Why Goldsmiths? Diana Aroutiounova (MA Digital Media: Technology and Cultural Form, 2012) writes about her Goldsmiths experience and what she has gone to do since leaving
I applied to study at Goldsmiths on a whim. I was living in Greece with my mom back then and was not sure what to do with my life, except that I knew I loved storytelling and filmmaking. So, I went on the web and somehow found a Goldsmiths MA course in Digital Media and Scriptwriting that felt just right. It was rather a spontaneous decision and probably one of the best ones that I’ve ever made.
When I moved to study in London, I was lost, not sure of what I wanted to become and still very insecure. I had to do a lot of introspection and reflection to dig deeper inside myself, to really understand what I stood for. My MA programme was flexible and provided me with all the time and space to understand what I really wanted for my path. In that year everything changed. I had to miss my graduation because I was already employed and working my first job as a full-time edit assistant. Now seven years later, I’m an award-winning producer who has worked for the BBC, Discovery, National Geographic, Channel 4, and it’s more that I could ever dream of.
Recalling my time at Goldsmiths is such a sweet memory. I had the best support group in the form of my teachers Sarah Kember and Julian Henriques. I stayed in the halls and met some wonderful people from other programmes who became my friends for life. I’m very thankful for Goldsmiths for providing me with a space where I could see my life with a sense of consciousness and lucidity and define who I wanted to be. The sense of community at Goldsmiths is absolutely unique and you feel that you are finally surrounded by likeminded people who also really want to make something special out of their lives.
One thing I wish I’d known as a student is that no matter how insecure or afraid you are, you just have to keep trying, you have to trust the experience. I’m still consider myself a student and I shape and create my path every day. We never stop learning and since it’s a lifelong process – I’d rather encourage everyone to embrace it to the fullest.
Diana Aroutiounova is a producer and director who graduated from the Goldsmiths MA in Digital Media in 2012. She is known for her work on award-winning documentary programmes tackling sensitive topics within hostile environments around the world. She has worked with the industry’s leading production companies, creating documentaries for the BBC, Discovery US, National Geographic, Netflix, Channel 4 as well as branded content for PUMA, Nike, Adidas and Red Bull. You can view her work here.
