Goldlink 29 by Goldsmiths, University of London

Goldlink 29 Autumn 2007 Keeping you in touch with Goldsmiths

Glue, Paper, Scissors A4 paper as you’ve never seen it before

‘An expression of identity’ Jewellery from around the world with Pippa Small

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6/7/07 5:34:08 pm

Jasmina Cibic (PG Dip Fine Art 2003-04): “TOURISTS WELCOME” An installation at Ljubljana Aerodrome, Slovenia, July 2007 in collaboration with the Slovene Police and Customs Administration of the Republic of Slovenia

BEARSPACE 152 Deptford High Street London SE8 3PQ 020 8694 8097 bearspace@thebear.tv www.thebear.tv/bearspace

Goldlink 29 Keeping you in touch with Goldsmiths Edited by Will Finch Development and Alumni Office Goldsmiths, University of London New Cross, London, SE14 6NW w.finch@gold.ac.uk 020 7919 7069

Contributions to Goldlink are welcome by e-mail or post. We reserve the right to edit articles in the interests of brevity or clarity. The opinions expressed in the magazine are thoseof the writers concerned and not necessarily of Goldsmiths. Goldlink is printed on Era Silk, the only coated graphical paper made from UK waste. Era Silk is collected from within a 100 mile locality, thereby reducing its carbon footprint, and is produced under the Eco-Management Audit Scheme (EMAS) certification.

Inside: Goldlink 29

4-7 NEWS Latest news from Goldsmiths and its alumni 8 SPEAKING FROM THE HEART Pippa Small, jewellery designer 9

Goldsmiths vs Oldsmiths Find out who came out on top 10-11 COVER STORY

100% paper Gina Buenfeld tells Goldlink about the work of paper sculptor, Peter Callesen 12

The Graduate School Goldsmiths newest department and how you can help 13

How to stroke a baby kiwi Sarah Edwards on life as a tour guide in New Zealand 14-15

Hut F

Alex Cotton reveals how a father-and-daughter team helped six Design students to enter the real world 16-17 alumni abroad

The Chinese Connection

Christina Fang reports from the Alumni UK Ball in Beijing REGULARS 18 Obituaries 19 Alumni services

Rosie Dewhurst, Director of Development

news

Dean Lecture 2007

Enhancing the student experience

Following on from Hisham Matar’s successful return to Goldsmiths last year, we are pleased to announce details of the 2007 Dean Lecture. This exciting lecture, entitled ‘Investing in the Creative Industries’, will be given by Patrick McKenna, Chairman of Ingenious Media plc, on Thursday 8 November.

Welcome to Goldlink29! Following a review in November 2006 by the Senior Management Team, the Development and Alumni Office has become a permanent part of Goldsmiths. In early January, we were therefore able to agree objectives for the coming academic year, including assisting with the development of the Estates Strategy, increasing donor cultivation to secure new income for a variety of projects, increasing our international alumni networks to assist with income generation and student recruitment, and improving our existing methods of communication.

Before forming Ingenious in 1998, Patrick was Chairman and Chief Executive of The Really Useful Group and prior to that was a partner in Deloitte & Touche where he ran the media group. He is Chairman of The Young Vic Theatre and is a Board Member of NESTA. He also chairs a number of companies operating in the media sector, including the television company, Hat Trick Productions. The Dean Lecture is open to all. To register your interest, please e-mail Will Finch at w.finch@gold.ac.uk

On the topic of communication, I would like to draw your attention to the enclosed survey, in which we seek your opinions on how we currently communicate with you. We would be grateful if you would take a few minutes to complete and return the form, or do it online at www. goldsmiths.ac.uk/ former-students/survey.php. One lucky participant will win a Canon digital camera!

Goldlink 28 Thanks to all those people who gave us their opinions on the new style Goldlink. Most of the comments were very positive, with people commenting that the news features were more relevant than before, and that the design was clear “even for a guy feeling hassled with workload at the moment”. Another reader said that she “loved the fresh layout and the content had real interest.”

Goldlink 28 Spring 2007 Keeping you in touch with Goldsmiths

How I became free Hisham Matar tells us why In the Country of Men had to be written

The Bard in the Balkans Bringing religions together with Romeo and Juliet

Zoo Art The global flavour of new Goldsmiths art

Left: Cover, Goldlink 28

Some of the most interesting feedback came in response to the interview with Lisa Byrne, editor of OK! Magazine. Kevin Braddock (BA French Studies 1990-94) wrote that “it’s great to see ex-Goldsmiths people rising to positions of prominence, but I have to take issue with Lisa’s suggestion that ‘Britain is totally obsessed with celebrities’. This may appear to be the case from the vantage point of the editor’s desk at OK!, but the UK is also full of people who cannot bear the tsunami of celebrity culture that has washed over the country in the last decade, and the false hierarchies and empty aspirations they propose.” We would love to hear your feelings about Goldlink 29 – please send all correspondence to the address on page 2.

Another important project for later this year will be an ‘Annual Fund’. This has already successfully attracted two notable pledges, and information on these pledges will be released in due course. This fund — ‘Enhancing the Student Experience’ — will focus on scholarships, library provision, and attracting valuable unrestricted income. We plan to approach not only our alumni, but also staff and, where appropriate, external stakeholders. Universities have long recognised the benefits of having a Development and Alumni Office, but now this recognition has been extended to the Government, who wish to encourage higher levels of giving. As an incentive, a new scheme has been announced whereby, from August 2008, the Government will give £1 for every £2 raised by Development and Alumni Offices. This matched funding scheme will obviously strengthen our work, and is especially welcome since the recent announcement of a 2p reduction in the basic rate of income tax, which will decrease the amount of tax relief we can claim back on donations via Gift Aid. Amongst all the good news, unfortunately there is some sad news that I have to impart. I have recently tendered my resignation to the Warden, Professor Geoffrey Crossick, on the grounds of ill health. I have not been well for some time and my decision to leave Goldsmiths has not been an easy one. However, as I serve out my notice period, I will continue to work closely with the Warden and other senior colleagues on all the vital projects outlined above, facilitating a smooth handover to my successor. I have enjoyed my time at Goldsmiths and am frustrated that I will not be able to play an active role in the future of a Development and Alumni Office that I am so proud to have established. I have particularly enjoyed the contact that I have been able to have with so many of you, and hope that the Office will continue to go from strength to strength. Fundraising is not an activity that will succeed in isolation — a College-wide approach is vital. Goldsmiths’ Development and Alumni Office faces an exciting, busy and challenging period of activity this academic year — just what one would expect from an Office that is finally coming of age.

in brief» Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and Comparative Literature Dr Uttara Natarajan edits Plain Speaking: A Sudra’s Story — Memoirs and Lectures of A.N. Sattanathan (1905-1990) shedding light on the struggles for equality among the lower castes in southern India… MA Radio student Katie Burningham is awarded the Charles Parker Prize for her five minute radio feature, ‘Lieutenant Pigeon’, in a ceremony held at UCE Birmingham…

Remembering Ben Pimlott A stunning new portrait of former Warden Professor Ben Pimlott was unveiled at Goldsmiths in March. The portrait (below), by distinguished artist Humphrey Ocean, now hangs in the entrance to the magnificent Alsopdesigned building also named after him, which is famous for its giant steel scribble.

Benefactors’ cocktail party The Warden, Professor Geoffrey Crossick, hosted the annual Benefactors’ Cocktail Party in March, an event which recognises the generosity of our existing donors. In his speech the Warden thanked everyone for their support. He also outlined a number of ongoing projects, such as the reshaping of the entrance to the Richard Hoggart Building, and the establishment of an Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship. Professor Crossick went on to explain how donations make a real difference to the College. “They allow us to create a better learning environment,” he said, “by offering new opportunities to our students and possibilities for engagement with business and the community”. Pictured above are Connor Hickman (Scolarest), Andrew Hill (Natwest) and Peter Sulston (Scolarest).

Yinka Shonibare returns to Goldsmiths The work of the Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles was put into focus in February when internationally acclaimed artist and 2004 Turner Prize nominee Yinka Shonibare (MA Fine Art 1989-91) returned to Goldsmiths.

The portrait was commissioned to celebrate and commemorate Ben Pimlott who sadly died while he was still Warden at Goldsmiths in 2004. The painting was unveiled by Jean Seaton, Ben’s widow, who spoke at the ceremony. “We weren’t sure how easily you could paint someone who had died,” she said, “but have found the process to be one of the most exciting and most interesting things that has happened to our family. The painting is a tremendous and beautiful picture.”

As part of a series of four lectures organised jointly by the Centre and Selvedge magazine, Yinka spoke to around one hundred people in the Ian Gulland Lecture Theatre on the relationship between textiles and postcolonialism. His fascinating lecture was illustrated by a series of his own works. The Constance Howard Centre, which opened to the public in March 2003, is named after the pioneering embroiderer who died in 2000 after serving as head of Textiles for almost thirty years. It is dedicated to the research and study of textiles within a broader context of visual and material culture and houses a collection of over 4000 pieces of textile, including Japanese techno-fabrics and many tiny fragments of lace and embroidery. For more information about the Centre please visit www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/constance-howard

Computer games expert, computer artist and businessman William Latham joins the Department of Computing to lead the potential development of an exciting new computer games and entertainment Masters… PhD Visual Cultures student Zoe Hatziyannaki (MA Photography and Urban Cultures 2005-06) wins the £2000 Jerwood Award for Photography and is represented in the December 2006 issue of Portfolio magazine… Research by Goldsmiths and the MSN text messaging service shows that around 20% of children have experienced some form of cyberbullying… Senior Porter Mick Harris leaves Goldsmiths after 32 years in order to retire to Sardinia… Current student Ben Curtis wins silver at the European Universities Rowing Championships and is then selected for the coxless fours at the World University Championships in Lithuania… Professor Michael Dutton from the Department of Politics is announced as winner of the post1900 category of the prestigious Joseph Levenson Prize, for his book Policing Chinese Politics: A History… A new study into ‘telephone telepathy’, led by renowned biologist and author, Dr Rupert Sheldrake, and Goldsmiths’ Professor Christopher French, attracts a donation of £5000…

‘An extraordinary life’

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The jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan was a prodigy – by the age of 15 he was leading his own group, and by 18 had been recruited to Dizzy Gillespie’s big band. Former Goldsmiths student Tom Perchard (MMus 2000-02) has recently written the first biography of this fascinating character, a full-length version of the PhD thesis he wrote while at the College.

From accountancy Queen honours to photography Goldsmiths alumni After leaving Goldsmiths, Brijesh Patel (BSc Economics and Politics 1992-95) worked for seven years as an accountant. However, Brijesh wasn’t happy. His passion was photography, so he gave up accountancy, and studied for an MA in Documentary Photography at the London College of Communication.

Now a full-time photographer, Brijesh has won a number of awards for his work, including the Guardian UnLtd Social Entrepreneurship Award. This allowed him to expand his collection of photographs of Indians who came to England from Africa in 1972, recording people’s stories of fleeing their homes and establishing a new life in a strange country. This is an important part of British history as over 28,000 Indians came to England during this time. The award helped Brijesh finish the project, which was initially selffunded. Discover more about Brijesh at www.brijesh-patel.com Above: ‘McCluskieganj, abandoned home from 1934, belonging to an unknown Indian family, India, 2006’ by Brijesh Patel

The achievements of a number of former students and staff of Goldsmiths were recognised in the Queen’s 2007 Honours Lists. Leading fashion designer Margaret Howell (BA Fine Art 1966-69) and Professor Kenneth Gregory, Warden between 1992 and 1998, were awarded the CBE. Keith Ajegbo, of Deptford Green School in Lewisham, who sits on Goldsmiths council as an elected member was knighted, as was Mayor of Lewisham, Steve Bullock (PGCE 1990-91). Former council member Mee Ling Ng, Professor Geoffrey Copeland, former Dean of Studies at Goldsmiths, and Diane Waller, Professor of Art Psychotherapy in the Department of Professional and Community Education, were all awarded OBEs.

Described by Kevin Le Gendre in The Independent on Sunday as ‘a very accomplished biography’, Lee Morgan – His Life, Music and Culture is beautifully illustrated with exclusive and rare photographs by jazz photographer Val Wilmer. It draws on many original interviews with Morgan’s colleagues and friends, as well as extensive archival research and critical engagement with the music itself. “It is a sort of hybrid genre,” says Tom, “a biography crossed with a cultural history of jazz in America in the 50s, 60s and 70s.” It was certainly an extraordinary life. By his early twenties Morgan had played on four continents and recorded dozens of albums. In 1961, aged only 23 and by now a heroin addict, Morgan retreated to his hometown of Philadelphia where he kept a low profile until the ascendant black liberation movement of the late sixties gave him a new, political impulse. But Morgan’s personal life remained troubled, and during a fight with his girlfriend at a New York club, he was shot and killed, aged only thirty three.

Pull Tiger Tail! A shot at the big time proved too much for three Goldsmiths students to resist in 2006. Marcus Ratcliff (BA English), Davo McConville (BA Politics) and Jack Hamson (BA Design) all put the last years of their degrees on hold to concentrate on their band Pull Tiger Tail.

Have you got news for us? Have you written a book, appeared in an exhibition or been given an award? Whatever it is that you’ve been getting up to since leaving Goldsmiths, we would like to hear from you. Please contact Will Finch with your stories at w.finch@gold.ac.uk

Competition winners Thanks to all of those who entered the competition in the last issue of Goldlink. Copies of Hisham Matar’s debut novel In the Company of Men were won by Karina Eisa (PGCE 200405),Hinna Masud Javaid (BA Politics and Economics 1995-98) and Isabelle Teyssier (Exchange Programme 200203). Isabelle also won a copy of the winner of the 2006 Booker Prize, The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.

After success with their debut single ‘Animator’, PTT were signed to B-Unique, also home to the Kaiser Chiefs and The Automatic. New single ‘Hurricanes’ looks set to crash into the Top 40 and smart money is on the band becoming dancefloor favourites at indie discos across the country. With their trademark nu-rave jerky rhythms and grungy rock anthems, PTT will be coming to a town near you soon. They are touring as part of the NME New Music Tour 2007 with The Rumble Strips, Blood Red Shoes and The Little Ones. For more information go to www.myspace.com/pulltigertail

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Bringing Bach to the people Under the guidance of Margaret Steinitz (Cert Ed Music 1970-73), the London Bach Society has entertained, uplifted and inspired all lovers of Bach’s music. The LBS has also built up an invaluable database for Bach studies and an imaginative educational programme. Indeed, such is the extent of Margaret’s work that she was last year awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the only general state decoration of Germany. The award was presented by the Deputy Head of Mission Hans Henning Blomeyer-Bartenstein at a ceremony at the German Embassy in London. Founded in 1946 by Margaret Steinitz’s late husband Paul, the LBS has not only introduced Bach’s vast corpus of music to several generations of musicians and audiences in the UK, but also changed the approach to performing the works, pioneering the use of period instruments and, since 1950, singing the choral works in their original language. In presenting the Order, Mr Blomeyer-Bartenstein said: “I know that you are just as modest about your own work with the Bach Society as Bach was about his organ playing. But we all know better. We know just how much hard work and tireless endeavour you give to bringing Bach’s music closer to people in both our countries.”

Transnational adoption The recent interest in the adoption of a young Malawian boy by Madonna led to one Goldsmiths alumna being invited to take part in the ensuing media debate regarding the topic of transnational adoption. Perlita Harris (BA Anthropology and Sociology 1984-87) is a lecturer in social work in the University of Bristol’s School for Policy Studies, and was herself transracially adopted. Perlita has also recently edited a groundbreaking collection of poetry, memoir, personal stories, reflections and artwork by 57 UK transracially and transnationally adopted people. In search of belonging: Reflections by transracially adopted people is the first book of its kind to be published in the UK. Perlita is currently working on an edited collection of writing and poetry by adopted children and young people, to be published in 2008 by the British Association of Adoption and Fostering.

Lucien Freud (Art 1942-43) beats Rembrandt and Van Gogh to top a list of favourite artists in a survey of the UK artistic community… Tania Nasielski (MA Creative Curating 2003-04) creates a multi-venue exhibition by Suzanne Treister entitled ‘Hexen 2039’, looking at new military-occult technologies for psychological warfare… Tate Britain commissions Sarah Lucas (BA Fine Art 1984-87)to create its Christmas tree for 2006… Katharine Begg (MA Radio 2004-05) is awarded the Gold Award for Radio Journalism at the Broadcast Journalism Training Council awards…

Daniel Roberts (BA Media and Communications 2003-06) wins the Special Jury Prize at the Learning on Screen Awards for his animation, ‘The New Black’, which focuses on identity, conformity and commodity…

June 2007 saw the debut London solo show of Kate Marshall (BA Fine Art and Art History 200104) at The Empire Gallery, EC2. The exhibition, entitled ‘Dirty Pretty Paintings’, was interspersed with live art performances in a peepshow-style booth.

You can see more of Kate’s work at www.katemarshall.co.uk

Moving On: A guide to good health and recovery for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia by Roz D’Ombraine Hewitt (BSc Psychology 1987-1991) is published by Karnac Books…

‘Making Light of It’, an exhibition by Michael Williams (Art 194851) is held at the Gillan Gallery in Marlborough, New Zealand…

Dirty, Pretty Paintings

Favouring acrylic and charcoal on board, Kate’s primarily figurative work “flirts between painting and drawing”. Her self-consciously decorative pieces address the ironies and contradictions of depictions of the sexualized female image in popular culture, in particular the fetishization of the twee and the increasingly kitsch value of pornography. In 2006, Kate was selected for the Noise Festival, a national showcase for emerging creative talent judged by Stella Vine, and her live painting at the Liverpool Biennial was featured on BBC2. Her work has also featured in exhibitions in Exeter, Heidelberg and Milan with Mexico City and Florence to look forward to later this year.

in brief»

New paintings by Greg Rook (MA Fine Art 2000-02) are displayed at The Lounge Gallery, looking to the wilderness myth of the first Americans and the landscape which inspired it… Contemporary music composer Terry Mann (PhD Composition 1997-99) unveils ‘The Bells of Paradise’, a unique hour-long surround-sound score using the sounds of over 200 individual bells recorded in Norwich, Bury St. Edmunds, London and Lichfield… Above: ‘Red Petal Dress’ by Kate Marshall

Speaking from the heart PIPPA SMALL (BSc anthropology 1990-93) jewellery designer “ My three years at Goldsmiths opened my eyes!” I felt it was an experience where someone had opened my head, taken my mind out and whisked it around and placed it back! It changed the way I saw and understood the world. I was drawn to anthropology from a fascination with other cultures. I was fortunate enough to travel when I was young and a curiosity grew from that exposure to other ways of being in the world. Jewellery was something I had always done, even as a child. I strung things together as a simple way of carrying mementos and charms around with me. It became ‘what I did’ without much planning. I was born in Canada and grew up in Quebec, Spain and England. I think anyone who is uprooted at an early age lives with a certain sense of displacement. When I spend time working on community projects in isolated places the feeling of not belonging does not bother me. It leaves me open to absorb what is going on around me. Jewellery is about symbolic messaging, about wearing stones and rock close to your body, about weaving stories, about sending out messages and making you feel safe, powerful and beautiful. I have tattoos from important times in my life. One was done in a longhouse in Sarawak with a nail and soot. It was very painful and messy, but it serves to remind me of that time and place. It is supposed to be a protective symbol. I rattle and cascade and clank with every step I take. My arms are full of charms and shells, ropes of stones, beads and rocks. My favourite piece of jewellery is a rough rock crystal ring set in gold — there are small hidden prisms of rainbows in it. Jewellery is important for all the peoples I have worked with in Thailand, Borneo, India, Panama, Botswana, South Africa, and Rwanda. I can hardly think of one woman from any of these communities who is unadorned — even if it is a piece of string or glass. I overheard a tourist in India saying that a beggar who was following her around should sell her gold amulet necklace so she wouldn’t need to beg. I thought the tourist rather missed the point — the beggar had enough pride to keep what was very meaningful and important to her despite having very little. Jewellery and tattoos are part of an expression of identity, a marker of who you are and how you fit into the world around you. I would love to work with more hunter-gatherer communities. They seem to suffer huge disorientation and difficulties adapting to the systems they are being forced to survive in today. Pippa has recently opened a new shop at 11 Colville Mews, London, W11 2DA. Her website is www.pippasmall.com

The oldsmiths games

Hockey

Peter Cheek (BSc Psychology 1999-2002) gives Goldlink all the details from the Oldsmiths Alumni Games 2006 Each year at the Oldsmiths Alumni Games, former Goldsmiths rugby players come back to the College to test their ability against the current crop of students. Always in December, the Games are looked forward to as a great game of rugby and an even better social event afterwards, bringing Christmas cheer and smiles to all faces. 2006’s version of the Games took place on Sunday 17th December 2006, and saw the return of many a familiar face to Goldsmiths. The current crop of students emerged triumphant from the match, allaying fears of bias from the referee, another Oldsmith, Terry Hall (BA Politics & Economics 1994-97). Not only did the current students give the old boys a lesson in rugby, they also won a number of drinking games, the Singing Contest and the Boat Race! To provide a small measure of consolation, the alumni teams did emerge triumphant from hockey and football matches. Many thanks to Neil Rogers for helping organise the event. We look forward to doing it all again next year!

Rugby Goldsmiths 50 Oldsmiths 36 Oldsmiths RFC: Seb Slater, Peter Cheek, Nick Haywood, Steve Beglan, Dan Odugkogbe, Chris Wall, Barrington Bigby, Mike Newton, Joe Ludkin, Mark Bell, Victor Martins, David Newton, Michael Whittam, Phil Thompson, Al Constance, Matt Dearing, Nick Bonnello.

Football

Oldsmiths 8 Goldsmiths 4 Oldsmiths HC: K Big Dave, LB Kirsty Mins, CB Zeshan Sidique, CB Alex Holmes, RB Fiona Robertson, LMF Hibah Akram, CMF Mary Cook, CMF Olli Harrop, RMF James ‘Sparks’ de Saint Quirin, CF James Nixon, CF Nick Allen. SUBS: Dan Draper and Yael Gerson. For more information on the Oldsmiths Alumni Games, please go to www.goldsmithsgreyhounds.webeden.co.uk

End-of-season results for Goldsmiths sports teams Goldsmiths teams had another successful year in 2006-07, playing over 300 team fixtures in the regional (ULU) and national (BUSA) University leagues. Highlights included the women’s football team being crowned ULU Challenge Cup runners-up at Fulham FC’s Motspur Park ground. The men’s basketball team were runners-up in both their ULU and BUSA leagues, and the netball team gained promotion to ULU Division 1. The season culminated with the annual Athletics Union Dinner — Player of the Season went to rugby’s Ollie Cambridge, and the women’s football team won Club of the Year.

The inaugural Varsity Games Nine sports, three venues, two institutions, one day – these were the ingredients for the inaugural Arts Varsity Challenge, between Goldsmiths and University of the Arts held at Goldsmiths sports ground in Sidcup on 14 March 2007. Although Goldsmiths’ student teams put up a good fight, the coveted Arts Cup ultimately went to University of the Arts who won 6 games to 3.

Oldsmiths 2 Goldsmiths 0 Oldsmiths FC: Ed Cornwall, Ronan Hand, Niall Hand, Trevor Speller, Ross Titmuss, Phil Temple, Faisal Malik, Bertie Stein, Angus Cargill, Richard Armstrong (c), Neil Van Couten, Nick Gunner, Adam Flynn, Jimmy Hogg. Photo: Xiaochuan Zhang

10 cover story

Jeg er enSkandinav* * I am a Scandinavian (Hans Christian Andersen, 1839)

Gina Buenfeld (MA History of Art 2003-04) tells Goldlink how a former Goldsmiths student is creating new worlds from pieces of A4 paper There is something quintessentially Danish about the work of Peter Callesen (BA Fine Art 1997-2000). Perhaps it’s the quirky sense of humour, or the cuttingly honest attitude towards life and death, or a sense of the present steeped in a legendary past. Whatever it may be, Callesen’s work certainly seems to celebrate his homeland, just like the title of Hans Christian Andersen’s famous poem. But these two Danes share more than just a very Nordic spirit. There is also an enchantment with fairytales, a folkloric universality which spans centuries and cultures, embracing young and old. When I first met Peter, two and a half years ago, we were installing his exhibition at Emily Tsingou Gallery – his first solo show in London, and my first exhibition working as manager of the gallery. As he unpacked each sculpture from its custom-made box, I was mesmerised by the ‘worlds’ that unfolded before me. With a nod to Arte Povera, Callesen had made manifest seemingly impossible imaginings from a modest and ubiquitous material of our age – A4 copy paper. There is nothing glamorous or high-tech about the blank page. Indeed, paper is perhaps the most elementary of all artistic materials. Like a magician, Callesen conjures up images and fantasies, as if from nowhere, with a cutting knife and glue. His work is m inimalist, but not in the more normal, diminutive sense. The minimalism is more in the sculptures’ reduction – just how much can be intuited with a single cut? The blankness of the paper is filled with the projections of viewers’ imaginations.

“CALLESEN ONCE BUILT A CASTLE TOO SMALL TO FIT THE PEOPLE HE INVITED TO ENTER IT”

Above: ‘Coffin’ Left: ‘Pandora’s Box’ Below left: ‘18.2cm-t all Babel Tower’

Alongside his larger site-specific installation, Callesen is perhaps best known for his signature A4 papercuts which weave references to a myriad of narrative sources - from Greek mythology, Tchaikovsky and fairytales, to biblical stories. “18.2 cm-tall Babel Tower” humbles the lofty moral tale cited in Genesis with a lowly and somewhat ridiculous quantification. For me, this piece epitomises Callesen’s Beckettian conception of the human condition – a sense of pessimism off-set with an absurd humour. The austerity of subject matter and the starkness of the pure white paper are mocked by a laughter directed at adversity, and at the futility of humankind’s aspiration to the heavens.

Callesen once built a castle too small to fit the people he invited to enter it. He built a boat from unprotected cardboard which inevitably sank when he tried to sail it across a lake in Copenhagen. Like the unignorable fragility of his paper sculptures (and the fear of their demise as a consequence), Peter Callesen’s performances don’t shy away from failure, but rather award it centre stage. It is perhaps this sense of contingency in his work that speaks to us of what it is to be human. Gina Buenfeld works at Emily Tsingou Gallery in London.

Future exhibitions at Emily Tsingou Gallery Henry Bond 11 July – 4 August 2007 Peter Callesen 13 September – 27 October 2007 Group Show November – December 2007 For more information please visit www.emilytsingougallery.com

‘A significant minority’ Pádraig O’Connor introduces us to Goldsmiths’ new Graduate School, and outlines how alumni can get involved Did you know that nearly one third of the student population at Goldsmiths are postgraduates? This was a fact that surprised me when I first became involved with the College’s new Graduate School, officially launched in September 2006. Certainly, it is a significant minority. The aim of the Graduate School is to improve and enhance the Goldsmiths experience for all these postgraduate students, by providing a strong and supportive infrastructure throughout the College. To do this, we want to provide facilities and training for all postgraduates, and encourage intellectual and social contact across disciplines. This can only be done effectively by building on the excellent work already being undertaken by academic and support departments. Our location in Hatcham House on St. James also allows us to be a central resource for research students, providing CRT (College Research Training) courses. In the longer term, we will continue to expand our focus to include taught Masters students as well. We look forward to working with departments to enhance the educational experience of all postgraduate students, and their access to interdisciplinary networks. Over the past few months we have organised various events, such as postgraduate student conferences, seminars, and even an art exhibition called ‘Trinketorium’. These events allow postgraduates to meet one another, to share their ideas and to feel part of the Goldsmiths community. Many other activities are already scheduled for the next academic year. We are particularly conscious that some students, particularly those who are part-time or who might have significant personal commitments, may find it difficult to participate fully in College life in real time. We have therefore been working on a

Below: An item from the Trinketorium exhibition curated by Alison Hulme Below right: ‘Self Portrait’ by current MA Art Psychotherapy student Colleen Steiner Westling

‘virtual’ Graduate School, which will allow people to take part in seminars, discussion groups and social forums online. In time, we also hope to be able to develop the physical space at Hatcham House. So how can you, the College’s alumni, help us? Another of our projects is to better support postgraduates as they make the bridge between the world of academia and their professional lives. Working with the Careers Service, we have therefore been building up contacts with former postgraduate students of the College, who now work in a huge variety of different sectors.

Many have been generous with their time and we would be particularly pleased to hear from more people interested in sharing their experiences with current students. Pádraig is Head of the Graduate School Office. He can be contacted at p.oconnor@gold.ac.uk

The princess and the shuttle bus Sarah ‘Princess’ Edwards (BMus Music 1998-2001) drives around New Zealand for a living. Goldlink asked her why

Four years ago I went to New Zealand, and travelled with a company called Stray. I fell in love with the country, and got a job working in Queenstown for eight months in the tourism industry. After that I made my decision – I wanted to become a tour guide. Thirteen months later, I started working with Stray at a ski resort on Mt. Ruapehu in the North Island. Once the ski season finished, I started learning how to drive buses with a local shuttle bus company and other Stray drivers, whilst reading up on New Zealand history and culture. Once Stray was convinced I was serious about the job, I was sent out to learn the ropes on a live trip taking route notes, writing commentaries, driving and jumping off waterfalls into ice-cold water in only my undies. After three weeks I was then out on my own driving with my new name ‘Princess’. The first few days were pretty hairy with a couple of cold sweat moments and a few wrong turns (much to my passengers’ amusement!).

I have since met people of all nationalities and ages on the bus and get to show them around this beautiful country. Unfortunately I have to try out all the activities myself so that I can speak with authority to my passengers, which means sea kayaking, surfing, caving, skydiving, hiking, snowboarding, sailing, bonecarving, glacier-hiking, flying, bungyjumping, dolphin-swimming etc... Recently I have taken passengers to see live Super 14 rugby matches, we’ve had the chance to stroke a baby Kiwi (the very rare native New Zealand bird), and tonight I am staying in Tongariro National Park where only two months ago Mt. Ruapehu’s Crater Lake dam burst spilling a volcanic lahar down the valley. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it! There’s a fairly tenuous link between my Goldsmiths music degree and my current job but I’m pretty sure the performance aspect will have helped when talking on the microphone and I still sing all the time while I’m driving! Sweet as!

Left: Sarah in the Bay of Islands Above: Happy faces on Sarah’s bus Below: A night out after a long day on the road

Work experience with a difference Alex Cotton (BA Design 2004-07) tells Goldlink how the generosity of two people changed the lives of a group of Goldsmiths students The BA Design degree at Goldsmiths includes a compulsory professional placement in its final year. I fancied something a little different from the normal term at a design-related organisation, so when I heard of the launch of an award of £1500 to ‘encourage the professional development of Goldsmiths design students’ I was very excited. The Paice Professional Development Award was initiated by father and daughter, Richard and Adriana Paice. Successful applicants have access to business mentors, as well as receiving funding towards professional seminars, trade shows and travel costs associated with delivering a large-scale project. During my first two years at Goldsmiths, I had met and got on well with a group of fellow students on the Design programme, Monica Hernandez, Joe Harrington, Robin Crowley, Sonal Patel and Stephan Bishof. We were a great mix of nationalities, ages, and skills, and jumped at the chance to formalise our relationship. The Paice Professional Development Award asked for a business proposal. By Easter of 2006, we had put one together, and in June we were delighted to learn that we had won the award. And so, in June 2006, Hut F was born. Joe took on the role of Chairman, I became Financial Officer, and Sonal became Communications Officer. We wanted to establish a collective, multidisciplinary ‘family’ studio, with a democratic and open approach. We wanted traditional boundaries of disciplines to be blurred, allowing a movement of creativity that would enable our finished pieces to stand on their own. And the name? Hut F is the name of the building where many of the workshops and seminars on the Design programme take place.

It seemed to create a suitable sense of place and community, linking us to our roots and bringing to mind images of wood and nature that would be all-important as our company progressed. Our plan was to make Hut F as professional as possible. We wanted real clients who genuinely needed our services. To that end, we approached thirty companies. We received a positive response from many of them and chose to work with two. Our first project was for Raw Nerve, a design collective based in Deptford who host a quarterly networking event called RSVP. The intention of RSVP is to create an awareness of the wealth of creative business and talent in the Deptford area. September 2006 saw Raw Nerve taking RSVP to the London Design Festival at Spitalfields, and they asked Hut F to create the travel-themed display. In the summer of 2006 we began work with the curtain accessory manufacturer Cope and Timmins. They asked us to take a fresh look at the way we use curtains, and how design can inform different practices and values within the traditionally banal activity of using curtains and blinds. We came up with some interesting ideas, such as a xylophone pole and a smoke alarm finial. A number of prototypes were made.

Above: Hut F at Raw Nerve

In May, Goldsmiths Design students hosted the first ever virtual representation of a real life degree show on Second Life, an internet based 3-D virtual world that enables its users to interact and socially network with each other. Visitors were free to look around the show, titled ‘Annotations’, and could even attend a virtual event where they were greeted by the students in their avatar form. The class stood next to virtual representations of work from the real life degree show exhibition, held at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. The virtual exhibition space is a scale version of the real Truman Brewery, including the graffiti and old fly posters. Although it can be argued that nothing can take the place of a real, first hand experience, the students certainly created the next best thing. Visit Second Life at www.secondlife.com

Hut F was a wonderful, once-in-a lifetime opportunity for all of us. Of course, the financial assistance was helpful, but guidance in terms of business structures was equally valuable. For both of these things we owe huge thanks to Richard and Adriana. It was a great year, and it went by in a flash. As in all large groups, some artistic tensions did begin to show as time went on. Some of us may continue to work together in the future, but I cannot see Hut F continuing in its present form. We were a large team, when perhaps the best results come from twos or threes. Now is the time for us all to get ‘proper’ jobs. We would like to thank the Department of Design at Goldsmiths for all their help and support over the year. Above all, we would like to thank Richard and Adriana Paice who, as well as providing financial support, gave us all the help and guidance that we needed to make Hut F a success.

Thanks to a new collaboration between Goldsmiths Business Development Office (BDO) and the Manufacturing Advisory Service, Goldsmiths students are being given the opportunity of demonstrating their creativity by working with a number of leading businesses in London.

More information on Hut F can be found at www.hutfdesign. co.uk. The winner of the Paice Professional Development Award for 2007 is Jason Finch.

Left: Richard Paice and four members of Hut F

Earlier this year the BDO started work with curtain accessory manufacturers Cope and Timmins, with consultants from the Department of Design being used to improve the Cope brand. As outlined elsewhere, Hut F also helped to develop several innovative concepts new to the curtain industry, of which two are being considered for the 2008 range. MA Design student Alex Gross also helped to introduce Rapid Prototyping Technology, reducing development time of new designs from 3-6 months to 3-6 weeks. If you would like to know more about this year’s Innovation and Design Programme or the Student Placement Programme, contact Aidan Sheridan, Business Development Manager on 020 7078 5069 or at a.sheridan@gold.ac.uk

16 alumni abroad

For all the alumni in China Christina Fang reports from China on the latest gathering of overseas Goldsmiths alumni More than two hundred Chinese students have studied at Goldsmiths over the last five years, and many of them have gone on to become distinguished figures in China, often contributing to the country’s phenomenal economic growth. March 2007 saw Goldsmiths’ Student Recruitment and International Office sponsoring a table for some of these alumni at the Alumni UK Ball in Beijing, and I had the honour of hosting the table. Organised by the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, this annual black tie event is a lavish affair. The evening begins with a three-course meal, and is followed by entertainment, music and prizes. This year’s version was attended by over 250 guests, including alumni from twenty other UK universities and dignitaries from the Chinese education industry. It was held in the brand new Regent Hotel in Beijing, and this was the first time Goldsmiths had been represented. The alumni who sat at my table all studied Masters degrees in media-related programmes, and many have continued to work in the media industry since leaving Goldsmiths, often going on to reach great heights. Liu Jiawen (MA Media and Communications 2003-04), a winner of the prestigious Chevening Scholarship, is now Assistant Online Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency. Xu Haijing (MA Digital Media 2002-03), another Chevening Scholarship winner, has recently been appointed Media Operations Manager on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Committee. The evening began ceremoniously and loudly with one of Beijing’s most popular drum performance groups. We were then ushered into the chandeliered ballroom, where we were treated to a rare viewing of the London Olympics

Left: Drummers put on a show at the Beijing Regent Hotel Below left from l-r: Liu Jiawen, Xu Haijing, Jin Liming, Christina Fang, Wang Songyao, Li Rong, Xie Jing, Qu Xiaohui, and Luo Hongrug

bid video. The familiar sights of London, coupled with television and film personalities from the UK, brought much nostalgia to our alumni, who each had unforgettable experiences at Goldsmiths and remembered their professors fondly. One alumnus, Jin Liming (MA Media and Communications 2002-03), even missed living in New Cross! He is now Senior Editor of China Education Television, and personally covered the first ever Education UK fair held in China. Other guests included Luo Hongru (MA Digital Media 200203), a copywriter for leading global advertising company, Ogilvy & Mather, Li Rong (MA Media and Communications 2002-03) who works in the glittering and fast-developing industry of Chinese public relations, Wang Songyao (MA Media and Communications 2002-03), who works in the distribution of Chinese documentaries to international media, and Qu Xiaohui (MA Media and Communications 2004-05), Senior Editor for one of China’s foremost video search engines. The one guest who has followed a slightly different path since leaving Goldsmiths is Xie Jing (MA Digital Media 2002-03). Concerned by the environmental impact of the rapid economic development her country is undergoing, she now works for a

17 alumni abroad

International Graduate Contacts IGCs are Goldsmiths’ representatives around the world. They would love to hear from other alumni in their country, and are happy to inform potential students about studying at Goldsmiths. Ivi Nafplioti (BA Communications and Sociology 1996-99) Greece

French company based in China that is a global leader in environmental solutions. The evening’s entertainment finished with a world-class performance by professional ballroom dancers. This naturally led to the party taking to the dance floor until midnight, where promises and plans were made for friends to meet again. It was then that I realised that Goldsmiths has a wonderfully closelyknit group of alumni who found their time at the college a rewarding and exciting one. We are very fortunate to have so many alumni who are enthusiastic about keeping in touch with Goldsmiths and taking part in its events.

Ivi is currently studying insurance law at the Chartered Insurance Institute in Athens. e-mail: asfnafpl@otenet.gr Leah C. Romano (MA Performance 2002-03) USA – North-East Leah promotes international education for a university in New York. e-mail: gilad29@yahoo.com Kathy Smith (PGCE 1994-95) USA – North-East Kathy works part-time as a pre-school teacher in Connecticut and has three children who range in age from two to seven. e-mail: ksmith@salisburyschool.org

Christina Fang works as an International Officer in Goldsmiths’ Student Recruitment and International Office.

News from the International Office Goldsmiths is reaping the benefits of the unstoppable economic developments currently being experienced in China. In 2007, thanks to the work of the Student Recruitment and International Office, student applications from China increased by 93% compared to 2006. One of the biggest changes this year in the International Office is the recruitment of two International Officers. These vital people spend a large part of their time overseas, where they represent the college at Education UK fairs, manage a network of overseas agents, and develop relationships with the British Council, foreign schools and universities, alumni and other important partners.

For more information on Goldsmiths IGCs, go to http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/former-students/services/ international-grad-contacts.php. If you would like to become an IGC, please contact Will Finch at w.finch@gold.ac.uk for more information.

ARE WE coming to a country near you in 2007? Canada

15-18 September

Brazil

2-7 October

For more information, please contact:

Malaysia

6-7 October

international-office@gold.ac.uk

Japan

13-20 October

China

20 October - 1 November

T +44 (0)20 7919 7700 F +44 (0)20 7919 7704

South Korea

27-28 October

Taiwan

3-8 November

Indonesia

4-8 November

India

19 November - 1 December

All dates subject to change.

www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/ international-office/internatevents.php International Office Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, England

Obituaries IMOGEN BUNTING BA Anthropology 1999-2002 Imogen Bunting, who has died aged 25 following a heart attack, was a courageous peace activist, a brilliant academic and a loving daughter, sister and friend. She possessed a sense of social justice and compassion for her fellow human beings, along with a joy and passion for life. Her gift was to see and encourage the best in people. Imogen packed an enormous amount into her life. She was born at Dartington, in Devon, and during her time there experienced a strong sense of international community and sharing. She shone at Knowles Hill School, Newton Abbot, and in the sixth form became a moving force in politics and human rights. From this time she pursued and developed her love of art, music and drama. In 1998 she was the youngest of the winners of a writing competition. The prize was a place on the Japanese peace boat, travelling around the world taking practical aid to poor communities. It was a turning point in Imogenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life; she developed the conviction that we can change both the world and ourselves. In 1999 she went to Dharamsala, in India, where she taught Tibetan Buddhist nuns English and how to use the internet. At Goldsmiths, Imogen met and lived with an international group of friends - she enjoyed the diversity and opportunities that city life offered for thought, music, art, film and culture. She graduated with a first-class degree in 2002, achieving the highest mark in the 25-year history of the anthropology department. Along with her studies, she also took on political activism and protest as part of her life. In 2003, she spent five months in Chiapas, Mexico, doing volunteer work and preliminary research for her intended doctoral project. In just a few months she became a fluent Spanish speaker and acted as a translator

and international observer. Back in England, she brought her brilliance, learning and political activism to her job with the TUC (2003-2004), helping to develop a new equality project. She helped to organise the first trade union youth camp at Tolpuddle, in Dorset. With a prize fellowship to the New School for Social Research in New York, Imogen began her MA and PhD studies in anthropology in 2004, focusing on the political legacies of internationalism in the contemporary context of globalisation. She found a new international community; she was interested in how poor and powerless people can resist and how that resistance can inform hope. Imogenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MA examination again achieved the highest grade ever awarded by her department. The New School has set up a permanent fellowship in her name devoted to ethics and social justice in scholarship. On 10 February she suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed in the street in New York. She went into a coma for many days; the prognosis was poor. She was brought back to hospital in England, where she continued to defy the medical predictions, and achieved a miraculous recovery. She was back, as if in a second life. She died, unexpectedly, from another massive cardiac arrest early on 23 April. Imogen lived her life to the full. She loved life even though she had a deep connection with its sadness and injustices. Her beautiful smile and the attention she gave to everyone lit their hearts. She enriched the lives of so many people, and was herself enriched by them. She is survived by her parents, Angela and John, and her brother Freddy. Sue White Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006

Also sadly deceased Jo Bryant (BA English and Drama 1984-87) John Brandrick (Teaching Cert 1944-46) Mair Hanna (Education with Art 1966-70) Gladys Hickman (Born 1912) Donald Joyce (Teaching Cert 1944-46) Edmund Nelson (Born 1910) Hilda Smith (Teaching Cert 1921-23) Courtney Tulloch (1972 Community and Youth Work) Sir John Vinelott (English 1941-43)

Alumni services www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/former-students/services

Discount on tuition fees

Careers advice

There is a discount on tuition fees for all those who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree, DipHE or postgraduate taught programme at Goldsmiths, and who now wish to progress to a different postgraduate degree. In order to apply for the reduced tuition fee, you will need to have been accepted on to your intended programme of study and to have satisfied all the normal academic admissions criteria as well as all the conditions of enrolment and registration set down by the College. For further information please contact Steve Edwards at s.edwards@gold.ac.uk

The Careers Service would like to hear from any alumni who have vacancies to fill in their own working environment or who can join the Careers Network and spare some time to talk to current students about their own jobs. Further information is available at www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/careers

Library access Alumni can visit the library at Goldsmiths for free, and are allowed reference use of the library’s books and periodicals. One-day or annual tickets are available on request with proof of address. It is also possible to borrow books – for just £50, alumni are able to have borrowing rights for a full twelve months, on production of a degree certificate and proof of address. Further information can be found at http://libweb.gold.ac.uk/homelinks/ alumni.php

Keeping you in touch If you would like to make contact with lost friends, why not register with Goldsmiths Reconnected at www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/formerstudents. If the person you are looking for is not listed, you may find them on the Lost Alumni page of the website at www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/formerstudents/lostalumni.php. Your search can also be featured in future editions of Goldlink.

Chatham House Chatham House, home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, has teamed up with Goldsmiths to offer discounted membership to former students. Attend events, read about the real issues behind the news and access one of the most established collections of international affairs material in the UK. To take up this offer or for more information, please contact Charlotte Armah, tel 020 7957 5721 or e-mail carmah@chathamhouse.org.uk

Confirmation of Awards & Transcripts If you require a transcript or official confirmation of your qualifications, please complete the application form available at www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/ registry/transcripts-archives.php. All other enquiries should be made in writing to Archives (RHB 122), Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW or email archives@gold.ac.uk. Please give your full name, date of birth, full title of programme and time of study.

Gym Membership Want to get fit? If so, why not try out one of over 90 exercise stations, all fitted with built in TV entertainment, in Clubpulse, the new Goldsmiths gym? Goldlink has got together with Clubpulse to offer a special alumni membership rate – for further information, visit www.clubpulse.gold.ac.uk

Goldlink is produced by Goldsmiths Development and Alumni Office, the part of Goldsmiths responsible for external fundraising and alumni relations. Development and Alumni Office Goldsmiths, University of London New Cross London SE14 6NW goldsoc@gold.ac.uk Rosie Dewhurst Director of Development 020 7919 7612 r.dewhurst@gold.ac.uk Stephen Clarke Development and Alumni Manager 020 7919 7265 s.clarke@gold.ac.uk Will Finch Alumni Officer / Goldlink editor 020 7919 7069 w.finch@gold.ac.uk Jane Davis Alumni Assistant jane.davis@gold.ac.uk Data held by Goldsmiths Development and Alumni Office is secure and will be treated confidentially and appropriately in carrying out the ongoing business of Goldsmiths, University of London. The data is for the use of Goldsmiths and will not be disclosed to external organisations, other than those acting as agents for Goldsmiths. It is used for a full range of alumni activities, including mailing publications, notification of events and programmes involving academic and administrative departments, fundraising, and the promotion of benefits and services. Under the terms of the 1998 Data Protection Act you have the right to object to the use of your data for any of the above purposes.

Goldsmiths Reconnected

Keeping you in touch with Goldsmiths Update your own details online and receive information about Goldsmiths news and events www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/former-students