Film producer David Puttnam to reflect upon changing world of the media in the digital age

Our University will be bringing a bit of Hollywood magic to its lecture theatres as one of the great names of cinema history and an honorary graduate will speak on the challenges faced by media today.

Whether it is the strains of Vangelis from Chariots of Fire or the sight of ‘splurged’ gangsters in Bugsy Malone, or others, many will have fond memories of the popular and award-winning films that Lord Puttnam helmed during his substantial career as a film producer.

Now, he will be visiting our University to deliver its Chancellor’s Distinguished Lecture. His lecture, entitled ‘The times they are a’changin’, will take place on Tuesday 7 November from 6pm in the Peter Williams Lecture Theatre.

The lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets must be booked via the website here.

In his talk, David Puttnam will draw upon his experience as a Life Peer and his role as chair of the joint scrutiny committee on the Communications Bill in 2002. He will consider the developing social responsibilities of online media in the digital age, along with the challenges posed for policy-makers by the immense power, ‘intelligence’ and influence of the major platforms.

This will not be the first time that Lord Puttnam has visited our University, having received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University in 1986. He later gave the second annual lecture for the then Richard Attenborough Centre, now Attenborough Arts, in 2001 and Graduates’ Association Lecture in 2004.