May 2014 - Bath Spa University

SPace
Bath Spa University’s monthly magazine
MAY 2014
BATH SPA SAYS
rELAX!
PORTHLEVEN
PRIZE 2014
ED BALLS MP VISITS
ARTSWORK MEDIA
FEATURES
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Spotlight on...
Dr Janet Rose, Programme Leader Education Studies
and Early Years Award Leader, School of Education
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My Student Experience...
Amy Lamborn, BA (Hons) Education Studies with
Media Communications
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Geography field trip to India
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Bath Spa Says Relax!
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Porthleven Prize 2014
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In the News
School of Art and Design in Selvedge Magazine
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SPACE magazine is published every month and is aimed at
staff and students of Bath Spa University. SPACE welcomes
contributions from all members of the Bath Spa community.
Want to get involved? Contact Jane Wakefield –
[email protected]
Editor
Jane Wakefield
Features Writer
Rob Breckon
Design and Layout
Lorna Leigh Harrington
Contributors
Dr Gordon Ingram
Amy Lamborn
Front cover
Clare Furniss
Bath Spa Says Relax! Students Hayley Crymble
with a pony at the petting farm Alice Meigh
that visited Newton Park.
Carol Forrester
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NEWS
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Update from the Vice-Chancellor
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Newton Park campus development update
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Ed Balls MP visits Artswork Media
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Bath Spa Global
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Library Improvement Works
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Equality Forum 2014
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Spotlight On... Dr Janet Rose,
Programme Leader Education Studies and Early Years Award Leader, School of Education
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Talking Point... Born to troll: Is risky online behaviour in our DNA? By Gordon Ingram, Lecturer in Psychology
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My Student Experience... Amy Lamborn, BA (Hons) Education Studies with Media Communications
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Three writers on Author’s Club Award Shortlist
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Increasing students on Access to HE courses
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Bath International Music Festival 2014
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Bath In Fashion
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Portleven Prize 2014
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Alumni News
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What’s On
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Archive Update
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Staff News
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Update from the Vice-Chancellor
In May and June we begin to bid farewell to many final year students. For some examinations
and coursework signal the end of their course and for others the final performance or recital.
This is however not the last time we hope to see you all as you become part of our growing
alumni community.
I hope all students, not just the final year cohort benefitted from the activities in Stamp Out
Stress Week. The week was a success and I extend my thanks to everyone who took part and
made it so. It was pleasing to see the activities featured on a regional and national level, with
quite a bit of press interest! The bar is set high for what new and exciting creative ways to
reduce stress we can come up with!
Along with my colleagues in the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries, I welcomed Ed
Balls MP, Shadow Chancellor, to Bath Spa led Artswork Media at Paintworks in Bristol. It was a
great opportunity to showcase students working with industry. I also highlighted the value of the
creative industries to the UK economy, particularly important given political parties are setting
their policies for the 2015 General Election.
Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor
Staff and students contributed to the Bath International Music Festival at the end of May.
Burdall’s Yard played host to performances for Party in the City and the Festival went ‘on tour’ to
Radstock and Newton Park, with two shows by Bath Spa University. I am sure, like me, you are
looking forward to The Daily Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival later this year, with
Bath Spa University as creative partner.
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Newton park campus
development update
The media wall in Commons.
Ed Balls MP visits Artswork Media
Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP visited Artswork Media in Bristol on 8 May and met with
company director and senior lecturer Nic Jeune and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christina Slade as
well as a number of students who work at Artswork Media.
All final year Creative Media Practice students are taught at the Paintworks facility. Artswork
Media is a growing local employer that gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on, practical
experience in a commercial environment where they develop their skills by working with
professional clients.
Following his visit, Ed Balls said: “To tackle the cost-of-living crisis our cities and towns need to
be effective engines of growth. To achieve this we need stronger local government supported by
more effective central government, both working in stronger partnership with the business and
education communities.
“Artswork Media at Bristol’s Paintworks is an excellent example of what can be achieved when
that happens. Bath Spa University’s commitment to nurturing their students’ entrepreneurial zeal
by providing a business environment for them to hone their trade in is an innovative and clearly
successful structure. It is just the sort of venture that with the right support by local and central
Government can ensure our region’s cities and towns nurture the expertise they need to provide
for the creation of high skilled jobs.”
Many Bath Spa University graduates find employment in the Creative Economy with jobs in filmmaking, production, graphic design and advertising within and outside of the Creative Industries.
Commons:
Commons has been abuzz since opening in April with staff and students alike making the most
of the new space. The building will be officially opened by Academy Award winning film producer
Lord Puttnam CBE on Thursday 5 June. The spectacular launch event will include a special
‘unveiling’ and guests will then be invited into the building to explore and discover how the space
has been animated.
Residential development:
Good progress continues to be made on the residential accommodation with work progressing on
both the interior fit out and exterior cladding of the buildings. To ensure that Miller has enough
time to complete the residences by September, the entire site will be handed to them on Monday
9 June. This means that there will be no car parking at the top of the campus from this date. If
you currently drive to campus please consider using the bus, cycling or car sharing this summer.
Details of car sharing scheme Car2Spa are available here
If you have any questions or queries about the developments, please email the team
[email protected]
Ed Balls MP with Nic Jeune and students.
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Bath Spa Global
Dr Sarah McKenzie.
Dr Sarah McKenzie has been appointed as
academic director of Bath Spa Global – the
University’s new approach to international student
education, which launches this month.
Dr McKenzie will be responsible for the new
International First Year at Bath Spa. This
programme will give new students additional
support to help them integrate within the UK
education system in their first year, before they
progress onto full degree programmes across the
University in year two. During this time their studies
will include language tuition, academic instruction
and information on UK history and culture, as well
as the opportunity to become involved in local
community projects.
Dr McKenzie received her PhD in English Literature
from University of Warwick and comes to Bath Spa with over 15 years of UK and international higher
education experience across the US, EU, Australia and China.
“Bath Spa Global builds on the University’s existing strengths of creativity, culture, enterprise and
education, while fostering an environment that will help students from around the world find their
inner entrepreneur,” she said.
Another part of Dr McKenzie’s remit will be to develop Bath Spa Global’s School of Business
and Entrepreneurship, where students from around the world will come to Bath to study one
of the only degree programmes in Europe that combines design thinking with global business,
entrepreneurship and creativity.
Design thinking is the process of approaching any problem using the mindset of a designer combining empathy for the problem with creativity in coming up with a solution, and detailed testing
of that solution as it’s developed. At the moment courses in design thinking are mostly based in the
US, at universities including Stanford, MIT and Babson.
“Our aim is that the School of Business and Entrepreneurship will encourage future entrepreneurs
from around the world to make Bath their home – driving the local economy and helping the world
to know about the enterprise that lies within this beautiful city,” she said.
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Library improvement
works
The main book hall in the Library at Newton Park will be closed from 21 June to 31 July 2014 to
allow for refurbishment works. There will be no access during this period to the book stock, quiet
and silent study areas, schools resources, journals room, music resources and DVD room.
The improvement works include laying new carpet throughout the book hall to provide better
insulation and reduce noise. The toilets on the ground floor will also be refurbished. The Library
reception, foyer and Open Access IT Suite will remain open throughout the refurbishment works for
returns and enquiries, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.
A number of alternative arrangements have been made for students and staff who will require
access to the Library and resources during this period:
• From 1 June to 20 June loan allocations will be extended to allow users to borrow extra items over the summer vacation. Staff and researchers will be entitled to borrow 35 items and students and other users will be entitled to borrow 25 items. This is 10 extra items than usually permitted.
• Over 80 per cent of the University’s resources including ebooks and ejournals are available online and are accessible both on and off campus.
• Alternative study space for group and quiet working, copy and print facilities will be available on the ground floor of Commons.
• The libraries at Sion Hill and Corsham Court will be open as normal and the summer opening hours for these libraries are available at: www.bathspa.ac.uk/library
• Staff and students can access other university libraries around the UK under the SCONUL Access scheme. More information about the scheme, including how to join and participating libraries is available at: www.sconul.ac.uk
• The Library Team has negotiated with the University of Bath, University of Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE) to allow Bath Spa users to access books, journals and other resources during this period. Details of these arrangements are available here
More information and FAQs about the Newton Park Library improvement works is available at
www.bathspa.ac.uk/libraryimprovementworks but if you have any further questions please email
[email protected]
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Equality Forum 2014
Keynote speaker, Professor Terry Threadgold, formerly Professor of Communication and Cultural
Studies and Pro Vice-Chancellor Staff and Diversity, Cardiff University, gave a fascinating talk entitled
A Journey From Artful Feminist Politics to Senior Administration: Different Strategies for Dealing with
the Intolerable, Different Ways of Transforming Cultures and gave an insight into her challenging and
at times difficult journey through the academy as a woman.
Lunch provided opportunities for networking and delegates were also invited to meet and sample food
from local eateries YO!Sushi, the Riverside Café Bath and Papa John’s. Delegates threw themselves
enthusiastically into sushi making and tasting, and were entertained by a new interactive artwork on
the media wall designed by third year Graphic Design students Max Pederson and Juda Kuma.
In the afternoon the Forum broke into four workshops to discuss some specific topics including mental
health, hate crime, the students’ film and national/international student engagement. The groups
reconvened to share the key points of their discussions and make suggestions about how the two
universities might create opportunities for working more closely together on specific issues moving
forward.
The Equality Forum 2015 will be hosted by the University of Bath.
Feedback from the afternoon
workshops.
The annual joint Equality Forum organised by Bath Spa
and the University of Bath took place on 8 May in Commons
at Newton Park. The event was well-attended by staff and
student representatives from both universities, as well
as local agencies including Sirona, Bath and North East
Somerset Council, Diversity Trust and Support Against
Racist Incidents (SARI).
The event started with a review of the equalities work of the
two universities given by Professor Christina Slade of Bath
Spa and Mark Humphriss of the University of Bath. This
was followed by a lively question and answer session on
topics such as gender representation in senior roles in HE,
access and Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) student
attainment.
This was followed by a screening of a new short film
My University, Equality and Me, made by and featuring
students from both universities specifically for the Forum.
The purpose of the film was to give a brief insight into the
students’ perspectives and experience of equality at their
university.
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Keynote speaker,
Professor Terry Threadgold.
Lunch!
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spotlight
ON...
North East Somerset Council , particularly Mike
Gorman and Julia McDonald. We have been
working with nine primary schools to deliver what
is effectively a training programme to help support
vulnerable children.
“The objective of this pilot scheme is to up-skill
the workforce, particularly those in schools as
that is where children spend a lot of their time.”
Dr Janet Rose, Programme Leader
Education Studies and Early Years Award
Leader, School of Education
The University’s School of Education has recently been recognised for its significant contributions
to Attachment Awareness in schools and Dr Janet Rose alongside Dr Richard Parker and doctoral
student Louise Gilbert has been responsible for leading that project.
spotlight on...
The project has involved a programme of research about attachment awareness and training materials
have been designed to help teachers and governors across the UK understand how failure to form
secure attachments with adults
at an early age can affect children
throughout their education. Janet
recently represented Bath Spa
during a visit to the House of Lords
where she delivered a keynote
address on attachment and
emotion coaching at the launch
of the Institute for Recovery from
Childhood Trauma.
She said: “I had never been to the
House of Lords before to conduct
a talk so it was quite exciting for
me. It was important to be given
the opportunity to talk about
the University’s work at such a
significant event.
Janet explained: “What we also focussed on
was helping practitioners to have a clearer
insight into what might be the cause of a child’s
disengagement with learning. Effectively, a teacher
may be excellent at their job and passionate about
what they do, but without an understanding of
the often hidden and underlying issues affecting
children in their classroom, they will not be able
to successfully engage children with attachment
issues.”
Janet has been working at Bath Spa for four
years and is enjoying the environment, both as a
researcher and as a teacher.
She said: “I really enjoy the collegial atmosphere
here at Bath Spa. Compared to other universities I
have worked at previously, the working environment
here makes it a great place to come and work. I
also greatly appreciate that the University has
given me the opportunity and scope to develop
my work in Attachment Awareness and work with
colleagues such as Richard Parker.
“When I am teaching my education students, I
try to incorporate my research into my teaching
methods. The biggest factor facing education
students is the pace of change. I believe it is
important for students to succeed in understanding
education, they must appreciate the context of
“My keynote address discussed
our Attachment Awareness
Schools project which is a pilot
in collaboration with Bath and
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The ability of school teachers and professionals
to identify and support children with attachment
needs is of great importance, especially in
helping improve their resilience and academic
achievement. This work is being recognised by
the National College of Teaching and Leadership.
what developments have occurred in the past
and how this may affect trends and approaches
to education in the future.
“The research I have been doing with
Attachment Awareness is directly feeding into
the undergraduate and postgraduate teaching I
do. The interest of students in my research has
been fantastic and I have an increasing number
of students doing dissertations on different
aspects of Attachment Awareness.”
Janet senses there is a heightened creative buzz
amongst staff and students alike at Bath Spa since
Professor Slade became Vice-Chancellor.
She said: “It is evident the Vice-Chancellor has
taken great strides in moving this University
forwards. Investment in the research being
conducted at Bath Spa as well as the impressive
number of staff appointments has created a real
buzz on our different campuses.”
Janet has been named in the shortlist for the
Students’ Union Student Teaching Awards for the
last two years, something she is very proud of.
She said: “Despite the amount of research I do, I
still really enjoy the teaching aspect of my work.
To know that my students feel they are getting
something out of my teaching is a great feeling
and I am grateful to those who nominated me.”
With the summer just around the corner many
people look to get away on holiday, but Janet plans
to write a book.
She explained: “This summer I will be writing
my second book Health and Wellbeing in Early
Years. I am writing it with Val Richards, Senior
Lecturer in Education Studies and PhD student
and former lecturer Louise Gilbert. Additionally I
will be working on a research bid in collaboration
with the University of Melbourne, Australia and
the Gottman Institute in Seattle, America which
is very exciting!”
Dr Janet Rose
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talking point
Born to troll: Is risky online behaviour in our
DNA? By Gordon Ingram, Lecturer in Psychology
The ‘Better Together’ campaign to keep Scotland in the UK is one of the latest victims of cyber
talking point
bullying, after so-called ‘cybernats’ (online campaigners for Scottish independence) launched a
torrent of tweeted abuse at a businessman who supported the unionist cause. In Co. Durham,
a nine-year-old girl had to have her stomach pumped after drinking a cocktail of vodka, wine
and orange juice, in a dare reportedly filmed on a mobile phone and inspired by videos of similar
‘NekNominations’ that she had seen on Facebook. Meanwhile police in Virginia have broken up a
ring of teenagers who were sharing sexually explicit ‘selfies’ on Instagram. What do these three
episodes have in common? They all involve outrageous social behaviour. They were all facilitated
– perhaps even encouraged – by new electronic technology. But I believe they are also driven by
ancient evolutionary imperatives that have been with us since the dawn of humanity.
Of course, the Internet is changing society in far-reaching ways. The Oxford psychologist Robin
Dunbar famously came up with ‘Dunbar’s number’ (the limit on how many genuine social
connections our human brains can effectively maintain), thought to be around 150. Fewer than
that, and we may sink into loneliness and depression. Yet if we try to have many more than
that, we will have little time left for the daily grind, or for maintaining truly intimate contact
with our family and closest friends. Dunbar and his team recently investigated whether social
media such as Facebook and Twitter allow us to expand our social networks without sacrificing
so much time. Unfortunately for our increasingly time-pressed existence, he concludes that
“it seems unlikely that the digital media will significantly change our social lives, at least in
terms of the number and intensity of different kinds of relationships.” This is because electronic
communication doesn’t have the same kind of emotional intensity and immediacy that we get
from face-to-face interactions. Several studies have shown that rather than using social media
to recruit and maintain new contacts, people use it more to maintain contact with family and
old friends with whom they already have an emotional connection, but from whom they are
geographically separated.
The explanation comes from a branch of biology called parental investment theory. Essentially, this
argues that females have more to lose from any risky behaviour (whether involving sex, violence
or dangerous substances) because they make a heavy investment in nurturing their offspring, and
have to keep themselves secure in order to do so effectively. This also makes them quite choosy
about picking a mate. On the other hand, male investment in reproduction is cheap: sperm are
literally produced by the million. Individual males are thus expendable, and are forced to compete
for the attention of the choosy females – often via risky, attention-grabbing behaviour. This effect is
also manifested in differing levels of male and female anxiety over how pictures of them online will
be perceived by various audiences (such as parents, or prospective employers). A multi-university
collaborative research project led by Ben Marder, of Edinburgh University, found that women were
more worried than men about people seeing sexually suggestive pictures of them online. They were
also more worried about being caught swearing – perhaps because this often involves sexually
suggestive language.
In science there are always exceptions. A nine-year-old girl may make headlines for doing
something a bit like a NekNomination, but most of those indulging in this risky, attention-grabbing
behaviour have been, and will continue to be, young males. Some cybernats are female – as,
surprisingly, was one of the ‘trolls’ convicted of sending an abusive tweet to feminist campaigner
Caroline Criado-Perez. But most trolls are male, just as most sexting sessions are initiated by men
– perhaps hoping for reciprocation, or in the deluded belief that because they would like to see a
naked picture of a woman, she might like to see a naked picture of them. On the Internet, it seems
that we can run, but we can’t hide from our evolved human nature. We may have to learn to come to
terms with it instead.
Article originally published in The Daily Telegraph 20.04.14
This is one example of how our use of social media is limited by biology. We are adapted by
evolution to interact with each other face-to-face, not via a computer or mobile phone. Another
example is the differences in how men and women spend their time online. Jared Piazza of the
University of Pennsylvania, a pioneer of the evolutionary approach to online behaviour, says that,
“women are generally better than men at refraining from risky online behavior, such as posting
compromising images of themselves on Facebook.” This is in line with findings that men are
more likely to indulge in risky offline behaviour, such as drinking, fighting and gambling.
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my student
experience...
Amy Lamborn, BA
(Hons) Education
Studies with Media
Communications
the best start! I started out student life in independent housing, but had to leave in November as
I was feeling ill and couldn’t recover. In early December, the day before my 20th birthday, I was
diagnosed with depression and was given medication. After mitigating circumstances and support
from Bath Spa University, I was able to get back on track with my studies.
I have a number of friends
at university; I don’t know
what I would do without
them! We help each other
out with work and life in
general and are always
there for support and a
laugh.
The New Year saw a fresh start and in March I started working as a Student Ambassador which I
really enjoyed. I met other students and was happy to promote Bath Spa as a good university and
hope I helped prospective students make their decision. I also started doing administrative work
in the School of Education and eventually when the summer holidays came, I moved to Student
Services. At this point, after a few ups and downs I was a very happy person. I mainly worked full
time throughout the summer and it was one of the best summers of my life. I met some amazing
people, made friends and gained so much experience in the higher education sector; I knew from
this experience I wanted to stay at Bath Spa University. I had never felt as passionate about working
somewhere until I worked at Bath Spa and I still feel the same way now!
My future plans will
hopefully involve staying
at Bath Spa University or
the surrounding area and
take up a graduate role
at the University while
undertaking a Masters’
degree in either education
or higher education.
Coming to Bath Spa University was the best decision I ever made. Having said that, I didn’t have
my student experience
I have worked very hard
at Bath Spa University
and I can’t imagine doing
anything else in the future.
This summer I will be
working on a project in
Student Support with
regard to improving the
student experience in
the lead up to and during
induction week which I am
really looking forward to.
My second year started year very smoothly and I am working hard at my degree. I am aiming for
an upper 2:1 classification and have been gaining some extracurricular experience as well as
studying. Over the last few months I have been very busy! I’ve worked at a number of Open Days,
attended education meetings as course rep and successfully applied to be a student ambassador
for the Widening Participation Team. I attended a number of workshops, became a team member
for a research collaboration project to visit America during the Easter break, attended student
experience advisory meetings, represented students as part of the Quality Assurance Agency visit
and, finally have been elected as School Rep for Education, a post which starts in the new academic
year.
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Amy Lamborn.
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Chloe Gregory agreed and said: “It was great to
meet Polly and have my work chosen to appear
in Selvedge magazine.”
Illustrations by Chloe Gregory
Course Leader Amanda Goode was also
pleased: “We were thrilled to welcome Polly
and Beth and hear their expert advice and
extensive knowledge about textiles.”
The School of Art and Design’s association
with Selvedge magazine is well-established.
Tim Parry-Williams, Course Leader for the
MA Design: Fashion and Textiles has written a
number of articles for the magazine including
one published in the latest issue about
Japanese textile culture. The article A Martial
Art: Indigo-dyed textiles from Saitama, Japan,
describes the work of Kojima Senshoku, a
traditional indigo dying company, located in
Saitama Prefecture, West of Tokyo. Tim drew
on interviews and observations he made during
a visit to Japan in March this year, as well
as his own extended research into Japanese
vernacular textile traditions.
Illustrations by Chloe Gregory
IN THE news
Tim has also been commissioned to write
another feature article about Japan, focusing
on an award-winning traditional silk weaving
company, who are pioneering new traditions
in coated yarns and fabrics for the high-end
apparel fabrics industry.
School of Art and Design in Selvedge Magazine
Chloe Gregory, a second year Textile Design for Fashion and Interiors student, has illustrated
an article in the latest issue of Selvedge Magazine. Her work was personally selected by Polly
Leonard, founder of Selvedge to accompany an article about the importance of drawing as a
design foundation written by Diana Springhall. The magazine contacted all textile courses across
the UK asking for illustrations and Chloe’s stood out from the crowd.
Selvedge magazine is a design-led bi-monthly magazine with a readership of 75,000 that covers
every facet of textiles, including interiors, fashion, art, craft, travel and shopping. It was founded in
2003 and quickly became the world’s leading textile publication.
Polly Leonard and editor, Beth Smith recently visited the School of Art and Design to give a talk
to textile students about how Selvedge magazine was set up. Students and staff attending the
talk found it illuminating and interesting! Second year student Annie James said: “It was really
interesting getting to understand how they work together as a team – full of useful advice.”
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Rachael Howard, Senior Lecturer Textiles
and professional Designer-Maker has also
previously illustrated articles for Selvedge
and has an Arts Council funded solo exhibition
coming up in October for which Polly Leonard
has written the introductory essay for the
catalogue. Rachel will also be appearing as the
subject of a special feature article later this
year to celebrate her rich and engaging textile
practice and some of the projects she has
undertaken in recent years.
More information about Selvedge magazine is
available here
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Three writers on Author’s
Club Award shortlist
Three Bath Spa writers have been shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award 2014.
Alumni Anthea Nicholson’s novel The Banner of the Passing Clouds and Lucy Cruickshanks’ novel
The Trader of Saigon, along with current Creative Writing PhD student Jack Wolf’s novel The Tale
of Raw Head and Bloody Bones are all included in the six strong shortlist.
The three authors were selected from 12 longlisted authors drawn from a record number of
more than 60 submissions. Both Anthea and Lucy previously graduated from Bath Spa’s MA
Creative Writing, demonstrating the high calibre of work being produced and the large number of
successful students graduating from the course. I.J. Kay, another graduate of the course, won the
Award last year.
The Bath Spa trio are joined in the shortlist by Gavin Extence (The Universe Versus Alex Woods),
Kevin Maher (The Fields) and Eimear McBride (A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing).
Commenting on the continued and growing success of the University’s Creative Writing courses,
Dean of the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries, Professor Steve May said: “This strong
representation in such a prestigious competition shows that we are not just producing quality, but
quality in depth. Since January 2013, graduates of our Creative Writing courses have published no
less than 44 new titles - an astonishing and probably unprecedented achievement.”
The winner will be announced and presented with the £2,500 prize on Tuesday 3 June at the
National Liberal Club in London by this year’s guest adjudicator and novelist, Isabel Wolff.
Increasing students from
Armed Forces on Access to
HE courses
A grant totalling £114,729 has been awarded to the University to research and explore why
students from an Armed Forces background are under-represented on Access to Higher
Education courses.
The Forces in Mind Trust, an organisation established to help ex-Service men and women
make a successful transition back to civilian life, has awarded £97,209 of this grant. An additional £9,600 has been awarded by Help for Heroes and a further £7,920 from apt awards,
the Access course validating agency for the South West region. apt awards will also provide
an Access to HE Consultant for the duration of the project.
The Access to Higher Education Diploma is a well-established qualification, widely accepted
throughout the higher education (HE) sector to prepare students who, for many reasons
have few if any, qualifications suitable to gain entry to HE. In recent years the overall size of
the regular Armed Forces has been reduced as increasing numbers of military personnel
are made redundant. This project will develop a set of recommendations about how best to
encourage students with an Armed Forces background to undertake an Access course.
The research project is led by Dr Mel Macer, Research Fellow in the School of Education and
is taking place in the South West because approximately 25 per cent of Britain’s Service and
ex-Service personnel and their families live in the region. The researchers will work with
ex-Service personnel from all three Services.
The project aims to increase the number of students with an Armed Forces background in
HE, to develop a shared understanding between military and civilian organisations which
exist to deliver Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) on HE courses and to identify barriers that adults can experience in their knowledge of, or engagement with, Access to HE
diplomas. The project’s recommendations will ensure that Access Course students in the
UK are not disadvantaged by their military background.
Dr Mel Macer said: “It is great to secure this support from these key organisations to deliver this important piece of work. This project further demonstrates Bath Spa University’s
commitment to supporting educational outcomes for members of the wider Armed Forces
community.”
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Geography field trip
to India
together!” and “We came to know about the different methodologies and working styles of our
universities.”
Esther Edwards and Rich Johnson also gave two lectures at HPU, one entitled Geotechnologies for
Geographical Research to staff and students and another to HPU staff and visiting academics from
across India entitled Natural Hazards, Vulnerability and Risk in Northern India. Both lectures were
very well received with Dr B R Thakur of the Geography Department at HPU saying: “The research
effort and approach (of Dr Johnson and Dr Edwards) has been widely appreciated by the attendees.”
This is the fourth time that the Geography Team at Bath Spa has visited HPU and the relationship
between the two institutions is growing. During the trip Rich and Esther undertook research
activities in the State Archives at Shimla and convened a partnership meeting with Professor A
N D Bajpayee, Vice-Chancellor HPU; other colleagues in the HPU Senior Management Team; as
well as Professor D D Sharma and Dr B R Thakur, Department of Geography to discuss further
international collaboration in both research and teaching, between the respective institutions.
In the mountains.
Rich Johnson and Esther Edwards with
staff from Himanchal Pradesh University.
Dr Rich Johnson and Dr Esther Edwards recently took 30 Geography students on a trip to the states
of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in Northern India as part of a Level 5 fieldwork module. While there,
students had the opportunity to study urban development in the Punjab, and colonial heritage and its
impact on present day livelihoods in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (the summer capital of the British
Raj). In the Kullu Valley the students also enjoyed a river reconnaissance and mapping activity as well
as a visit to the mountain communities.
Commenting on the trip, one of the students said: “I found the physical geography project the most
rewarding in terms of learning, developing and extending my skills while still having lots of fun. I
would have greatly enjoyed carrying on with
this project and acquiring more valuable
data.”
The students also spent two days working
in collaboration with students and staff at
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Shimla.
One Bath Spa student remarked: “The HPU
students were so smart and inspirational.
They taught me so much about culture and
religion. They were also very interested in
our lives, so we are now friends on Facebook
and they are e-mailing us some research
papers.” This feeling was echoed by students
at HPU who said: “It has been great working
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Bath Spa Says
Relax!
Sara Gallagher, Student Support Manger said: “The idea of Stamp Out Stress came from the ViceChancellor’s Office which had an amount of money they wanted to use in a creative way to support
students through what can be quite a stressful time as they prepare for their exams and final
assignments.”
Emma Weskin, Students’ Union Welfare Officer added: “We were keen to be able to provide
opportunities for students to take some time away from their revision and the library and spend
some time de-stressing and enjoying themselves.
“There have been a number of different events throughout the week and one of the most popular
events has been the mini petting farm which came to Newton Park campus on Thursday (15 May).
It was fantastic to see so many students come along and experience the petting farm. It definitely
helped them de-stress and put a smile on their faces.”
Stamp Out Stress week took place from Monday 12 to Friday 16 May and was jointly organised by
Emma Weskin, Students’ Union Welfare
Officer with a kid goat.
the University and the Students’ Union. It was sponsored by the Vice-Chancellor’s Helping Hand
Fund and was held the week prior to the final assessment period.
A number of events took place at Newton Park and Sion Hill campuses including:
• Free professional 15 minute neck and head massages,
• Stress to Success! workshops,
• Financial health checks with resident money advisors,
• A top tips wall containing post-it notes written by students advising how they best deal with stress,
• Mini health MOTs with a nurse practitioner about BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol and general health and wellbeing,
• A mini petting farm with a pony, calf, ducklings, chicks, goats, sheep and a dog.
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Bath International
Music Festival 2014
This year’s Bath in Fashion event ran for a week from
Iconic BIBA
gingham
dress.
Catwalk show. Credit:
Artur Lesniak.
The Bath International Music Festival took place from 16 to 26 May and brought the city to life. Bath
has an illustrious artistic history and this is a long and well-established event of national significance
and international reputation. Almost 2,000 performers took part in Party in the City on the opening
night of the Festival, including many Bath Spa students and staff.
Party in the City celebrated the local music scene and vibrant cultural life of Bath and the surrounding
areas. It was an exciting programme of free events that took place in approximately 30 venues across
the city, culminating in a fantastic street performance and procession which brought the city centre
alive with music and dancing.
Other Bath Spa events during the Festival were a
performance by the Chamber Choir on 17 May at
Victoria Hall in Radstock and East Meets West, an
evening with the University’s Indonesian Gamelan
Orchestra, featuring tuned gongs, metallophones and
other percussion instruments.The Gamelan group play
a variety of traditional and new music for chamber
ensemble and solo western instruments composed
by students from the University’s undergraduate and
Masters’ Composition courses.
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Gamelan Orchestra.
3 to 10 May and celebrated the creative designers,
makers, galleries and businesses in Bath. A focus of
this celebration was a look back in fashion time to the
origins of one of the UK’s most iconic brands, BIBA,
which celebrates its 50th birthday this year.
Staff and students from the Fashion Department
were heavily involved in the week. Head of Fashion,
Louise Pickles hosted ‘Fashion Your Future’, an event
for anyone who wants to work in fashion. A panel of
experts talked about the many different careers within
the fashion industry and the routes to becoming a
designer, fabric or product developer, assistant buyer
or fashion journalist. The panel included three Bath
Spa graduates: Chloe Jones now Design Assistant
at Matthew Williamson; Alanna Kaye, an Intern
at Tom Ford; and Rebecca Head, Apparel Design
timfishdesign, outdoor and sports design consultancy.
A special catwalk show of original vintage BIBA designs
was a highlight of the week and quickly sold out. The
show was presented by Hilary Alexander, former
fashion director of The Daily Telegraph, with guest of
honour Barbara Hulanicki who created the BIBA brand
50 years ago. Fashion students from Bath Spa, taking
inspiration from Barbara’s famous gingham dress of
1964, designed a fabulous selection of dresses which
were showcased as part of the catwalk show.
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Porthleven Prize
2014
Five students recently returned from a very successful ten-day residency in Porthleven, Cornwall
having successfully applied to the Bath Spa Porthleven Prize 2014. During their time there, the
students worked incredibly hard, producing some very thoughtful work. Their time together
resulted in very professional presentations to external curators who commented on the excellent
standard.
The five winners of the Bath Spa Porthleven Prize 2014 were:
• Jenny Newbury (Creative Writing)
• Emily Furnell (Fine Art)
• Sae Murai (Dance and Textile Design Studies)
• Fiona Haines (Fine Art)
• Lucinda Burgess (Fine Art)
Despite the storm damage this winter the students were able to
fully engage with Porthleven and worked on beaches, interviewed
local people and went out to sea with fishermen to collect flotsam
and jetsam, and other found objects.
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Working on the beach.
Hook by Fiona Haines.
Commenting on the experience, Fiona Haines said: “Four main areas of interest occurred within
my residency: place, object, people and sound. Within place, fall specific sites, such as Goonhilly,
Loe Bar, and the disused Bathhouse, and places encountered by chance during walks - including
coastal paths and disused mines. It was on such walks that I came across objects that proved
inspirational within my work, such as flotsam and jetsam, or a burnt tree found to the side of Loe
Bar. I also found myself influenced by the conversations with people that I met, and the different
sounds experienced around me, recording and listening live via head set. It is now an exciting
stage where I start to use these combined experiences and make work for the forthcoming touring
exhibition.”
Teresa Gleadowe kindly facilitated the studio space at Cast Studios and was very generous with
her time with the students. She said: “I enjoyed talking to the students, as did my friends. I was
impressed by the ways in which they had responded to the terrain when making work - and used
the specificities of the space when making their exhibition - and by how articulate and engaged they
all are when talking about their work.”
The residency also coincided with two local annual events. The students were involved with
documenting the ‘Porthleven Masked Ball’ - a very popular local festival, and the ancient festival
‘Flora Day’ a tradition of another time when the whole town is adorned with wonderful foliage and
traditional floral arrangements gathered from hedgerows.
Some wonderful work including images and texts are well underway and one MFA student is
currently making work with the chains from Porthleven harbour, which had to be replaced due to
storm damage.
All the students are now working on developing pieces and some of these will be selected for the
official opening of Commons at Newton Park on 5 June. An exhibition of all the work developed
during the Porthleven residency will be exhibited at the O3 Gallery in Oxford on 10 October and later
in the autumn at the gallery at Sion Hill.
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How I became an author
after moving to Bath,
by Clare Furniss
Author Clare Furniss admits she would
have laughed off suggestions that she
would become an author just eight years
after moving to Bath.
Clare Furniss.
“And if they’d told me my first novel was
going to be the subject of an eight-way
bidding war I would have suggested in the
politest possible way that perhaps they
were a few books short of a library, if you
know what I mean.
I’d always loved writing, but at the time
I had no serious thoughts of even doing
it as a hobby, let alone a career. I was
looking after my three-year-old daughter
and 15-month-old son, so my hands were
pretty full.
I’d given up my previous job in media relations when I had my children as the unpredictable
hours meant it was not very family-friendly. We’d moved to Bath because it seemed the perfect
place to bring up a family – beautiful, plenty going on, the rolling hills of the West Country on
the doorstep. I didn’t realise then that it was also the perfect place to live if you wanted to be a
writer.
ALUMNI NEWS
I wasn’t doing any writing at all at the time. I’d signed up for a creative writing evening class
in London before we moved, but was always too busy to go along. And the truth was that I was
scared too. I’d loved writing stories and poems at school, and I’d been good at it, but could I
still do it? It didn’t seem very likely.
A couple of months after we’d moved I was looking through the programme for the Bath
Children’s Literature Festival when I noticed an event run by Bath Spa University. Graduates of
the MA Writing for Young People talked about how fantastic the course was and how it had led
to publishing contracts for many of them. I had a chat with the wonderful course leader Julia
Green and discovered that it was possible to do the course part-time. The idea was planted in
my mind.
While on the course I started to write one of the ideas that had been floating around in my head for
a while, about a teenage girl whose mother dies in childbirth, leaving a baby sister for the teenager
to cope with, while also coming to terms with her loss. I didn’t know whether it was an idea that
would work as a novel, but the tutors liked the idea and encouraged me to give it a go. I only wrote
a couple of pages, but as soon as I started to write, things began to fall into place. There would be a
nickname for the baby: The Rat. It would take place over the course of a year, divided into months to
move the story along. And suddenly I realised I had a name for the story: The Year of The Rat. I had
some great feedback and I came home knowing that eventually I would write the whole book.
But it was a while before I had the chance to put my plans into practice. The reality of having three
children under five meant that writing took a back seat. I’d get up early or stay up late to try and get
some done, but it felt impossible to get any momentum going. I decided to take the plunge and sent
off my application for the Bath Spa MA. It was the best decision I ever made.
The MA courses in Creative Writing and Writing for Young People at Bath Spa have an extraordinary
success rate of producing published and prize-winning authors. Our weekly workshops were held
at the imposing Corsham Court – who could fail to be inspired by such beautiful surroundings?
I soon got to know a network of local writers which made the solitary business of writing less lonely.
I could meet up with other people, some published authors, others unpublished like me, and talk
through problems and difficulties with them. It made it feel more manageable, less daunting. I
began to believe that just maybe, if I kept working at it, and if I was very, very lucky, I might just be
published one day.
I finished The Year of The Rat by working late into the night and getting up before my children. It
was exhausting, but exhilarating too. It involved endless rewriting, and there were days when I
thought I’d never get it done. I remember clearly the morning I sent it off to literary agent Catherine
Clarke. I felt dazed, exhausted and proud. Just writing a book felt like a great achievement at that
point. It was half-term and my parents were staying with us. We all went out to a café for lunch to
celebrate and I thought that whatever happened next, I was proud of what I’d achieved.
A few days later Catherine emailed to say she loved the book. I could hardly believe it. We met
up in a café in Bath and she offered to represent me. Within a couple of weeks she had sent the
manuscript to publishers and two weeks after that we went to London for a two-day marathon
of meetings with publishers. It was a whirlwind – looking back on it I can still hardly believe it
happened. Within a month I’d gone from sitting at my own at the computer, wondering if I’d ever
finish my book, to an eight-way auction. It’s what you dream of as an aspiring writer, but never
believe will really happen.
A year later I feel incredibly lucky to be where I am. My book is about to be published and has
already had some great reviews. It really is a dream come true!”
Article originally published in The Bath Chronicle 26.04.14
If you have a story to share, contact Ruth Russell at [email protected].
The following year, I plucked up the courage to go on a five-day residential writing course. I was
expecting my third child by then, and was determined to start writing before the demands of a
newborn meant I had no time or energy to do it.
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What’s on
School of Art and Design Degree Show 2014
Sat 7 – Sun 15 Jun, 10:00am – 5:00pm daily, Sion Hill and
Dartmouth Avenue campuses, Bath
Art and Design students achieve their degree in the public eye and this final degree exhibition
is the result of a long period of intense study. The work displayed is a statement of the skills,
insights and ideas that each graduating student will take with them in the next stages of their
careers.
Graduate Fashion Show 2014
Tues 17 Jun, 3:00pm and 7:00pm, Assembly Rooms, Bath
Bath Spa Live
The Best of Drama Studies
Wed 11 Jun, 6:00pm, University Theatre
Three provocative, stimulating and exciting productions directed, performed and presented by Bath
Spa University Drama Studies and Theatre Production students. Showcasing the most outstanding
work produced by the Drama Studies course.
Tickets: Full price: £8.00, Concessions: £6.00, BSU Students and U16s: £5.00. Free for Bath Spa
Live members.
Gala Concert
The Fashion Department students have been raising money all year to fund a professional end
of year show. First and second year work will be showcased on the catwalk, alongside the final
year students’ collections fresh from the catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week in London.
Fri 13 Jun, 7:30pm, The Assembly Rooms, Bath
Thought, Action and Passion: the Power and Obligations of
Liberal Education
Students from Bath Spa University’s Department of Music celebrate the end of the
academic year with their popular, annual Gala Concert, featuring the University’s
Symphony Orchestra, Choir, Wind Band and Georgian band. The programme will
include highlights from Bizet’s Carmen as well as concerto performances by
graduating students.
Professor Liz Coleman, Fri 6 Jun, 10:00am, Commons CM107/08, Newton Park.
FREE
Mortality and Memoir: Recalling what matters.
Tickets: Full price: £8.00, Concessions: £6.00, BSU Students and U16s: £5.00. Free for
Bath Spa Live members.
Professor Gavin Cologne-Brookes, Wed 24 Jun, 5:00pm, Commons CM107/8, Newton Park.
FREE
More information about the Professorial Lecture Series is available here
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Archive update
A students’ perspective of working in the Archive by Hayley
Crymble, third year History; Alice Meigh, second year History
and Dance; and Carol Forrester, second year History.
Here at the Archive the Team is
extremely excited at the prospect of
the collection moving back to Newton
Park to be rehoused in the Castle.
Growing from a bundle of documents
tucked away in a filing cabinet to the
ever expanding collection bursting
out of our office at Corsham Court,
it seems fitting that after three years
the Bath Spa University Archive can
call what used to be the original
reference library at the Teacher
Training College, home.
All our hard work! Some of the completed and catalogued
boxes, in the current office at Corsham Court.
STAFF NEWS
Starters and Leavers
In May we welcomed…
Owain Jones, Professor of Environmental Humanities, School of Humanities and Cultural Industries
Georgie Eggar, Student Support Coordinator, Student Services
Wendy Bennett, Cleaner/Porter/Driver, Domestic and Portering Services
John Evered, Early Shift Team Leader, Domestic and Portering Services
Liam Tarvit, Student Information Coordinator, Student Services
Simon Brooks, Head Gardener, Estates
We also said farewell to…
Hayley has completed three modules
at the Archive and is as sad to be
leaving as the Archive Team are to see
her go. Hopefully she will take many treasured memories with her! Carol and Alice will be coming
back next year to take on Hayley’s role of mentoring new students and continuing to catalogue the
greatly expanding collection. Carol is also going on to do a summer module at the National Trust
property Attingham Park, near her home, using the skills she has gained from the Archive.
The Archive has certainly grown since its humble beginnings, and an influx of new material from
Newton Park Library has the office practically splitting at the seams. While sifting through box after
box of documents, sometimes something truly special turns up. So far we’ve had sewing samplers a
hundred years old, medieval tiles, a mysterious plaque (dated 1673) and masses of photos cataloguing
students of the past and their changing dress sense. With each new box the past becomes clear and
brighter, who knows what will come to light next!
Joelle Adams, Deputy Director (Learning Development), Library and Learning Services
Elspeth Walker, PGCE and Enhancement Courses Administrator, School of Education
Katie Neville, Nursery Officer, Day Nursery
Charlotte Bain, Music Admin Manager, School of Music and Performing Arts
Robert Barratt, Director of Education, School of Education
Kate Coe, Research Publications Librarian (Institutional Repository), Library and Learning Services
Lucy Plant, Administrative Assistant, Student Services
Patricia Lynn, Research and Graduate Studies Administrator, Research and Graduate Affairs
In conclusion, as Dr Kate James, our mentor has said: “the more we find out, the more we know and
the more we can tell other people” which seems self-explanatory, but reflects the ever-expanding
depth of knowledge being acquired. The research and discoveries of Kate and the Archive have
already been put into an institutional history, (due out next year) marketing materials, publicity for
the University, conference papers and her own PhD research. Our ever increasing knowledge and the
growing profile of the Archive are elements that as a Team we take great pride in and always strive
to further.
Follow the BSU Archive blog at http://bsuarchive.blogspot.co.uk/ Or on Twitter @BSUArchive
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