Arts Scholarship Winners 2024-25

In addition to a £200 cash prize, each scholar is entitled to a tailored package of support to help them develop their talent during the year. This support may include (but is not limited to) one-to-one tuition or mentoring, training or event fees and possibly the purchase of specialist equipment.

Victor is a passionate R&B artist, producer, and singer/songwriter with a deep commitment to expressing his faith through music. Since the age of 10, Victor has been immersed in music production, starting with GarageBand on his iPhone and gradually honing his craft on professional platforms like Logic Pro. Over the years, his journey has evolved from experimenting with beats to producing high-quality music for himself and collaborating with other talented artists.

At the age of 15, Victor created his first single, a process that took two years to fully bring to life. Encouraged by friends who recognised his talent, he embraced his potential as a vocalist and producer, fuelling his dedication to the art of music-making. Since joining Loughborough University, Victor has further developed his artistry by writing, singing, and performing alongside fellow creatives, enriching his sound and expanding his horizons.

Currently, Victor is working on a Christian R&B album, set for release next year, which serves as a heartfelt reflection of his faith. Inspired by artists like Madison Ryann Ward, Sondae, and Forrest Frank, Victor seeks to blend his technical expertise with his passion for creating uplifting music that spreads love and positivity.

Through this scholarship, Victor aims to refine his upcoming album and produce it to the highest standard. This opportunity will hopefully elevate his artistry but also empower him to share his music with a broader audience, inspiring others and uplifting communities through his unique blend of faith and creativity.

I vividly remember stepping into my first dance class as a curious and passionate four-year-old, brimming with enthusiasm. Nineteen years later, that excitement remains unchanged, and my journey in dance continues unabated. 

Having trained in Bharatanatyam, an ancient Indian classical dance form, for nearly two decades, I can confidently say that dance has become the core of my identity. As a practitioner, performer, and choreographer, I hold a proficiency certification in the dance form, and have had the privilege of presenting close to 500 recitals, both as a soloist and as part of ensembles. My experience extends to freelancing with internationally renowned dance companies, collaborating on experimental works of contemporary relevance and large-scale musical productions. A notable highlight from my journey has been performing in The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation, India’s largest musical production. I am also a passionate yoga practitioner and instructor with a strong penchant for holistic wellness.

As a dancer, my ultimate aspiration is to devise a dance pedagogy rooted in physical and mental well-being, and weave narratives using traditional Bharatanatyam vocabulary to tell stories that are both unseen and unheard.

For me, dance is the most authentic form of expression—an art that empowers me to channel emotions in ways that are intimate yet universal. The discipline of Bharatanatyam has instilled in me a heightened sensitivity and resilience, continuously driving my growth as both an artist and a person. I owe some of life’s most profound lessons to my journey in dance. 

With that in mind, I am deeply honoured and thrilled to have been awarded an Arts Scholarship for 2024/25. The University’s recognition of my passion is something I am profoundly grateful for. The scholarship promises to open new avenues for my artistic growth, and I am certain to utilise it to enhance my technical training, reach broader audiences, and further work toward realising my artistic vision. 

Professional wrestling became an important part of my life from an early age when I became fascinated by it as a young child.

At 19, I began training at FTGU School of Wrestling in Leicester. A few years and a lot of hard work later, I began appearing on live FTGU Wrestling shows around Leicestershire as a proud member of the Vegan World Order.

I hope to work in media and entertainment - particularly professional wrestling - after leaving university.

DaeJean explores the emotional state of sonder. His multi-disciplinary creative journey explores painting, collaging, zine-making and film photography, all intertwined to tell a story of the beautiful mundane we live amongst and the people we share this lifetime with. A story of his complexly mundane life, with intent to reach others who also feel the emotion of sonder deeply. Some may call him an empath.

His childhood was archived on film camera by his parents, capturing moments that were frozen in time and told a story of his youth and upbringing. He now is using his 20s to capture a new era of his life, as he navigates the world as an artist and a creative mind - who knows where he will end up. 'The mundane stills project' was created as a way for DaeJean to not only document his life, his environments and his people, but to inspire and to push others to do the same - to find beauty and solace in the mundane, and to make something of it.

This scholarship will support DaeJean to continue to develop his film photography project, ‘The mundane stills project’, using a combination of new and archived stills to create a cyanotype wall tapestry. A photobook zine will also be made alongside this project featuring DaeJean’s photography.

Be sure to keep up with DaeJean’s art projects that explore the mundane and the emotional state of sonder…

Anna is a Grade 8 Flautist. She decided aged three she wanted to be a flautist and has now been playing the flute for thirteen years, from age seven.

Music has always been a prominent part of her life throughout school and beyond. Anna has played in countless orchestras, bands and small ensembles which have been a key part to her musical development and enjoyment over the years.

Anna is hoping to use her Arts Scholarship to develop her skills as a Flautist, by expanding her flute collection to include a piccolo. She is also hoping to restart music tuition lessons to start working towards her Flute Diploma.

Anna is part of LSU Classical and plays in the Concert Band and Folk Group. With the addition of a piccolo, she is hoping to join and add a new instrument to the orchestra and flute group.

Anna has also taken an interest in conducting and has taken the time to learn to conduct small ensembles. She is currently conducting the LSU Classical Flute Choir, with the hopes of expanding her knowledge and practice to be able to conduct the Concert Band.