Applicant Day 2019 - Liberal and Performing Arts

Inspired Your applicant day programme Literary and Critical studies Religious, Philosophical and Historical studies

If you haven’t already,

Book your place today - Saturday 16 February 2019 - Thursday 7 March 2019 Visit www.glos.ac.uk/applicantdays

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APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 | E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

What is an applicant day?

Applicant days are exclusive to applicants who have received an offer from us – so congratulations on your offer!

They are a great opportunity to see what a degree at University of Gloucestershire has to offer and a chance for you to experience your course in greater depth.

On the day, you’ll be able to: - tour our stunning campus and new accommodation - gain hands-on experience with our cutting-edge facilities - get a real feel for your course in interactive sessions - meet our inspiring lecturers - make friends and meet your future classmates.

Most importantly, this is an opportunity to find out if we’re the right university for you.

You’ll also have the chance to hear more about whether you could be eligible for our merit scholarship, which is £1,200 to support you with the cost of your studies*.

Check out www.glos.ac.uk/funding for all the details.

“Coming to an applicant day at the University of Gloucestershire was really worthwhile. It was great to spend time on campus, talk with lots of other students who were in the same boat as me, and to explore the lovely town, which has become my home.

There is no better way to see if the university is right for you than spending some time getting to know the place.”

Billy Jones, current student

*Terms and conditions apply: see www.glos.ac.uk/meritscholarships APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 | E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

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Your applicant day schedule Applicants and guests

Guests only

Time

Time

Description

10.30-11.00 Registration 11.00-11.45 Welcome

12.00-13.15 Find out about student life, finance,

accommodation and student support.

13.15-14.00 Complimentary lunch 14.00-14.30 Student life talk 14.30 onwards

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Description

Campus and accommodation tours with our current students.

View our new accommodation and stunning campus. Be sure to ask us any questions you might have about what it’s like to live and study in Gloucestershire.

APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

Applicants only (course taster sessions) Time

English and Creative Writing 12.00-12.30 Creative writing: prose workshop

Photographs are a great resource for prose

writers. In this session, we’ll do a workshop

using photographs to inspire the setting up of

scenes, the creation of characters and how we

build description into stories. We’ll also see how

the composition of photographs can be helpful

to `staging’ a fictional world.

Description

Creative Writing 12.00-12.30 Prose workshop

Photographs are a great resource for prose

writers. In this session, we’ll do a workshop

using photographs to inspire the setting up of

scenes, the creation of characters and how

we build description into stories. We’ll also see

how the composition of photographs can be

helpful to ‘staging’ a fictional world.

12.45-13.15

12.45 -13.15

The short story and the poem: how one reflects the other We often mistakenly think that short stories are simply truncated novels; the author, as it were, just ran out of inspiration and stopped. But in actual fact short stories are a really unique literary art form and they are much closer to poems in terms of form, style and construction.

English 12.00-12.30 English: the power of literature

We will explore Shakespeare on his own stage,

and consider the question “Does thinking

about Renaissance dramatic techniques change

the way we perceive his plays?”

12.45-13.15

English: the power of language In this session, we will explore rhetoric and the power of language to persuade, convince and deceive. We will look at some of the greatest speeches of all time and consider how rhetoric can be put to practical use in transforming self and society.

English: the power of language In this session, we will explore rhetoric and the power of language to persuade, convince and deceive. We will look at some of the greatest speeches of all time and consider how rhetoric can be put to practical use in transforming self and society.

History/History and Religious Studies 12.00-13.15 The sound of the past

Using the blues and the myth of the legendary

musician Robert Johnson, this session explores

the ways in which our understanding of the

African American experience of segregation

in the South can be both enriched and

complicated by considering the music people

made and enjoyed.

History and Philosophy/Religion, Philosophy and Ethics 12.00-13.15 The examined life

Plato famously said that an unexamined life

was not worth living, but what is an unexamined

life? How would you live a life that had no

religion, philosophy and ethics in it and if you

did would that really be a problem?

APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

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Explore our historic campus Known for its community feel, Francis Close Hall (FCH) is truly an inspiring place to study.

Francis Close Hall campus Halls of residence

Library and computing suite Teaching rooms

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APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

Refectory

Everyman Theatre

Pittville student village (5 mins bus or 20 mins walk)

The chapel

Geography labs

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(where our students see their work come to life)

APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

Cheltenham town centre (10 mins walk)

Montpellier Gardens

(where Cheltenham’s Literature Festival is held)

An inspiring setting

Find out more about the exciting opportunities studying in Gloucestershire brings.

Performed and published

Where history comes to life

Space to think

See your work performed by professional actors in a staged reading at the Cheltenham Everyman Theatre, or perform your own work at our various pop-up events during the annual Cheltenham Literature Festival and the Cheltenham Poetry Festival.

You can also publish your work in our student-led magazine, Show Don’t Tell, as well as our annual paperback anthology, the New Writing Series.

As well as our stunning and historic campus, which has been part of our heritage for over 150 years, you’ll benefit from local excursions to historic sites and centres. You will use a range of investigative approaches when handling historical sources such as, manuscripts, art, literature, film, photography, music – all accessed through our local and international partnerships with museums, archives and historical sites. Our students have recently visited the Cotswold Centre for History and Heritage where they developed their investigative and analytical skills, conducting original research out in the community.

Explore “the big questions” in our campus’ very own beautiful chapel and through challenging seminar sessions. Our students develop expertise through a global network of research scholars, exploring live research with contemporary scholars across the world. Recently students have studied how religion is manifesting on the internet through UFO cults, popular-culture spiritualities, Pagan traditions and North American Satanism with experts in Sweden, Canada and Australia.

APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

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Meet our inspiring lecturers Be mentored by professional authors, poets and renowned academics, who will challenge and encourage you to push your creative and critical thinking to the limits.

You’ll also benefit from high-profile guest speakers, which have included BBC presenter and historian Davis Olusoga, Bonnie Greer OBE and the Guardian’s Gary Younge.

“My passion for history actually originates with the blues. I’ve loved the blues since I was little, and through it I became aware of the issues surrounding African American history; slavery, civil rights, culture, and the influence this had on American society. In my teaching I use culture as a new way of exploring the past, providing new and previously unheard interpretations.”

Dr Christian O’Connell, History

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APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

Graduate opportunities

“Studying History at the University of Gloucestershire enabled me to quickly understand the context to difficult situations, as well as the ongoing impact of historical events around the world. I am now the Humanitarian Programme Officer at the Al-Khair Foundation. We specialise in organising responses to natural and man-made disasters all over the world. I am deployed to the field and have travelled to Nepal, Iraq, Togo and Greece, in response to the European Refugee Crisis.”

“The course played a central role in my professional success as it teaches you how to debate your view, empathise with others and communicate topics that can be hard to comprehend. Upon graduating, I was the production designer on our film, Refugee, which won a BAFTA last year. I now work as a content producer for The Charity for Civil Servants.”

“My time at University of Gloucestershire gave me the grounding I needed for a successful career as a writer and academic.

The support I had from my lecturers and supervisors was invaluable in helping me find my voice and in securing publishing deals for three books.”

Jessica Toogood, BA Religion, Philosophy and Ethics graduate

Author of two poetry collections and a disability rights activist.

Daniel Sluman, BA Creative Writing graduate

Stefan Cramer, BA History graduate APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

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Explore Roman, Arabic and Christian sites in the UNESCO World Heritage Centre of Cordoba, Spain*.

You’ll be inspired by the city’s ancient heritage while touring with published experts, authors and poets.

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APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

Find excitement further afield Forge unforgettable experiences on field trips to Leicester’s Diwali festival, a world-famous event that celebrates Hinduism and its history. You can also visit theatres, museums and local historic sites, as well as take the opportunity to study abroad in the USA, Canada, Ireland and Spain*.

*Terms and conditions apply; please see our website for more details www.glos.ac.uk

APPLICANT DAY PROGRAMME • T: 03330 141414 • E: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

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Q: I have already attended an open day - should I go to an applicant day too?

A: Yes, applicant days are definitely worth attending – you’ll get hands-on with our interactive taster sessions, meet the people who’ll be teaching you and make friends with other students. This is your chance to find out what it would really be like to study your course.

Q: Can I bring guests?

A: Yes, you can bring two guests along and there is a Q&A session specifically for them. If you would like to bring more guests, please let us know in advance.

Q: What time does the applicant day start and finish? Where shall I report to on arrival?

A: 10.30 – 16.30. Please register in the Chapel at Francis Close Hall (there will be student ambassadors on hand across the campus to point you in the right direction).

Q: Do I need to bring anything with me? What should I wear?

A: You don’t need to bring anything other than enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved.

Q: What parking arrangements are available? How do I reach the campus by bus or train?

A: Please find enclosed a parking permit, which you can use for parking on campus; remember to bring it with you on the day. Please note there is limited parking, the nearest pay and display car park is the NCP on St Margaret’s Road (GL50 4EJ). The closest train station is Cheltenham Spa, which is a 20 minute walk from our FCH campus, or you can catch the 94U bus, which stops right outside the campus: Campus address: Francis Close Hall campus, Swindon Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 4AZ. Q: Will I get to have a look around the university accommodation?

As well as our on-campus accommodation, you’ll also have the

All the information in this booklet is accurate at the time of going to print.

opportunity to view our new Pittville Student Village. Pittville features over 600 en-suite bedrooms, studio flats, a student bar, gym, refectory, laundry room and faith space. There will be buses running up to the village, so be sure to book onto a tour and check it out.

Q: Is lunch provided?

A: Refreshments are provided on arrival and you will receive a complimentary lunch. If your guests have any dietary requirements or additional support needs we might need to know about on the day, please let us know in advance.

Q: How do I book onto an applicant day?

A: Visit glos.ac.uk/applicantdays to confirm your place now.

Q: How can I contact you if I have any questions or need help booking onto the applicant day?

A: For any further enquiries please call: 03330 141414 or email: enquiries@glos.ac.uk

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