people who are committed to creating a unique, specialist learning experience - I know that I'm going to find this a very inspiring place to be.
Why do you feel higher education in the creative industries is so vital right now?
I could reel off so many different reasons why creative industries degrees are important, from the wide range of interdisciplinary skills that students develop (many of which AI just can't compete with!) to the vast array of rewarding career routes available to graduates. However, what's most important to me is that we continue to shout about the value the creative industries bring to our societies.
Creativity is deeply connected to our culture, history, identity, community and wellbeing and helps us to navigate our lives in an increasingly complex world. Some people are quick to devalue creative education yet couldn't imagine going a day without music and media. Art is not a frivolous extra - it is core to the human condition and deserves as much support and investment as any other subject.
Did you know you can study at diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate level at our Bristol campus? Check out our extensive range of courses in music technology and game development.
