Celebrating Art History Link-Up’s alumni: A Night to Remember at Trinity Hall, Cambridge

By Rose Aidin MBE, Founder and Chief Executive, Art History Link-Up

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On June 5th, AHLU gathered in the beautiful surroundings of Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge for a dinner to celebrate the many alumni of the Charity who are studying Art History at the university.  This very special occasion was generously hosted by Taymoor Atighetchi, AHLU Trustee, with support from Professor Alexander Marr, Head of the Department of History of Art, University of Cambridge. We were joined by six current students as well as esteemed faculty members and art historians.

Taymoor says:

For me, being a trustee of AHLU has always been about giving back, having myself enjoyed the privilege of studying Art History at Cambridge. Therefore, heading back to college and meeting the current students over dinner was always going to be a very special and memorable occasion. It really brought to life the impact AHLU is having on these young people, none of whom would have been there without the Charity.

Taymoor attributes much of his success, including his role as CEO and Founder of Papier (who generously supplied our delightful place cards and menus) to his Art Historical studies at Cambridge. Inspired by the news of four more AHLU students being awarded places at Cambridge in 2025 and 2026, Taymoor proposed this celebratory dinner to honour our alumni.

Since 2020, at least 20 AHLU alumni have been, or will be, studying Art History at the University of Cambridge. This is an exceptional statistic. When Victoria Yanakova, our trustee and supporter, heard about this phenomenon, she generously offered to support an AHLU research project.

With the help of Professor Marr, the History of Art Department, and Rozia Hussein, (AHLU’s evaluation consultant), our research project will examine the correlation between AHLU alumni students and their further Art History studies at Cambridge. We will explore the student’s university outcomes, and subsequent career paths, while also assessing the impact of our courses on their academic achievement, and the ‘value add’ of Cambridge itself. Our secondary aim is to understand how AHLU’s teaching has been impactful – apart of course from our amazing students themselves – and whether this can be replicated, even in other subject areas.

A Community of Scholars and Supporters

The dinner was attended by six current Art History undergraduates, along with esteemed faculty members, including Professors Marr and Alyce Mahon, Drs. Justin Davies, and Dr. Inga Fraser, Senior Curator at Kettle’s Yard. AHLU team members including Chair Maureen Hooft Graafland, Communications Consultant Nadine Thompson, and Education and Outreach Officer Ludo Amory, who studied Art History at Trinity Hall himself, also joined our celebration of our community and shared passion for Art History.

Looking Forward

With the generous support of Victoria Yanakova and the collaborative efforts of Cambridge’s Art History Department, our research project intends to shed light on the significant role of AHLU in shaping the academic and professional futures of its students. Through this project, we hope to instigate future educational initiatives that can incorporate our findings, so broadening access to the History of Art, and potentially other subjects.

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