The world is his oyster: Media studies course helped a student achieve the ‘impossible’

Stuart Russell seemed destined to have an ordinary life. That is, until he took media studies courses that opened doors and opportunities for him.

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Stuart Russell left school when he was a teenager. He always knew he was a creative but in school he was discouraged from doing art. He was told he wouldn’t make money from it.

Media studies courses open up possibilities

Unemployed and unsure of what to do, Stuart channelled his creative energies to start a podcast called ‘Arts in Fife’. He wanted to give his fellow artists a platform to tell their stories in their own words. But his lack of knowledge in podcasting led him to check out the media studies courses in nearby Fife College. That opened a world of possibilities for him.

“I came from a place that was very limited and very small thinking. And then I went to Fife College and they were like, ‘Oh, you could do TV. You could do film. You could do journalism. You could do radio.’ I had never thought of those things as jobs that were available to me initially because I never had access to them. I think for anybody who’s creative I’d say college is a good, well-rounded place to find what you’re interested in, especially with general subjects like media. You get to do everything. And that really helped me.”

Fife College helps Stuart achieve the ‘impossible’

Stuart, who was initially interested in TV, followed his teacher’s advice and took on a bit role to find out more about the medium. He appeared in ‘Outlander’ as Lord Sandringham’s scribe. He learned a lot from that short stint, as his teacher predicted. But he was also learning from his media studies courses that he was good at podcasting.

When Stuart completed his HND in Radio, Fife College encouraged him to pursue further studies at the University of Sunderland.

“Fife College has great connections with universities all over Scotland and all over the UK. So there’s scope then for someone who left school early who doesn’t know what they want to do to figure it out at college. And then there’s opportunities to go to university and get a degree. I mean, I never thought I’d get a degree. I never actually planned to go to university. But I’m glad I went because that really changed everything.”

Stuart takes control of his destiny

Stuart earned a first class honours degree in Media Production and later gained a masters in Radio with distinction. His media studies paved the way for his murder documentary, “The Egg Dealer”, to be broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He has also been honoured by the House of Lords and Queen Elizabeth II for services to the arts. He now works as a producer, writer and presenter at BBC Radio Wales.

So much of college teaches you how to be in charge of your own career. They give you the fundamental skills and confidence to carve your own path.

Stuart sets his sights on bigger projects

On the side, Stuart set up his website, Eyebrow Media, where he keeps all of his work. There you can find the Lovie Award-winning “The Nut Owl” and his first feature, “The Brain Garden”, which bagged a New York Radio Award.

“I think experimentation is important. I think new ideas are important. I think young creators are important. And I think anyone at Fife College can achieve beyond what they’re limited to in their situation, like I was in a situation where I had nothing, pretty much.”

After discovering the bigger world outside of his native Fife, Stuart is now setting his sights on more ambitious projects.

“When I make radio, I think very visually. And I make things very visual so the listener can imagine being in that place. So, I really do want to do film and my big, big, big dream has always been to write a Disney film and win an Oscar.”

For this Fife College alumnus who started out with nothing, the sky’s the limit.

Get started on your career in media! Find out more about the creative media courses at Fife College.