Filmmaker and Director of Arts Awarded Honorary Fellowship
A strategic leader and entrepreneurial media practitioner, Catryn has over 25 years' experience transforming creative industries and arts organisations. A Cardiff-born, Welsh-speaking woman of mixed heritage, she brings a distinctive perspective to Wales's evolving cultural landscape, the university said.
Catryn was the inaugural Chair of Welsh Government's Creative Wales, and is a former long-standing board member of Chapter Arts Centre. She is Wales' representative on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Creative Industries Council and has recently been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Welsh language broadcaster S4C. In these roles, she has demonstrated her ability to provide strategic direction, foster growth in the creative industries, and champion diversity and inclusion.
She is also Co-Founder and former Managing Director of Cardiff-based ie ie productions, known for producing acclaimed films including 'American Interior' and 'Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm'. Most recently, she co-produced 'Brides' which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Catryn said:
'This Honorary Fellowship is meaningful recognition from Cardiff Met of the journey I've taken across both the arts and creative industries. My path hasn't been conventional – I've had to take risks, forge my own way, and create opportunities where they didn't exist. To have that work acknowledged by an institution developing the next generation of creatives shows how far we've come in recognising diverse routes to leadership.'
After meeting in Bangkok in the 1960s, Catryn's Thai father and Welsh mother settled in Wales in the 1970s. Growing up in Cardiff and educated through the medium of Welsh, Catryn developed a deep appreciation for Welsh arts and culture that would later shape her professional vision. Her dual heritage, entrepreneurial background and Welsh-language education remain central to her identity and approach to creative leadership, the university said.
Dr Bethan Gordon, Dean of the Cardiff School of Art and Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said:
'Catryn brings a unique perspective to Wales's cultural landscape. Her work strongly resonates with Cardiff Met's commitment to community engagement and reflects the diversity of the communities we serve locally and nationally.
'It's an honour to present Catryn with an Honorary Fellowship – her contribution to the creative industries complements Cardiff School of Art and Design's day to day academic delivery, as well as our strategic ambitions – and we look forward to working together moving forward.'
During the graduation ceremony at Wales Millennium Centre, Catryn gave advice to students from the School of Art and Design:
'You are stepping into uncharted waters. Be enthusiastic – build your skillset, learn from others, know your strengths and identify where you need to develop.
'Remember that this sector thrives on connections and collaboration. Relationships are key. Embrace opportunities even if they seem beneath you and approach them with positivity. These experiences teach you how the industry really works. Once you've built your toolkit, back yourself. Take risks, challenge conventions, and use your diverse perspectives to drive innovation. It's a learning curve with setbacks, but that's how you shape your creative future.'
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