As part of Graduation 2024, we awarded the title of Bradford College ‘Honorary Fellow’ to two outstanding, new individuals.
Honorary Fellowship is a special title recognising a distinguished individual’s outstanding contributions to society or their specific field. The recipient receives their title due to outstanding achievement, as opposed to needing to meet a specific set of qualifications.
In the first ceremony of the day (11am), Lisa Mallaghan (Executive Director, Bradford Producing Hub) received an Honorary Fellowship for her work in the arts.
Speaking about the milestone, Lisa said: “It really means the world to me. I’ve been working so hard in the Bradford arts scene for over 20 years now, to know that it’s been noticed and recognised means so much to me and my team.
“I’ve worked with Bradford College in a wide variety of ways and I actually sing in a band with one of the lecturing staff, but it’s mainly through Bradford Producing Hub. We have ‘Bradford’ in our title, naturally the first thing we wanted to do was reach out to all Bradford-based institutions, where people are developing their skills, to see how we could help students with a wider understanding of the sector. Everything’s just built from there!
“We’ve spoken to hundreds of students through sessions and workshops. The standard of work I’ve seen from Bradford College students is so impressive, when I came to the School of Art Summer Show I was blown away. People need to know about this College providing tutoring and teaching of a professional quality, with students graduating industry-ready.”
Lisa spends much of her time planning, fundraising, and developing partnerships with arts and community organisations, as well as managing the Bradford Producing Hub team. She supports local artists and creatives through informal advice and mentoring sessions, including Bradford College students.
She continued: “It was lovely recognising some of the graduates from the work we do with the College to make students aware of arts opportunities locally. This cohort are in a position which so few graduates experience, as they step out of their studies straight into our year as City of Culture! If they really grasp this and get involved, it could fast-track their careers in a way that might not have been possible before.”
Founded in 2019 as a pilot Arts Council England project, Bradford Producing Hub is an independent arts development organisation that nurtures and supports artists and creative companies across the Bradford district.
Alina Khan (Vice Principal EDI) acknowledged Lisa’s achievements: “We are incredibly grateful for your commitment to Bradford College, our city, and the next generation of creative talent, so today we are delighted to bestow upon you the title of Honorary Fellow”.
In the second and final ceremony of the day (4pm), Rosie McEachan (Director, Born in Bradford) was given a warm welcome by guests and received Honorary Fellowship for her work in Applied Health Research.
Professor McEachan’s impressive work includes holding a leadership position at The Bradford Institute for Health Research and being co-lead of The Healthy Families theme of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire and Humber.
She is also the Director of ‘Born in Bradford’ – one of the world’s most extensive research programmes. The project aims to find out what influences the health and wellbeing of families by tracking the lives of over 40,000 Bradfordians, some of whom are now students at Bradford College.
Speaking of her pride, Rosie said: “I’m so thrilled to have been awarded this Honorary Fellowship from Bradford College. It means a lot to me as Bradford College is an institution we’re proud to serve within the Born in Bradford research programme. To be recognised by the institution is absolutely amazing.
“Bradford is an amazing place to live and work, I’ve nearly reached the 25 year mark to properly become a Yorkshire girl! We’ve worked with the College and its students for years, they are the future. What always strikes me about Bradford is the people, communities and how everyone works together – it’s so vibrant. I love the multiculturalism of the City, there’s just an amazing passion and vibe.
“The work we do at Born in Bradford tries to champion Bradford as an incredible place to be and helps to recognise the region internationally. There’s an exceptional bunch of graduates here, the future of Bradford is in safe hands.”
Recognising Rosie’s achievements, Alina Khan said once again: “We are incredibly grateful for your commitment to the people of Bradford and the way your work seeks to positively influence outcomes for our students. It is because of this that we are delighted to bestow upon you the title of Honorary Fellow.”
Read more about the incredible work of our two new Honorary Fellows via the links below:
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