Jay Merriman-Mukoro Scholarship scheme for MA Radio programme- encouraging and giving opportunities to talented programme makers. Image: Goldsmiths, University of London

A scholarship scheme in the name of a distinguished former MA Radio student, Jay Merriman-Mukoro, has been launched to support a future talented programme maker studying on the course.

Jay died tragically in a swimming accident last year.

His family and friends have raised funds in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London to help a talented programme maker join and complete the course and enter the radio and television programme making industry.

The scholarship involves the following opportunities for the academic year 2015-2016

• Fee waiver (Worth £9,000)
• £5,000 London Living Grant
• 4 week paid internship at the BBC
• 4 week paid internship at Nutopia– international documentary production company

Jay Merriman-Mukoro- an annual award for radio students at Goldsmiths launched in his memory. Image: copyright Olivia Merriman-Mukoro

43 year old Jay Merriman-Mukoro  was a brilliant creative radio and television programme maker who won a BBC scholarship to attend the MA Radio Programme in 2003-2004.

The MA Radio Programme was the first postgraduate course at Goldsmiths to be accredited by a national industry journalism body- The Broadcast Journalism Training Council, BJTC.

Its graduates over more than two decades have produced internationally award-winning programmes and students working as foreign correspondents, broadcasters, journalists, programme makers and editors in countries  all around the world.

In April 2014 Jay lost his life in a drowning accident in Barbados just after beginning lecturing at Goldsmiths in sound and visual story telling.

In his career Jay travelled the world from Africa to the USA to make programmes that gave voice to people not normally seen and heard.

Jay combined a devotion to radio and sound with visual creativity.

He produced a five part series for BBC R4 interviewing people who had met Nelson Mandela.

He also worked on important and landmark current affairs and documentaries. They included ‘Mixed Britannia,’ the Bafta award winning series ‘History of Modern Britain’, and ‘Boycotts and Broken Dreams: The Story of the 1986 Commonwealth Games’ which he was directing before he died.

Jay was first diagnosed with dyslexia while at Goldsmiths and was acutely aware of the challenges that have to be faced in the media industries.

Like all MA Radio students Jay had an international outlook and imagination. In 2008 he travelled to Ohio to work for Barack Obama’s campaign for the presidency and filed a series of reports for the Guardian.

He worked for the world’s leading broadcasters and production companies including Nutopia for which he helped produce documentaries for the National Geographic Channel.

His charismatic, professional and creative personality always lifted those who worked with him and as part of the scholarship, Nutopia are providing a remunerated four week internship.

Jay also left lasting impressions and affection with many people he worked with at the BBC which is also offering four weeks of remunerated internship in radio production areas of its output.  

Jay’s legacy has been an inspiration for Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) media workers in Britain.

To apply for the scholarship you need:

• To have applied and been offered a place on the MA Radio programme for the academic year 2015-16;

And at least one of the following criteria:

• You left school before the age of 18 and did not resume your education for at least three years;
• You have a recognized impairment, or long term health condition or a specific learning difficulty and can provide documentary evidence of this;
• You were a care leaver on application to undergraduate study at university – (Someone who had been in the care of your local authority for a period of 13 weeks or more, including during your 16^th birthday) and you can provide evidence of this;
• Your socio-economic circumstances make it impossible for you to be able to afford the fees and undertake full-time enrolment on the programme. You will need to provide evidence of this. See application form.

All applicants will be required to write 500 words on how interested you are in using radio and multimedia creatively to tell stories about disadvantaged communities.

Winners of the scholarship will attend an award event and have their Creative Radio programmes hosted on Jay Merriman-Mukoro’s memorial website.

To apply for this scholarship and read about the award’s details and criteria, please download the application form on this link here:

Jay Merriman-Mukoro Postgraduate Scholarship Application Form MA Radio 2015-16

The deadline for applications is 12 noon 31^st July 2015.

If you have any questions about the scholarship email Professor Tim Crook t.crook@gold.ac.uk

Please note that Goldsmiths cannot guarantee the delivery of internship offers from outside media employers and such offers can be withdrawn and terminated at any time at the discretion of the employing host organisation.