Edge Hill University
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Magazine Issue 09
Justice in Focus
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Contents E42 Magazine |
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Issue 09
The Good Shepherd Justice in Focus Creative Edge
Face the Music
The Silent Killer
The Mortgaged Generation The Wealth of Experience A New Chapter
The Business of Education No Place Like Home
Staff Profile: Leanne O’Leary A Perfect Partnership Exclaim!
Staff Profile: Rodge Glass
Published by Edge Hill University Editor: Mary Bernia Design: Andy Butler: EHU Creative Services Copywriting: Sophie Wilcockson Photography: Stuart Rayner; Tom Hesketh p12-15 Cover Photo: Peter Stevens If you have any comments, changes to personal details, or wish to add colleagues to the E42 mailing list, please contact: e42@edgehill.ac.uk E42, Corporate Communications, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 4QP UNITED KINGDOM
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During his tenure as Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones has led the community through some of the most significant moments in the city’s recent history, from the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital body parts scandal to campaigning to have Michael Shields’ murder conviction quashed. However, it is for chairing the Hillsborough Independent Panel, which finally uncovered the truth about the 96 killed in the tragedy, that he will undoubtedly be remembered – in Liverpool and beyond.
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The Good Shepherd
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The Good Shepherd
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In April, Bishop James gave an emotional public lecture about his role in what he calls the “Hillsborough narrative” to an audience that included survivors and members of the victims’ families. E42 spoke to him about his life, his time in Liverpool, his upcoming retirement and the legacy of Hillsborough.
Your father was a Major in the army. Were you ever tempted to follow him into the military? Never, although I was sent to a military boarding school where we wore battle dress and marched to meals. My brother joined the army but, from an early age, I was clear in my own heart and mind that God was calling me. When I was 14 or 15, I had a profound spiritual experience. I was so moved that I wanted to dance across the playing fields back to school, but at a boys’ military school that wouldn’t have been a good idea! You didn’t go straight into the church though, did you? I thought my experience at school was God telling me to be a priest, but I later realised it was simply a call to be a Christian. I studied Theology at university, before doing a PGCE in Drama and Divinity. I taught for a number of years and was also an AV producer for Scripture Union, where I worked with many famous names, including Roy Castle and Cliff Richard. I’ve had a varied career, but the church was always there at the back of my mind.
Could you explain about the Hillsborough Independent Panel (HIP) and your role on it? The HIP was set up to ensure the maximum possible disclosure of documents relating to the disaster, to create a national archive of Hillsborough documentation, produce a report outlining how the disclosure adds to public understanding of the event and its aftermath, and liaise with families throughout the task. I was privileged to be asked to chair the Panel. Why was the HIP so important? The families and survivors have only ever wanted justice. They not only had to endure their loss, but also people believing a lie about their loss. A person has a right to know how and why their loved one died and that doesn’t go away, even after 20 years. The outcome of the HIP was a vindication that the families hadn’t campaigned in vain, but it was also a watershed moment in the life of the nation.
E42 Magazine Hillsborough Memorial - Vincent Teeuwen - flickr.com/photos/7901295@N07/5271886085
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who aspire to be shepherds need to walk with the sheep. How did the HIP affect you personally? It affected me in many ways. In the middle of the process, I had to have a triple bypass operation. The first thing I asked the doctor was “will I be able to finish Hillsborough?” It also brought up uncomfortable questions about my faith. Who was I to ask God for help when 96 people had died; where was God for them and the people that loved them? I was also hugely affected by the dignity of the families and survivors. Their unswerving belief that justice would be done made a deep impression on me. In your lecture one of the audience members described you as a shepherd, offering calm and compassion to everyone regardless of faith. Would you agree? I think it’s an excellent analogy. There isn’t an inch of England that is not covered by a parish. The priest or vicar is responsible not just for those who come to church, but for everyone in the parish, as the shepherd cares for all the sheep in his field. When I was asked to chair the HIP, I saw it as the proper work of the Bishop of Liverpool. Those
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How do you see the role of the church in the future? I’m tempted to say “God only knows!” but it may be better to say, “only God knows”. Personally, I see the church as the advocate of the people. I enjoy using the office of Bishop to act on behalf of groups without a voice; you become their voice, not speaking for them but allowing them to speak through you. As Hillsborough has shown, if people’s trust has been undermined in the police, press, politicians, even the NHS, who can you turn to? I feel that the church can, and should, provide that role. Finally, what’s next for you? I am looking forward to retiring to my home in Yorkshire and spending more time with my family, especially as my first grandchild will be arriving in the summer. I will still be involved with Hillsborough, however, advising the government on the impact of the various processes on the families and survivors. It will be a huge wrench to leave Liverpool and the many people who have shared their lives with me, but as the city moves
The families and survivors have only ever wanted justice. They not only had to endure their loss, but also people believing a lie about their loss.
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Issue 09
Justice in Focus The Bishop of Liverpool’s lecture provided the perfect opportunity to launch a new exhibition of photographs celebrating the hugely successful Justice Tonight band, a collective of acclaimed musicians founded by Mick Jones from The Clash, Pete Wylie and The Farm (featuring bassist and Edge Hill University Media lecturer Carl Hunter) to raise awareness of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.
The first public exhibition by Preston-born photographer Peter Stevens, JUSTICE TONIGHT: The Photographs captures the energy, brotherhood and spirit of protest that the band has come to symbolise. As well as the band in action at the Scala and the Strummer of Love Festival in London in 2012, the photographs also feature some of the acts that joined Justice Tonight on the tour, including Paul Simonon of The Clash, Primal Scream and Goldblade.
Lifelong Liverpool FC fan Peter Stevens, who has snapped the likes of Dolly Parton, Sir Paul McCartney and Kylie during his 23-year career, said: “I knew the gig at the Scala was going to be special so I went along just to shoot whatever happened. Carl Hunter spotted the photos online and contacted me to ask if I would like to exhibit them at Edge Hill University.
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As with everything I’ve done with the Justice Tonight band, the joy of performing is always tinged with sadness.
“I was living in London in 1989 so, like many people, I watched the Hillsborough disaster unfold in front of me on TV. It was shocking then, and it’s still shocking that nearly 25 years later no-one has been prosecuted for letting it happen. “I feel honoured that my work is helping to raise awareness of the justice campaign. Unfortunately, I’m never going to be on stage playing Clash songs with Mick Jones, but I’m proud that my photographs can contribute to what the Justice Tonight band are trying to do.”
Carl Hunter, who was instrumental in bringing the exhibition to the University, said: “Edge Hill has a long involvement with Hillsborough, primarily through former member of staff Professor Phil Scraton’s research into the disaster and its aftermath. “It was great to see the photographs on display for the first time. It’s always a bit weird to see myself – a man of advancing years – on stage swinging a bass guitar around, but the images bring back vivid memories of the heat, the smell, the arguments, the excitement of those gigs.”
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Issue 09
Creative Edge Not many students get to work on live TV, make full-length feature films or render their own CGI animations.
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Issue 09
Creative Edge From September 2013, Edge Hill students will be able to do all that and more with the opening of Creative Edge, the University’s £17 million, state-of-the-art Media and Computing hub.
The new teaching and learning building gives Media, Film, Animation, PR, Advertising and Computing students access to the latest industrystandard facilities, broadening their skills and knowledge and enhancing their employability. The building features TV and radio studios, digital editing suites, high-spec computer labs and innovative teaching spaces, all designed to replicate the kind of working environments students will be entering when they graduate. There is also a 250-seater lecture theatre, complete with surround sound to replicate a cinema and show students how their film projects will look and sound on the big screen. Reinforced lifts will be installed to enable heavy equipment like pianos to be moved around the building with relative ease. Perched at the very top of the building will be an impressive glass structure known as the ICE Box. This will be home to the Institute for Creative Enterprise (ICE), which brings together related research from across the University and will act as the interface between research and the creative industries.
“The new building enables us to significantly expand the facilities we can offer students and practitioners,” says Professor George Talbot, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “One of our two new recording studios includes a Foley pit for adding sound in post-production, for example. We also have a specialist colour grading suite, suitable for producing feature films, and a render farm to enable CGI animation. “Very few people have the chance to work with this type of equipment outside industry, which will make our students extremely employable. “Having Computing and Media students located in the same building also reflects the way creative industries work,” George adds. “In the real world filmmakers commission original scores, TV producers employ animation experts, musicians hire people to make videos, advertising agencies work with software specialists on websites and apps. “Creative Edge will facilitate those kind of connections between students, and give them opportunities to work on projects that draw on a range of disciplines, just as they will when they’re working.”
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All Kitted Out
The development of Creative Edge has also led to a major new collaboration with Liverpool-based internet broadcaster Bay TV. The joint venture will see the company broadcasting from Creative Edge, beaming images of Edge Hill’s awardwinning campus into homes across the region. “The collaboration with Bay TV will bring major benefits to both parties,” says George. “As well as showcasing the campus and boosting our industry links, it offers exciting opportunities for Edge Hill students to work on live TV programmes, and to secure student placements without leaving the campus. In return, Bay TV gets access to our state-of-the-art recording facilities and can harness the skills of our talented staff and students.”
The facilities in Creative Edge eclipse anything the University has been able to provide before. Students enrolled on degrees in areas such as Animation and Digital Special Effects; Computing, Games Programming and Web Systems Development; Media, Film & Television, Advertising, Public Relations, and Music will all have access to resources and equipment on a par with those at MediaCityUK, Salford. • TV studios with broadcast capacity and full production capabilities for news, drama, documentary and experimental work • Recording studios • Lighting studio • Sound-editing suites • Radio studio • Animation studios
“Creative Edge also gives us increased opportunities for business engagement,” adds George. “We will be able to offer greater levels of media and IT consultancy, as well as making our facilities available for local organisations to hire.”
• Photographic studio • Multimedia laboratory • Practice rooms
A new Enterprise Suite will house the Enterprise Projects Team, which brings Computing students and local businesses together to work on ITrelated projects, as well as offering incubator space for fledgling high-tech companies founded by Edge Hill graduates. “We want Creative Edge to be the place where Media and Computing students, alumni and local businesses can work together in a creative, stimulating environment,” says George. “Creative Edge will cement Edge Hill’s growing reputation as the leading provider of education in computing and digital and creative media.”
• Networking and forensics laboratories • Computer laboratories
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Issue 09
Face the Music There aren’t many universities where you can study techno and grime alongside classical composers and ancient Japanese imperial court music. Or discuss the cultural significance of the Eurovision Song Contest or musical theatre with the UK’s leading experts on the subjects. Or be taught by a pop veteran with a recent Christmas number one under his belt.
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Edge Hill is carving an interesting niche for itself as one of the most exciting places in higher education to study, hear, research, perform and debate music in all its forms – and the development of Creative Edge is set to boost Edge Hill’s musical credentials even further. “We have an attractive range of Music programmes and research strengths in Performing Arts, Media and Education,” says Professor George Talbot, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “There are lots of students and staff working with music across campus, and we are currently looking at ways to build on that and present a more cohesive music offering in the future.” Edge Hill currently has two music degrees: BA (Hons) Media, Music and Sound, which looks at music and sound production; and BA (Hons) Music, Sound, Enterprise, which encourages original composition through the study of a wide range of musical styles. These will be complemented in 2014 by the introduction of a new undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre.
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“As you might expect from a young and vibrant University that prides itself on its industry relevant programmes, we don’t offer a ‘traditional’ music degree,” says George. “Our music courses reflect developments within the creative and cultural industries and give students skills that are sought after by today’s employers. So our students are more likely to compose music for computer games or go into sound production than become classical musicians. “We play to our strengths by offering highly contemporary, original music programmes that prepare students for a range of interesting careers in the music industry.” One of Edge Hill’s major strengths is the quality of its staff, who come from a range of industry backgrounds and are actively engaged in the production, performance and politics of music. These include acclaimed musician, presenter and author Dr Richard Witts, who oversees Edge Hill’s Music, Sound, Enterprise degree and will be instrumental in developing Edge Hill’s musical portfolio.
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“Our programmes focus on the production of music rather than the reproduction of it,” says Richard. “They are of music rather than about music. We are interested in the creative process of composition. Our students need to understand music in its cultural, historical and political context to be able to create new music that reflects the here and now. I think that’s what makes our programmes distinctive. “We also have some fantastic facilities here,” adds Richard. “The new Creative Edge building will house two recording studios, including state-of-the-art resources for digital composers. We also have the Naxos online music library, which holds over a million music files covering all styles of recorded music. Students can access it 24/7 for relaxation or inspiration.” Industry links are also very important. Edge Hill is involved with Liverpool Sound City, the UK’s largest metropolitan arts festival and international conference for the music, creative and digital industries. As well as staff contributing to industry debates and panel events, a team from Edge Hill recently won the UK Student Music Awards, launched by Liverpool Sound City to nurture new talent and help young people forge a career in the music industry.
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The winning team – Music, Media and Sound students Daniel Cain and Charlie Denton plus Film and TV Production student Sean Stoakes – developed a local gig-finding app called ‘FanBase’. They were supported by staff from both the Media and Computing departments – an example of collaborative working that will soon be the norm once the two departments are co-located in the new Creative Edge building. For Carl Hunter the possibilities presented by the new building are endless. “We could do some really exciting things that no-one else has tried,” he says. “I’m currently working on an idea for an Edge Hill record label based in Creative Edge. Students would be involved in all aspects of spotting, signing and promoting new artists as well as managing the business side of the enterprise. It would provide practical, real-world industry experience for students studying Business, Marketing, PR, Advertising and Computing, as well as those on music courses. “Something like that would really give us the edge over the competition and would make Edge Hill a magnet for people who love music.”
Film and TV lecturer and bass guitarist with The Farm, Carl Hunter, who has previously performed at and contributed to the event, was instrumental in coaching the winning team to success.
“We have a lot of big ideas for music at Edge Hill,” adds George Talbot. “We’re already building up our reputation as a place to see live bands. We have a regular Indie music night, Cantina, and the Arts Centre is increasingly recognised as one of the best places to see folk music in the region.
“The students had to come up with an idea that would benefit the music industry,” says Carl. “They then had to pitch their concept to a panel of industry experts. They were one of two Edge Hill teams to make the finals, which is pretty impressive for a national award. It’s a great thing for the students to have on their CV and has helped them make some really valuable industry contacts.”
“Our aspiration is for Edge Hill to be known for its vibrant student music scene, and for providing unique, contemporary, industry-focused music degrees that reflect the way music is performed, produced and consumed both now and in the future.”
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Issue 09
The Silent Killer Malaria kills more than a million people across the world every year. Half of the world’s population – about 3.3 billion – are at risk of malaria, with the youngest inhabitants of the poorest countries most vulnerable to infection. Despite the best efforts of scientists, there is currently no vaccine, and the mosquitos that spread this devastating disease are becoming increasingly immune to insecticides.
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The Silent Killer
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Dr Clare Strode, an expert in the molecular biology of mosquitoes, is hoping her research into insecticide resistance can help in the global fight against malaria and other insect-borne diseases.
“My research focuses on how and why mosquitoes become resistant to insecticides, and also the effectiveness of vector control tools, such as bed nets, on mosquito populations,” says Clare, who joined Edge Hill this year after 10 years at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. “I’m interested in the molecular basis of resistance; which of the mosquitoes’ genes are mutating to resist chemical insecticides. Once we’ve identified those genes, the aim is to create a genetic profile which can then be used to inform new products, develop tools to track and combat resistance and, hopefully, contribute to global public health programmes.”
As part of her research, Clare has travelled to French Guyana, one of the countries most affected by malaria, to monitor, at first hand, resistant populations of mosquitoes. “Working in a lab in Britain, you’re pretty far removed from the realities of diseases like malaria and dengue. When you see the conditions for yourself – the mosquito breeding grounds, the poverty, the effect of the disease on communities – it really focuses the mind. You can see the potential impact of your work and it makes you more determined.”
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As well as the female Anopheles gambiae mosquito, which passes the parasite responsible for the disease through saliva when it bites, Clare is also researching the Aedes aegypi mosquito, which spreads dengue fever, another potentially fatal disease prevalent in developing countries. In the future she hopes to expand her research to include other insects, such as the triatomid bug which transmits chagas disease, also known as South American Sleeping Sickness. Clare’s research requires specialist equipment, such as DNA analysis facilities, the very latest microscopes and insectaries to breed and monitor mosquitoes. Edge Hill’s current investment in Biology ensures these resources are available, providing staff and students with one of the bestequipped labs in the UK. “These cutting edge facilities will enable me to secure essential funding to continue my malaria research,” says Clare. “Through its investment in technology, the University is demonstrating commitment not just to enhancing Biology teaching and research and improving the student experience, but also to finding solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”
Investment in Biosciences Edge Hill University is investing more than £4 million in new accommodation and state-of-the-art facilities for Biology students and researchers. A new Biosciences building will feature high-spec teaching spaces and dedicated laboratories, with brand new resources including DNA analysis equipment, a scanning electron microscope and several insectaries. “Practical experience of molecular biology is vital for a range of careers, and essential for further study,” says Paul Ashton, Head of the Biology Department. “Today’s Biology graduates need to be technically skilled in areas such as microscopy, DNA technology and microbiology.
Photos - The Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team in the Central African Republic - flickr.com/photos/hdptcar
“Our new facilities will give students the opportunity to work with the latest equipment, broaden their knowledge and develop skills that are highly prized by employers.” Investment in Biology also supports two new degree programmes for September 2013 – BSc (Hons) Human Biology and BSc (Hons) Ecology – to complement Edge Hill’s successful BSc (Hons) Biology course. Three new members of staff have also been recruited to strengthen the Biology team in recent months. As well as mosquito expert Dr Clare Strode, the Department has welcomed microbiologist Angela Ryan-Kewley and Dr Anne Oxborough who specialises in spider diversity. “Our new staff bring significant new expertise into the department,” says Paul. “They will have a major impact on the breadth and depth of our teaching as well as opening up exciting new areas of research within the University.”
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The Mortgaged Generation Record youth unemployment, cuts in education and training, reductions in state benefits – it could be argued that the consequences of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) are being most keenly felt by those who did least to cause it. Young people growing up in the aftermath of the GFC are carrying a heavy burden in terms of changing education and employment opportunities, access to state support networks and the resulting impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. According to research by Peter Kelly, Professor of Childhood and Youth Studies at Edge Hill University, the impact of the GFC is also starting to affect young people’s identity. In his inaugural lecture, Growing Up after the GFC: What is to Become of Young People, Identity, Democracy and Enterprise?, Professor Kelly suggests that the GFC and the subsequent austerity measures imposed across the globe have severe and far-reaching consequences for the way young people see themselves and their place in society. “In modern democracies, so much of our identity is connected to our education, career, relationships, consumption, housing and, often, parenting,” says Peter, who joined Edge Hill this year from Deakin University in Australia. “The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) is having a major impact on young people’s opportunities to engage with these traditional markers of adulthood, so their whole identity and sense of purpose within their environment is being eroded. “The stories young people have always been told about what they need to do to transition from school to higher education or training to work to adulthood – those stories are changing.”
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“The price of this financial crisis is being borne by people who absolutely did not cause it.�
Mervyn King Head of the Bank of England
Issue 09
“Young people no longer feel that they’re investing in their own future, but mortgaging their hopes and aspirations before they even start.”
Andre Roberts
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Senior Lecturer, Business School Occupy Wallstreet - Michael Fleshman - flickr.com/photos/fleshmanpix/6986482341
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The government claims that austerity measures are the only possible response to the GFC – the Chancellor, George Osborne, is on record as saying “there is no Plan B” – but does it really have to be that way? Peter would argue otherwise. “The aftermath of the GFC has been imagined, and sold to us, as about sovereign debt crises, rising state debt levels and austerity,” says Peter. “Apparently, you can’t increase taxation or take more from the rich so making cuts in public spending is the only way to deal with the problem. “There are other options, alternative ways of dealing with the GFC, so I’m interested in why it has been imagined in this way, why the people setting the policies think that’s the only option, and what the consequences are for young people in the future.” Against this backdrop, it’s easy to see why grassroots protest groups, such as the Occupy Movement and the Spanish Indignados, have enjoyed a rise in popularity among young people. Occupy’s slogan, We are the 99%, has come to embody the sense of inequality felt by young people in a post-GFC world: the 99% are paying for the mistakes of the top earning 1%. “Young people feel there is little chance for their concerns to be heard and met through the traditional institutions of the liberal democracies,” says Peter, “and they’ve started to find alternative ways to voice their anxiety, uncertainty and anger about their experiences. “We are the 99% represents a new kind of identity, based on social networking, which attempts to re-imagine what it means to be a person who is connected to others, and who together might fashion and test out new forms of connection and collective identity and action, to replace the ones stolen by the GFC.”
“The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) shows that business, as we know it, has failed. The concept of business for profit alone is not sustainable, and young people, more than most, are paying the price. Youth unemployment across Europe is at an all-time high: 21% of 18-24 year olds in Britain are unemployed, while in Spain it stands at nearly 50% and Greece has recently hit 60%. A generation is being lost to the GFC and, without a radical change in how we perceive and do business across the world, it’s hard to see how things can improve. In my role, lecturing and working on responsible business and social enterprise, I talk about the notion of ‘beautiful business’; organisations whose purpose is not just to make a profit but whose outputs also support people and communities. We can promote this idea by highlighting better business role models. People like Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad Yunus, whose development of microfinance loans has helped poor people across the world set up small businesses in their communities. Anyone can start a small social enterprise, get involved on a local level, start sowing the seeds of change. Hopefully, generations to come will benefit from the wisdom that starts with today’s young people.”
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“Performance practices reveal social changes, their subject matter and format reflecting the society from which they emerge and into which they play. Just as the socio-cultural dynamics of late 17th Century England produced the Restoration Comedy of Manners, so the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and subsequent austerity project has consequences for publics and performers today.
“After last year’s ‘Summer of Sport’, which showcased Britain’s elite sportspeople and promised to ‘inspire a generation’, you might think that sport in the UK is in pretty good shape. In reality, behind the Olympic and Paralympic success, is a grassroots sports infrastructure that is being slowly dismantled by austerity measures. This has far-reaching implications not only for elite sport, but also for the health, wellbeing and social inclusion of a generation of young people.
Professor of Performing Arts
In 2013, politics plays out as UK plc, a long-running series of public dramas on 24-hour news media. In this show, prudent protagonists and feckless antagonists clash in conflicts to which people’s real experiences of Austerity Britain are, at best, a distant backdrop. Scripts in which, for instance, decent hard-working people struggle while scroungers and parasites thrive, are aggressively circulated. Based on everything from deliberate deception to dubious statistics, their overriding purpose is to promote an idea of ‘Austerity as a Good Thing’ in the public mind. Against this backdrop, current 3rd year Drama students created Scapegoats: Pathways to Poverty, to articulate, in the best British tradition, dissenting views. Scapegoats explores the contradictions between this generation’s real experiences of life in Austerity Britain, and the shameless use of UK plc, by Government and media to distort perceptions of how – and why – so many people are condemned to poverty. The GFC and its grim aftermath renews artists’ historical role of ethical witness; by turning statements into questions, they enable democracy itself and demonstrate that alternatives are always available.”
Professor of Sport and Physical Activity
Since 2010, there has been a significant reduction in funding for school sports including investment in School Sport Partnerships, which increased the range and quantity of sports and physical activities available in schools. This has now been replaced by the School Games within a policy climate in schools which prioritises competitive sport and which benefits only a minority of young people. Even more significantly, the austerity measures are also having a disproportionately negative effect on those from lower socio-economic groups and is further widening social inequalities in sports participation and other health-related behaviours. Community sport participation is also significantly at risk as funding is withdrawn across the public sector. As sports provision is not a statutory obligation for local authorities, many sports development units are either closing or being significantly reduced. With school sport often narrowly defined around competition and increasingly marginalised on the local government agenda, fostering a love of sport in young people and encouraging lifelong physical activity may be increasingly difficult in the future.
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The Wealth of Experience Volunteering has not only changed the life of Children’s Nursing student Tom Holt – it has made a difference to thousands of children across Britain.
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Issue 09
The Wealth of Experience Tom Holt first became aware of volunteering at school when he took part in a mentoring scheme, offering advice and guidance to younger children. Seven years on, he has helped more than 3,000 young people as a volunteer.
Tom’s outstanding commitment to helping others was given national recognition in February when he was named UK Student Volunteer of the Year 2013. He collected his award – plus a £1,000 donation to a charity of his choice – at a ceremony in the Houses of Parliament. Tom dedicates four hours a week to ChildLine as a telephone counsellor, plus a further four hours to an Action for Children mentoring scheme in Knowsley. He is also a Beaver, Cub and Scout leader, working with more than 50 children a week aged between six and 15. As if this isn’t enough, he regularly takes part in CHICKS respite weekends in Cornwall for disadvantaged youngsters. “Winning UK Student Volunteer of the Year was absolutely fantastic – I really wasn’t expecting it,” says Tom. “The award reflects what I’ve achieved and I hope it will inspire other people to put an hour or two aside a week to volunteer.” Tom is often asked what motivates him to give up so much of his time. “I just enjoy every second of it,” he says. “I’m hugely passionate about getting involved. No matter how badly I feel a session has gone, I look at the children’s smiling faces and think of the difference I’m making.”
As well as contributing to his personal growth, Tom believes volunteering has played a crucial role in his career aspirations. “It’s true that your CV looks much stronger if you’ve volunteered,” said Tom. “Obviously, this isn’t why I do volunteering, but it is a valuable bonus. Also, when you have a job interview you can talk about yourself and your experiences. Volunteering gives you self-confidence as well as a great range of transferable skills. It shows you are organised, you can take responsibility, and demonstrates leadership.” Alongside his volunteering activities, Tom is an active blogger and has had an article published in the international online magazine the Huffington Post about winning his award. “I blog about volunteering, but also about children’s nursing, because there are very few men in this area of the profession,” says Tom. “It’s partly a traditional thing but I also think guys feel children’s nursing isn’t masculine, that they’ll be ridiculed, even if they do it at a voluntary level. But there’s a real need. I’ve heard employers say that one male nurse on a children’s ward totally changes the dynamic.”
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“Volunteering should be something you enjoy, something challenging but something fun. There’s a volunteering opportunity out there for everyone. Do what you like, but like what you do.”
Volunteers
Looking ahead, Tom intends to pursue a career in children’s nursing when he graduates. His tutor at Edge Hill, Monica Patel, believes volunteering will not only help Tom to perform well at interview, but also in his career.
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“YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ” For more information visit: edgehill.ac.uk/careers/Volunteering/
“Any experience of caring for children, outside the NHS and in their normal environments, helps to broaden knowledge and understanding of the needs of all children in their own communities,” says Monica. “Through volunteering, Tom is developing cultural, spiritual, legal, ethical, economic and political knowledge, all of which will improve his understanding of the specific needs of children who need nursing care. “Tom also has to use various communication skills to meet the needs of children in the different volunteering activities,” adds Monica, “and this will develop his confidence to cope with the unique situations he will face when in nursing and NHS practice.”
Volunteering at Edge Hill Employers are interested in transferable skills (such as communication, time-management and organisational) as well as the skills you need to do a particular job. Voluntary work can give you the edge in both. Edge Hill supports student volunteers in a number of ways. The Careers Service runs regular volunteering fairs to connect students with local organisations, advertises volunteering opportunities through its online vacancy service and even has its own Volunteer of the Year awards to recognise students’ achievements. Edge Hill was also the first university in the North West to offer Volunteering and Citizenship Scholarships, worth up to £2,000, to prospective and current students who give up time to help others, regularly fundraise or work on community projects.
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Issue 09
A New Chapter
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Thousands of children across the country are developing the skill – and the will – to read, thanks to a pioneering government initiative being managed by Edge Hill University. Edge Hill is the only university in the country to have been selected by the Department for Education (DfE) to provide training for Reading Support – an innovative intervention programme to help primary schools improve the reading of their lowest attaining pupils – and early results suggest the programme will be enormously successful. “We are starting to get data back from teaching staff who have done a first run-through and have been able to test the children on entry and exit,” explains Val Chamberlain, Edge Hill’s Head of Reading Support. “The results are extremely encouraging because they show what progress has been achieved by children in Years 2-4 after only 10 to 12 weeks.” Reading Support builds on the strengths of Every Child Counts, the University's numeracy programme that has provided highly effective intervention support to over 30,000 children who have difficulties with mathematics, in more than 2,000 primary schools in England. “The Reading Support programme uses approaches that combine systematic synthetic phonics, along with developing children’s comprehension and love of reading,” says Val. “We want to encourage children to develop the skill to read as well as the will to read – to get pleasure from reading.”
Equally importantly, the programme represents an integrated professional development opportunity for teachers and teaching assistants. “We really focus on building in professional development, so all our sessions involve reflection and discussion,” says Val. “It’s an ongoing commitment to help teaching staff develop their skills, rather than a one-off training exercise.” Reading Support comprises two new intervention programmes developed at Edge Hill University. “Project X CODE is a lighter touch intervention, based on an adventure book series published by Oxford University Press,” explains Val. “We train teaching assistants to deliver it to small groups of children in Years 2-4 who need a helping hand to develop phonic skills and a love of reading. “Phonics Counts is an intensive intervention for children in Years 1-3, who really struggle to read and need specialist, one-to-one intervention.” Among schools across the country to have benefited from the Project X CODE intervention is Halsnead Primary School in Knowsley, where headteacher, Anita Abdous, is very impressed by the outcomes for both her children and staff. “We have done X CODE with two groups of children in Year 2 and they have been responding brilliantly,” says Anita. “The children who aren’t part of the group desperately want to be. In class, the X CODE children are reading more actively and you can see that they really want to read.
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“This is an effective intervention and one that we are going to continue with,” she adds. “The confidence the DfE has placed in us is something we feel really pleased about,” says Val. “It’s based on our reputation – backed by data – to successfully deliver projects on a national level, and is due recognition of the world-class specialist skills we have developed at Edge Hill.
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“We now plan to grow and expand our reading interventions and will be actively developing links with local authorities across the country in 2013/14.”
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Issue 09
The Business of Education Edge Hill has always worked with employers to develop industry-relevant programmes and provide work-based learning opportunities for its students. Now, a dedicated Employer Engagement team aims to increase the number of university links with external organisations and improve the employment prospects for generations of future Edge Hill graduates.
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Why did we team up with Edge Hill University? Because it offered the flexibility we were looking for. After talking to other providers, Edge Hill University offered bespoke accreditation linked to what our employees are already doing in the workplace and the portfolio approach makes the Foundation Degree Chris Whittle, Head of Training, Viridor. very manageable.
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EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY
Issue 09
The Business of Education As part of the Higher Education Funding Council’s CoFunded Employer Engagement scheme (CoFEE), Edge Hill had secured funding for the equivalent of 720 full-time places for employee-supported students – one of the largest allocations awarded in the UK. The scheme came to an end last year but, in recognition of the considerable achievement of hitting these ambitious targets, the University was recently awarded a further £500,000 to continue with its work-based training activities. “We already enjoy successful partnerships with a number of public and private sector organisations and have an excellent reputation for training practitioners in Education, Health and Social Care,” says Professor Bill Bruce, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). “We are now looking to build on this solid base with a particular emphasis on forging stronger relationships with the private sector.” As a result of the CoFEE funding, the University has established a new seven-strong Employer Engagement (EE) team to develop strategic partnerships with businesses, identify workforce training and development opportunities and raise the profile of Edge Hill among the regional business community. Lisa Knight, (pictured above), who heads up the new team, says: “We work closely with businesses to understand their training requirements, then develop a tailored programme that will deliver exactly what they need. Clients can choose from a range of ‘off the shelf’ short courses, accredited
training programmes or Masters programmes, or we can develop a completely bespoke product to meet their needs.” Several companies are already seeing the benefits of working with the University. Recycling, renewable energy and waste management company, Viridor, worked with the Faculty of Education to develop a bespoke foundation degree programme for its workforce; while a collaboration between the Faculty of Health and Social Care and service provider Care UK has resulted in an innovative e-learning programme providing essential training for employees across 50 sites. As well as training programmes, the University is also developing high-level apprenticeships, consultancy services and has established several Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in the area of Computing. The CoFEE grant includes £225,000 in student bursaries as an added incentive for businesses to look to Edge Hill for their training and development needs. “The work of the Employee Engagement team supports a number of the University’s strategic priorities,” says Robert Smedley, Pro ViceChancellor and Dean of Education, who oversees the work of the team.
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“Building mutually beneficial partnerships will not only open up new opportunities for staff to engage in collaborative research and knowledge exchange activities, but also improve student employability through work placements and graduate recruitment.” Raising awareness of the University’s expertise and capacity as a training and development partner is a key part of the team’s work. Edge Hill has hosted two successful partnership dinners and a Technology Expo, designed to showcase the University’s expertise in areas as diverse as social media, digital media, big data, cloud computing, animation and sports rehabilitation.
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“There was already a lot of engagement activity happening across campus before the team was established,” says Lisa. “My role has been to start to pull it together into a coherent offering, support those who are working with industry and share best practice across the University.
“I’m sure the positive impact on teaching, research and student employability will be felt for years to come.”
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EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY
Issue 09
No Place Like Home End of life care for children is a complex and emotionally charged issue. Hospitals and hospices are the traditional options for parents but now, thanks to a groundbreaking project at Edge Hill, more terminally ill children will be able to be cared for in their own home. The practical skills required to nurse a very poorly child around the clock – with all the unexpected crises it can bring – can test even the most confident parents, but most families would still rather have their child with them at home, despite their multiple medical needs.
“The flat is based on the average property and has the standard dimensions you would find in any home that has been adapted to meet the care needs of a terminally ill child,” explains David Cobb, Head of Professional Standards, who is overseeing the development of the new suite.
A new project in the Faculty of Health and Social Care is underlining Edge Hill’s growing reputation for expertise in end of life care. Better at Home is set to help parents of terminally ill children provide clinical and nursing care in their own home, which means more stability for the whole family.
“So, for example, the door widths and plug heights accurately reflect what people have at home. The suite also has cameras so that we can monitor parents during training and give them detailed feedback and support.
Brenda Roberts, Head of Children and Young People’s Health, was pivotal in winning funding from the WellChild charity to create a Better at Home simulation suite within the University’s Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre – the only one of its kind in the country. Designed as a small flat, it is at the heart of the project and is a place where parents, siblings and the extended family care team will build their confidence and learn the clinical and care skills their child’s condition demands.
“It’s a really pioneering facility and so important for families,” adds David. “Parents can learn how to use a hoist or a ventilator in hospital but when they get home and try to move it across a carpet, that’s completely different. The Better at Home suite is like a halfway house between the safety of hospital and the unknown quantity of being at home on your own.” Brenda explains: “Better at Home is all about giving parents the skills and confidence they need to nurse their child at home and then to provide ongoing support 24 hours a day. “Some specialist training can make a big difference to families and prevent unnecessary admissions to A&E which can be stressful for the child and the parents.
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“If a parent knows how to clear a blocked tracheotomy at 2am they can avoid a 999 call and keep their child with them. Being able to cope at home potentially gives parents more choices about end of life care, which is really important.” The Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre is more usually used to train students and nursing professionals and includes a functioning hospital ward. The Better at Home suite takes this model further, providing hands-on training for families backed up with comprehensive online tools, as well as support from a WellChild Nurse, funded as part of the project.
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The suite, which is due to be completed by the September 2013, will also provide a valuable resource for Edge Hill students when not in use by the Better at Home team. “As well as being a potential lifesaver for parents, the Better at Home suite will benefit a variety of students,” says David. “Social Workers and Mental Health nurses could use it to replicate home visits, paramedics could practice treating people trapped behind furniture or fittings, or midwives could use it to simulate home births. It has a lot of potential for real-world teaching, which is vital for increasing our students’ employability.”
Staff Profile
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Issue 09
EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY
actions; it was a very humbling experience.
Leanne O’Leary Senior Lecturer – Law
I worked as a solicitor in New Zealand before coming to the UK. I’m originally from Auckland and when I finished my law degree and arts degree in Japanese, there was the expectation that I would go travelling. The ‘overseas experience’ is part of NZ culture, and with the ancestral links and longer working holiday visas, a lot of young New Zealanders come to the UK. I stayed working as a solicitor in NZ for a couple of years before hopping on the plane to London. My friends and family thought I would be home within six months but they were wrong. Thirteen years later, I am still here. I came up north to watch a rugby match. When I arrived I spent a month in London but finding a job was difficult. I had a distant relative living near Huddersfield who invited me up one weekend to watch a rugby league match at Old Trafford. I had a great weekend and ended up staying longer than I had planned. Eventually I found a job in Manchester. My first job was working on the Shipman Inquiry. My NZ legal qualifications were not immediately recognised when I came to the UK so I couldn’t practise as a solicitor. However, legal skills are transferable and I obtained work as a paralegal on the Shipman Inquiry in Manchester. The Shipman Inquiry was a public inquiry which looked into the activities of Harold Shipman, a former doctor in Hyde. Working on the Shipman Inquiry provided an interesting contrast to my former job. In New Zealand I had worked in commercial law. The Inquiry with its criminal law focus provided an interesting legal contrast and was also a great introduction to the legal profession in this country. Part of my role was to investigate the deaths of Shipman’s patients. I was provided with a death certificate and required to investigate whether Shipman had killed the patient. I met a lot of people who had been affected by Shipman’s
I re-qualified as a solicitor and moved into employment law. After the Inquiry, I worked for a number of law firms, including Eversheds LLP. I also decided to do a PhD. I had always been interested in sport and it intrigued me that employment law did not appear to apply to professional sport in the way it applied to other industries. My thesis considered the regulation of Super League. After completing it, I decided that the academic world provided an excellent opportunity to combine an interest in sport with my legal skills and knowledge. Edge Hill enables me to develop teaching skills and a research path. I teach Legal Methods and
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A Perfect Partnership Edge Hill University has forged a prestigious new partnership with a Chinese university to deliver teacher training.
Over the last three years the University has strengthened its links with China and, as a result, a new Confucius Institute (CI) has been established at Edge Hill. Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions supported by the Ministry of Education in China. They aim to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching, and facilitate cultural exchanges. There are about 400 distributed through about 100 countries worldwide. A unique aspect of the CI programme at Edge Hill is that trainee teachers will have the option to learn Mandarin Chinese and visit China. For some this will lead to a teaching qualification in Chinese. Others will benefit by first-hand experience of the new global superpower. This status means that the University will be able to help meet the demand for international experience in the skills market, therefore increasing employability opportunities for its students. Robert Smedley, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Education, said: “We are delighted to launch the Confucius Institute in our Education Faculty. To be given this honour reflects the excellent links the University has already made in China.”
“The work we are doing to strengthen educational links with China is important for a number of reasons. For starters, we will be preparing young people for the global new economy as identified in a recent report, The Global Skills Gap. This report stresses that if the UK is to compete in the global economy we need to broaden the horizons of young people.” “Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, supports the teaching of foreign languages to primary school children from the age of seven. Mandarin has been identified as one of the chosen languages. Currently there is a shortage of Mandarin Chinese speaking teachers so our new project will be meeting this demand. We will be offering our students great opportunities to develop their skills and undertake placements in China. This enhances their job prospects and provides more Mandarin speaking teachers in British schools.” The University has been awarded a start-up fund of $150,000 which will be used to teach the language and provide facilities for Chinese instructors, as well as establishing information resources on China’s education and culture, and funds for exchange placement opportunities for students. As part of the agreement, Edge Hill University will partner with Chongqing Normal University to carry out the work over the next five years.
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EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY
Issue 09
Exclaim! Students from the University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences took over The Lowry, the prestigious theatre located at the home of BBC North, MediaCityUK, for one night as they showcased a collection of their best creative work in front of an audience of industry insiders, family and friends.
Find out more by visiting edgehill.ac.uk/news/story/exclaim-2013/
Staff Profile
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Rodge Glass Senior Lecturer – Creative Writing
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I grew up directly under the flight path near Manchester Airport. The ground would shake every time a plane flew over and I was constantly looking up at the sky wondering where they were going. It’s hard to feel isolated from the rest of the planet when people are constantly floating over your head to other places. I don’t know whether this has influenced my writing, but escape and longing are definitely key themes throughout my work. I’d describe myself as having no faith but a lot of questions. I went to several different faith schools including an Orthodox Jewish Primary School and a Monk-sponsored Catholic College. It was quite an intense religious education but it raised more questions for me than it answered. My first two novels, No Fireworks and Hope For Newborns, deal directly with issues of faith and religious escape, but ultimately they’re more about the dividing lines between religion and community than about god. I always wanted to write but didn’t think it was a viable career for someone who wasn’t in the ‘elite’. While I was studying at Strathclyde University,
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there was a brilliant writer-in residence there called Robert Alan Jamieson. I took him a couple of my early stories and he said they weren’t completely terrible, which I took as the greatest compliment. He inspired me to think of myself as a writer. You don’t have to go anywhere to be a tourist. You can be a tourist in your own town, in a relationship, in your own life. My latest book, LoveSexTravelMusik, is a collection of short stories about the challenges of trying to engage with the place you’re in, whether that’s a physical place or somewhere in your own head. Each story takes the revolution in cheap air travel as a starting point to explore why people want to escape, their expectations, satisfactions and disappointments, and the difference between being a traveller and a tourist. I think experimentation is good for a writer. To date, I have written novels, short stories, biography and a graphic novel. At core, I consider myself a novelist but I’ve learnt a lot from each experience and each one gives me new energy and informs my future writing. If you never try new things you get stale and, before you know it, you’re making Be Here Now, writing poor imitations of your best work and becoming your own tribute act. Happy faces and ducks were my first impressions of Edge Hill. It’s a lovely campus with a really vibrant and welcoming atmosphere and the Creative Writing department is really big and diverse. In my previous university, Creative Writing counted for a quarter of another degree so the opportunity to teach it as a single honours course is very exciting. I’m interested in issues that are very contemporary, so sometimes things change while I’m still writing about them. While I was writing Bring Me The Head Of Ryan Giggs, the scandal broke about his personal life, which added a new dimension to the book. I’m currently writing a political comedy, called Once A Great Leader, about a female British prime minster who suffers a media downfall after a political gaffe. Guess who died when I was 25,000 words in? The book was never about Thatcher but her death makes it a very interesting time to be writing about the legacy of a female British Prime Minister. Award-winning author Rodge Glass joined Edge Hill
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