October 2010 - Bath Spa University

October 2010
Bath Spa Musician Co-Writes Carl Barat Album
Bath Spa’s Commercial Music subject leader, Davey Ray Moor, is enjoying
considerable success with four songs he has written with Carl Barat of the
band the Libertines.
The songs all feature on Carl Barat’s new solo album and include the lead
single Run With The Boys, which was playlisted this month on BBC Radio
2, BBC Radio 6 and XFM. The track was also given ‘hottest record in the
world’ status by BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe.
Davey Ray Moor
Carl Barat invited Davey last year to join him in a song-writing collaboration.
Davey said: “Carl phoned me up because he was a fan of my songs from
my former band Cousteau. One of the Libertines’ first ever gigs was
supporting Cousteau at the Wag Club in Soho and Carl had always
remembered us fondly.”
He added: “When Carl decided to attempt a more ‘adult’ and ‘European’
style of writing he recalled the flavour of Cousteau’s songs and asked me to
come and collaborate.”
Carl’s debut solo album, which entered the UK Indie Chart at No 4, follows
the Libertines’ recent stage reunion at the Reading and Leeds festivals.
The Observer newspaper has called it “one of the year’s finest comebacks”.
As well as the upbeat single Run With The Boys the album includes three
other songs co-written with Davey – Carve My Name, Shadows Fall and
Death Fires Burn At Night.
Hattie Naylor Wins Radio Drama Award
Writer Hattie Naylor, who lectures at Bath Spa, has won a national award
for one of her radio plays. She is the winner of the Tinniswood Award for
best radio drama script with Ivan and the Dogs, broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
The judges chose her drama from a shortlist of five for the prize, which is
awarded by the writers’ and broadcasters’ professional body the Writers’
Guild of Great Britain.
Hattie, a part-time lecturer on the MA Scriptwriting course, has written 40
radio plays, mainly for the BBC.
Hattie Naylor
Ivan and the Dogs is based on the astonishing but true story of a four-yearold Russian boy who walked out of his family home in Moscow in 1996 and
lived on the streets with a pack of wild dogs. Ivan survived winter
temperatures of minus 30 degrees by cuddling up to the dogs in their den.
The drama, first broadcast by BBC Radio 4 as an Afternoon Play in
November last year, was produced by Paul Dodgson. He also lectures
part-time – in BA Creative Music Technology and MA Scriptwriting – at the
University.
Hattie Naylor is thrilled to have won the prestigious Tinniswood Award: “I
have been writing radio plays for 20 years and have come second to other
people for other awards but never actually won anything before, so this is
really special.”
Hattie has now written a stage version of Ivan and the Dogs, which has
started a month-long run at the Soho Theatre in London. The production
will then transfer to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre from 16 to 20 November.
Writing Graduate Shortlisted for Dylan Thomas Prize
The debut novel by Emily Mackie, a creative writing graduate from Bath
Spa University, has been shortlisted for this year’s Dylan Thomas Prize.
The £30,000 award, in honour of the Welsh poet, is for writers under 30.
Emily Mackie, with her book And This Is True, is one of five female authors
on the shortlist of six, which includes both novelists and poets.
Emily, who lives in Bristol, graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from
Bath Spa University in 2007. She grew up in the Scottish Highlands,
where And This Is True is set.
Emily Mackie
Her novel tells the shocking, funny and poignant story of 15-year-old Nevis
Gow and his romantic love for his father, with whom for years he has
travelled around Britain in a Ford Transit van.
Meanwhile Deloume Road, by another MA Creative Writing graduate
Matthew Hooton, has become joint winner of the ‘Not the Booker’ prize.
This unofficial award is voted for by readers of the Guardian books blog.
Music Students Model for Burberry
Two Bath Spa music students have been recruited as models by the
Burberry fashion house. Stephanie Ward and Sebastian Brice, who are
both in Bath-based rock bands, were chosen by Burberry to showcase their
music and the company’s luxury clothes.
Stephanie Ward (right) and
Sebastian Brice (seated)
modelling for Burberry
Stephanie plays piano and sings for the five-piece band Kill It Kid, which
formed at the University in 2008 while she was studying BA Music.
Sebastian, who is just starting his final year on the BA Commercial Music
course, is guitarist and lead vocalist for the band Avius.
Stephanie and Sebastian have been modelling in fashion photo shoots to
publicise both Burberry clothing and their own bands’ music. Kill it Kid and
Avius both feature in a new compilation CD, Burberry Acoustic, to help
develop emerging British music talent.
Joe Bennett, Head of Music and Performing Arts, said: “It's always
wonderful to see our Music graduates and students in such high-profile
industry roles. It's particularly pleasing in this case because Stephanie and
Sebastian are well-known from their creative work at the University and
beyond. Burberry have decided to use them as models because they are
already respected as working musicians."
Joe Bennett
Stephanie Ward was spotted by Burberry when Kill It Kid were performing
in Texas in March. The band’s self-titled debut album has received
widespread critical acclaim. Sebastian Brice’s modelling career began in
November last year when he was spotted while on holiday in Amsterdam.
He has worked mainly for Burberry but has also featured in campaigns by
the Topman and Uniqlo clothing brands.
Civic Reception at Corsham Court
Bath Spa University and Wiltshire Council held a special reception to
celebrate the launch of the University’s new Corsham Court campus in
Wiltshire. The event, at Corsham Court on Wednesday 29 September, was
hosted jointly by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Frank Morgan,
and the Leader of Wiltshire Council, Jane Scott.
Corsham Court
Corsham Court is an historic Grade 1* listed building owned by the
Methuen family. From 1946 to 1986 it was the home of Bath Academy of
Art, which had previously been Bath School of Art and Design and moved
to Corsham Court when its premises were destroyed during the Second
World War.
The new campus is creating a focus for higher education across Wiltshire.
It presents an opportunity for the University to spread its influence and
activities further afield into the wider region.
The Court now provides a base for postgraduate study, research and
educational development. There are workshops, studios and study areas
for Master’s level artists and designers, as well as project work facilities for
undergraduate students and a conference centre for the use of academic
and support departments across the University.
The Vice-Chancellor with Prof
Ron George and Wiltshire
Council Leader Jane Scott
Professor Ron George, Head of the Corsham Court Centre, said:
“With research and postgraduate programmes now based in the Court we
are delighted to witness a range of arts and educational activities in place
which can once again significantly enrich the cultural and economic life of
the region, as well as contribute to national and international scholarship.”
Leading Artists Exhibit at Sion Hill and Corsham Court
Several of the most innovative and prominent figures in contemporary art
are taking part in an international exhibition at the University. The
Provenance exhibition, which started on 5 October, showcases work by 14
artists, including Gavin Turk and Mat Collishaw. They are both original
members of the group known as Young British Artists which dominated the
art scene in Britain during the 1990s.
Among the contributors is also Tessa Farmer, whose hanging installations
depicting battles between insects and tiny winged skeletal humans are in
high demand worldwide. Established artists from Britain and continental
Europe have created installations alongside those of emerging artists,
including highly talented graduates from Bath School of Art and Design.
‘
’Timmy’ by Jochem Hendricks
The dual site exhibition, at the Sion Hill Gallery and Corsham Court, is
curated by one of the participating artists, Angela Cockayne, who also
lectures in Sculpture at the University.
The theme of her exhibition, which explores the history and ethics of
collecting natural specimens, was inspired by a re-discovered natural
history collection originally used for Bath Academy of Art drawing classes at
Corsham Court in the 1950s.
Provenance was launched with a one-day symposium at Sion Hill on 5
October, sponsored by the Henry Moore Foundation. It discussed some of
the controversial issues raised by Provenance, such as taxidermy and the
use of animal parts in works of art. Speakers included artists Gavin Turk,
Tessa Farmer, Mariele Neudecker and Jochem Hendricks, award winning
writer Philip Hoare and leading curator James Putnam.
‘Set for Life’ by BSAD graduate Julie
Anderson
The exhibition continues until 27 October at the Sion Hill Gallery (9am to
4pm Monday to Friday) and Corsham Court (1 to 4pm Monday to Friday).
See Bath in a New Light
Illuminate Bath is a new arts festival transforming the city’s streets over two
weeks from 1 - 13 November. More than 50 artists and performers from the
University will be showcasing their work in different locations around Bath.
Illuminate Bath
The Illuminate Bath programme includes projections, dance, sculpture, film,
music, animation, textiles, installations, theatre, poetry and workshops. You
can find these around the city centre, both indoors and outdoors in spaces
where you would not necessarily expect to see art. Most of the festival is
completely free, with the exception of a few performances and workshops
which are ticketed.
Students, graduates and staff from Bath Spa University and Relays
(Regional Educational Legacy in Arts and Youth Sports) are the creative
force behind Illuminate Bath. They have developed ideas in response to the
theme of this year’s festival, which is kinetic energy (energy generated by
movement) and light.
The grand finale takes place on Saturday 13 November, when the festival
finishes with a dazzling free event featuring interactive projections and
performances in SouthGate Place from 5pm to 8pm. Catch a glimpse of
the action as you pass through or stay for the duration and soak up the
atmosphere.
Illuminating the Circus - ‘The
Luxarbourscope’ by student
Sarah Johnston
Please visit the festival website for further information about what’s on and
how to buy tickets: www.illuminatebath.org
Illuminate Bath is organised by Bath Spa University and Relays, a London
2012 legacy project based in universities across the South West of England
that aims to inspire young people to volunteer, try new sports and be
creative.
The Relays project has been shortlisted for a Times Higher Education
Award 2010 for ‘outstanding contribution to the local community’. The
winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in
London on 25 November.
Student Wins AHRC Funding for PhD in English
An English PhD student, Jo Howe, has been awarded full funding by the
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for her research. This is a
fantastic achievement for Jo as she is one of only six students in the whole
country doing PhDs in English to gain AHRC funding.
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Jo is working on a scholarly edition of an early 17 century play by Samuel
Rowley called When You See Me You Know Me. It is a chronicle history of
Henry VIII, dramatising key events of his reign.
Jo Howe
After the play was first published in 1605 three further editions appeared
within the next 30 years. Jo’s research will look at the development of
Rowley’s text through those editions. It will also aim to reconstruct the
performance history of When You See Me, provide a detailed analysis of
the play in literary, political, social, religious and historical terms and assess
the significance of Rowley’s career.
Jo's Director of Studies, Dr Ian Gadd, said: “It was clear from the moment
that I first taught Jo as an undergraduate that she had the ability and
potential for further academic study. Her AHRC award not only
demonstrates the value of her project for our understanding of playpublishing in the 17th century but also recognises her exceptional talents
as a young scholar.”
Bath Spa Graduates Shine at London Design Festival
The recent London Design Festival was a great opportunity for graduates
and staff from BSU’s Department of Fashion, Textiles & Three Dimensional
Design, which runs the BA 3D: IMO course, to exhibit their work.
The Festival, which took place this year from 18 to 26 September, is an
annual celebration of design in the world’s creative capital. It consists of
more than 200 events and exhibitions from across the design spectrum and
from across the world, staged in a multitude of London venues.
Anna Glasbrook shows visitors
her work at London Design
Festival
Bath Spa graduates and staff who showed their work at the Festival
include: Etka Kaul, Claire Loder, Stine Jesperson, Anne Selby, Anna
Glasbrook, Amanda Goode, Daniel O’Riordan and Caroline Ritchie.
Kerry Curtis, Head of Department for Fashion, Textiles and Three
Dimensional Design, said: “It was a fantastic effort from everyone and
thanks to students and staff who came along to show their support.”
Sarum Academy Opens with Bath Spa Sponsorship
The new Sarum Academy in Salisbury has been officially opened, with Bath
Spa University among its sponsors.
The opening ceremony, on Wednesday 22 September, was led by the
Bishop of Ramsbury Stephen Conway. It was attended by academy staff
and members of the sponsors – from the Diocese of Salisbury, the
University, Bryanston School and Wiltshire Council – as well as by
delegates from the community and support groups.
Sarum Academy opening
ceremony
Bath Spa was represented at the ceremony by Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Alun Thomas and senior lecturer in Education Studies Catherine Simon,
who is also an academy governor.
Sarum Academy specialises in Maths and Arts and is a mixed school for 11
to 18 year olds. It will offer more than 1,250 places by 2013.
Open Call to Businesses and BSU Staff
Bath Spa staff are invited to get involved in the Business Support Office’s
Open Call scheme. The aim is for local businesses and other organisations
to share the University’s knowledge and expertise for collaborative projects
of mutual benefit.
The new Open Call scheme is open to any organisations - whether
commercial, public sector, not-for-profit, charitable or social enterprise. It
will provide an opportunity for our academic experts to work with the
organisation on a project it may not otherwise be able to undertake. This
could include, for example, problem solving, product design or service
improvement.
The University’s Business Support office has funding for up to eight Open
Call projects, with up to £5,000 of expert knowledge and support from the
University available for each of the collaborative development projects.
The deadline for expressions of interest is Friday 29 October. Projects are
expected to start from December onwards.
For an application form and guidelines, or to discuss any ideas further,
please contact Susan Cherrett, Business Support Manager, at
[email protected] or call 01225 875556.
Schools RE Conference ‘Biggest and Best’
The Sixth Form Religious Education Conference 2010, hosted by Bath Spa
University, has won high praise from RE Today, the main magazine for RE
teachers.
The three-day conference for more than 700 school sixth formers took
place in July at Newton Park. It was organised by Prof Denise Cush, Head
of Study of Religions, Philosophy and Ethics and Dr Sally Griffin, Widening
Participation Manager, in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset
Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) and schools.
Sixth Form RE Conference 2010
at Newton Park
A news article in RE Today said the feedback has been very positive. It
described the conference as “one of the biggest, one of the best” and
asked: “Is there any reason why other SACREs can’t tackle the issue with
this kind of verve?”
The conference featured speakers of national renown, reggae drummers
and Tibetan monks and posed big philosophical and ethical questions from
the perspective of many different religious traditions.
Food Composting Takes Off at Moreton
The University has boosted its green credentials still further with the arrival
of a composting machine to recycle all food waste from the Moreton
Refectory kitchen. The Rocket composter is a stainless steel cylinder
which slowly mixes the waste and is capable of processing up to 1400 litres
a week.
The Rocket composter
The Rocket is safe and hygienic and has been rigorously tested. Since it is
fully enclosed, there are no problems with the composter attracting pests or
vermin, or with odours or leaks. In around two weeks the food waste is
converted to compost for use on the grounds around Newton Park.
Environmental Support Officer Olivia Preston said: “We have been getting
the system settled in since its installation in August. All the signs look good
so far, though the real test will be how it deals with the increase in food
waste now students have returned.”
Previously food waste from the Moreton kitchen was washed down the
drains to the sewer for Wessex Water to deal with. Now it is broken down
and excess liquid removed before being churned into buckets below the
sink.
When full the buckets are taken to the composter and waste put into it with
equal amounts of woodchips. This makes the ideal mixture of carbon-rich
woodchip with nitrogen-rich food waste for nutritious compost.
Moreton Receives Food Hygiene Award
The Moreton Refectory at Newton Park has been presented with a Food
Hygiene Award in recognition of achieving an outstanding level of food
safety practice.
The award follows a recent inspection of the premises by inspectors from
Environmental Services at Bath and North East Somerset Council.
Moreton Refectory
Dean of Education’s 30 Years Service
Prof Stephen Ward, Dean of the School of Education, has reached 30
years of service with the University.
He joined the University’s predecessor institution, Bath College of Higher
Education, as Lecturer in Teaching Studies from Temple Newsam-Colton
Primary School in Leeds, where he was Deputy Head. In conjunction with
his academic duties at the College he was a Warden of Temple Court,
which reflects his commitment to the welfare of students.
Prof Ward receives his certificate
from the Vice-Chancellor
Prof Ward held a number of posts of increasing responsibility before being
appointed Dean of the School of Education in July 2006. He is also the
main organiser of the Primary Schools Parliament and the Young People’s
Parliament, hosted annually by the University for schools throughout Bath
and North East Somerset.
The Vice-Chancellor has presented Prof Ward with a commemorative
certificate in recognition of his many years of hard work and loyal service.
The Vice-Chancellor said: “Stephen Ward has made an enormous
contribution to this University, Teacher Training and Education Studies.
Steve, as much as any individual, can claim to have materially influenced
the nature of this University and to have contributed to its success.”
Celebration of Creativity
Bath Spa University has hosted what is thought to be a unique event – a
conference involving three local universities and all their new English
PGCE student teachers.
The conference, entitled ‘A Celebration of Creativity’, took place in the
University Theatre at Newton Park on Friday 10 September. It was
organised jointly by Lorna Smith (Secondary PGCE English course leader
at Bath Spa) and the English PGCE course leaders from the University of
Bath and the University of the West of England.
Philip Gross: inspired students at
Celebration of Creativity
The conference focused on the renewed relevance to creativity in the
revised National Curriculum for both KS3 and KS4. The day included
inspiring workshops run by the poet and novelist Philip Gross (a former
Creative Writing lecturer at Bath Spa who won the TS Eliot Prize for Poetry
this year) and the storyteller and writer Anthony Nanson.
The student teachers explored ways to be creative in their own writing and
experimented with some approaches and techniques which they can take
into their classrooms. They worked in mixed university groups and were
overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the day.
Freshers’ Week Welcome for New Students
Harry Birch, Students’ Union Vice-President Campaigns and
Communications, writes:
The Students’ Union involvement in Freshers’ Week, 25 September to 3
October, was immense. It featured 200 volunteers, 9 big nights out, 15
talks by the Sabbs, 1 live radio broadcast, 2,000 bus passes sold, 836 cups
of tea and coffee drunk, 724 plates of food sold, a huge Freshers’ Fair and
2,000 new fresh-faced students moving into their new homes!
Freshers’ Week event in
Students’ Union
Freshers’ Week presents a brilliant opportunity for both the SU and the
University to work together and truly support the students at Bath Spa to
settle into their new environments.
SU President Richard Bidgood said: “Freshers‘ Week for the SU and the
University has taken a tremendous amount of effort and this really shone
through as the students’ feedback has been really positive”.
He added: “Moving to university is a massive transition, and for many
students this will be their first experience of living away from home.
Freshers’ Week offers a series of events and activities to help them settle
into their new environment as quickly as possible and introduce them to the
range of experiences they can have as Bath Spa students.”
Another International Success for ‘Red Room’
Bath Spa’s stage production Red Room has won yet more plaudits in
Eastern Europe. In May the eight Drama, Performing Arts and Dance
students involved and their director, Senior Lecturer in Drama Mary
Steadman, toured their show successfully to Chelyabinsk in Russia. Now
they have also staged it in Belarus.
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The students performed Red Room before 600 people at the 7
International Student Theatre Festival, ‘Teatralny Koufar’, in Minsk – and
received a standing ovation.
Red Room on stage in Minsk
The show won the Grand Prix award for Best Production at the festival and
Mary Steadman won the Best Director award. The group were invited to
return to Minsk as guests next year, as well as receiving invitations from
Serbia.
Mary said: “This has been an enormous success story for all the dedicated
and talented students involved in the tour.”
Red Room is based on a short story by Angela Carter and takes inspiration
from the murderous tale of Bluebeard. The show combines the atmosphere
of 'film noir' with a girl's dramatic coming of age and is highly visual.
Heritage Industry Forum
On Monday 20 September the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries
hosted the third Heritage Industry Forum at Newton Park. The bi-annual
event brings together local and regional heritage and museum practitioners
to facilitate sector debate and to encourage further collaboration between
BSU and the sector.
The Vice-Chancellor addresses
the Heritage Industry Forum
(photo by Georgian Moore)
The Forum was opened by the Vice-Chancellor and Prof Tim Middleton
(Head of School) and chaired by Dr. Kristin Doern (Senior Lecturer in
History and Heritage). Twenty delegates from local and regional heritage
organisations attended, together with BSU staff from History and Heritage,
English, Media Communications, Business and Management, and
Geography.
The Forum focused on two main areas: BSU student volunteers,
placements and internships, introduced by Adam Powell (Head of
Employability); and future plans for Heritage and Applied History at BSU,
introduced by Kristin Doern. Current History and Heritage students Kate
James and Emma Gatehouse, together with recent History graduates
Anita Keyworth and Georgian Moore, chaired breakout groups in each of
the focus sessions.
The next Heritage Industry Forum will be in March 2011 at the Guildhall in
Bath.
Equality and Diversity
As part of the University’s continuing commitment to Equality and Diversity
the equality area of the BSU website is being further developed. Members
of the University can already find our policies and procedures which
support equality and diversity here, In addition pages about two of the
diversity strands, Age and Sexual Orientation , have recently been added.
These pages include specific information and useful links to groups both
within the University and in the wider community that can give you further
information and support. The pages are also a portal to getting involved in
Network Groups and giving feedback on BSU policies and practices. This
could help progress towards the University’s goal of providing a truly
diverse and equal learning, working and social environment.
Additional pages about the other diversity strands will be launched soon. If
you have any additional suggestions for these please let HR know on
[email protected]
Starters and Leavers
The following staff joined the University in September:
Sarah Priston (Academic Office): Research Support Officer
Celia Brayfield (School of Humanities & Cultural Industries): Senior
Lecturer in Creative Writing
Suman Ghosh (School of Humanities & Cultural Industries): Senior Lecturer
in Film Studies
Alison Hems (School of Humanities & Cultural Industries): Senior Lecturer
in Heritage & Applied History
Andrew Miller (School of Humanities & Cultural Industries): Lecturer in
Creative Writing
Ursula Sarma (School of Humanities & Cultural Industries): Lecturer in
Script Writing
Tim Tarrant (School of Humanies & Cultural Industries): Lecturer in
Creative Digital Media
Richard Parker (School of Education): Director, Education Policy in Practice
Janet Rose (School of Education): Senior Lecturer, Early Years Education
Kristin McGuire (School of Music & Performing Arts): Lecturer in Dance
Robin Sayer (School of Music & Performing Arts): Lecturer in Technical
Theatre Production
Vikki Boliver (School of Science, Society & Management): Senior Lecturer
in Sociology
Stephen Lee (School of Science, Society & Management): Assistant Head
of School
Francesca Nix (Student Services): Student Support Services Assistant
Li-Chuan Palmer (Student Services): Student Programmes Administrator
The following staff left the University in September:
Alexander Landrum (Bath School of Art & Design): Senior Lecturer in Fine
Art
Scott Smethurst (Information Services): Developer
David King (Marketing & Public Relations): Recruitment Events Officer
Lydia Lewis (School of Education): Lecturer in Education Studies,
Sociology and Inclusion
Alexander Koh (School of Science, Society & Management): Principal
Lecturer, Geographic Information Systems
Hannah McConnell (Student Services): Student Support Services Assistant
Margaret Collins (Library & Information Services): Information Services
Professional Qualifications
Chris Jury, Senior Lecturer in Drama, has achieved the Certificate in
Professional Learning in Higher Education.