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Nottingham Trent University appoints Darius Khwaja as Confetti London Campus Director

The former Chief Executive of Wac Arts London has been appointed as the Director of Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) new Confetti London campus.

    Darius Khwaja
    Darius Khwaja - Confetti London Campus Director

    Opening in September 2023, Confetti London will deliver pioneering creative education aligned to the entertainment industries from a purpose-designed industry centre in Whitechapel, East London.

    The pivotal role of Campus Director will help realise the campus, readying it for its first intake of undergraduate, postgraduate and international students later this year.

    Darius Khwaja is more than up to the challenge, having spent the last three years leading the business transformation of Wac Arts London, a registered charity that provides inclusive performing arts and media programmes for young people aged 4 - 30. Prior to joining Wac Arts London, Darius enjoyed sixteen years as Principal and CEO of London College of Creative Media (LCCM), a specialist higher education college for music, writing and entrepreneurship which he co-founded in 2003.

    Speaking of the appointment, Confetti founder and Chief Executive, Craig Chettle MBE comments:

    “Following a competitive recruitment process, I am delighted to welcome Darius to the Confetti Media Group, and our NTU family. Darius impressed us all with his relevant experience in the music and wider creative industries, and also his passion and commitment to equal opportunity for all. We look forward to working with him and developing the synergies between our London and Nottingham campuses”.

    Darius Khwaja comments:

    “Confetti’s vision for high-quality, entertainment-industry education completely aligns with my own. I have dedicated my career to advancing the best music and creative education for everyone and like Confetti, believe the best educational opportunities must be open to people from all backgrounds.

    The Confetti model is an inspiration. It is forward-looking, employment-focused, and offers students jaw-droppingly brilliant facilities. I am thrilled to join Confetti and look forward to building a new team in London to make its expansion into the capital a huge success”.

    Students looking to forge a future in the entertainment industries will be able to study hands-on courses in performance, production, and business for the music industries, event management, and emerging technologies such as esports, virtual production, and content creation. Courses will be open to both UK and international students, with undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications available.

    Confetti has delivered cutting-edge creative industry education since 1994, whilst creating a unique suite of commercial businesses that uniquely supports the student learning experience. These include Metronome, a music and events venue, and Confetti X, a complex dedicated to esports production which recently hosted the Commonwealth Esports Championships qualifiers. NTU’s London campus will replicate that model, creating a multipurpose live events venue for students to learn and work in.

    Professor Edward Peck CBE, NTU Vice-Chancellor comments:

    “Progress on our Confetti London campus is well underway, and the appointment of Darius is a key milestone. His experience and commitment will enable us to bring NTU’s innovative approach to teaching and partnerships to London and the South East, in time for us welcoming our first students in September 2023.”

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      About Nottingham Trent University

      Nottingham Trent University (NTU) received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2021 for cultural heritage science research. It is the second time that NTU has been bestowed the honour of receiving a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its research, the first being in 2015 for leading-edge research on the safety and security of global citizens.

      The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.

      NTU was awarded The Times and The Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2023 and ranked second best university in the UK in the Uni Compare Top 100 rankings (2021/2022). It was awarded Outstanding Support for Students 2020 (Times Higher Education Awards), University of the Year 2019 (Guardian University Awards, UK Social Mobility Awards), Modern University of the Year 2018 (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide) and University of the Year 2017 (Times Higher Education Awards).

      NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with approximately 40,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of 7,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.

      Since 2000, NTU has invested £570 million in tools, technology, buildings and facilities.

      NTU is in the UK’s top 10 for number of applications and ranked first for accepted offers (2021 UCAS UG acceptance data). It is also among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was the first UK university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge.

      NTU is ranked 2nd most sustainable university in the world in the 2022 UI Green Metric University World Rankings (out of more than 900 participating universities).

      About Confetti ICT

      Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies is a dynamic and progressive learning institute offering specialist vocational education and training – from college-level courses through to postgraduate degrees. Subject areas include music performance, production, business, esports production, games design and production, film and television, animation, graphic design and VFX, live events production, and event management. Home to more than 2,000 students, ambitious growth plans have been supported with investment from parent company Nottingham Trent University.

      Confetti’s campus is built to the highest industry standards and its professional facilities have been designed to equip graduates with the specialist skills necessary to work in the creative technology fields. Features include a green screen VFX studio and new motion capture studio, specialist gaming, VFX, and animation studios, and classrooms, broadcast spec TV production gallery, film studio and screening rooms, and Metronome - a contemporary music, cross-arts, and events centre, designed by industry specialists White Mark and featuring 10 recording studios, 20 rehearsal rooms, and a 400-capacity live music and events venue. Its newest facility, Confetti X, is a space for students to access the very best facilities and technology for esports production and other emerging technologies. With strong links with industry, the 14,000 sqft complex hosts amateur and professional esports tournaments, coaching, and training for teams, and has already welcomed British Esports Champs Finals and the Commonwealth Esports Championships through its doors.

      Confetti alumni have gone on to work for big brands in the music, TV, film, and gaming industries - including the likes of Warner Brothers, Ubisoft, Sky, Sumo Digital, the BBC, and Bauer Media to name just a few. Students also work alongside other businesses in the Confetti Media Group as interns and on placements and through live projects. They produce programmes for Notts TV and offer local creative businesses an exciting talent pipeline.

    Published on 16 January 2023
    • Category: Press office