Careering along!The range of careers into which University of Dundee graduates go is as wide as their imagination ... From Defence Secretary George Robertson to chatshow host Fred MacAulay - the University's alumni turn up in all kinds of business and profession. Some, like recent graduates profiled here, even start their own companies... | |
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Cold Gravy
Cold Gravy Productions was the idea of a group of alumni with a passion for the stage and plenty of
"get-up-and-go"! At its core are - English graduate Kathryn Nelson, a past president of the
University's theatre group and scriptwriter Ian Low who graduated in animation from Duncan of Jordanstone
College and has had a couple of successful plays staged at the Edinburgh Fringe. Together with
engineering graduate Piers Foot and Rachel Rath who studied physics they formed an independent theatre
company ready to respond to business and commercial requests as well as putting on their own productions.
Company spokesperson Rachel Rath explains : "We're ready to provide almost anything on the acting
front - from role playing for business training and live street advertisements to staging our own original
productions."
So far uptake on the business side has proved less dynamic than the company but Cold Gravy won't let
that hold them back. While vigorously exploring every funding avenue they can think of they have had a
successful run at Dudhope Arts Centre with their play Mop Art - a hilarious tale centred on an art
college cleaner; have gone into schools demonstrating stage techniques and even put on a performance
in the Caird Hall! |
Dynamic... and bold!
Meet the three Dundee graduates behind Claymore IT Solutions. Patrick Saunders, Iain Smart and
Jim Mackie formed the company in January last year to offer information technology services to
academic institutions and the oil and gas sector of the economy. One of their first jobs was to create
an on-line prospectus for their alma mater.
Patrick recalls: "The initial contact came totally out of the blue. An invitation to tender for the
production of the Undergraduate Prospectus Website arrived on our doorstep. We submitted a tender and
won!
"Initial feedback shows that the site is very successful. Within two weeks Student Recruitment Services
were receiving up to 100 email requests from the site per week!"
In July they were delighted to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair, and even more thrilled when he referred
to them in his speech as a "dynamic young company". At a line-up photocall with the PM and his wife,
Patrick, with accustomed Dundonian friendliness, automatically put his arm round Cherie Blair who, to
his chagrin, murmured "You're rather bold!" |
