News / banksy
Banksy to be made honorary professor
The title of honorary professor is set to be added to Banksy’s list of accolades, a university has announced.
The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) is recognising the street artist for his efforts to “challenge us all to confront some of the key issues of our time”.
The ceremony will take place at London’s Royal Festival Hall in London on Wednesday, July 6.
is needed now More than ever
However, Banksy will not be in attendance at the event in line with his veil of anonymity.
Instead, the honour will be conferred upon an empty chair.
We are delighted to announce that one of the world’s most famous artists and activists, Banksy, is to be made an honorary professor of UCA next week. #banksy #weareUCA #UCAgraduation22 #graduation2022 #artist
Read more here ? https://t.co/dvHLvYePrX pic.twitter.com/Xj4EzWMlTr
— University for the Creative Arts (@UniCreativeArts) June 28, 2022
A spokesperson for the university said the activist and artist “has not given a response to being given this honorary professorship, other than to confirm his acceptance.”
Professor Bashir Makhoul, UCA president and vice chancellor, commented: “Joining a long list of illustrious creatives who have received honorary awards from the University for the Creative Arts, Banksy is one of the UK’s best-known artists, famous throughout the world – an example that UCA students can look up to, who uses his talents to disrupt the status quo, while challenging us all to confront some of the key issues of our time: war and peace, inequality, and art’s role as a vehicle of social expression.”
In December, people in the queues across Bristol to get Banksy t-shirts to raise money for the Colston 4 defendants who, now acquitted, were on trial at the time. His most famous Bristolian works include Mild Mild West on Stokes Croft, Well Hung Lover on Park Street and Girl with a Pierced Eardrum on Hanover Place.
Banksy has created artworks all over the world too, such as setting up a street stall in Venice, engraving Israel’s separation wall in Bethlehem and spray painting a London underground train.
UCA is an art school with campuses in the south east of England. Previous honorary professors from the institution include the designer Terence Conran, artist Morag Myerscough and cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.
Bristol24/7 has contacted Banksy’s representatives for comment.
Main photo: Betty Woolerton
Read more: Long queues as five shops across Bristol sell Banksy t-shirts
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
