ALSS Newsletter November 2011

Faculty of

November 2011 • Edition 1

Arts, Law &

Social Sciences Welcome to the first ALSS Faculty Newsletter

As a Faculty we have much to be proud of. Our biannual newsletter aims to celebrate the achievements of our staff and students.

For this first edition we have decided to look back over the last academic year and the successes are numerous and varied. We only have space to feature a

few highlights but all our new stories can be found on our departmental websites.

We hope you enjoy this first newsletter.

Prof Derrik Ferney Dean and Pro Vice Chancellor

Ruskin Gallery Highly Commended in National Awards Our pioneering digital art gallery has been Highly Commended in the prestigious pan-European AV Awards.

Hosted by AV Interactive Magazine, the AV awards recognize excellence in a number of areas. Manufacturers from all over the world can enter and the awards are independently judged. Snelling Business Systems, who received the award, were appointed to design, supply, install and maintain the AV facilities based on the Faculty’s vision. The result is groundbreaking gallery offering flexible space which displays art in digital format, on high definition screens, as well as allowing for traditional hanging and all AV equipment blends seamlessly with the period character of the building.

Anglia Law School

Cambridge School of Art

NEWS

NEWS

Anglia Ruskin Law students win Probate Transactional competition A group of Legal Practice Course students have won the Probate Transactional competition sponsored by Attwaters, a leading local firm of Solicitors.

The competition forms part of an innovative approach used to teach the Probate and Administration module of the one-year graduate course for students who hope to progress to their training contract.

The competition involves students working in teams of five to progress a virtual client’s probate matter through all stages from taking instructions to distributing the estate, closing the file and billing.

Anglia Law School ‘all fired up’ for new partnership Dr Tom Mortimer and Dr Rhidian Lewis were invited to the Tower of London to participate in the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between Anglia Law School and the National

Dr Rhidian Lewis and Dr Tom Mortimer with Mr Chris Case (Royal Armouries) and Mr David Collins (National Firearms Centre)

Firearms Centre, which is itself part of the Royal Armouries.

The signing of the Memorandum had, at its core, a clear intention to identify and secure funding through which Anglia Law School, the International Law Unit of Anglia Law School and the National Firearms Centre may expand areas of research plus teaching and learning.

The agreed partnership is the first time that the Royal Armouries has entered into such a relationship, and it is fully committed to supporting a programme of joint initiatives.

Mr Chris Case (Custodian of the Royal Armouries) reported that he was “delighted to be working closely with Anglia Law School, and looked forward to building upon the existing activities already established between our two organisations”.

Dr Tom Mortimer, on behalf of Anglia Law School, also embraced the joint initiative stating that “this represents a considerable opportunity through which we will gain increased opportunity to develop areas of expertise and build upon our areas of commonality.”

Dr Rhidian Lewis is working in partnership with the Essex based Training Company Lota Training on a Low Carbon KEEP (Knowledge-East of England-Partners) project. This project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the East of England Development Agency.

Lota Training provides training throughout Essex for all ages, at all levels, across a wide variety of sectors including IT, Childcare, Hospitality, Engineering and many more.

With the nation-wide publicity given to the threatened eviction

by Basildon District Council of Gypsies and Travellers from Dale Farm, Billericay, Professor Rob Home (of Anglia Law School and the Department of Built Environment at Chelmsford Campus) has been in demand from the media. His expertise in

Jolanta Pilybaityte and Dr Rhidian Lewis researching the accommodation needs and planning policy for this controversial social group has involved him in giving evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee

For more Anglia Law School news: www.anglia.ac.uk/lawnews

Two pieces of artwork produced

by Anglia Ruskin University student Elizabeth Fraser have been acquired by the British Library following a collaborative performance project with the Library.

Elizabeth - who is studying for an MA in Printmaking - devised the pair of books for a special

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exhibition at the Ruskin Gallery, which was inspired by the British Library’s Evanion Collection.

Anglia Law School Low Carbon KEEP Project

Dr Lewis is working alongside Lota Training’s Jolanta Pilybaityte to develop strategies to reduce the overall carbon impact of marketing activities within Lota Training. This project will take place over a fifty-two week period and is the first of these programmes managed by Anglia Law School. The project itself will generate a total of £36,000 in external income for Anglia Law School.

British Library snaps up student’s work

Launch of the Cambridge sub-region Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment. Lord Avebury (centre), Rob Home (second row left) and co-author Margaret Greenfields (front row left) are pictured with Gypsy members of the survey interview team.

Professor’s Expertise in Demand With the nation-wide publicity given to the threatened eviction

by Basildon District Council of Gypsies and Travellers from Dale Farm, Billericay, Professor Rob Home (of Anglia Law School and the Department of Built Environment at Chelmsford Campus) has been in demand from the media. His expertise in researching the accommodation needs and planning policy for this controversial social group has involved him in giving evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee and undertaking accommodation assessments for several

consortia of local authorities, in the Cambridge sub-region, Dorset and Surrey.

Within the last 6 months he has featured in an article in the Independent on Sunday, been interviewed twice for local radio, and appeared on ITV news. He has also been filming at Dale Farm and the Plotlands Museum in Langdon Hills for a forthcoming documentary from BBC Look East, which explores the policy history of the problem in relation to Green Belt.

Rob is currently working on the legal and planning aspects of forced evictions world-wide.

The unique collection, which contains over 5,000 items, was put together by conjurer and ventriloquist Henry Evans. It includes posters, advertisements, trade cards and catalogues, with many relating to popular entertainment in the late 19th century.

Elizabeth, who also has a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design from Anglia Ruskin, said: “I am delighted that the British Library has acquired my books.

It is a huge honour, and thanks must go to everyone who has supported me during my studies in Cambridge.”

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Shaun Smith, who graduated this year with a BA (Hons) in Photography from Anglia Ruskin University, has been photographing some of the world’s biggest Paralympic stars ahead of next year’s Games in London.

Shaun, who is originally from Huntingdon, has worked hard to balance a burgeoning career with his degree, and his perseverance is paying off.

Amongst its major clients Parasport Images, run by Cambridge photographer Dennis Luckett, boasts Olympic sponsor BT, for whom the company is building a portfolio of images. Shaun has assisted Richard Booth in producing images for the official Paralympics 2012 book, has photographed 400m runner Oscar Pistorius sprinting past famous London landmarks and snapped athletes at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester earlier this summer

Team Vertigo hit the heights at Games Jam A team of Anglia Ruskin University students claimed the top prize in the 48-hour Games Jam competition, beating rival teams from across the UK and Europe.The competition, to produce the best computer game over a single weekend, was part of the Brains Eden games

Japanese TV crew film MA students at work A television crew from the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation has spent two days filming our MA Children’s Book Illustration course in action. The programme includes detailed interviews with staff and a film of Visiting Professor, John Lawrence, speaking to students about a lifetime of work in children’s

publishing. Gatchan, gathers an audience of around 11,000,000 in Japan. Each series features innovative academic courses from a particular part of the world and this series features a handful of courses from the UK.

festival, organised by Creative Front.

6 awards were issued and Team Vertigo, which includes students from the BA (Hons) Computer Games and Visual Effects, took 3 of the top honours, including Best Overall Game, a category judged by James Shepherd from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

The event was held at the Ruskin Gallery and is supported by a group of companies including Sony Computer Entertainment

Europe, Ninja Theory, Jagex, Geomerics, Bob & Barn and Skillset, with the Games Jam facilitated by Cambridge software developers Jumped Up Games.

Team Vertigo: Mark Green (Sony), Jason Mitchell, Serhan Miah, Robin Burkinshaw and Will Campbell

For more Cambridge School of Art news: www.anglia.ac.uk/csanews

English, Communication, Film & Media

NEWS Continued praise for book Dr Sean Campbell's book on second-generation Irish musicians, Irish Blood, English Heart, continues to receive plaudits from the musical press, with Mojo magazine's recent review describing it as: 'Incisive ... impressive ... a revelation'' and awarding it a rating of ' **** - Brilliant'.

archival research of print and audio-visual media, as well as original interviews with key figures including Shane MacGowan, Johnny Marr, KevinRowland and Cáit O'Riordan. A paperback version is due for release shortly.

NEWS New projects to bridge gap between research and police Dr Samantha Lundrigan, Pathway Leader for BA (Hons) Criminology, is engaged in new research with two different police bodies.

conceived by Kalashnikov to help defend the Motherland against Nazi occupation. I was curious to know the secrets of the gun’s phenomenal success - if we can use that word - but also to ask awkward questions about moral responsibility.”

Dimensions, which has been described as a period sci-fi, was filmed in and around Cambridge and will be screened for the first time at the Arts Picturehouse on 21 and 22 September.

Directed by Sloane U’Ren, who has worked as a production designer on Batman Begins and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the movie features actors Camilla Rutherford and Henry Lloyd-Hughes - plus a host of young student talent behind the camera.

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Fraser, who teaches on the BA (Hons) Writing and Drama and MA Creative Writing, is the author of a number of successful plays for theatre including Breakfast with Mugabe, originally produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and winner of the John Whiting Award for Best New Play of 2006.

Dr Katy Price is co-developing an exhibition at the Science Museum in London that explores the roots of modern electronic music. Oramics to Electronica: Revealing Histories of Electronic Music runs until 1 December

For more ECFM news: www.anglia.ac.uk/ecfmnews

The importance of partnerships between police and academics was stressed in the recent Science and Technology Innovation Strategy published by the National Policing Improvements Agency which called for a closing of the ‘gulf’ between researchers and police.

Dr Tina Kendall, Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Film Studies course, explained how the opportunity came about. She said: “Ant Neely [the film’s producer and composer] and Sloane U’Ren contacted the Film Studies tutors to see if our students might be interested in getting involved in their project.

Dr Lundrigan’s projects exemplify this embedded approach to police practice-based research collaboration, aiming both to develop evidence-based policing and produce research outcomes with clear operational benefits.

“They needed a group of motivated, responsible, and hardworking students to join them as crew members, and needless to say, our students jumped at the chance to work with filmmakers whose credits include Being John Malkovich, Batman Begins and Six Feet Under.”

The first of these projects involves developing an offender based interview tool with Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

sounds. The story of Daphne Oram, the lady who designed the machine in 1960s, is almost as remarkable as the instrument itself.”

In the second, Dr Lundrigan was also invited to work with the Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS) of the National Policing Improvements Agency to examine male-on-male stranger rape.

Together with a colleague from the University of Cambridge, Dr Lundrigan is working on the development of a behavioural model of male-on-male stranger rape.

The exhibition, which is being supported by Goldsmiths College who helped to acquire the Oramics machine, will also feature a new interactive terminal which will simulate the machine to allow users to create music in a similar way to Daphne.

Both of these projects champion the philosophy of practicebased research: research that reaches beyond the pages of the academic journal, with the potential to have significant social and economic impact in the wider community.

Writing Lecturer Explores Roots of Electronic Music 2012 and showcases a range of electronic instruments, including the Oramics machine, as well as rare archive footage.

Dr Price said: “The Oramics machine is a fascinating early synthesizer and it’s wonderful that it’s going on display for the first time at the Science Museum.

It works by the user literally ‘drawing’ on to transparent film and the machine then converts the drawings into strange new

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On 6 October 2011, the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University was privileged to host a Q&A session with Robert King, one of the Angola Three.

A group of BA (Hons) Film Studies students and graduates have a special reason for looking forward to the world premiere of Dimensions at the 31st Cambridge Film Festival - they have all had crucial behind-the-scenes roles on the new movie.

Kalashnikov Comes to Cambridge

Fraser said: “The AK47 is one of the most instantly recognised and most numerous - weapons in the world and is the weapon of choice for freedom fighters, criminals and terrorists the world over. But it was originally

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Film Brings New Dimensions

The book, which was published in February by Cork University Press, draws on extensive

The new play by Fraser Grace is set to tour nationally this autumn, showing for one evening at The Robinson Theatre, Cambridge. ‘Kalashnikov, in the woods by the lake, for which Fraser undertook a research trip to the USSR this summer, is a provocative drama about Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the world-famous AK47 assault rifle and a decorated Soviet hero.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Robert now tirelessly campaigns and travels to raise awareness of his two former prison comrades Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, now the longest serving prisoners to have lived in solitary confinement (almost forty years in total).

time just to shake Robert’s hand, while all the books and DVDs that had been brought along were sold out by the end.

Colleen Moore, Deputy Head of the department and co-organiser of the event, was delighted with

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For more information on the campaign please visit the Amnesty International website: www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-foraction/justice-for-albert-woodfoxand-herman-wallace

About 120 people attended the talk, many queueing for a long

Better History Group proposes radical shake-up of school history curriculum In 2010 the Better History Group, a group of experienced teachers and professionals concerned at the decline in school history co-led by Dr Sean Lang (Senior Lecturer in History at Anglia Ruskin University), unveiled its proposals for a major shake-up of the school history curriculum in an official submission to the Secretary of State for Education.

In line with the transformation of the school curriculum announced in the 24 November White Paper, the Better History Group’s submission calls for: • A broad baccalaureate of compulsory major subjects to be studied to 16 • An outline history of Britain to be studied by all students from 11-16 • An emphasis on the extension of students’ historical knowledge • The removal of work with historical sources from history exams • A revision of assessment at GCSE and A-level to reward, rather than penalise, original thinking

The Better History forum is hosting a major conference on Saturday 28 January 2011.

the turn out, saying: “Robert King is a truly inspirational man - we were all very privileged to have heard him speak. Thank you to all who came. The questions posed were poignant, and Robert’s eloquent answers brought home the enormity of the campaign, as well as the ripples that it is making.”

Clarissa Campbell Orr offered Yale visiting fellowship Clarissa Campbell Orr, Reader in Enlightenment, Gender and Court Studies at Anglia Ruskin University, will be heading to Yale University in the autumn to take up a visiting fellowship.

The position of Andrew W. Mellon Senior Visiting Scholar, offered by the Yale Centre for British Art, is part of a new three-year programme funded by the Andrew W. Mellon endowment at Yale.

Clarissa said: "I'm very honoured to have been asked to go. The offer was completely unexpected and I'm extremely appreciative of the opportunity."

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Senior Lecturers in Music trigger new digital performance Richard Hoadley and Tom Hall, founders of the Digital Performance Laboratory, have collaborated with a team of nationally-renowned musicians, composers and dancers for a performance of Triggered at King’s Place in London.

Mateo prepares for gruelling Shakespeare tour BA (Hons) Pop Music student Mateo Oxley is preparing for a gruelling September, which will be spent touring a Shakespeare play across nine venues in the United States. Under the Patronage of Dame Judi Dench, Cambridge American Stage Tour (CAST) has given student actors the chance to tread the boards in the US over the last 12 years, and this year’s production of Macbeth will visit Maryland, New York State, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida. Mateo, who is about to begin his third year at Anglia Ruskin, will be playing the part of Macduff, as well as understudying the role of Macbeth.

Described as ‘Somewhere between improvisation and composition, art and science’, Triggered is a dance-musicdigital performance that builds on the Cage-Cunningham legacy of interaction between music, dance and technology.

Dancers initiate music by interacting with free-standing and suspended sculptures.

Sound and movement evolve in response to feedback, producing a sophisticated, highly-charged performance.

The performance has been generously sponsored by the Cultures of the Digital Economy Research Institute (CoDE).

Although he’s the only Anglia Ruskin student taking part in the CAST trip to the United States, Mateo hopes that his involvement will encourage others to follow his lead and get involved in Cambridge-wide productions.

speech at this year’s International Centre for Research in Arts Therapies (ICRA) conference.

The event, which took place on

For more MPA news: www.anglia.ac.uk/mpanews

13 July 2011 at Conway Hall, London, was attended by over 100 doctors, arts therapists and other professionals from around the world.

Professor Odell-Miller’s speech addressed the issue of balancing clinical effectiveness and research in arts therapy, using thoughts and examples about

7) In the Times University Guide 2012 where did our History courses rank amongst other Universities for Student Satisfaction?

5

5th

8

12

more than 20

2

6

10

Philosophy

English

100%

1st From left to right: Tom Hall, Cheryl Frances-Hoad (composer and performer), Richard Hoadley, Jane Turner (choreographer)

priorities in higher education and clinical settings. She has published and lectured widely on the subject of arts therapy, presenting keynote speeches at several other national and international conferences worldwide, as well as co-editing the book Supervision of Music Therapy (Routledge, 2009) and founding the European Music Therapy Council.

2nd

18th

96%

92%

88%

9) Where did Sociology rank in The Guardian University League Table 2012?

8th

14th

16th

21st

Theology

4) In the recent Research Assessment Exercise, the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences achieved outstanding success, with five subjects as having 'international' level research. Which of these subject areas was deemed among the best in the country?

Law

12th

12

3) Which of these courses was deemed ‘Excellent’ in a recent Sunday Times University Guide: Music

8th

8) What percentage of MA Publishing graduates have gone on to find related work in the Publishing industry

2) Students from the Anglia Law School have set an unprecedented record of national wins in the National Student Mooting competition. The number of wins is:

History

English

5) In the Guardian University Guide 2011 where did our Film and Media courses rank amongst other Universities for Student Satisfaction?

Professor Odell-Miller presents keynote speech at International Arts Therapy conference Helen Odell-Miller, Professor of Music Therapy and Director of the Music for Health Research Centre at Anglia Ruskin University, presented the keynote

1) How many MA Children’s Book Illustration students or graduates have signed publishing deals?

Music

Mateo explains his involvement with acting. “Music has always been a huge part of my life and I knew that just because I was studying Music that wouldn’t stop me from treading the boards when I wanted to return to it. My course is absolutely fantastic; it’s essentially a mixture of the history, sociology, business, art, politics, and technology of music all rolled into one.” and chorus drawn from students in the Department of Music & Performing Arts, staged the double bill at the Mumford Theatre in May.

Do you know what percentage of our publishing graduates are employed in the industry or how many research students we have? Test your Faculty knowledge...

10th

10) Which course got an overall satisfaction rating of 92% in the most recent National Student Survey?

11)

How many research students does ALSS have?

70-80

80-90

90-100

100+

12) What percentage of 2011’s LPC graduates passed with a commendation or distinction?

20th

61%

73%

84%

95%

6) In the Times University Guide 2012 where did our Film and Media courses rank amongst other Universities for Student Satisfaction?

3rd

9th

11th

15th

Answers 7) 5th 8) 100% 9) 16th 10) Photography 11) 100+ 12) 84%

Anglia Ruskin’s Aeneas in Hell received its world première staging this year.

The opera devised by British librettist and music critic Paul Griffiths is a prequel to Henry Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, and is based on a later episode in Virgil’s epic poem Aeneid.

Aeneas in Hell uses spoken text to link the musical numbers, which come from theatre scores originally written by Purcell for other pieces.

Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, one of the earliest known English operas, relates the tragic story of Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and her love for the Trojan prince, Aeneas, who abandons her in pursuit of the establishment of a new Troy. Anglia Opera, which consists of outstanding young professional soloists combined with a full orchestra

Quiz

more than 20 6 All of them History and English 2nd 9th

NEWS

Faculty of Arts, Law & Social Sciences

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

Music & Performing Arts

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Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences www.anglia.ac.uk/alss

For more information about any of the stories in this newsletter please contact: Sarah Jones Faculty Marketing and Recruitment Manager sarah.jones@anglia.ac.uk 0845 198 2981