SPace
OCTOBER 2013
Bath Spa University’s monthly magazine
talking point
REVIEWS section NIC JEUNE TALKS 16
FEATURES 20 14 32
Front cover: Graduation - Ben Langdon Photography ff
My student experience...
Fran de Garis, BA (Hons) English Literature Front cover: Graduation - Ben Langdon Photography ff
Spotlight on...
Nic Jeune, Senior Lecturer: Creative Media Practice Front cover: Graduation - Ben Langdon Photography ff
Reviews
Check out our new Reviews section
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Graduation 2013
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Talking point
Do female graduates settle for second class careers?
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NEWS 06 Update from the Vice-Chancellor 08 Newton Park Campus Development update
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Talking point: Do female graduates settle for second class careers?
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My student experience...Fran de Garis BA (Hons) English Literature
10 Thank you Jennifer Skellett 23 11 Winning Consortium 24 12 Busy and Bustling Campuses 25 14 Spotlight on‌ Nic Jeune, Senior Lecturer: Creative Media Practice 26 SPACE OCTOBER 2013
Top Novel Life 2 Love, Sex and‌Couple Therapy The Legacy of Opera
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Science Matters!
SPACE magazine is published every month and is aimed at staff and
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Alumni News
members of the Bath Spa community. Want to get involved? Contact Jane
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students of Bath Spa University. SPACE welcomes contributions from all Wakefield - j.wakefield@bathspa.ac.uk Editor Jane Wakefield
Features Writer Rob Breckon Contributors Fran de Garis
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BSU: in the news
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What’s On
Design and Layout Sampath Karunaratne Matthew Lochrie
Staff News
Front cover Sixteen
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Photography Stuart Nelson David Bailey
Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor
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Update from the Vice-Chancellor We have had a most clement autumn and the various campuses of the university have been looking
their best. The construction at Newton Park is moving well. Some may have seen the light boxes illuminated. They were designed by a team of artists and designers from across the University. The group used close-up photographic studies of leaves, branches and barks depicting the species of trees on the Newton Park estate. Inspiration for the photographic techniques used came from the early photographs of W. Fox Talbot, a pioneering scientist who developed some of the first photographs. This month we have focussed on developing new international partnerships and developing the relationships we already have with our alumni. We began the month with a visit from Ambassador Estivill of Mexico who joined myself and the senior team. During his visit we discussed the University’s vision and strategy, he met our international team and had a tour of the new developments. We are developing a range of new relationships with Latin America. I am pleased to report that new agreements have been signed with partners in Chile, Mexico and Columbia this month. You will be hearing a lot more on these over the coming months. I was also able to visit Boston very briefly. We discussed the future of the new joint venture, Bath Spa Global. I also signed an agreement with Middlesex Community College and Northern Essex Community College both in Lowell which will bring a number of students from Massachusetts to Bath Spa. Finally we ended the month with reunions for students of the teacher training college which was established here at Newton Park. It is a great pleasure to invite former students to the campus and to hear their stories. Many of those stories have been captured by the University’s archive team.
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Newton park campus d Academic Building The exterior of ‘Commons’ had one of its most unique features installed this month,
the lightboxes on the outside curve of the digital studio wing. The project to design the lightboxes was led by a team of artists and designers from across the University. In particular, students studying visual arts, design and environmental science worked together to develop the subject and imagery.
Inspiration for the design was taken from the natural landscape at Newton Park and the grounds which were designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in 1761.The group used close-up photographic studies of leaves, branches and barks depicting the species of trees on the Newton Park estate. The lightboxes will be programmed to gradually change the colour and tone of the images allowing them to shift over days and nights and across the seasons. Staff and students also had an opportunity to look around the inside of the building on 1 November when all work was stopped and the building was opened for viewings. Work is progressing on schedule and the building will be complete and ready for use by next spring. If you haven’t been able to visit the building on any of the open site days, you can continue to follow progress via the webcams which are available here
A close up of a light box
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development update Residential development Some of the new student residential ‘houses’ now have their roofs, bathrooms pods have been installed in each of the bedrooms and exterior cladding work has begun on some of the ‘blocks’. The contractors Miller are also working with the University on a number of initiatives. These include a charity netball tournament to celebrate the opening of the netball court, a site visit for children at Oak Tree Day Nursery and working with the Students’ Union and student volunteers to improve Oldfield Park train station. You can follow progress of both developments via the webcams which are available here If you have any questions or queries about any of the developments, please email the team: npdevelopment@bathspa.ac.uk
Installation of the panels SPACE OCTOBER 2013
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thank you jennifer skellett In the June issue we announced the University had established two awards for alumni of the Department of
Music courtesy of a generous donation from Jennifer Skellett. The first two awards have now been made to Tom Davis and Kirsty Folan. Tom and Kirsty were both awarded £500 to put towards further study or entrepreneurial ventures. Commenting on receiving her award, Kirsty said: “I am very grateful to have been chosen for the Jennifer Skellett Award. I intend to put the funding towards my tuition fees, travel to Corsham Court and gigs, equipment such as guitar strings, and perhaps even a ukelele!” There are two awards available to alumni of the Department of Music. The Jennifer Skellett Postgraduate Bursary is awarded annually to an outstanding student from the Department to support them in undertaking a postgraduate degree at Bath Spa. The Jennifer Skellett Junior Fellowship will be awarded to an alumni a year after they have graduated to support their continued professional development through short courses and summer schools. More information about the Awards is available here
Kirsty Folan performance 10
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Winning consortium Bath Spa is joined by seven other universities - Aberystwyth, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Reading and South-
ampton in receiving £14.2 million of funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) over the next five years to deliver postgraduate supervision, training and skills development from 2014. The Consortium is one of 11 new Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and seven Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) to have been awarded a total of £164 million funding from the AHRC. The South, West and Wales Consortium will offer postgraduate studentships and training across the full range of the AHRC’s disciplines, with a strong emphasis on collaboration between the members of the consortium and 19 partner organisations including English Heritage, the National Trust, the BBC, Cadw and the Welsh National Opera. The funding, which equates to 200 new studentships, will allow for innovative postgraduate support, including the development of broader skills such as partnership working and language skills, and experience in working outside academia through industry and international placements.
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Busy and bustling campuses During October we held three open days for
prospective students and their parents and supporters. Despite the sometimes wet weather, the open days were very successful with over 600 visitors on each occasion. Students visited both Newton Park and Sion Hill campuses and had the opportunity to speak with academic staff, take a tour of the campus and speak with our Student Ambassadors about the Bath Spa student experience. Social media was abuzz with comments about the beautiful campuses and friendly staff and students. On Saturday 26 October, as well as open day visitors, Newton Park campus welcomed 35 Newton Park College alumni from the 1970s, celebrating 40 years since their studies. This was our largest reunion group yet and it was a lot of fun, especially as they reenacted the 1970s sit-in on the window sills of Main House! The Archive team were delighted to see the many photographs that the group brought along from their time at Newton Park and to hear some wonderful stories.
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Our guests enjoyed being here on Open Day. The presence of both prospective students and alumni on campus, along with staff and current students, was a lovely demonstration of the breadth of the University’s alumni community. Some prospective students stopped by and were quite surprised to think they could be back in 2053 celebrating their own 40 year reunion! One guest was Marion Donaldson who attended Newton Park College from 1973-76. She had this to say about the day: “Thank you to all the people who worked so hard to get us all together and provide us with such a lovely opportunity to catch up and for some to re-establish old friendships. There were some amongst us who were always trouble, so you got off quite lightly with the clambering up onto a window sill to re-create a photo from the 70’s. It was just an opportunity for us to show that being nearly 60 is the new 40!”
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Bath Spa University Spartans
Re-creating the 70’s Pic: Vintage cars SPACE OCTOBER 2013
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spotlight ON...
spotlight on...
Nic Jeune, Senior Lecturer: Creative Media Practice
Scene from Sixteen
“What makes this film special is its journey and background, from the initial idea right through to the finished film on the big screen. “
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Nic Jeune
Nic Jeune talks to Rob Breckon about why Sixteen is different from any other University produced film
Bath Spa made film Sixteen was recently shortlisted
for not one, but two awards at the prestigious British Film Institute London Film Festival 2013. It was shown on the big screen for the first time at VUE Cinema in Leicester Square on Saturday 19 October.
What makes this film special is its journey and background, from the initial idea right through to the finished film on the big screen. The University’s role in making this happen has been very significant in more ways than one, as Nic described.
Sixteen was produced by Nic Jeune, Senior Lecturer: Creative Media Practice and directed by Media Practice Lecturer, Robert Brown. Rob was nominated for Best British Newcomer and the film was nominated for the Sutherland Award, given since 1958 in recognition of the best first feature film at the Festival.
“I believe we were the only film to have been shortlisted that was made by a university. Rob and I obviously work for Bath Spa, so it was great to not only receive the backing of the University itself, but also to involve some of our students in the making of the film.
It’s been an exciting and busy time as Nic explains: “We are very proud of how far Sixteen has come already. We didn’t win either of the two awards, but to be selected and then nominated at BFI London Film Festival was a fantastic achievement in itself. All of the films we were up against had much larger budgets..
“Following an audition process, a handful of the students from the BA (Hons) Creative Media Practice course were awarded places on the film’s production team. The experience they had doing this has stood them in such good stead for the future and they took as much out of the experience of making a genuine feature film as possible.”
“For the film to rub shoulders with and be seen in the same light as some of other award nominees was a very proud feeling for us.”
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So what now for Sixteen? Nic explains: “We are and will be entering into a number of different international film festivals over the next 18 months and are very much looking forward to attending those. The film is being screened as part of Bath Film Festival in December and we hope to host our own screening for staff and students on campus soon.” The film will also be used for future Creative Media Practice and MA Feature Filmmaking students who will be able to learn about the film and study its production as part of their course. Something which Nic feels will be of great value to them. “It seems to me that far too many film making courses in colleges, universities or similar institutions ask their students to create films without doing anything with them. The great thing about Sixteen is that it is proof that a university can significantly contributing to the film making market and it demonstrates to students that there isn’t as big a gap as assumed between studying this discipline and making it in the real world. “This year is our first ever cohort on the MA Feature Filmmaking course so we are really excited to work with them and set them the task of creating the next Sixteen!”
spotlight on...
If you would like to recommend a fellow student or colleague to be interviewed for ‘Spotlight on’ please let us know by emailing Rob Breckon r.breckon@bathspa.ac.uk
Scene from Sixteen
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89% :)
You rate our teaching at Bath Spa University
National Student Survey 2013
talking
point Do female graduates settle for second class careers? A recent article in The Times (Female
talking point
graduates prepared to accept second-best jobs 26 September) highlighted new statistics which show that 25 per cent of female graduates are working in lower or middle skilled jobs compared to just 12.5 per cent of male graduates. The article discussed the possible reasons for this considering that women outnumber men at university and achieve higher A Level results. This is an interesting issue, especially for us at Bath Spa, because we have a higher proportion of female students and graduates. Over 93 per cent of Bath Spa graduates were in employment or further study within six months of graduation in 2012 – a higher employability rate than a number of elite universities including Manchester, Oxford, Warwick and Birmingham. Whilst this figure does not indicate graduate level employment, it is certainly the case that many of our graduates are highly successful in their careers.
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In recent years, our graduates have gone to work for a number of large international organisations including Dyson, Danone, Agusta Westland, Disney, Jones Lang Lasalle and McGraw-Hill as well as leading creative and cultural industry organisations including Atlantic Records, English Heritage, Future Publishing, National Trust, Sony Entertainment and Universal Music. As well as securing positions in companies around the world, a high proportion of Bath Spa graduates are successful entrepreneurs. Rosanna Mead graduated in 2010 and since then has launched and expanded her business Musica which provides interactive music workshops to benefit the health and well-being of older adults, particularly those with dementia. The business began in Dorset, but has now expanded across the South-West and employees an increasing number of Bath Spa graduates.
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“93 per cent of Bath Spa graduates were in employment or further study within six months of graduation in 2012 – a higher employability rate than a number of elite universities including Manchester, Oxford, Warwick and Birmingham.” As is often the case with statistics, it may be that entrepreneurial and self-employed graduates were not counted in the survey quoted in The Times. Also, the parameters of what is classed as a ‘lower or middle skilled job’ can be difficult to determine when considering the creative arts and practice based careers. 8.2 per cent of our graduates are freelance, selfemployed or have their own business compared to 5.8 per cent nationally.
The number of our Creative Writing graduates securing lucrative publishing deals has continued to increase over the 20 years the course has been running. Most recently, Anna Freeman has agreed terms with Weidenfeld & Nicholson for two novels to be published, the first being The Fair Fight which won the Tibor Jones Pageturner Prize earlier this year. The University supports the continued career development of graduates through work placements, internships and working in partnership with a wide range of commercial organisations. Many of our degree programmes are industry focused and students often work closely with experts and practitioners. So, according to statistics, women are not as high achieving as men. Bath Spa graduates have strong cause to disagree.
The number of women CEOs in FTSE 100 companies may be small, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t women in positions of influence and power. Angela Ahrendts of Apple, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, Marissa Mayer of Yahoo and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde all spring to mind when we think of organisations being run by senior female executives. In the creative industries we also find a large proportion of high achieving women, many of whom are listed by Forbes as being in the top 100 most powerful women in the world. This includes author J.K Rowling, media entrepreneur Arianna Huffington, fashion designer Miuccia Prada and Amy Pascal of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Graduation Day SPACE OCTOBER 2013
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my student experience... Fran de Garis, BA (Hons) English Literature
University. I was clueless about going as I had no idea what to expect and what all the fuss was
my student experience
about when people talked about the incredible social side of things. I was therefore moulded into thinking about a rather generic, cliché situation that didn’t impress me all that much. I envisioned meeting people. I met people. I envisioned parties. There were parties. I envisioned liberality. There was liberality. But my time so far has been so unlike the majority of students that dance their way down the exhilarating uni brick road. Mine has been a fascinating rigmarole…
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I was so unaware of what going to university was actually about that the first time I applied, originally with the intention of going to Kingston, I cancelled the application at the last minute when I found out an old chum was taking a year out. I followed suit and vetoed my application when I should have deferred. It boggles me to think that in all sincerity the main reason I applied in the first place was because that’s what everyone else was doing at my sixth form. That and I enjoy the comfort and shelter of education – procrastination into the real world and I know I am not alone in this. However, English had always been a subject I was fond of, second to drama, and this was my chance to create for myself the perfect course with the perfect award. Like a Hovis loaf of bread I had the ‘best of both’ and it was a beautiful blend. But not for long, as after the first year I decided to drop drama when I sadly realised my commitment and passion to it was no longer there. This is not uncommon for students undertaking a joint award degree and I was not discouraged to focus solely on English Literature. As much as I’d heard about student life being unforgettably, undeniably, most definitely the most amazing, epic-est time of your life ever I wasn’t convinced. Nor did that opinion change drastically when it finally happened: going through Freshers, getting by on little food/money and scraping grades to pass. However, I’m not all damning about the situation and I will allow myself a small cliché here: first year whizzed by and it was the time of my life. Perhaps not in the same way as some of my fellow students, I preferred jaunts to a mate’s house and jollies to Bristol as opposed to the frequent, scheduled student night at Po-Na-Na. 20
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Relaxing by the lak
ke
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my student experience
And then ‘year two take two’ arrived and I was facing 4ft hurdles. This included trying to find somewhere decent to live and after experiencing flooded bathrooms and unusable kitchens for a time, I finally found somewhere I am fairly happy. Whilst experiencing this tricky endurance test I applied for a transfer to London Metropolitan University ready to say so long to Bath Spa. My grades were not improving and I was horribly dismayed. But here I am, writing this in the Bath Spa Library, safe in the knowledge I have lovely landlords and live in a lovely house. I am now settled, content and able to concentrate at the real task in hand: university. No more anxieties, no more woes, no more partying so hard I don’t go to my classes; it is now all about blessed academia and I’m prepared and excited for the grapple to get my rolled-up scroll at the finish line.
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“And then ‘year two take two’ arrived and I was facing 4ft hurdles.”
Unfortunately it all went a little Pete Tong when I started my second year still in the mind set of being fresh and first year. Still fuelled by the exciting freedom of uni life, my first term back did not consist of the heavy load of reading I should have been getting through, but was instead taken up with more hopping and bopping about Bath. By January I found myself ‘intercalating’ and seeking full time employment. It sounds more depressing than it is. I did it for my own benefit with the good intention of returning and lo and behold I did return.
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Top novel Almond’s Skellig in children’s top 100 reading list David Almond
Congratulations to Professor of Creative Writing and highly acclaimed author, David Almond whose novel Skellig has been selected in the top 100 children’s novels to read by age 14.
The novel follows the life of Michael, a young boy whose life is seemingly lonely and uncertain following a simultaneous move to a new house and his baby sister’s illness. However, as Michael explores his new home and its ramshackle garage he and his new friend Mina, discover something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael’s help if he is to survive. With Mina’s help, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health. The creature is ill-mannered, with questionable personal hygiene, but persevering in their kindness towards him, Michael and Mina find a bond forms between them that will change their lives forever. This unusual and captivating novel won both the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children’s Book Award. Professor Almond has written many novels, stories and plays including The Savage, Clay, My Name Is Mina, My Dad’s a Birdman and Slog’s Dad amongst many more. His books are translated into almost 40 languages and are widely adapted for stage and screen. He has received widespread recognition for his writing and won numerous awards including the Carnegie Medal, two Whitbread Children’s Book Awards and Le Prix Sorcieres. In 2010 he also gained the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international prize for children’s authors.
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LIFE 2
School of Education Teaching Fellow Jim Crawley has been part of a research team helping teachers integrate life skills into vocational training. For the last two years Jim has been involved with the ‘key
competences in life skills’ project known as LIFE 2, an innovative and highly successful European project aimed at helping learners to be ready for work and building links with employers. The LIFE 2 project has been supported by the European Commission and made up of a specialist team from vocational education organisations from Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the UK with Norton Radstock College as lead partner and the University as the internal project evaluator of which Jim is leading.
The team has updated the ‘Train the Trainers’ pack which was developed in a previous project aimed at helping teachers integrate life skills into vocational learning. Following the team’s extensive research, the pack has now been updated with a series of resources, activities and guidance to develop the skills which employers are asking for, such as problem-solving, creativity, teamwork and presentation, as well as job seeking skills. Following the project’s final meeting in Copenhagen, Jim commented on the success of project: “This two year project has been a really good example of how collaboration between educational professionals from a number of countries can yield high quality results, and help vocational teachers to use them in their teaching. The work of this project has now been featured as good practice across a number of European countries and deservedly so.”
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Love, Sex and... Couple Therapy Graduate and former lecturer on the MA
Creative Writing course, Barbara Bloomfield has published the world’s first graphic novel about counselling. Barbara’s book Couple Therapy: Dramas of Love and Sex takes readers into the private world of the counselling room and follows three sets of couples as they try to save their troubled relationships.
“It is a comic strip type graphic novel which highlights relationship issues in an exciting, easy and highly readable way. A ‘must’ read.” The book is available to buy from The Guardian bookshop here
Commenting on the book, Barbara said: “Genrebusting is very fashionable these days and I wanted to do something different and original, to show the secrets of the process of therapy through pictures. I find younger people relate very well to visual storytelling and Chris Radley’s illustrations are really exciting.” As well as writing books, Barbara works as a Counselling Supervisor for RELATE’s Bath and Exeter offices. The book has already received glowing reviews including support from distinguished Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University and President of RELATE, Cary Cooper CBE who said: “Couple Therapy: Dramas of Love and Sex is a very innovative book exploring the private worlds of two fictional couples (plus one family) going through counselling. Barbara Bloomfield’s book Couple Therapy: Dramas of Love and Sex
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The Legacy of Opera Back in July a book jointly developed and
edited by Dr Pamela Karantonis, Senior Lecturer in Voice (Acting) had an international launch at the Institute del Teatre in Barcelona. It marked the inaugural publication of the Music Theatre Working Group of the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR), with the title The Legacy of Opera: Reading Music Theatre as Experience and Performance. Contributors to the book made the project truly international with participants from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Korea, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and United States. The content of the book considers the relevance of opera in the 21 st Century, the ontology of opera today and at its historical origins, vocal performance, affect, audiences, media, technology, cinema and the meaning of opera in the face of the popularisation of music-theatrical forms.
Pamela Karantonis
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The book also constitutes Volume 7 in the Rodopi Series Themes in Theatre – Collective Approaches to Theatre and Performance, with Series Editor, Professor Peter Eversmann of the IFTR’s Executive. This book is the culmination of fruitful discussions that took place over a number of years, at Working Group sessions, during which Dr Karantonis was voted as one of the group’s convenors in a four-year post. The group look forward to two further publication launches in the near future. SPACE OCOTBER 2013
The University has recently been awarded a significant grant to lead the way in helping teachers accurately
assess children’s scientific knowledge and understanding. The Centre for Research in Early Scientific Learning (CRESL) in the School of Education, has been successful in its bid to become a Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) Regional Hub. CRESL is one of seven national PSTT hubs and will receive a grant of £150,000 over three years from the Primary Science Teaching Trust which provides financial assistance to help improve the learning and teaching of science in the UK. This three-year research project will aim to develop new approaches to teacher assessment in primary school science education.
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Science matters
The Bath Spa-based hub will work intensively with 12 primary schools across the South West region. The team will work closely with teachers in piloting new and different models of assessment that will enable teachers to better gauge how their pupils are progressing in science. Science was heralded as a ‘core’ subject when the National Curriculum was introduced in 1989 and there was a steep rise in the science attainment of pupils between 1995 and 2000. Since then, science attainment levels have remained stable. There has been a long-running debate about the effectiveness of using SATs as an indicator of teaching quality long before their abolition for Science in 2010. Some teachers have admitted to feeling pressured to ‘teach the test’ rather than being encouraged to enable their pupils to understand the science they are learning. Professor Dan Davies, Head of Research and Graduate Affairs in the School of Education is one of the six researchers. He said: “Assessment refers to more than just grading a piece of written work. Much can be learned from the way a child approaches a practical project or their reasoning behind their ideas. “Assessment is an essential part of the teaching process. Without careful and accurate assessment, it can be very difficult for a teacher to gauge their children’s progress and plan the next steps in their learning.” It is hoped at the end of this extensive research project that a new approach to science assessment will have been created drawing upon the best practice of teachers across the country. The new Primary National Curriculum is part of the 2010 National Education Act and will be implemented by schools from 2014. This project intends to support teachers in meeting the expectations of the new curriculum through training and sharing best practice. SPACE OCTOBER 2013
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Alumni News Here is a small selection of recent alumni successes. If you have a story to share, contact Ruth Russell at alumni@bathspa.ac.uk.
Davina Kemble (FdA Applied Art and Design 2012)
Davina Kemble’s decision to make her own unique pebble-shaped coffin
ALUMNI NEWS
Davina was diagnosed with cancer after a routine check-up last year. Since then doctors have given her the all-clear, but Davina’s illness got her thinking about her own mortality. She said “Being an artist you are more in touch with your mortality than other people… I came across an article about bones found curled up during an archaeology dig in Kazakhstan and I thought, that’s it. This is going back in history - this is how people used to be buried, curled up.” After graduating Davina spoke to David Crampton, director of Vic Fearn and Company Ltd, a Nottingham-based firm which specialises in bespoke coffins, who helped her make her designs a reality. Her coffin was unveiled as a prototype at the Good Funeral Awards ceremony in Bournemouth in September and can now be ordered and made to order. Davina was the recipient of a Merit Award in BSU’s 2013 Business Plan Competition and is now studying for an MA in fine art. She said: “All of it was never going to go any further, but I’ve been overwhelmed by the response. The pebble for me represents a final gift for someone who was in touch with art and nature.” http://davinakemble.co.uk/
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Davina Kemble
has been so popular she is turning it into a business.
Jack Crossing design
Charlie Fowler
Barbara Bloomfield’s new guide
Jack Crossing (BA Hons Graphic Design 2008)
Jack was named as one of ‘25 graphic designers to follow on Behance in Creative Bloq’s recent feature. Behance showcases and discovers the latest work from top online portfolios by creative professionals. Jack has spent six years working as a graphic designer at EMPIRE Design in London. His innovative approach to graphic design has gained him much appreciation from among the Behance community. http://www.jackcrossing.com/
Barbara Bloomfield (MA Creative Writing 2002)
Barbara has published the world’s first graphic novel
about counselling. Couple Therapy: Dramas of Love and Sex takes readers into the private world of the counselling
room and follows three sets of couples as they try to save their troubled relationships. The book has already received glowing reviews. Bath-based journalist and broadcaster, Bel Mooney praised the book saying it is: “An original and creative way of unpicking relationship problems, worth revisiting again and again for more insight.” See full story on page 25 Charlie Fowler (BA Hons Commercial Music 2011)
Charlie is the new double bass player in the X Factor
band. He started this month, and can be seen here playing “Every Breath You Take” with X Factor contestant Luke Friend. In addition, Charlie is writing the music for a new Hollywood film The Swimmer with his band Circumnavigate and developing a successful career as a live and studio session player in London which this month includes working with Guy Chambers on a song for CeeLo Green.
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REVIEW Bethlehem Links 22 October, Burdall’s Yard, Bath Drumming performance
Burdall’s Yard hosted a party for 59 young people
visiting Bath from the Ghirass Centre in Bethlehem. They were joined by over 50 pupils from local schools for an evening of dance, music and song. It was wet and windy outside, but vibrant, warm and fun inside. By 7:30pm the venue was completely full and had all the ingredients for a great party. The team from Bath Spa Live ensured everything ran smoothly and kept up a steady supply of drinks, snacks and coffee, which was
Bethleham students
especially well received by parents! A hand drumming performance kicked off the evening and was followed by two dances choreographed especially for the party. The Bethlehem students performed a traditional Palestinian dance and were followed by the Bath students who performed a modern, contemporary dance routine based on
Pupils from six schools in Bath were involved in the visit,
communicating without speaking. The audience was
including Ralph Allen, St Gregory’s, Beechen Cliff,
enthralled and the applause loud!
Hayesfield, the Royal High School and Writhlington School. There are plans for the Bath pupils to visit the
Bethlehem Links is a charitable venture organised by
Ghirass Centre in spring next year.
REVIEW
Peter Downey. In a speech to welcome everyone to the event he said: “Thank you to my whole team for
Bethlehem Links involved a week-long visit by students
organising such a wonderful event. I would also like to
from the Ghirass Centre. The aims of the charity are to
especially thank Bath Spa University for hosting this
promote cross-cultural knowledge, understanding,
party tonight and Vice-Chancellor Christina Slade who
friendship and respect. The students took part in a full
has been wonderfully supportive. Burdall’s Yard is an
week of activities that revolved around sport and was
amazing venue and perfect for our event this evening.”
based on the Olympic and Paralympic values of friendship, respect, excellence, determination, inspiration, courage and equality.
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Singer
“A hand drumming performance kicked off the evening and was followed by two dances choreographed especially for the party�.
Advertising, Georgian Style 9 October, University Theatre
of Professorial Lectures at Bath Spa. Advertising and Literature in Late Georgian England, 1785-1840 demonstrated the skilful application of poetry to advertising, especially in Bath. Professor Strachan talked about the incorrect perception that the roots of advertising only began in Victorian England, when in fact the origins of modern advertising are to be found in Georgian times and earlier.
Murray to promote his poem Don Juan prior to its publication in 1819. The lecture was informative as well as very interesting and provoked a thoughtful discussion at the end.
The Professorial Lecture series will present one lecture a month to share the expertise of new and established Professors at Bath Spa. They are open to everyone and details of forthcoming Lectures can be found here
Party time
Witty examples of riddles and poems used to satirise products, politicians and events had the captivated audience chuckling. The famous assertion by romantic poet of the time Lord Bryon, that he ‘one day awoke and found myself to be famous’ was disputed by Professor Strachan who provided evidence that Bryon in fact worked closely with notable advertiser/publisher John
Georgian advertising
Professor John Strachan gave the first in a new series
danceroom Spectroscopy 24 – 26 October, Bristol
REVIEW
Professor Joseph Hyde’s long term arts/science,
danceroom Spectroscopy (dS), recently had a very special airing in Bristol. The Watershed hosted the dS festival in Brunel’s Old Station Passenger Shed by Temple Meads. The dS system was installed in a
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21-metre 360-degree immersive projection dome, where visitors were able to interact with a scientificallyaccurate and stunningly beautiful simulation of hundreds of thousands of particles. The weekend also included multiple education events, and performances of the Hidden Fields dance piece based on the system.
SPACE OCTOBER 2013
Comedy Cavern Feat. Matt Price Thurs 7 Nov, 7:30pm, Burdall’s Yard Join a host of hilarious comedians and experience ‘10 in 10 minutes’, where 10 student comedians take to the stage for their first minute of stand-up comedy. Featuring Jack Toop, Joshua Ross, Tash Barlett and Matt Price. Compere: Larry Dean. Tickets: Full price £8, Concessions £6, BSU Students £5, free for Bath Spa Live members. These Beautiful Things 5 Tues 12 Nov, 7:30pm, Burdall’s Yard Hear emerging music industry talent perform their favourite music, broken down, remixed and reimagined for this regular ‘live lounge’ night. Featuring acoustic music by performers from Bath Spa University’s Commercial Music and Song Writing courses including: Guernica, Alfie and the Owl and SouthDown. Tickets: Full price £3 on the door. Free for BSU Students. Iain Ballamy & Gareth Williams Wed 13 Nov, 7:30pm, Michael Tippett Centre Two musicians who have an international reputation and share a musical empathy that can only be achieved through many years of playing together. Their repertoire is wide-ranging from personal interpretations of classic jazz standards and songs through to original pieces by both players. But whatever they play, there is a common thread running throughout – a profound appreciation of beautiful melody and harmony with a deep love and respect for the tradition. Tickets: Full price £10, Concessions £8, BSU Students &U16s £5, free for Bath Spa Live members. My Gay Best Friend Thurs 14 Nov, 7:30pm, University Theatre Racquell (Louise Jameson – ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Eastenders’) is a 50-something would-be diva who works in Boots and is about to make her stage debut. However she’s locked herself in the ladies, furious because her gay best friend Gavin (Nigel Fairs) isn’t there to support her. He’s sitting in a walk-in wardrobe, about to become a father with a lesbian couple and a turkey baster...This show has universal appeal with adult content – you’ll laugh, cry and think. Tickets: Full price £10, Concessions £8, BSU Students &U16s £5, free for Bath Spa Live members.
SPACE OCTOBER 2013
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BSU: in the news Professor Iftikhar Malik
Senior lecturer in History, Professor Iftikhar Malik has recently appeared numerous times on BBC World Service
discussing a range of different international issues including: the Syrian civil war; US-Russian tensions over the use of chemical gases in Damascus; the UN role in the on-going Syrian crisis. Professor Malik also commented on factors behind the radicalisation of some younger Muslims in the West within the context of terrorist attacks by Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militants at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya.
Dr Julia Paulson
Lecturer in Education Studies, Dr Julia Paulson recently featured in a New York Times article about education
provision for refugees and the concept of bringing higher education to these students. The full article is available here
Dr Cliff Williamson
Lecturer in History, Dr Cliff Williamson was interviewed by the Daily Mail about the bubonic plague returning to
Glasgow in 1900. He discussed the possible cause of the disease returning after hundreds of years and how the work of one doctor helped contain the spread.
what’s on Hilary Mantel in Conversation with Professor Fay Weldon Thurs 14 Nov, 6:30pm, Bath Assembly Rooms The second in the University’s series of Professorial Lectures will see double Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel in conversation with much loved author and screenwriter Professor Fay Weldon. The lecture is free and open to all, but is fully booked. To put your name on the waiting list for tickets, please email e.watts@bathspa.ac.uk The camera always lies: painting people in British Post War art Thurs 14 Nov, 7:30pm, The Holburne Museum, Bath Professor of Art and Design, and leading contemporary artist, Dexter Dalwood casts his ever inquisitive and thoughtful eye on post-war portraiture and the very different ways in which artists responded to the challenge, support and omnipresence of the photograph. Tickets: £10/£8, Free for Holburne Contemporaries.
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SPACE OCTOBER 2013
staff news Starters and Leavers
In October we welcomed… Luke Emmett, Events Assistant/Duty Manager, School of Music and Performing Arts Ieva Lakute, International Relations Assistant, International Relations Sebina Zisa-Davies, Laboratory Assistant, School of Society, Enterprise and Environment Helena Dingle, Placements Administrator, Enterprise and Local Partnerships Helen Fisher, Retention Advisor, Student Services April George, Art Shop Assistant, Bath School of Art and Design Paula Bahadur, Catering and Hospitality Supervisor, Catering Jennifer Laurenson, Research Publications Librarian, Library and Learning Services Louise Maythorne, Knowledge Exchange Officer, Corsham Centre Elaine Wainwright, Senior Lecturer in Applied Psychology, School of Society, Enterprise and Environment Helen Jacobs, Deputy Registrar & Head of Applicant and Student Administration, Student Services Aimee Holmes, Performing Arts Administrator, School of Music and Performing Arts Amy O’Leary, Disability Advisor, Student Services James Jeffers, Lecturer in Human Geography, School of Society, Enterprise and Environment
We also said farewell to… Greg Garrard, Reader in English Literature, School of Humanities and Cultural Industries Heather Brunt, Administrative Assistant, Student Services Jonathan Tamam, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition, School of Society, Enterprise and Environment Katy Nicholson, Library Assistant, Library and Learning Services Linda Hansard, Cleaner, Domestic Services Esther Williams, Deputy Registrar and Head of Applicant and Student Admissions, Student Services
SPACE OCTOBER 2013
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