sPACE
The magazine for Bath Spa University students and staff | Summer 2018
Bath Spa students help deliver The Bath Festival
New Fund to boost creative technology
Former student rocks out with Foo Fighters
Welcome to the Summer 2018 issue of SPACE magazine, in which we celebrate the news and success from around the University. It has been an interesting six months or so since I joined, and I am very excited about what the future holds for the University. With the summer months comes graduation for our final year students, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those who will be graduating in July. This is a well-deserved recognition of the hard work and dedication you have committed to your degree, and you should be very proud of all that you have achieved in your time here at Bath Spa. It’s always fascinating reading and hearing about what our staff, students and alumni have been up to – from former Commercial Music student Jed Evans and his band, The Struts, touring with the world-renowned Foo Fighters to the involvement of staff and students in delivering this year’s prestigious Bath Festival in May. We are always interested in hearing what our fabulous alumni are doing once they have left, so for those of you graduating this summer please do keep in touch and keep us up to date by emailing alumni@bathspa.ac.uk.
Professor Sue Rigby Vice-Chancellor
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in this issue 8
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SPACE Magazine is published seasonally for Bath Spa University students and staff.
on the cover
Email spacemag@bathspa.ac.uk Editor
P. 4 Bath Spa students help deliver The Bath Festival P. 7 New Fund to boost creative technology P. 12 Former student rocks out with Foo Fighters
Helen Bayes Features Jane Wakefield Kirsty Reynolds Zainab Rahman
regulars P. 4 Success at Spa Achievements from Bath Spa’s talented students, staff and alumni P. 13 Ryan’s Column Students’ Union President, Ryan Lucas, discusses the role of the Students’ Union P. 14 Spring in Pictures Telling stories and sharing your moments through images P. 22 Five minutes with Jessica Saunders, Creative Music Technology graduate, who won a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit award in 2015
Jennifer Davies Design Rosie Maynard Contributors Chris Davies Ryan Lucas Jack Ladeveze Professor Kate Pullinger Jessica Saunders Cover BA Graphic Communications graduate, Carl Godfrey,
FEATURES
designed a set of impressive trophies for the 2018 British Athletics League, as seen on the cover. Read more on Page 8.
P. 16 SPACE to Chat Older and Wiser Jack Ladeveze proves it’s never too old to learn, by graduating with an MA in Travel and Nature Writing earlier this year at the age of 88. P. 18 SPACE to Talk Exploring Ambient Literature Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media, Kate Pullinger, discusses her latest research project, Ambient Literature, and novel Breathe: the novel that watches you.
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Bath Spa students help to deliver The Bath Festival Local students were given a taste of working on a major city-festival, as Bath Spa University, one of the UK’s leading creative Universities, was confirmed as Creative Partner to The Bath Festival for 2018. Around 100 students and staff from Bath Spa participated in the Festival, both on stage and behind the scenes, helping with the production and administration of 18 events that were run through the partnership between Bath Festivals and the University. Students from a number of courses - including BA Commercial Music, BA Music, BA Theatre and Digital Production, MA Arts Management, and BA Business
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and Management (Festivals and Events) – gained first-hand experience of the many different aspects of producing a wide variety of events. These included shows from high-profile performers, groups and writers, such as punk cabaretartist Amanda Palmer, pianist Stephen Hough, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, comedian and author Robert Webb and broadcaster and author Simon Mayo. The University’s involvement continued at the Festival Finale, with Bath Spa students undertaking key roles in the production when world-renowned artist such as Paloma Faith, Alison Moyet and Robert Plant took to the stage at the
Recreation Ground on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 May. Andy Salmon, Executive Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Bath Spa University, said: “The opportunity for our students to get hands-on experience in their chosen area of study offered by our partnership with The Bath Festival is incredibly important. “Our students develop a wide range of skills studying with us, and being able to put these into practice in one of the country’s most prestigious Festivals is hugely beneficial for their chosen future careers, as well as providing inspiring practice-based opportunities for them.”
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Somerset Students Awarded funds to Pursue Passions A recent donation of £348,000 has been awarded to Bath Spa University by two charitable funds - the Doris Southcott Bursary and the Taunton Maids Bursary – both set up by the late Marian Doris Southcott. Mrs Southcott, who lived in Taunton and passed away in 2005, requested that her estate be equally split between two educational bursaries, specifically for young people who come from Somerset, North Somerset, and Bath and North East Somerset, and who study subjects that were close to her heart - music, textiles and fashion design. To date, the University has received £548,000 from the charitable funds, including £200,000 which was donated in 2016. As a result of the funding, students aged between 18 and 25 from the region who are enrolled on a music, textiles or fashion design related degree at Bath Spa University will be able to apply for bursaries to help them pursue their passion for their chosen subjects. The Doris Southcott Bursary is in memory of Mrs Southcott’s late mother who had a great interest in fashion and textiles. The bursary will help budding fashion and textiles designers at the University to hone their craft, purchase
essential course materials and display their work at self-funded end of year degree shows. Louise Pickles, Course Leader of Fashion at Bath Spa University, said: “We are extremely grateful for the generosity of Doris Southcott. In addition to materials and equipment, fashion design students have to fulfil costs for creating portfolios and promotional materials, as well as photo shoots, accessories, models, and fashion show expenses. This bursary will make a tremendous difference in allowing students to reach their full potential.” The Taunton Maids Bursary is in memory of Mrs Southcott’s domestic cleaning business and in honour of her loyal staff. This bursary is specifically for music students and reflects the pleasure she derived from it. Roger Heaton, Course Leader of Music at Bath Spa University, said: “From classical music and jazz to musical theatre, opera and world music, our students require a range of instruments to complement their learning. We are hugely appreciative of Mrs Southcott’s kindness and this bursary will go a long way towards helping students to fulfil their dreams.”
Winner winner chicken dinner! The Bath Spa Catering Team have scooped not one but two awards for the fantastic food and service they provide! The team brought home Silver in the South West Fairtrade Business Awards for the Best Fairtrade University or College category. That’s not all, they’ve also been re-awarded a Silver Food for Life Award which recognises Head Chef David West’s great work at The Refectory and, for the first time, Newton Park-based Oak Tree Day Nursery. Rachel Roberts, Bath Spa Catering and Hospitality Manager, said: “Both myself and Dan, our Deputy Catering Manager, are delighted with these award wins. This is just a small part of our commitment to you to ensure that when you eat or drink in our outlets it is all reliably sourced, sustainable, and as organic and fairtrade as possible, which is something we are constantly working to improve. Our mission is to go for gold next year!”
You can find out more about the University’s plans by viewing our Sustainable Food Policy and Fairtrade Policy on the Bath Spa website.
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Bath Spa University announces new sponsors of UK’s pre-eminent Drawing Prize: Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust Bath Spa University recently announced a new partnership with Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust to deliver the annual Drawing Prize, which has been led by its founding Director, Professor Anita Taylor, since 1994. The exhibition will now become known as the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize after 17 years of generous support from Jerwood Charitable Foundation and identity as Jerwood Drawing Prize. The Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize is the largest and longest running annual open exhibition for drawing in the UK
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and has established a reputation for its commitment to championing excellence, and for promoting and celebrating the breadth of contemporary drawing practice. Between 2001 and 2017, the open call has attracted nearly 44,000 entries and the annual exhibition over 360,500 visitors, underlining the importance of the Drawing Prize for audiences across and beyond the contemporary visual arts. “I am excited that the Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust has become the new sponsor of the Drawing Prize and, as it celebrates its twentieth anniversary, we are delighted
that the Trust has chosen to celebrate drawing and creativity and to support artists and makers in the UK who value and champion the role of drawing within their practice. We look forward to working closely with Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust who share our exciting vision for the future of the Drawing Prize project.” Anita Taylor, Executive Dean, Bath School of Art and Design, and Director of the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize.
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Roman Baths’ oldest mosaic uncovered Earlier this year the oldest mosaic ever discovered at the Roman Baths was revealed. Dr Sarah Morton, Lecturer in Heritage at Bath Spa University, spoke to BBC Online to explain why this is such a great discovery. Sarah said: “This is an exciting find as it provides further evidence about the early phase of the Baths. It demonstrates how we continue to develop our understanding of the Roman Baths and, more broadly, Bath as a World Heritage City. “It is wonderful to find out that even at a site people know so well there are new surprises that are emblematic of Rome and yet made of local stone. This discovery is a reminder of how new ideas, fashions and technologies came to Bath and were adopted and adapted. “We currently have a number of students working on projects related to the Archway Project development, I’m sure their research will also reveal some interesting and engaging stories about the site’s more recent history.”
New Fund to Boost Creative Technology in South West The South West’s plan to be a world leader in the creative use of digital technology has received a significant boost, with the Government announcing a major funding award to strengthen the region-wide creative technology sector – and Bath Spa University will be one of the lead project partners. The Government award comes via Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund (CCF), which encourages collaborative projects between universities and other partners to drive forward world-class commercialisation of higher education research and practice. The South West project is one of just 18 selected for support from across England, and the only one which includes a focus on the creative industries. £4.6m has been awarded to the networking project from the CCF, with universities and other partners contributing an additional £1.8m. Professor Kate Pullinger, Director
of the Centre for Culture and Creative Industries at Bath Spa University, said: “We are delighted to be working with organisations across the South West on this innovative project which plays to our region’s world-leading strengths. The creative industries - from the smallest micro-businesses to the larger players - are an important asset for our regional economy, and that of the UK as a whole. This funding will help initiate and strengthen collaborative projects between higher education and the wider community, generating new opportunities to transform how people engage with digital technology.” The three-year project will focus on building better links between researchers, businesses and investors through activities such as joint research, seed funding for new business ideas, consultancy and training, the creation of new companies and social enterprises, and public and community engagement.
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Talented graduate designs trophies for British Athletics League
Bath Spa senior academics appointed to assess quality of UK university research Two Bath Spa University senior academics have been appointed to national panels which will review the quality of UK higher education research. Bath Spa University’s Professor Anita Taylor, Executive Dean of Bath School of Art and Design, and Professor Steve May, Vice Dean Provost for the College of Liberal Arts, have been appointed to Research Excellence Framework (REF) panels for 2021. Professor Taylor will serve as a practising researcher in the assessment phase for the Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory panel, whilst Professor May will sit on the English Language and Literature Criteria Phase panel. Professor John Strachan, ViceProvost for Research and Enterprise at Bath Spa University, said: “It’s tremendous news that both Anita and Steve have been selected for REF panels in their respective specialist fields. “Creative universities, such as Bath Spa, undertake very important practicebased research work in a broad range of
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subjects, so it is highly positive that REF has taken steps to bring experts in this type of research on to the assessment panels for 2021.” REF is a process of review carried out by expert panels for 34 subjectbased units of assessment, under the guidance of four main panels. Expert panels are made up of senior academics, international members, and research users. REF was put in place to ensure the continuation of world-class, dynamic and responsive research across the full academic spectrum in UK higher education. The 2021 REF is the second review being undertaken. Introduced to replace the previous Research Assessment Exercise, the first REF was carried out in 2014 by the four UK higher education funding bodies: the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland.
BA Graphic Communication graduate Carl Godfrey has designed a set of impressive trophies for the 2018 British Athletics League. Carl graduated from Bath Spa University in 2014 and now works as a Graphic Designer at Mytton Williams, a design agency based in Bath. He was commissioned by the British Athletics League to produce a set of trophies to celebrate the winners of their annual competition. He said: “I was flattered and excited to be asked to design the trophies. The British Athletics League wanted a bold, modern design that pushed the boundaries of a standard trophy.” Carl’s trophy design shows each ring of the track as a separate award of first, second and third place. When combined the trophies form a single athletics track.
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Alumna shortlisted for national publishing award Congratulations to BA Creative Writing and Publishing graduate Kara Rennie, who was shortlisted for the 2018 London Book Fair Trailblazer Awards. The annual awards celebrate talented publishing professionals under 30, who are demonstrating innovation and ambition in the book industry. They are run by the London Book Fair in partnership with the Publishers Association. Kara, who works as a Social Media and Community Manager at the Booksellers Association, was one of 30 publishing professionals to be shortlisted for the awards. She said: “I was very excited when I found out I had been shortlisted for the Trailblazer Awards. The awards are a brilliant way to celebrate those in the book trade and it is a real boost to have early on in your career. “Studying publishing at Bath Spa helped to kick-start my career. The course covers a wide variety of subjects and you leave with an invaluable set of skills that prepare you for employment.”
Living with the Poets Can the words and advice of nineteenthcentury poets offer guidance to a twentyfirst century world? Professor John Strachan, Vice-Provost for Research and Enterprise at Bath Spa University, thinks they can. He is creating a series of podcasts to explore how much the likes of William Wordsworth, John Keats and Lord Byron can help us navigate modern society. It is often argued that the Romantics – head-in-the-skies figures, musing on daffodils and skylarks, strolling in the Lake District – had no knowledge of real life, but in this series of podcasts Professor Strachan aims to dispel that assumption, working with a distinguished team of collaborators: co-author Professor Duncan Wu of Georgetown University, renowned literary critic and the author and editor of over
thirty books, contributor Dr Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus, also of Bath Spa University, where she is Programme Leader in Psychology and also writes on Psychology for The Observer, and John Rowe, the distinguished actor who plays Professor Jim Lloyd in The Archers, who reads the poetry for the podcasts. Through analysis of the lives and works of the likes of Wordsworth, Keats, Bryon, and some lesser known female writers, ‘Living with the Poets’ put forward the argument that the Romantics were passionately engaged with life and have a great deal they can tell us about our own society, attitudes and experiences. The first two episodes look at “how to be happy” and “how to be alone”, with further topics including “how to be a good parent”, “how to make money”, and “how to die”. To listen to the podcasts, search for ‘Living with the Poets’ at bathspa.ac.uk.
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Dutch Ambassador visits Bath Spa Bath Spa University recently welcomed His Excellency Simon Smits, Dutch Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to its Newton Park campus as part of his visit to the area which was organised by the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI). The Ambassador of The Netherlands was in Bath to host a talk for the BRLSI’s ‘World Affairs through Our Eyes’ series of events. Ahead of this, he took time to meet with Bath Spa’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Susan Rigby, staff from the International Team and academics, to learn more about the University’s diverse collaboration opportunities. Smits even posed for a photograph while riding a Newton Park campus nextbike – a tribute to the twinning of the City of Bath, and Alkmaar in north-west Netherlands, where locals are famously fond of the two-wheeled transport. Christopher Davies and Liz Bugg from the
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Bath-Alkmaar Twinning Association also joined Smits on his campus tour, along with Councillor Mark Shelford and Paul Thompson from Bath and North East Somerset Council. Scott Williams, Director of Marketing and International at Bath Spa University, said: “I was honoured to welcome the Dutch Ambassador to Bath Spa and enjoyed discussing the connections between our two communities as well as the potential for collaboration between our students and staff. We are looking forward to developing our offering abroad by further strengthening our partnerships with educational institutions in the Netherlands.” During his campus tour, Smits also donned 3D glasses to view the latest installation on the University’s sevenmetre high MediaWall. Created by Anthony Head, Professor of Digital Media Art and Design, and Course
Leader for a new BA Digital Animation course at Bath Spa, ‘Flow – Elastic Space’ depicts a twisted tunnel-like sculptural form made out of 20,000 red and cyan dots that have been manipulated by a series of algorithmic coding.
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Giving back to the teaching profession
We’re jammin’ Thirty students from Bath Spa University put their coding and creativity skills to the test for this year’s 48-hour ‘Global Game Jam’. The ‘Jam’, now in its 10th year, is the world’s largest game creation event and encourages collaborators across the globe to connect online to create a playable prototype game, while simultaneously exploring the process of programming, design and storytelling. Approximately 40,000 people – also known as ‘jammers’ - from 109 countries took part in this year’s event which challenged participants to come up with games that addressed the theme of ‘transmission’. At Bath Spa, students from the University’s BSc Creative Computing and BA Creative Music Technology courses came together to share knowledge, while developing their gaming and communications skills. Matt Thompson, Lecturer in Creative Computing at Bath Spa University, said: “It was great to be a part of the annual
worldwide phenomenon that is the Global Game Jam. Bath Spa University has been taking part in the event for a number of years and students always tell us they enjoy putting what they’ve learnt on their course into practice. “Imagination, pizza and coffee kept students going through the weekendlong collaboration! They produced a variety of games that centred on ‘transmission’ such as car, radio and disease transmissions, in keeping with the theme. Everyone should be very proud of their unique creations.” Second year Creative Computing student Sam Grant, added: “I really enjoyed taking part in my second Global Game Jam. Working with other students to create a brand new game was a really fun experience, even with the added pressure of the time constraint. I’m really pleased with what we were able to produce and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.”
Bath Spa University’s Institute for Education (IfE) is providing trainee teachers who start studying at the University this September a £500 thank you scholarship for choosing to become a teacher. Professor Kate Reynolds, Executive Dean of the Institute for Education, said: “We are all too aware of the difficulties faced by schools and the challenges in recruiting newly qualified teachers. This scholarship is a chance to celebrate those who have chosen to join that most wonderful profession – being a teacher.” “We have launched this new ‘Bath Spa Teacher Thank You Scholarship’ as a way of giving something back to the teaching profession and the schools we have worked in partnership with for the last 70 years.” The Institute for Education builds upon a long history of teacher training and excellent education research, and teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The Institute is a place where students, teachers, governors, researchers, support staff and everyone interested in education can come together in a community of research and exceptional education practice. The IfE has been educating students, teachers and other education professionals for 70 years. As educationalists, the Institute work in classrooms and other settings across the world, providing the highest quality teaching and research - with over 600 partners, including schools, colleges, early years settings and anywhere where learning takes place.
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Former student rocks out with Foo Fighters Former Bath Spa Commercial Music student Jed Elliott has appeared on stage stateside with his four-piece Brit rock band, The Struts, who have been supporting the Foo Fighters with their latest string of US shows. Having already performed with The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses and The Who, The Struts were personally picked by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl after he saw them entertain crowds in his hometown of Washington, DC. The Foo Fighters played an instrumental role in The Strut’s musical evolution, they even covered the American band’s hits in their early years. When asked how he felt about supporting the Foo Fighters, Jed said: “It’s an honour to
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be invited by Mr Dave Grohl. We’re very excited about it.” Discussing the journey he took to reach this milestone, Jed continued: “I have a lot to thank the Commercial Music course for! After studying at Bath Spa University I had the opportunity to join The Struts. We signed with Virgin EMI and toured extensively across the UK and France for a few years, leading to a support show with The Rolling Stones in Paris. This attracted the attention of management based in America and in 2015 we signed with Interscope Records and relocated to Los Angeles. “I feel that the course inspired me to improve as a musician but also equipped me with the skills to form relationships
in the music industry, based on an understanding of the roles involved. I was able to have a solid idea of how to treat my band as a product, without inhibiting the creativity, and this proved invaluable when it came to management and record label discussions. I also developed production skills, became much more confident as a performer and fell even more in love with music.”
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Bath Spa duo film fiery music video for Turin Brakes Rob Brown, Senior Lecturer in Film and Creative Production at Bath Spa University, and BA Creative Media graduate Jamie Harding have collaborated to create an explosive music video for Mercury Prize-nominated Turin Brakes. The four-piece folk rock band, who have sold over 1 million records to date, commissioned director Rob and cinematographer Jamie to produce the music video for their track ‘The Quiet Ones’, taken from their latest album Invisible Storm. In the video, which is filmed in Ottery St Mary in Devon, the pair capture the town’s famous annual fiery tar barrel festival, which sees locals fearlessly carrying the flaming objects through the streets - a tradition that dates back to the 17th century and is thought to have started as a way of warding off evil spirits. Slow motion filming brings the evening event to life for those watching it unfold on screen as they are taken on a journey into the heart of the Ottery St Mary community. Telling us more about the project, Rob said: “I’ve been a fan of Turin Brakes since The Optimist album and it’s been a long held ambition of mine to make a video for them. I’ve previously attended the tar barrel event too and depicting the ritual has been something I’ve wanted to do for years, so to have combined the two is perfect. “It’s incredible to think that locals have been burning barrels at the festival for so many centuries - admittedly it was a very daring event but also very cinematic. We fell in love with The Quiet Ones while editing and feel that the song fits our video’s concept and mood perfectly. The feedback has been great and I’m really pleased the atmosphere has come across as intended. Jamie did an amazing job with exposure to really capture the fire and did an all-round top job, he deserves all the credit.” Jamie, who graduated from Bath Spa in 2013, added: “I grew up in Devon so the event wasn’t something out of the ordinary for me. We shot on an Arri Alexa and I treated the shots like I would when I take street photography. I love capturing fire because it’s so beautiful and at the same time can be a technical challenge to capture due to its intensity. Rob had an overall direction and image he wanted to create and he trusted and allowed me to make that happen. This was a great video to work on and I really enjoyed teaming up with him.”
Ryan’s column Easter now seems like a lifetime away, and just like many of our students, I didn’t get to step away from work over the break. In the week building up to Easter I visited London to watch Bath Spa Chancellor, Jeremy Irons, perform on the West End in Long Day’s Journey into Night. I then spent the following week in Glasgow representing our students at the NUS National Conference 2018. Following on from this, I coordinated a trip to Rimini in Italy for 120 students to participate in an international sports tour. As if all that wasn’t enough to keep me busy, I then took a trip up to the University of Lincoln to seek out ways of bringing best practice back to our Students’ Union. In addition to keeping you updated, I’d like to use this column to say thank you. Thank you to all the students who took part in our Student Leader Elections, to the candidates who put themselves forward, and for everyone who voted for me to hold office for another year. Election Week was a massive wake up call for me. Talking to students and engaging in discussions made two things very clear. Firstly, as a Students’ Union we must do more for our students, we have to get out of our offices and talk to you more. Not only at Newton Park but at all our campuses. As a Union we have no excuse not to represent our entire membership equally. The second thing that became apparent was students’ perception of the Union. As a Union we are the student voice, and if students are not feeling appropriately represented by us then we are doing something wrong. We have to deliver events that students want. We have to voice the opinions that students have. We have to demonstrate we are more than a shop, gym, bar and café. And we have to do this in a manner that is appropriate to our students. I have another year as SU President and I want to demonstrate to all our students that I deserve this role. I pledge to use this year to make the appropriate changes to turn our Union back into something you are proud to be a part of. If you have any ideas about improvements you want to see, or simply want to vent, then please email me on SUPresident@bathspa.ac.uk. Keep smiling!
Ryan
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1, 2 & 3 Twelve BA Study of Religions students recently took part in a field trip to three religious communities in Bristol. The first year students gained essential experience visiting the Bristol Hindu Temple, Lam Rim Tibetan Buddhist Temple and the Siri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara. 4 The University celebrated LGBT History Month in February. LGBTQ + activist Nik Jovcic-Sas gave a talk about campaigning and liberation and students held their own events in support.
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5 BA Textile Design for Fashion and Interiors student Sarah Wilkinson recently won the 2018 Silk Bureau Student Design Competition, and will have her winning fabric print manufactured onto silk. 6 Bath Spa University is supporting this year’s Pack for Good campaign – a Student Community Partnership joint venture between Bath Spa, University of Bath and Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation by getting rid of any unwanted items before heading home.
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“ Chat ” Older and wiser: Bath Spa University Master’s student graduates at 88
At 88-years-old, local resident Jack Ladevèze is Bath Spa University’s oldest graduate to receive an MA in Travel and Nature Writing, proving that it is never too late to learn. Jack, who received his award earlier this year at the University’s graduation ceremony at the Bath Assembly Rooms, spent two years studying part-time to hone his writing skills while examining the history, context and genres of travel and nature writing. He said: “As a very experienced traveller I was immediately attracted to studying for an MA in Travel and Nature Writing, and decided that 2016 would be the year to further my learning. When I started the course I explained to my tutors that my only writing experience was as an accountant, preparing a document for a tax counsel to consider, so the learning curve was rather steep but highly enjoyable. “The course has enabled me to see life from a distinct perspective. I most enjoyed meeting other students whose ages ranged from early 20s, to mid-30s, 40s and over 60. At 88 I feel as though I was a good addition and brought variety to the group.
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“Using a range of styles and formats, together with a reflective diary of my progress, I am pleased to say I have produced a portfolio of 20 of my best items of work including experiences and observations I have made while travelling such as encountering bears, birds, volcanoes and documenting the sounds in nature. I plan to modify my portfolio and add to it to create a book. My next aim will be to have it published. “To others contemplating a Master’s degree, my advice would be ‘have a go’, it brought out abilities in me of which I was not aware. My tutors were very helpful and the overall studying experience was very stimulating.” Jack’s connection with the University goes beyond his own love of learning. In 2016, he and his wife Audrey Ladevèze established the Bath Spa University Writing Award for students wishing to study for a Master’s in Creative Writing. Each year the £1,000 award is given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding talent in writing, enabling them to progress their studies to Master’s level. Jack and Audrey are also trustees of the Enid Linder Foundation. Through this they sponsor the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Illustration Awards that many Bath Spa students enter each year. Over the years, Jack and Audrey have donated a beautiful collection of V&A Illustration Awards prize-winning books and papers to Bath Spa University. The unique collection, housed in the University’s library at its Newton Park campus, shows the changing nature of book illustration and design over 20 years and is a valuable learning resource for both students and staff.
Jack added: “Our initial contact with the University was on the occasion of our proposal to donate a collection of work from the winners and runners up from the V&A Museum’s Illustration Awards, which as Trustees of the Enid Linder Foundation we have sponsored. We had a collection of these selected books and felt that they could be useful for Creative Writing and illustration students to consider the changes over a period of some 20 years.” In his spare time Jack, who is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, likes to travel and enjoys spending quality time with his wife in France. Jack is committed to developing his knowledge further. He said: “I am currently taking a module in art, past and present, through the Open University. My spare time is spent travelling, although I do not consider that spare time but more of a continuous task. I also like to paint in watercolour, a very relaxing pleasure, and I have been known to try wood carving from time to time.”
The MA in Travel and Nature Writing at Bath Spa University is designed for writers seeking advanced skills in creative non-fiction inspired by the natural world and contemporary travelling. If you’d like to find out more why not visit the MA in Travel and Nature Writing course page on the Bath Spa University website.
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“ Talk ” Exploring Ambient Literature
“I’m going to tell you a story. It’s a bedtime story. It doesn’t matter if you’re not in bed. But think about it this way. Imagine it that way.” So the line goes in Breathe: the novel that watches you, by Kate Pullinger, Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media, and Director of the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Bath Spa University. This thrilling digital ghost tale is part of a two-year Ambient Literature research project between Bath Spa University, the University of Birmingham and the University of West England into “the locational and technological future of the book”. The project began in May 2016 and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Ambient literature uses digital technology to make the words we read relevant to the space we’re in. This is the case with Breathe, which responds to the presence of the reader by internalising the world around them. Devised and created in collaboration with Editions At Play, an initiative between Google Creative Lab Sydney and Visual Editions, Breathe personalises itself to every reader. The story
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follows Flo who can speak to ghosts and uses place, time, context and environment to situate the reader at the centre of her world. Kate explained: “It’s an interrupting ghost. You might be reading that the action takes place at 11:30pm, but the ghost interrupts and says: ‘No it’s not, it’s 3:00pm’, because that’s the time where you are, or it might point out it’s not raining, it’s sunny, because that’s the weather you’re having.” The Ambient Literature research project is exploring new creative formats that can connect readers to imagination and environment in new and unexpected ways. Furthermore, it is examining how location-based reading experiences can change the art of writing, and how technology can play a part in designing stories, rather than merely presenting them. Kate said: “It’s tremendously exciting. Ambient literature is not new – it’s been around in some form ever since writers had access to computers. But smartphones, and the information they can absorb and transmit about whom, how and where we are, has brought about a steep change. This technology has allowed new forms of storytelling to emerge.”
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“ Talk ” As part of the research, Kate and two colleagues have been commissioned to write three works of ambient literature. The other two works in the project include It Must Have Been Dark by Then by Duncan Speakman and The Cartographer’s Confession by James Atlee. Both works feature interactive literary worlds that connect readers to the world around them. It Must Have Been Dark By Then is a book and audio experience mixing narrative, evocative music and field recordings. It invites the listener to seek out types of locations in their own environment and, once there, hear stories from remote but related situations and tie them in to their own memories of where they are standing. The Cartographer’s Confession invites readers to tour London, either in real life or virtually, as narrative is layered across locations, both real and imagined, using audio, prose, photographs and soundscapes to create a story of migration, loss and betrayal. Kate added: “This research is all about experimenting and seeing where it takes us. It’s about watching to see how readers respond. It’s taking our own writing experience, drawn from our literary studies and the history of the book, and combining it with app design, performance, Creative Writing and questions about how we interact with our technology.” This is not Kate’s first foray into the digital field. Last year she published Jellybone, a thriller about a young woman who receives messages from the dead, as a multimedia novel designed to be read on a smartphone, complete with the opportunity to follow the fictional protagonist not just in the novel, but in real time on social media. She said: “I’m fascinated by new ways of telling stories – and of what kind of tales might emerge. It’s about more than writing novels for consumption on digital technology – it’s about how that technology, in turn, influences what and how you write. “There are people who fear the end of the book, or believe technology means people aren’t reading as much as they did. But stories won’t go away – they have always been in people’s heads. This technology gives us wonderful new ways to tell them – opportunities to immerse readers in those stories as never before, in ways we never previously thought possible.”
Breathe is available for free as part of the digital book space, Editions at Play, and can be read on mobile devices at: www.breathe-story.com. More information about the Ambient Literature project can be found at: www.ambientlit.com.
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New furniture in Commons proving big hit New furniture installed in Commons at Newton Park to improve students’ learning experience is proving a big hit. The investment in new chairs and tables came about as a result of student and staff feedback about the need for easier note taking during lectures, and a request for more seating in the common areas for study. The concern over the lecture hall chairs was first raised by Sharon Bateman, a third year Psychology student, who was finding taking notes on her laptop uncomfortable and inconvenient. Sharon said: “I raised the issue because almost all of my lectures were in Commons and I was struggling. Many students agreed and after discussing the problem with staff, we realised there was a real need to improve the situation.” Students and staff also raised the need for more study space in Commons, especially potential collaborative areas with comfortable seating. The topic of Commons furniture was raised with the University’s Student Experience Committee, and passed to Estates to resolve. The team met with
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Sharon to discuss some options, and sourced a range of potential tablet chair designs, which were then put for wider consultation via a student survey. Following feedback, the most popular designs were selected. As well as replacing the chairs in the main ground floor teaching rooms, additional study seats and tables were installed on the first and second floors of Commons. Andy Williams, Deputy Head of Estates and Services (Facilities), said: “This has been an excellent example of the University listening and working together to find a solution to important issues that directly impact many students on a daily basis. The furniture looks great and works really well!” Most importantly, the new designs are going down very well with students. Meghann McKeague, Students’ Union Vice President for Education, said: “The new furniture has delivered a fantastic improvement in facilities for student learning. The laptop rests work well, and there is now more space for independent study with the stylish design fitting in well with Commons’ modern look and feel. Feedback from students has been very positive.”
The new furniture includes: ● 22 stylish plectrum-shaped tables with power plugs ● 88 colourful group study chairs with armrests ● 110 lecture room chairs with laptop rests
0 0 0 0 0 A campaign which raised over £150,000 last year for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is underway again, with students donating items to help raise vital funds for cardiovascular research. The Pack for Good campaign – spearheaded by the Student Community Partnership, a joint venture between the Bath Spa University, University of Bath and Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) – provides a helpful way for students from Bath’s universities to get rid of any unwanted belongings when preparing to leave for the summer. As part of the campaign, 10 temporary BHF donation banks have been placed across Bath, including a number on both universities’ campuses. Last year, the highly successful campaign raised over £150,000 for the BHF with over 10,000 bags of unwanted belongings donated including shoes, clothes, CDs, DVDs and bed linen. Kalyn Mallard, Community Liaison Co-ordinator at the Student Community Partnership, said: “With recycling already
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Bath Spa University student nominated for England Rugby award
0British Heart 0Foundation set 0to benefit thanks 0to Pack for Good 0campaign increasing in Bath, the Pack for Good campaign offers another opportunity to recycle during the student moveout period and we will be encouraging students to make the most of it.” Jessica Burlinson, University Campaign Executive Team Leader at the BHF said: “We enjoy working alongside the University of Bath, Bath Spa University and Bath and North East Somerset Council to encourage students to donate their unwanted goods to us. “This scheme will be a huge help to our shops in Bath and I’d hope as many students as possible get involved and support the new scheme. Coronary heart disease is the UK’s single biggest killer you can join the fight for every heartbeat by having a clear out and using the new facilities to donate your unwanted items.”
Bath Spa University student, Harriet Martin-Jones, has been nominated for the Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer of the Year Awards, run by England Rugby to recognise the integral role played by volunteers at all levels of the game. As President of Bath Spa Women’s Rugby, Harriet has worked tirelessly to ensure the club is running to the highest standard since it was established in 2014. Having taken the club from struggling to field a team each week to their highest league finish in just two years, Harriet has also played a vital role in the promotion of Women’s Rugby in Bath, establishing and maintaining links with Bath Rugby Ladies, Bath Rugby Foundation, Stothert and Pitt RFC and the RFU. “It’s a huge honour to have been nominated for this award,” said Harriet. “I am really proud of how the club has grown, but, much like the game itself, it has been a team effort to get to this point. We’ve got an incredible, closeknit family of girls involved in the club now, who all want to keep improving and enjoying all the different skills and experiences that rugby can give you.”
The awards are part of the Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer Recognition Programme which provides grassroots rugby clubs and the rugby community with opportunities to recognise and reward the volunteers who make up such an integral part of the game. Robert Pickup, Bath Rugby Foundation coach and coach of Bath Spa Women’s Rugby, nominated Harriet. “Harriet has been involved with the club from the very first day, and it would not have established itself in the way it has without her. She has an incredible amount of enthusiasm and drive to make the club successful, and that’s now paying off with the number of members and results they are enjoying.” Colin Clarke, Sports and Activities Coordinator for Bath Spa University Students’ Union, added: “We’re very proud of Harriet for her nomination. She’s put a huge amount of effort in to the club to make it successful, using her free time around studying. It’s testament to her that Women’s Rugby is as popular at the University as it is now.”
For more information about the Pack for Good campaign and for a list of BHF donation bank locations, visit the Student Community Partnership website at scpbath.org.uk.
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5
minutes with ...
Meet Jessica Saunders!
Jessica graduated with a degree in Creative Music Technology from Bath Spa University in 2010. She won a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit Award in 2015 for her role as sound designer on Batman: Arkham Knight – the fastest selling game of that year. Having worked on projects for numerous top video games developers, Jessica now runs her own company, Salix Games, and is passionate about inspiring young women to consider a career in the gaming industry.
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Why did you decide to pursue a career in sound design? I was fascinated with sound as a child, together with a love of music and video games, it seemed like the ideal path. When I decided to pick my degree, Bath Spa was one of the first places to offer a game audio module. The rest, as they say, is history.
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What was it like to work on Batman: Arkham Knight? In a word: amazing. I got a chance to work on an iconic franchise of which I was already a huge fan, and got to rework and redesign many of my favourite sounds. It was a truly unique time and it was a blast to work with such a talented team.
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What do you enjoy most about your job? No two days are never the same. Some days I’m using my creativity to the max, other times I’m tackling spreadsheets, but I love it all and I couldn’t imagine working in any other industry. If you’re looking to progress in this field my advice would be make the effort, remember names and be tenacious!
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What are you passionate about at the moment? I’m currently working on my company Salix Games’ debut title, Dance of Death. It’s been a very exciting journey and I’m pleased to say the game will be released later this year. I’m also extremely proud to be a STEM ambassador and have been giving talks at schools and universities, including Bath Spa, to help get more women into gaming.
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On that note, which female inspires you? That’s easy. It’s got to be electronic music pioneer and Doctor Who theme tune co-creator, Deliah Derbyshire - she deserves all the credit!
To keep up-to-date with Jessica’s latest adventures visit www.salixgames.com
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The Lake at Newton Park