Screen star and former student to join Brit School’s board of trustees

Actress and former student Cush Jumbo is to join the Brit School’s board of trustees.

The college in Croydon, south London, which counts Adele, Amy Winehouse and Loyle Carner among its alumni, made the announcement as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.

Born in London in 1985, Jumbo studied for her A-levels at the Brit School between 1999 and 2003, and has since returned regularly to work with its students.

She will also sit on the curriculum and student welfare committee, which focuses on student achievement, improving the curriculum and mental health.

Jumbo said: “It is a great honour and beyond thrilling to be appointed a trustee of not only one of the finest arts institutions in the UK but one that is so close to my heart.”

The actress appeared in British TV series including Harley Street, Torchwood, Lip Service, Getting On and Vera before her breakout role as lawyer Lucca Quinn in US drama The Good Wife.

Quinn is now one of the central characters in spin-off The Good Fight, with Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald.

Jumbo was nominated for an Olivier Award for the role of Marc Anthony in Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female version of Julius Caesar at the Donmar Warehouse in London in 2012.

Brit School principal Stuart Worden said: “Having been lucky to have known Cush since she was a year 10 student at the school, it has been inspiring to see her ascent to being one of the most respected and admired artists of her generation.

“Cush is all things Brit. Hard-working, creative, polymathic, engaged with the world, a changemaker and a serious talent, and part of the international pipeline that is The Brit School.

“We are very excited to have her join the trustees and work closer with the students. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary year, this is a significant moment in our history.”

Jumbo was made an OBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to drama.

Since being being founded in 1991, The Brit School has taught more than 10,000 young people.