Perspectives Lectures

SHARING PERSPECTIVES

‘Perspectives’ is a new lecture series hosted by the Girls’ Division, a virtual successor to the hugely successful Arts and Sciences Enrichment Lectures held in recent years. The inaugural Perspectives lecture took place in January 2021 as the school and country entered a second lockdown. Old Girl Sally-Anne Huang (née Blakemore, Class of 1990), the first ever female High Master of St Paul’s School in its 510-year history, gave a talk entitled ‘Bossy Women’ which focused on ambition and leadership from a female perspective. In a deeply personal address, she spoke about her career journey from her earliest memories to the present. She said: “I recall when I was young, prior to my Bolton School days, being called bossy quite a lot. I don’t think boys get called bossy in the way that girls do; of course, no-one said to me at the time that I was demonstrating incredible leadership skills and strategic thinking!” Sally-Anne went on to speak about how her days at Bolton School inspired her with an attitude that she could go out and rule the world. However, she also recalled the sexism and prejudice she has faced during her career. She said that the ‘Bolton School spirit’ kept her pushing forwards, and looked back on how she faced and overcame the challenges, embedding her talk with valuable advice for the audience. She considered her leadership style, which she described as sitting and listening quietly then using evidence and authority in decision-making, and addressed the problems that female leaders particularly face. During her talk, she implored the girls watching to find a job where they can be themselves and, if they want to lead, to find an area where their personal style will suit and where they don’t have to compromise their values and principles. Virtual ‘Perspectives’ events continued each half term with alumni panels speaking about careers in Journalism, Fashion and Engineering. Each panel spoke about the opportunities and challenges of varied careers in these fields, and reflected upon the skills needed to succeed.

Interviewing the Journalists

Kathryn Austin (Class of 2019) began her journey into journalism at a very young age. She wrote for the Girls’ Division newspaper from Year 8 onwards and became Editor in her final year and is now studying Multimedia Journalism at the University of Salford. She spoke about the experience she has had so far, including working in a newsroom 8pm to 8am to cover the 2019 General Election. Stephanie Gabbatt (Class of 2013) currently works for the BBC. During the pandemic, she has been involved in the BBC’s 100 Amazing Women project, arranged interviews with the founders of Black Lives Matter, spoken with celebrities and arranged virtual events. She enjoys the pressure getting her head around a story in only a few hours, but also noted that the profession is very competitive and entry-level jobs can be low paid. Amada Killelea, a Bolton School parent and features writer at the Daily Mirror, has 25 years of journalism experience and said that nothing beats the buzz of a newsroom when there is a breaking story! She talked the audience through her career so far and said that, though it’s not a traditional ‘9 to 5’ job, the rewards are immense: travelling the world, interviewing famous people, visiting film sets, and best of all telling the extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Kate McGeown (Class of 1994) looked back on a career that has seen her work for ‘Tomorrow’s World’, BBC News and the World Service. She now works in Comms with the Department for International Development, which recently merged with the Foreign Office. She talked about her time as a foreign correspondent and said she would recommend the profession to anyone interested in how the world works. Kathryn Knight (Class of 1989) is a freelance journalist who said that, though her life is now less international than it was earlier in her career, it is still very varied, involving everything from human interest interviews to investigations to visiting film sets. Technology has altered the landscape, but print media and their associated websites still have a role to play. She said that although the world has changed, the basics of journalism are the same.

CLICK HERE OR SCAN TO WATCH SALLY-ANNE HUANG‘S FILM ON ‘BOSSY WOMEN’ CLICK HERE OR SCAN TO WATCH THE FILM ON JOURNALISM CLICK HERE OR SCAN TO WATCH THE FILM ON ENGINEERING

Focus on Fashion

Rajeshree Bhosle (Class of 1998), Global CFO for The Faction Collective, spoke about her experiences working in finance within the fashion industry: she advised the girls watching that once they have a profession, such as accountancy or law, they should pick an industry that interests them. She did so and it has allowed her to work with some of the world’s most successful fashion brands. Joanna Czutkowna (Class of 2000), founder of ‘I Went Shopping Today’, shared her 20 years of experience working internationally within the fashion world, from working in factories to setting up innovation teams to running her own consultancy and encouraging a more sustainable and considered approach. She advised that combining creative thinking with strategic thinking is the key to making products that will sell. Sarah Ann Murray (Class of 2001) Zoomed in from Portugal to recap her career as a fashion designer and creative director, stylist and journalist: she has styled a host of famous faces, both for fashion photography and beyond, and worked with some of the industry’s most memorable names. Her top tip for those wishing to break into the business was to know it inside out and also develop an individual creative voice. Florence Hughes (Class of 2009) is an accessories and bags designer at ASOS and talked about her experiences at university as well as in her early career working with recognisable brands like Mulberry, Alfred Dunhill and Top Shop. She said that the industry allows for the building of a long-term career and potentially offers great creative freedom, and added that there is no bigger thrill than driving global trends and seeing sales grow across the world. Imogen West (Class of 2019) talked about her BA (Hons) degree in Fashion Design at the University of Leeds. She was able to talk about the modules she has been working on, such as Garment Technology, Research and Design Development and Fashion Marketing, as well as her up-coming 12-month internship with Harris Tweed tailors Walker Slater in Edinburgh. She offered those watching a clear look at what it’s really like to study fashion at university today.

Insight into Engineering

Khadijah Ismail (Class of 2017), a BAe Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprentice, shared her route into engineering, which began with her receiving an Arkwright Scholarship. She talked about highlights from her career so far and shared key takeaways: being real and proud of who you are, being enthusiastic, and finding the strength in saying, ‘I don’t know’. Finally, she shared a poem about engineering that she wrote for her first public speech. Radhika Sharma (Class of 2015) is a Mechanical Engineer currently working with the British Antarctic Survey to facilitate on-site experiments: she talked about her current work shadowing a colleague on an ice drill project. She spoke passionately about how engineering is about designing a world for everyone. She also advised that engineering can lead practically anywhere and there is something for everyone. Amy Williams (née Worsell, Class of 1997), a Chartered Civil Engineer and senior manager at Highways England, talked about providing core infrastructure such as water, roads, railways and buildings. She described civil engineering as balancing conflicting priorities: using technical skills and knowledge to help people. She also described the usefulness of work experience during her time at university and encouraged the audience to take advantage of awards to gain contacts and support.

Arts and Sciences

When the school went into lockdown, the 2019-20 lecture series sadly came to a premature end. However, between September 2019 and March 2020, pupils, staff and members of the local community enjoyed fascinating talks on a broad variety of subjects. Richard A Shirres, MSc (App.EnvSc), MICE, C Eng spoke on ‘The United Nations: Working to Save the Biosphere and Our Future’. Social historian Hallie Rubenhold revealed the fascinating history of Jack the Ripper’s victims. Presenter and anthropologist Professor Alice Roberts presented ‘Tamed: Three Species That Tamed our World’, which delved into the domestication of dogs, horses and cattle. Raynor Winn talked about the deeply personal journey she wrote into her book ‘The Salt Path’. Miranda Krestovnikoff shared her career’s marine highlights in a talk entitled ‘The Sea Around Me’. Poet Laureate Simon Armitage’s visit for the Poetry Festival was also a part of the Arts and Sciences Lecture Series.Amy Williams (née Worsell, Class of 1997), a Chartered Civil Engineer and senior manager at Highways England, talked about providing core infrastructure such as water, roads, railways and buildings. She described civil engineering as balancing conflicting priorities: using technical skills and knowledge to help people. She also described the usefulness of work experience during her time at university and encouraged the audience to take advantage of awards to gain contacts and support.