MORTAR boards were tossed into the air as the University Centre Colchester held its first ever graduation ceremonies.

Graduates collected their degrees over two days at Colchester Town Hall, followed by a glamorous canapé reception at the Minories Galleries.

Saturday’s ceremonies were solely for Creative Arts, with students graduating from the Schools of Art, Digital Media, Music and Performing Arts.

Those graduates shared their success with this year’s honorary doctorates, Keith Albarn and Anthony Roberts, who were joined by their families. including Mr Albarn’s son Damon, who is the lead singer of Blur.

Mr Albarn, the former head of the School for Art, Design and Media at Colchester Institute, where the university is based, said: “I have some difficulty with awards – particularly personal ones, as they arise not only from having the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time, but having been with the right people – including a patient and supportive family. 

"So in accepting this award with gratitude, I do so as a representative of the many people in and across this community who I have met, worked with and shared in learning to learn about learning… evolving as part of the rich pattern of life."

Mr Roberts is director of Colchester Arts Centre and moved to the town aged 31.

He said: “I’m so delighted to accept the honorary doctorate and I honestly would not choose it to come from anywhere else.

“It feels extraordinarily special.”

Ceremonies saw students graduating from the Schools of Construction, Engineering, Business and Management, Information Technology along with Accounting and the Schools of Education and Health and Social Sciences.

Principal and chief executive, Alison Andreas, praised the former students, who have contributed to the institute’s glowing record with 94 per cent of alumni already working in their chosen field or going on to further study, within six months of graduating.