Fiona Haines’ water sculpture part of winning garden at Chelsea Flower Show

21/05/2013 10:06:11

A water sculpture feature designed by a Bath Spa University student is part of a garden that has won Gold at the most famous horticultural show in the world, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

MA Fine Art student Fiona Haines’ orange water sculpture feature, ‘Flow’ is part of the BrandAlley garden which has won Gold in the ‘Fresh Garden’ category.

Nine months ago, Fiona was commissioned to produce the work for the garden which has been designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes.

Commenting on the Gold award, Fiona said: “I am thrilled to have won gold at Chelsea Flower Show in its centenary year! It has been a wonderful experience working with the garden designer Paul Hervey-Brookes for the BrandAlley garden.”

Further information about Fiona and her work is available here

Additional details can also be found on the BrandAlley blog

Below is the link to the BBC iPlayer episode of the Chelsea Flower Show in which Fiona’s work is featured at 32 minutes in.

Annual Graduate Degree Show at Bath School of Art and Design

20/05/2013 14:30:49

An exhibition of creative talent from Bath Spa University’s School of Art and Design students will be on show at a specially created display.

The exhibitions will include a range of work from graduating students including painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, illustration, design, photography, graphics and digital media.

The Degree Show will be open daily from Saturday 8 to Sunday 16 June. Admission is free and work will be exhibited at both the Sion Hill and Dartmouth Avenue studios.

Art and Design students achieve their degree in the public-eye and this final degree exhibition is the result of a long period of intense study. The work displayed is a statement of the skills, insights and ideas that each graduating student will take with them in the next stages of their careers.

The creative arts and industries are increasingly valuable to the UK economy and are helping to boost vital growth. It is critical that the graduating generation of students in these fields has the necessarily creativity and innovation to make an impact.

Professor Mike Tooby, Acting Dean of the School of Art and Design said: “Graduating students put their work out there for all to see and it is that courage and sense of purpose that lies behind their success.

“Visitors to the Degree Show this year will see evidence of our graduating students’ skills and knowledge in their disciplines. Make sure you don’t miss this unique opportunity to see the leaders of the future as they and their work go forward.”

Header image: 'Plastic and acrylic paint on linen' by third year Fine Art student, Ida Holbrook.

Image: 'Shelf Life' by third year Fine Art student, Dafydd Samuel.

Prestigious International Scholarship awarded to Joelle Adams

16/05/2013 08:57:41

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) has today (16 May) announced Bath Spa University’s Deputy Director Library Services (Learning Development), Joelle Adams, as one of the successful recipients of its prestigious International Scholarship funding award.

Joelle is one of only five recipients of the award, which provides opportunities for the Scholars to investigate interesting and innovative learning and teaching in other countries to inform practice in UK higher education institutions.

She will spend three months visiting universities in New York, California and Florida to research assessment and feedback in creative subjects. In particular Joelle will review how these processes affect students’ learning experiences and how students and staff perceive the dual vocations of artist and teacher. Results of the project will inform outputs including publications and consultancy.

Joelle leads the Writing and Learning Centre at Bath Spa University and teaches on the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher and Further Music Education at Bristol Institute of Modern Music. Her current research focuses on students’ experiences of assessment and feedback, learning and teaching in the creative arts, and personal and organisational development.

Commenting on receiving the Scholarship, Joelle said: “The Scholarship offers a unique and important opportunity to dedicate time to international research in higher education. I’m honoured to receive this award from the HEA and to be in such esteemed company with the past and present winners. I look forward to visiting colleagues abroad and sharing my findings upon my return.”

The awards, which mark the second year of the scheme, have this year been renamed the Professor Sir Ron Cooke International Scholarship Awards, in recognition of his distinguished leadership in learning and teaching in higher education.

Professor Craig Mahoney, Chief Executive of the HEA, said: “I am delighted to be making the announcement of these prestigious awards today. The award winners will work closely with the HEA over the coming months and years to help us to make a real difference to the learning experience of potentially thousands of students.

“Higher education in the UK has an enviable reputation and our International Scholars will visit many countries to share learning. As a global community we can each learn from the success and challenges experienced by our colleagues throughout the world, so that students, both at home and abroad, can benefit from the best possible learning experience.

“I look forward to working with our award winners as they develop and carry out their projects.”

Bath Spa University student takes Gold in Modern Pentathlon World Cup

15/05/2013 14:07:01

Jamie Cooke has won the first Modern Pentathlon World Cup medal of his career taking gold in Budapest on Sunday (12 May).

The Business Administration and Geography student at Bath Spa, who won the World Junior Championships in Argentina in 2011, had to produce a gritty and spirited performance to battle back from 24^th place after the fencing event.

The Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon comprises the contemporary sports of pistol shooting, fencing, swimming, horse riding and running.

Ranked 40th in the world, Jamie was the fastest in the swimming pool, went clear in the horse riding and then produced a terrific run and shoot to take gold.

Commenting on his achievement, Jamie said: “This was my first World Cup medal, so I’m so happy. I never thought I would do this after the fencing this morning, but I had a good swim, a good ride and a good combined. My shooting was definitely the key today.”

Alongside his studies, Jamie trains at the Pentathlon GB high performance centre at the University of Bath.

A full account of the results is available here

Image credit: UIPM / Nicole Rauvolfová

Jamie celebrates winning his first Modern Pentathlon World Cup medal of his career.

New courses at Bath Spa to meet needs of future industries

15/05/2013 09:18:03

Bath Spa University is introducing new courses in the area of creative technologies and enterprise. The aim of these new courses is to prepare students for a fast-changing world of digital creativity and innovation.

The University has recently appointed Professor Andrew Hugill as Director of Creative Computing to lead the development of courses in this area. Professor Hugill is a composer and writer and his research involves literature, music and computing. He will be working with industrial and commercial partners to ensure the University’s developments in this area are integrated with the digital economy.

This new development includes the creation of a research cluster for creative computing which brings together Bath Spa’s expertise is a number of areas, such as computing, music and software engineering. Professor Hugill will lead this group at Bath Spa as well as supervising PhD students.

Commenting on the new course areas, he said: “the time is absolutely right for this new initiative, as the digital economy increasingly values creativity and innovation, while creative people are becoming increasingly technologically skilled. There is no doubt that an ability to flourish in a world of fast-changing technology will be essential for future success, both for individuals and the nation as a whole.”

The first course to be introduced is an Integrated Masters in Creative Technology and Enterprise. This course is taught over four years and students have frequent opportunities to work with commercial and industrial partners. It makes use of Bath Spa’s close links with the creative industries.

Endorsement for the course has come from Mark Perry, Chief Technology Officer, Hewlett Packard, UK Public Sector who said: “I believe this course provides an excellent foundation in all the required ‘digital professional’ areas in the context of the teaching, and the hands-on exposure, which the students will receive to real-world problems and projects."

This is a new venture for Bath Spa and develops the University’s existing skills in creativity to meet the needs of the UK’s fastest growing sectors. It will provide talented graduates; new ideas and initiatives that will help boost UK growth in the longer term.

As well as the new Integrated Masters, other new courses will be developed at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Professor Hugill joined Bath Spa from De Montfort University where he was Professor of Digital Humanities. He is also an Associate Researcher at the Université de la Sorbonne, Paris, and a National Teaching Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

More information about the new Integrated Masters in Creative Technology and Enterprise is available on the Bath Spa University website here

Bath Spa University and Bath Abbey collaborate to present new exhibition

20/05/2013 15:15:41

The exhibition in Bath Abbey explores the theme of ‘Hospitality’.

The exhibition features new artworks by 11 Bath Spa University artists, including professional artist alumni, current students and staff from the Bath School of Art and Design. It will be on show inside the Abbey from Tuesday 4 to Friday 28 June.

The artists have been asked by curator and Bath Spa University MA Ceramics graduate, Claire Todd, to create artworks that critically engage with the theme of ‘Hospitality’ and are inspired by, and in dialogue with, the contemporary life of Bath Abbey.

Commenting on the theme, Claire Todd said: “The works are embedded in the fabric of the Abbey, in familiar and less visible ledges and corners. Worshippers and visitors may seek out certain works and encounter others by chance. In this way we aim to heighten awareness of the single joy of hospitality and space for reflection and to magnify the warm nature of the Abbey as a place of encounter and exchange."

The artwork will be staged and embedded amongst the daily activities of worship and welcoming visitors in the Abbey. Anyone coming into the building, whatever their purpose, will be able to discover and engage with the artworks as they walk around and it is hoped that the exhibition will heighten their awareness of the Abbey’s own hospitality and welcome.

Alan Garrow, Bath Abbey’s Vicar Theologian, added: “Hospitality is important to us as a church; it is a key part of the Christian message. Having these artworks in unexpected places around the Abbey offers fresh, creative, and sometimes humorous, ways of emphasising a message already spoken by the building itself: there is a space for everyone here. Space is such a precious thing in our lives and in our city. It gives us a chance to breathe, to be ourselves, to encounter God and one another.

"We are grateful to Claire Todd, Bath School of Art and Design at Bath Spa University, and all the artists involved in this project for helping the Abbey to speak this essential Christian message of welcome with such vitality and joy.”

The ‘Hospitality’ exhibition is part of a larger project looking at how visual art in a sacred space can critically raise awareness of space of refuge, space for devotion, common ground and understanding. There will also be an accompanying education programme.

The participating artists are: Dan Allen, Kateland Clark, David Cushway, Marc Le Galle, Carole Pearson, Sarah Purvey, Lyn Snow, Andrew Temple-Smith, Jo Taylor, Claire Todd, Jane Turner, Kate Wilson and Richard Winfield.

An accompanying publication to the exhibition will be available and will include photographs of the artists’ works as well as texts by Alan Garrow, Professor Mike Tooby and Claire Todd. Limited editions of the ‘Hospitality’ publication will be available to purchase from the Abbey Shop.

Exhibition artists

Dan Allen - Current Head of Art
David Cushway - Staff / BA ceramics graduate
Carole Pearson - Current MA Fine Art student
Sarah Purvey - MA Ceramics graduate
Lyn Snow - Current MA Textiles student
Andrew Temple-Smith - Current MA Ceramics student
Jo Taylor - MA Ceramics graduate
Claire Todd - MA Ceramics graduate
Jane Turner - Current MA Fine Art student
Kate Wilson - Current PhD researcher and part-time lecturer Ceramics
Richard Winfield - Technician / BA ceramics graduate

Exhibition photographer

Marc Le Galle - Current BA Photography student

Exhibition graphic designer

Kateland Clark - Current BA Graphic Design student

Bath Spa University and Faber Academy team up for A Writer’s Summer School

13/05/2013 11:10:16

Two of the biggest names in UK creative writing, Bath Spa University and Faber Academy, are joining forces to run a writers’ summer school like no other.

Students will spend one week at Bath Spa’s postgraduate centre, the beautiful Corsham Court near Bath, and a further week at Faber and Faber’s offices in Bloomsbury. The course involves writing and editing, then pitching novels to Faber editors, with the help of Professor Maggie Gee of Bath Spa, guest novelist David Nicholls, author of One Day, and a Faber Publishing Director.

“You get the best of both of us!” said Professor Gee. “Where better to write than Jane Austen’s Bath? And where better to live the writer’s life than Faber’s offices in Bloomsbury, where Virginia Woolf and TS Eliot lived?”

‘A Writer’s Summer School’ will run from 7 to 19 July 2013 and is open to any student from around the world. To secure a place on the course, students must take part in a formal application process which includes providing a sample of their prose.

The writing schedule of the summer school includes one to one tutorials and four to five hours of workshops and feedback every day, along with writing time and more informal sharing sessions.

The Creative Writing course at Bath Spa has been running for over 20 years. During that time it has become one of the most successful and popular in the UK. Course tutors are themselves respected writers and their links with the publishing industry are invaluable to graduates.

More information about the Summer School is available at: http://www.faberacademy.co.uk/CourseInstances/creative-writing-summer-school-for-writers

Bath Spa Creative Writing lecturer shortlisted for the Pageturner Prize

13/05/2013 09:43:17

Creative Writing lecturer and performance poet Anna Freeman has been included in the shortlist for the Tibor Jones Pageturner Prize 2013.

The biennial Tibor Jones Pageturner Prize aims to unearth exciting and original fiction from debut un-represented novelists.

Anna has received recognition for her novel The Fair Fight, a thrilling historical novel set around the lives of bare-knuckle prize-fighters and their patrons, in Bristol in the 1800s.

As well as working part-time at Bath Spa, Anna is a performance poet and graduated from the University’s Creative Writing course in 2009.

Commenting on her inclusion in the shortlist, Anna said: “I’m delighted. I really am. Partly because of all those moments during the writing of it, when the self-doubt crept in and I wondered if I was deluding myself and it was all rubbish. Whatever happens next, I can stop thinking that. It’s really exciting.

“It’s nearly too exciting – I have to just not think about it, or I’ll run around in circles like a yappy dog.”

The inaugural Pageturner Prize was launched in 2011 and received an extraordinary response with over 400 manuscripts submitted. Bath Spa Creative Writing Masters graduate Nathan Filer was the runner up in 2011 for his now recently published novel The Shock of the Fall

This year over 200 entries were received across all genres from young adult to literary fiction.

The winner of the £1,000 prize will be announced in June 2013 and they will also win literary representation by Tibor Jones & Associates, London’s leading literary agency for the post-digital generation.

More information about the Pageturner Prize 2013 can be found here

Bath Spa University Creative Writing graduate debut book published

09/05/2013 15:03:11

Nathan Filer’s debut novel The Shock of the Fall has been published today (Thursday 9 May).

The Shock of the Fall is an extraordinary portrait of one man’s descent into mental illness. It is a brave and ground-breaking novel from one of the most exciting new voices in fiction.

Nathan, who graduated from Bath Spa in 2010 with an MA in Creative Writing, was the runner up with this novel in the 2011 Pageturner Prize.

Nathan is a writer and registered mental health nurse. He has worked as a researcher in the academic unit of psychiatry at the University of Bristol, and on in-patient psychiatric wards.

His stand-up poetry has been a regular fixture at festivals and spoken-word events across the UK, and has been broadcast on BBC 3 television and Radio 4, 7 and 5 Live. He is also a BBC Best New Filmmaker.

Reviews of the book include:

“Original and affecting. Filer’s ability to capture Matthew’s voice shows a special talent,” Heidi W. Durrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky.

“I have become an evangelist for The Shock of the Fall. It won me heart and soul with it’s crazy, wild, fine voice, its bravura, its ambition, its harrowing corners, and the dense rich tiny core of love at its glowing, radiant center. I loved this book cover to cover and word by word; I want to give it to everyone I care for,” Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty.

“A stunning debut – sad, poignant, real and very very readable. For a first time novelist, Filer has an impressive grasp of complex narrative, and a character we can all care about,” Stella Duffy, author of The Room of Lost Thing.

For further information about the book including more reviews and purchasing opportunities, click here

Nathan was recently on The BBC Radio 2 Book Club with Simon Mayo discussing his new book. Listen to it here

Creative Futures 2013 showcases talent of Bath Spa University

09/05/2013 09:11:49

This annual festival features a programme of events running throughout May and June.

The season of exhibitions, films, performances, events and degree shows starts with a launch reception for 100 invited guests at The Holburne Museum on Wednesday 15 May and ends with a Graphics and Photography Exhibition on Sunday 23 June.

A variety of events will be taking place across Bath, including networking evenings for businesses and creative professionals and a diverse range of performances open to the city’s residents and the visiting public.

The launch event at The Holburne Museum will be officially opened by world renowned artist, and Professor of Art and Design at Bath Spa University, Gavin Turk.

Featuring the work of graduating students from right across the creative and cultural industries, including cultural heritage, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, photography, textiles and visual arts, Creative Futures 2013 highlights just some of the talent emerging from Bath Spa University this year.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor at Bath Spa University, said: “Creative Futures 2013 is shining the spotlight on the wealth of creative talent we have here at Bath Spa University. We are excited to present such a diverse programme of artistic events and very much look forward to sharing with you the extremely high quality of work produced by our enterprising staff and students.”

Some highlights of Creative Futures 2013 include:

Illuminate Bath – Creative Director Anthony Head has worked with BA (Hons) Graphic Communication and BA Fine Arts students to create a visually exciting projection on Pulteney Bridge. This is one light show not to be missed.
Hospitality: an exhibition - Bath Spa University and Bath Abbey have collaborated to present a new exhibition in Bath Abbey which explores the theme of ‘Hospitality’. The exhibition features new artworks by 11 Bath Spa University artists, including professional artist alumni, current students and staff from the School of Art and Design.
Bath School of Art and Design degree show – Spread over 10 days and two venues, the Degree Show features the exciting output from graduating students in a range of Art and Design disciplines.
Graduate fashion show - The Graduate Fashion Show is the culmination of work completed on the BA (Hons) Fashion Design course and showcases the final collections designed, created and made by the students. These collections will be showcased on professional catwalk models from London and the show will be directed by an internationally-renowned producer.

A full programme of events and more information is available on the Bath Spa website at https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/creative-futures

Bath Spa University Creative Writing lecturer receives Arts Council Grant

13/05/2013 09:06:30

Reader in Creative Writing, Lucy English has received a substantial Arts Council Strategic Grant to fund a tour of her latest project 'Count Me In'.

‘Count Me In’ is a multi-media spoken word production with a community facing element. Lucy will be working with Bristol spoken word artists, Glenn Carmichael and Sarah-Jane Arbury to create the show, which is based on society's relationship with numbers.

The grant which is just shy of £30,000 will enable Lucy and the artists to tour twelve rural communities in the South West, running creative writing workshops. The material created in these workshops will be used in the show.

Commenting on receiving the funding, Lucy said: “We are delighted that the Arts Council has agreed to support us. Our previous show 'Flash' was highly acclaimed and we aim to stretch the boundaries of spoken word further with 'Count Me In'.

“It will be exciting to work with communities that do not have much access to the arts and to enable them to create a full length piece of theatre.”

'Count Me In' will recruit three undergraduate students from Bath Spa to work on the show. Their experiences will be written up as part of their third year dissertations.

Lucy added: “This is a unique opportunity for our students to work on a 'real time' arts project and to understand the whole process of professional creative arts through from the initial idea to finished production.”

Lucy teaches performance poetry at Bath Spa which is the only specialist module in this subject in the UK. Many of her former students, such as Jack Dean, Anna Freeman and Rebecca Tantony are now performing their poetry professionally in the UK.

'Count Me In' will tour from September 2013.

More information about the tour is available here

Bath Spa offering exciting new PhD funding opportunities

03/05/2013 10:16:19

Bath Spa University is delighted to announce it is offering up to ten full-time PhD / MPhil fee waiver studentships for the academic year 2013/14. These are all linked to the University’s areas of research strength in creativity, culture and enterprise.

Up to five studentships are available for practice based MPhil / PhD awards with leading researchers at the University and up to another five studentships are available for interdisciplinary MPhil / PhD awards across more than one subject area.

Practice based courses such as Digital Writing and Games Writing, and Innovations in Art, Design and Curatorial Practice, as well as interdisciplinary courses such as Management of Offenders via Creative Practice Interventions and Children's Social and Emotional Learning are some of the study options available as part of the PhD / MPhil studentships.

Students will potentially be supervised by some of Bath Spa’s highly reputable Professors including novelists Naomi Alderman and Kate Pullinger, composer and musician Joe Duddell, and artists Mike Tooby, Dexter Dalwood and Gavin Turk.

A fee-waiver studentship provides:

A full tuition and registration fee waiver,
An allowance of £1,800, which may be used across the period of the studentship, to support research needs such as specialist training, equipment or conference attendance,
Opportunities to develop teaching skills by participating in Bath Spa's CPLHE course, leading to HEA accreditation.

Vice-Provost Research and Graduate Affairs, Professor Tim Middleton, said: “We are thrilled to be announcing these opportunities. These fee-waiver places enable students to take their education to the next level by completing a PhD or MPhil.

“Those lucky enough to receive one of the studentships will not only benefit from a fully funded course, but will also have a helpful allowance to aid them during their studies.

“Many of the projects are led by our world renowned Professors who will be able to provide their students with their much sought after expertise and advice.”

The application deadline is 1 July 2013 for an enrolment date of 1 October 2013.

For more information about the studentships and how to apply, please visit http://www.bathspa.ac.uk/research/phd-opportunities/fees-and-finance/fee-waiver-studentships

Bath Spa Publishing students in new Dorset Cereals book

01/05/2013 12:48:24

Students from Bath Spa’s Publishing course recently had the opportunity to gain experience of working in the book publishing industry for the new Pavilion book, Dorset Cereals: The Breakfast Book.

Publishing lecturer Caroline Harris recently arranged for second-year Publishing students to assist with a photo shoot in Bath.

The students contributed in a number of ways including acting as runners on the shoot, playing their part as models, assisting the photographer with lighting, helping to source props and ingredients and even getting a fire going for a fireside porridge shot.

Dorset Cereals: The Breakfast Book has been produced by Harris + Wilson which is co-run by Caroline.

Bath Spa students have also recently assisted on Harris + Wilson shoots for The Clandestine Cake Club Cookbook (Quercus) as well as a forthcoming series of cookery books under the banner The Hungry Student (Quercus).

Caroline said: “The Bath Spa Publishing course can offer students this kind of industry experience on a whole range of projects, from traditional print books to social media. It gives our students a breadth of understanding and insight into how the real business of publishing works. I’ve always been impressed by their professionalism and enthusiasm – they are great to work with.”

Cheryl Bouchier, Dorset Cereals' recipe developer, added: “It was great working with you all on the Dorset Cereals Breakfast Book. I think the book looks fantastic and I’m really proud to be associated with it. Thanks to you all for making it such fun too!”

The book is available to buy on Amazon here

Photo credit: Jonathan Cherry

Beatrice Hitchman in long list for Desmond Elliott Prize

30/04/2013 14:42:26

Creative Writing Masters graduate Beatrice Hitchman has been included in the long list for the sixth Desmond Elliott Prize.

The prize, which honours the best in debut fiction, has recently been unveiled, with seven of the 10 novels written by women, including Beatrice’s novel Petite Mort.

The shortlist will be revealed on 23 May and the winner of the £10,000 prize will be revealed at a ceremony on 27 June.

The award is named after acclaimed publisher and literary agent Desmond Elliott, who died in 2003.

Beatrice, who completed her MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa in 2009, has already received recognition for first novel Petite Mort which won the Greene & Heaton Prize.

Reviews of her novel include

“Sumptuously set, elegantly written, evocative and quietly subversive.” Stella Duffy

“This debut novel by Beatrice Hitchman is a dazzling tour-de-force... utterly compelling.” Polari Magazine

“Compelling ... Hitchman's confident debut is a story about relationships and the risks we take to get what we want. Universal themes, beautifully explored.” Diva

“Sumptuous...part Moulin Rouge, part Alfred Hitchcock.” Grazia

“Gorgeously written ... with a fantastic twist at the very end ... fascinating.” Image

More information about the Desmond Elliott Prize and those long listed is available at http://www.desmondelliottprize.org/pages/news/index.asp?NewsID=65

Bath Spa University Professor and Graduate in list of top 20 British writers

16/05/2013 14:32:08

Granta magazine has published its once-a-decade list of the most promising writers.

Professor Naomi Alderman and graduate Evie Wyld were joined on the list by other novelists including Zadie Smith, Adam Thirlwell and Sarah Hall, for the announcement at the British Council in London on Monday (15 April).

Granta first published a list of the top 20 writers aged under 40 in 1983. That list included illustrious writers such as Martin Amis, William Boyd, Ian McEwan and Salman Rushdie. It is published once-a-decade and focuses on existing and emerging talents.

Evie Wyld graduated from Bath Spa in 2002 having studied creative writing as part of a BA Creative Arts Course. Her debut novel After the Fire, a Still Small Voice won the 2009 John Llewellyn Rhys literary prize. As well as writing novels, Evie also runs an independent bookshop in London.

Professor Naomi Alderman joined Bath Spa in September 2012. Her debut novel Disobedience, was published in ten languages and like her second novel, The Lessons, it was read on BBC radio's Book at Bedtime. In 2006 she won the Orange Award for New Writers and in 2007, she was named Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year.

She also co-created Zombies, Run! - a fitness game and audio app for smartphones and was the lead writer on Bafta-shortlisted alternate reality game Perplex City.

A launch of this special issue of Granta Magazine will take place at Topping & Co. in Bath on Thursday 25 April. Naomi Alderman, Evie Wyld and Granta Editor Ella Allfrey will be in attendance to celebrate this historic moment in British literature. Tickets for the event can be purchased on the Topping & Company website here

University experts awarded for their contribution to teaching and learning in religious studies

16/04/2013 09:20:05

Two lecturers from Bath Spa University have been recognised for their exceptional work in the teaching of religions.

Dr Catherine Robinson and Professor Denise Cush from the University’s School of Humanities and Cultural Industries, have been presented with an annual award by the Shap Working Party for World Religions in Education.

The award recognises a person or organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to education in religions, including resources for learning in the study of religions at university level and religious education in schools.

Dr Robinson and Professor Cush have been awarded this year’s prize for their project and website Living Religion: Promoting Fieldwork Placements in Theology and Religious Studies which has been judged as making a profoundly significant contribution to the field of the study of/education in religions.

Commenting on receiving the award, Dr Robinson said: “This came as a great surprise but the award acknowledges the value of fieldwork placements which have been part of the programme here for over 35 years and for which we must thank the many colleagues and communities who have been involved over that time.”

Professor Cush added: “We were delighted to hear that our project had received this award from Shap, as the Shap Working Party shares our vision of the importance of learning about the diverse range of religions and beliefs that have such an influence on individuals and societies in the world today.”

The project was funded by the Higher Education Academy and built upon the many decades of experience at Bath Spa University in working with religious and belief communities to provide experiential placement learning for students.

Bath Spa remains unique in that it includes a seven day placement with a religious or belief community as a compulsory part of its core curriculum in the Study of Religions course.

The Shap Working Party for World Religions in Education was founded in 1969 by a group of university lecturers in comparative religion, teacher educators and teachers. This group pioneered the non-confessional study of a diverse range of religions and beliefs at all levels of education, from primary schools to universities.

More information about the Shap prize can be found here

Taking a dive for charity

15/04/2013 10:16:17

A Bath Spa University student is currently organising a student Skydive to raise money for dementia research charity, RICE.

The Research Institute for the Care Of Older People (RICE) is a registered charity based in Bath.

Lucy Mitchell, a third year business and management student, has been volunteering at RICE for the last three years, assisting with finance, fundraising and marketing activities as well as running several projects and events, including sponsored Skydives.

Last year, Lucy organised a jump with five students participating which raised over £1,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

This year, ten Bath Spa students will be jumping and Lucy hopes that they can raise double last year’s figure with the jump scheduled to take place on Saturday 4 May.

Commenting on the arranged Skydive, Lucy said: "I am delighted that there has been so much interest in the Skydive this year! Not only is it fantastic publicity for RICE, but it is also set to raise a lot of money.

“The charity conducts research and clinical trials into Alzheimer’s and other dementias and also provides support for those with the disease, and their families.

“Some of the students have really moving reasons for doing the Skydive specifically for an Alzheimer's charity. I am happy that I have been able to facilitate the jump and thus the opportunity to raise money for such a worthwhile cause. I thoroughly enjoy volunteering for the charity and relish the challenge of running my own projects such as the Skydive.”

RICE fundraiser, Gina Caddick, added: “Lucy has been amazing over the last three years, helping out in so many ways and she will be sorely missed when she graduates. That’s two years now where she has whipped up the enthusiasm among her fellow students to dive from a plane, helping to promote our charity. Thanks to everyone who has taken up the challenge.”

For more information about the dive, including how to sponsor the students, please visit http://www.rice.org.uk/bath+spa+uni+skydive+20132

Bath Spa University History expert part of film on the monarchy in the eighteenth century

12/04/2013 10:41:48

A Senior Lecturer in History from Bath Spa will feature in a three-part historical programme documenting the relationships, deaths and illnesses of British monarchs in the eighteenth century.

Dr Elaine Chalus from the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries was recently at Hampton Court Palace to film the second programme of this three-part series.

Entitled 'Fit to Rule' and hosted by historical writer and curator Dr Lucy Worsley, the first episode of the series aired last Monday (8 April) and the second episode, which features Elaine will air on Monday 15 April on BBC2 at 9:00pm.

As part of the filming, Elaine specifically spoke about the events that came to poison the relationship between George II and Queen Caroline with their son Frederick, Prince of Wales, in the 1730s.

Commenting on the filming, Dr Chalus said: “The family relations between the Hanoverian monarchs and their sons were always difficult, but this relationship was played out in the full glare of the press. Viewers may well be surprised to see just how public this row was.”

More information about ‘Fit to Rule’ click here

The BA (Hons) History course at Bath Spa is designed to enable students to select and explore those aspects of history that most interest them as well as acquiring knowledge and understanding of history as a scholarly discipline.

Placements are available during the course and recent student placements include: Bath Central Library Local Studies; Bath Record Office; Museum of Bath at Work; The Building of Bath Collection; The American Museum in Britain; Wilshire and Swindon History Centre; Radstock Museum and the SS Great Britain. Overseas study trips and exchange programmes are also available.

For more information about the History course, click here

Bath Spa leading the way in Health and Safety

11/04/2013 09:53:27

Bath Spa University’s approach to occupational health and safety has been recognised in an awards scheme run by safety charity, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The University will be presented with the Gold Award in the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2013 in a ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel on Thursday 16 May.

Dating back 57 years, the RoSPA Awards scheme is the largest and longest-running programme of its kind in the UK. It recognises commitment to accident and ill health prevention and is open to businesses and organisations of all types and sizes from across the UK and overseas.

The scheme not only looks at accident records, but also entrants’ overarching health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

David Rawlins, RoSPA’s awards manager, said: “RoSPA firmly believes that organisations that demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention deserve recognition. Bath Spa University has shown that it is committed to striving for such continuous improvement and we are delighted to honour it through the presentation of an award.”

Warren Cole, Safety, Health and Environment Adviser at Bath Spa University added: “This is the seventh gold RoSPA award that we have achieved in the last eight years. It is encouraging to have such a respected organisation as RoSPA recognising the quality of our health and safety management systems.”

The majority of awards that RoSPA presents are non-competitive, marking achievement at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels. Organisations maintaining high standards can win gold medals, president’s awards and orders of distinction.

Speed dating with a difference

11/04/2013 09:57:16

The University recently hosted a Speed-dating event with a focus on networking rather than the usual ‘date’.

Bath Spa held a Speed-networking event as part of its partnership with Creative Bath where over 50 media communications students and local creative businesses met up and networked at an event held at Circo Bath.

Local companies such as Suited and Booted studios, Cahootify, Cultural Forum, Media Clash and Xcetra Media had the opportunity to meet creative and entrepreneurial Bath Spa students to discuss any potential jobs or opportunities and how they might be able to collaborate with these students in the future.

BA Publishing and Media student Chloe Hall attended the event and said: “Thanks for such a fantastic evening, who knew Bath has such great employment opportunities!”

Employers commented on how valuable it was witnessing the quality of students and variety of talents and skills they possessed, with a view of retaining them in the City. It was also considered a great way for local businesses to find out more about the potential for links with the University.

One local creative professional, Tom Brereton Downs from Artolo, said: “It was a great event. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and have already had a number of enquiries for internships from some excellent students.”

Adam Powell, Head of Enterprise and Local Partnerships at Bath Spa University said: “This is the fifth event of its kind we have held bringing together local creative professionals with emerging creative talent from across the University. The relaxed and enjoyable format really works and it’s great to see real opportunities emerging from the event already. Thanks to Creative Bath and Circo Bath for helping make the event such a success.”

The University’s long-standing relationship with Creative Bath was formalised in February in a partnership to promote creative enterprise in Bath.

The partnership will give creative professionals in Bath access to the University’s creative talent through regular membership events. Events such as the speed networking evenings will generate quick introductions and structured discussion.

This collaboration will also benefit Bath Spa University students through the Creative Bath Intern Scheme, which aims to retain graduate talent in Bath, a shadowing scheme, and work experience opportunities with members’ companies.

Bath Spa to host South West Higher Education conference

11/04/2013 09:55:47

The Higher Education Liaison Officers Association (HELOA) symposium for the South West of England on Friday 12 April is being held at Bath Spa University.

HELOA is the professional association of Higher Education staff involved in giving guidance and information to prospective students and their advisors. This meeting will host around 50 teachers and advisors from across the South West of England.

The conference will feature a number of presentations and sessions, including a talk from the Chief Executive of UCAS, Mary Curnock Cook, who said: “It’s great to see a forward looking university like Bath Spa hosting this event. Those advising young people about their university options need both practical information and inspiring insights to take back to their pupils – both are on offer at this HELOA event.”

A number of Higher Education Institutes throughout the South West region will be involved in this conference to enable the sharing of good practice amongst the region. Supportive sessions will also be offered addressing issues relating to the Higher Education process.

Chair of HELOA South West, and Marketing and Events Officer at Bath Spa University, Missy Beal, added: “It is so important for students to be aware of all the university options available to them when they go through, what can be for some, a very difficult process.

“By supporting local teachers and advisors, we hope that this conference will enable key messages to be passed on which can only be of benefit to the student.

“I am delighted Bath Spa University is able to host what I hope will be a useful and informative day to all.”

Bath Spa University and Bath Festivals shortlisted for national Arts & Business Award

01/05/2013 08:46:58

Bath Spa University and Bath Festivals have been selected as one of the top three partnerships within the Arts & Business (A&B) Long-term Partnership Award category. Bath Spa is the only university in the UK to have been shortlisted across all the Awards categories.

The A&B Awards in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover are held annually. The Long-term Partnership Award recognises businesses and organisations’ on-going collaboration and their ability to continue to set high standards for arts and business partnerships.

Bath Spa University has been working in partnership with Bath Festivals for many years, enhancing each other’s profiles and helping to develop a thriving creative and cultural life for this vibrant city. Attracting audiences from across the UK, Bath International Music Festival, The Independent Bath Literature Festival, The Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival and their year round Learning & Participation programmes provide exciting and valuable opportunities for students, from delivering performances, workshops and education work to stewarding and placements within the arts administration team.

Bath Festivals benefit from creative, financial and in-kind support from the University. This ranges from contributions to the development of its artistic and outreach programmes, use of university facilities and resources, delivery of events as well as access to a range of staff and student expertise, for example in supporting the Festivals’ social media strategy.

The partnership was formally confirmed in January this year with the University named as Bath Festivals’ ‘Creative Partner’. The relationship has had a positive impact on students, local school children, rural communities, teachers, arts professionals, performers and the diverse festival audiences.

Commenting on the shortlisting, Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University said: “We are delighted and proud to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award. Our partnership with Bath Festivals is a celebration of the marriage of the creativity and skill sets of our students with the thriving arts and creative businesses throughout the city of Bath.”

Bath Festivals’ Chief Executive, Belinda Kidd, added: “It is wonderful that our long-established work with the staff and students of Bath Spa University has been recognised in this way. Our links with the University are immensely rewarding, and I am delighted that these have now been further strengthened with the formal establishment of our role as Creative Partner.”

The A&B Awards celebrate the finest partnerships between the commercial and cultural sectors. This year, over 100 partnerships entered across the seven award categories.

Philip Spedding, Director of Arts & Business, said: “Our independent panel of judges were incredibly impressed by the quality and breadth of all of the entries and it is heartening to see the commercial sector continue to support the cultural sector in such well executed and creative ways. Success, as ever, is achieved through commitment, cooperation and collaboration.”

The ceremony for the A&B Awards will take place on Tuesday 14 May at the London Symphony Orchestra, St Luke’s, London.

Aspiring fashion designers to gain experience in America

03/04/2013 11:12:36

Two fashion students from Bath Spa University will be travelling to America to spend a three month internship with GAP-owned clothing and accessories company Old Navy.

Lauren Mather and Philippa Robinson have been selected as two of only 12 students from the UK who will spend 12 weeks with the San Francisco-based company this summer.

Louise Pickles, Course Leader and Coordinator of Fashion, and her team at Bath Spa have been developing a relationship with Old Navy and this year, Bath Spa was invited to take part in their annual design project along with other high profile fashion courses from universities across the UK.

The brief theme for the project was 'We are Family!' and the students were asked to focus on a Spring 2014 collection. Building on the heritage of the Old Navy brand, they were tasked to design a collection inspired by denim, tee-shirts and sweatshirts that fit into the DNA of the Old Navy brand. Students could choose to design for men, women, girls, or boys wear.

Design and human resources directors from Old Navy recently visited Bath Spa’s fashion studio and viewed the work where they selected seven students to interview with their full portfolio.

Of the seven selected students, three Bath Spa students were shortlisted to compete for the 12 available places with Lauren and Philippa making it into the final 12.

Not only is this a highly prestigious opportunity and experience, full expenses will be funded by Old Navy and the students will be paid an hourly intern rate.

Commenting on Lauren and Philippa’s success, Louise Pickles said: “It is a real testament to the success of the course to be invited to collaborate with such a successful high profile overseas brand, and for our students to compete against students from some of the strongest UK fashion design courses.

I am thrilled that Lauren and Philippa have been given this amazing opportunity and wish them every success for what I am sure will be an exciting, and insightful, summer at the Old Navy headquarters in San Francisco.”

The Fashion course at Bath Spa is extremely successful producing many talented and skilful designers. Most recently, fashion student Stephanie Kitchen won the 2013 Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) competition and Bath Spa Alumna Chloe Jones, who won both the Gold Award and Womenswear Award at Graduate Fashion Week 2013. Chloe’s new collection for George at ASDA has also recently been launched.

Bath Spa and Porthleven helping develop future artists

28/03/2013 16:33:26

Bath Spa University and the Trevor Osborne Charitable Trust have joined forces to offer students the chance to develop a body of work based on Porthleven in Cornwall.

The Bath Spa Porthleven Prize is an exciting new opportunity exclusively for Bath Spa students to win one of five fully funded art residences in Porthleven, Cornwall.

A panel of judges met recently to consider the submissions and five students have been selected as prize winners. They are:

Joseph Turnbull, second year BA Fine Art,
Jane Hall, second year BA Fine Art,
Kilda Meadows, third year BA Creative Arts,
Sara Mark, MA Fine Art,
Vasilieos Chatzimakris, PhD, Music and Performing Arts.

The prize winners will take part in a ten-day residency in May, based at the Porthleven Lifeboat Art Studio. Whilst there, the students will work together to produce a body of collaborative artwork in any discipline including performance and text, as well as visual art.

The prize is funded by the Trevor Osborne Charitable Trust in association with Bath Spa University. It is an excellent opportunity for students to gain professional artistic experience and promote their own work and practice to commercial galleries, prospective customers and clients.

Rosie Hughes, Life Boat Art Studio manager, said: “I was extremely impressed with the quality of the students’ presentations and am very excited about the project. Trevor Osborne and his team are delighted to be able to collaborate with Bath Spa University in sponsoring these gifted students to create something very special based on the beautiful and historic location of Porthleven.”

The aim of the prize is to encourage students to work together across subjects to create a fusion of creative thinking in the heart of the Porthleven community.

Professor Mike Tooby, acting Dean of the School of Art and Design, said: “The Prize has already generated a terrific collaborative research trip by a group of students from across the University and from all levels of study. We now are looking forward to an exciting phase of new work by a strong and diverse group of creative minds responding to the rich context that Porthleven offers.”

At the end of the residency the artwork will be exhibited to the public at the Lifeboat Art Studio in Porthleven. This will be followed later in the year by a touring exhibition at the O3 Gallery in Oxford as well as the Bath School of Art and Design.

Helen Statham, Director of the O3 Gallery, added: “The O3 Gallery is delighted to be working with students from Bath Spa University in this residency and exhibition. Collaborative practice is so important to contemporary artists working today and we are thrilled to be bringing together five students with such diverse working processes and media. I can't wait to see what is created through this opportunity!”

Bath School of Art and Design was founded more than 160 years ago and has a successful history and an international reputation for creativity and innovation. The School provides students with the opportunity to work with a wide range of internationally recognised art and design practitioners and thinkers.

Bath Spa hosts national education conference

03/04/2013 15:27:29

Bath Spa University is today (27 March) hosting a national conference looking at the importance of properly educating children and young people in care.

The University is hosting the National Virtual Schools Head Teachers conference, in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council.

A Virtual School Head Teacher is responsible for ensuring the educational progress of every child and young person in care within a local authority. The role was established under the previous government and is being made statutory by the present government, with cross-party support, in the Children and Families Bill which is currently before Parliament.

In a message to the conference, Children’s Minister, Edward Timpson said:

“There are only five statutory posts to cover all the responsibilities of local government. This will be the sixth, and shows how important the current Secretary of State and I see the role of the Virtual school head is.”

The focus of the conference is on how Virtual Schools Head Teachers can work with colleagues in schools, foster carers and other professionals, to improve the educational attainment of children and young people in care.

Over 100 Virtual Schools Head Teachers are attending as well as a number of notable speakers including:

Dr Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Commissioner for England,

Louise Bomber, National trainer and author of What about me? And Inside I’m Hurting,
Matthew Brazier HMI, Ofsted lead on ‘The impact of virtual schools on the education of looked after children’,
Kate Cairns, National trainer and author of Learn the Child and Attachment, Trauma and Resilience,
Professor Judy Sebba, Head of Rees Centre for Fostering and Education, University of Oxford.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University, who is opening the conference said: “The University is keen to continually develop our links with disadvantaged groups in the local community. We are proud of the Buttle Trust Quality Mark we achieved for our support for Care Leavers, and of our ‘In Care, In School’ partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council.

“This conference is designed to support professionals on the front line. We hope to improve educational opportunities for those in care.”

Virtual School Head Teacher for Children in Care in Bath and North East Somerset, Michael Gorman, who has been closely involved with planning the conference, added: “This conference is very timely with the government announcing that the post of Head of a Virtual School will become a statutory obligation for local authorities.

“It is an excellent opportunity for current Virtual School Head Teachers to meet, share good ideas and hear from leading experts on how to raise the attainment of children in care.”

In 2012, only 14.6 per cent of children in care achieved five good GCSEs including English and Mathematics, compared with 58.1 per cent for children who are not in care.

Children in care suffer more changes of school, are more likely to be out of school and often do not receive appropriate help and support to enable them to catch up with their studies. Nationally, only 6 per cent of care leavers go on to university compared with 37 per cent of all young people.

Professor Sonia Jackson of the London Institute of Education, who led a major international study on the education of children in care told a recent Parliamentary Enquiry that:

“By achieving at school and continuing into further and higher education, young people in care can escape many of the problems experienced by their birth parents and enjoy a better quality of adult life.”

Click on the video below to watch Richard Parker, Director of the Centre for Education Policy in Practice at Bath Spa University, discuss the conference and its outcomes, as well as the importance of the Virtual Schools Head Teacher role being made a statutory post in all local governments.

Bath Spa University signs Manifesto for Public Engagement

26/03/2013 10:23:36

Bath Spa University has signed the Manifesto for Public Engagement. The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) is inviting all UK universities to sign the Manifesto and make a commitment to supporting staff and students in their public engagement efforts.

There is an increasing recognition that universities play an important role in the UK’s intellectual and cultural life. The Manifesto emphasises the positive ways universities can make a different and generate value from engaging with the public.

Bath Spa University has a strong focus on creativity, culture and enterprise which results in a large number of publically focused activities on an annual basis including exhibitions, performances, workshops, networking and research events.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor at Bath Spa University said: “The ethos of creativity at Bath Spa University means we are engaged with various public audiences. The quality of our academic output and research endeavours has a direct impact on the cultural wellbeing of our society. We are pleased to be signatories of the Manifesto for Public Engagement and will continue to be engaged with the public in all aspects of university life.”

Paul Manners, Director of the NCCPE said: “We are really delighted that Bath Spa University has decided to sign up to the Engaged University Manifesto. Bath Spa’s commitment to supporting its graduates to become socially engaged global citizens provides a perfect platform for us to work together to push the boundaries of how a modern university can really make a difference.”

Further information about the public engagement events and activities on-going at the University is available on the website www.bathspa.ac.uk/research/public-engagement

More information about the Manifesto for Public Engagement is available on the NCCPE website http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/why-does-it-matter/manifesto

Image caption: Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University signing the Manifesto for Public Engagement with Sophie Duncan of the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).

Digitrope highlights all that is great about the city

19/03/2013 12:21:11

The Roman Baths were lit up on Friday and Saturday night by the latest projection artwork of Illuminate Bath Creative Director and Bath Spa Senior Lecturer Anthony Head.

Anthony Head’s Digitrope is a new projection-based artwork which was created especially for the Bath Digital Festival. It was supported by Bath Spa University, Legacy Trust UK and Enlightened Lightened who took charge of the technical aspects of the event. Legacy Trust UK is creating a lasting impact from London 2012 by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK.

The Digitrope artwork was influenced by the nineteenth Century animation device, the Zoetrope - a cylinder-shaped toy with a sequence of pictures on its inner surface which, when viewed through the vertical slits spaced regularly around it while the toy is rotated, produces an illusion of movement.

The Digitrope is a scalable, playful installation that used a live video camera to capture willing participants who interacted with the piece. The participants’ movements were then digitised and played back instantly as a series of eight or more giant frames each measuring three metres high.

The work explored the notions of creative control, participation, performance and the playfulness that occurs when you are presented with yourself live on video which is curiously different to just seeing yourself in a mirror.

Anthony said: “On two cold rainy nights, we brought smiles and laughter to the participating public, who appeared impressed with the engaging power of an interactive artwork. It’s something you have to experience!

“My thanks go to the Bath Spa University students who volunteered to encourage people to take part, and the hyper efficient tech crew from Enlightened Lighting. It’s been a pleasure to create a piece for the Bath Digital Festival, a symbol of the growing dominance Bath is showing in the software and technology sector.

“I hope to bring back another Illuminate Bath Festival in the near future.”

David Kelly, Director of the Bath Digital Festival, said: “It has been a pleasure to partner with the team behind Illuminate Bath in what we hope is the first of many demonstrations of the power of combining technology with community involvement. The Digitrope was a great addition to this year's Digital Festival and we're looking forward to working with Anthony again in the future.”

This is the second Bath Digital Festival which offers ten days of exciting events run at venues across the city, and offers something for everyone in the community. Bath has a fast-growing digital sector, and the Festival has been developed to allow members of the public to explore the city’s thriving digital scene and to get involved in a variety of interesting projects. The festival runs from 14 to 24 March and details of the exciting events still on-going are available on the website www.2013.bathdigitalfestival.com

Bath Spa University is a proud partner of the Festival and many staff and students are playing a pivotal role in helping make it a success. The University is also sponsoring the ‘Biggest success story of 2012’ award at the Festival’s SPARKies awards, later this week.

Image credit: Ria MacRae

Contract signed for new student residential development at Bath Spa University

15/03/2013 13:28:08

Bath Spa University and Miller Construction today (15 March) signed a contract for the development of new student residential accommodation at the University’s Newton Park campus. This is the second phase of a £70 million development on the campus which includes a new state-of-the-art academic building.

The new student residential accommodation will consist of individual ‘houses’ for up to ten students. Each house will include a shared kitchen/living space and en-suite bedrooms fitted to a very high standard. They will be situated in an attractive courtyard setting at the western end of the campus near to the Students’ Union facilities.

The project is being delivered by main contractor Miller Construction, one of the UK’s largest construction and integrated asset management services businesses.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University said: “We are lucky to have an extraordinarily beautiful campus at Newton Park. Next year the student residences and the technically highly sophisticated new academic building will both be completed, enhancing even further the quality of our student experience.”

Chris Webster, Chief Executive, Miller Construction, said: “We are delighted to have secured the contract to deliver Bath Spa University’s new student residential accommodation at their Newton Park campus.

“We have extensive experience in the successful delivery of student accommodation and are looking forward to working in partnership with the university to deliver first class student accommodation which will complement their new academic building.”

Work on the residential development will begin in June 2013 and is scheduled for completion by September 2014. Prospective students will be able to view a sample bedroom and living space when visiting the University at open days on 1 June, 5 October, 19 October, 26 October or 9 November this year.

Construction of the University’s new academic building, also at Newton Park, is on schedule to be completed by spring 2014.

Further information including artists impressions of the new residential accommodation is available on the Bath Spa University website www.bathspa.ac.uk/development/residential-buildings

Image caption:

L-R bottom: Carolyn Puddicombe, Director of Estates and Services, Bath Spa University; Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor, Bath Spa University; Simon Burton, Regional Managing Director; Miller Construction

L-R top: Mark Kirby, Commercial Manager, Miller Construction; Kenny Ling, Solicitor, Veale Wasbrough Vizards; Anita Edson, Capital Projects Manager, Bath Spa University; Adrian Smith, Project Director, Miller Construction

Credit: Ben Langdon Photography.

Bath Spa University helping digitise the city

13/03/2013 11:04:24

Bath Spa is playing a pivotal role in the 2013 Bath Digital Festival.

The University has teamed up with Bath Digital Festival to provide ten days of exciting events at venues across the city from Thursday 14 to Sunday 24 March.

Bath has a fast-growing digital sector and the Festival has been developed to allow members of the public to explore the city’s thriving digital scene and to get involved in a variety of interesting projects. The mixture of events offers something for everyone in the community.

Innovative research is being carried out at Bath Spa and cutting-edge digital enterprises are choosing the city as their home, so Bath has a lot to celebrate and is fast being recognised as a leading digital hub.

Many of Bath Spa’s staff and students are heavily involved with the running of the festival, including:

Katharine Reeve (Acting Head of Department in Creative Writing and Publishing) who is running a social media workshop with senior lecturer Mike Johnston, and also a digital school magazine workshop for teenagers with staff and 2^nd and 3^rd year students from the undergraduate Publishing course.
The Social Media Experiment (SME) team (run by Katharine Reeve with Mike Johnston) will promote the festival digitally through the use of Twitter, Facebook, blogs/articles, filming, interviews and YouTube.
Another student team from SME is looking after the educational side of the festival, utilising social media and producing written and legacy content for educational purposes.

Katharine Reeve said: “The Digital Publishing students who work on the Social Media Experiment have been given some wonderful opportunities to create digital content across media and platforms for this important digital festival, which celebrates the city of Bath’s expertise in this area.”

David Kelly, Festival Director, added: "Our second Festival promises to be a fantastic celebration of the very best of the region's digital activity. We have events for everyone, from a family weekend with a digital funfair to a hack at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios.”

One of the headline events is Anthony Head’s Digitrope, the result of collaboration between Bath Spa University, Illuminate Bath and Bath Digital Festival.

Anthony Head is the Creative Director of the Illuminate Bath festival and Senior Lecturer at Bath Spa University. The Digitrope is new artwork, created especially for the Bath Digital Festival. It is an interactive, participatory linear zoetrope (a device that produces the illusion of motion from a rapid succession of static pictures) which will be projected on the Roman Baths in Stall Street on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 March.

Members of the public are invited to come along and be teleported into the Digitrope, by standing in front of the camera and performing for a few seconds. They then watch a 20 metre wide projection, showing their time-delayed image along the Digitrope's nine two-metre high windows. Just like watching a 19th century zoetrope, but with a 21st century digital twist!

Anthony Head said: "It's great to have the opportunity to create a new projected work for Bath Digital Festival. Following my personal passion for digital interactivity, this participatory artwork should bring many smiles to people as they experience it for themselves. The act of seeing yourself patterned by the rhythm of time-delayed moving image is uncanny and engaging. You just need to relax and have a go at it yourself."

Illustration lecturer awarded prestigious Mount Athos Bursary

11/03/2013 12:15:46

A senior lecturer in Illustration from Bath Spa University has received a grant to travel to Greece to visit the Holy Mountain of Mount Athos and record drawings and paintings.

Tim Vyner, from the Bath School of Art and Design, received the Mount Athos Bursary from the Royal College of Art (RCA). He will be making three separate trips to Greece over the coming year where he will record in paintings and drawings, the twenty monasteries and a selection of Sketes which will form a contemporary record of this unique location.

The culmination of the visits will be an exhibition of Tim’s art work at the Mount Athos Centre in Thessaloniki, and in London, as well as a printed portfolio book of the collection.

As part of the award, Tim will have the opportunity to live and experience a way of life unchanged for almost a 1,000 years.

He said: “It is a really exciting bursary to be awarded from the RCA, and a great privilege to be granted permission to work in such a remarkable place.

“Over the last decade I have become used to drawing and reporting on major sporting events where the pace of activities is frantic and the pressure to produce work quickly in large crowds is high. This project really appeals as it presents an opportunity to reflect on my current practice by visiting a series of 20 Orthodox Monasteries several times in a year, where the routine of life has changed very little.

“My first visit will be over the Easter break. When I return I am looking forward to telling the BA Graphic Communication and Illustration students I teach all about life in the Monasteries where I won't have access to most of the technology we all take for granted in our work. I still plan to take an iPad and use it as a sketchbook alongside traditional drawing, painting and print-making.”

Last year, Tim was The Times artist covering the London 2012 Olympic Games and captured the atmosphere of the Games for the newspaper on a daily basis. He used an iPad for his sketches and created illustrations in the lead up to the Games including the Torch relay as well as three daily illustrations throughout The Games.

The BA (Hons) Graphic Communication course is a challenging, critical and diverse programme to develop students’ individual ability to design and communicate visually across or within a specialist area. A wide range of careers are open to students including graphic design, art direction, illustration, animation, interactive media, advertising, motion graphics, photography, and publishing.

Bath Spa sponsors keynote event at writer’s conference

08/03/2013 15:53:23

Bath Spa University sponsored a recent keynote event at the Association of Writers and Writing programs (AWP) conference.

The University’s Contemporary Writing Research Centre sponsored the event which featured a conversation between Nobel prizewinning poets Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott. The event attracted an audience of over 4,000 at the Hynes Conference Centre in Boston.

Celebrated poet and translator Seamus Heaney is the author of more than twenty volumes of poetry, essays, and translations, including Opened Ground; District and Circle, winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize; Human Chain; and Finders Keepers: Selected Prose 1971-2001.

Poet, playwright, and essayist Derek Walcott is the author of eight collections of plays, a book of essays, and fourteen poetry collections, including Omeros, Tiepolo's Hound, and most recently, White Egrets.

Dean of the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries at Bath Spa, and playwright and novelist, Dr Steve May introduced the two Nobel Prize-winning poets and presented readings of their work. A discussion followed which was moderated by the poet and critic Rosanna Warren, author of Ghost in a Red Hat.

Dr May said: "It was a privilege and pleasure to be present at this event, where two great poets, and great friends, discussed their work, their influences and the events that shaped their work. The atmosphere was electric, and the audience rapt. A great night.”

President of AWP, David Fenza, said: “This was a truly historic event which would have been impossible without the support of Bath Spa University.”

Each year, the AWP holds its Annual Conference & Bookfair in a different city to celebrate the authors, teachers, writing programs, literary centres, and independent publishers of that region.

The conference typically features 550 readings, lectures, panel discussions, and forums, as well as hundreds of book signings, receptions, dances, and informal gatherings. More than 10,000 writers and readers attended the 2012 conference, and 600 exhibitors were represented at the bookfair.

AWP’s is now the largest literary conference in North America.

Bath Spa University at heart of city’s Literature Festival

26/02/2013 16:31:42

The West’s biggest Literature Festival, the 2013 Independent Bath Literature Festival will be welcomed into the city of Bath between Friday 1 and Sunday 10 March.

The city will welcome the finest writers and creative minds to Bath to discuss topics as diverse as religion, science, morality, art and the environment. The focus will be on the themes of Freedom, Landscape and as the centenary of the Great War approaches, Europe in 1913.

Bath Spa University annually supports the Literature Festival and is proud to be Bath Festivals' Creative Partner. Once again, students and staff are contributing in many ways to this year's programme, including student-led events such as ‘Voices in the City’, sponsorship of the fantastic ‘Landscape’ strand and the popular free ‘Writers Surgery’ workshops for new, aspiring writers.

To celebrate World Book Day on Thursday 7 March, the University is running two free events for the general public:

Writers Surgery: Speculative Fiction, 6:00-7:30pm, Roscoff Deli – Have you always wanted to have a go at writing horror, fantasy or science fiction? Is your mind full of fantastical ideas? Writers from Bath Spa University will help you to explore these genres in an informal workshop.
Pitch Perfect, 8:00-10:00pm, St James Wine Vaults Bath - Writers don’t just write: they have to research their books. Topics range from the nature of genre and issues of gender to how to create a world and write authentic historical voices. Come and hear a group of Bath Spa University’s distinguished Creative Writing PhD students pitch their projects to a panel of academics. Then vote for the winner…

Commenting on the University’s involvement, Dean of the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries at Bath Spa, Dr Steve May, said: “For many years Bath Spa's involvement with Bath Festivals has been exciting and of great benefit to our students and the local community.

“Now that our ‘union’ has been regularised and we are formal ‘creative partners’, it gives us even more opportunities to contribute to these wonderful events.”

Bath Festivals’ Marketing and Development Director, Owen McNeir, added: “In what is a challenging climate for the Arts in the UK, the Creative Partnership between Bath Festivals and Bath Spa University stands out as a confident and dynamic collaboration. We look forward to building on our established heritage, embarking on new creative projects together and above all, to inspiring students across the University to help us grow and sustain the Arts in Bath and North East Somerset.”

Ranked in 2012 by Which? as one of the UK’s top five creative universities, Bath Spa University has creativity, culture and enterprise at its heart. Students benefit from great courses, leading facilities, enterprising staff and strong industry partnerships.

The University offers a wide range of postgraduate courses – including MA Travel and Nature Writing, MA Writing for Young People, MA Literature, Landscape and Environment and MA Creative Writing

If you would like to find out more about any of these courses and others, come along to the Postgraduate Open Day on Saturday 23 March 2013. Please visit the website to book a place.

Helping better educate our troops’ children

26/02/2013 09:36:48

Bath Spa has recently announced a new partnership project with the Service Children Support Network (SCSN).

The University’s Widening Participation Team has joined forces with the SCSN in an initiative which will trial an educational enrichment and support project for primary and secondary aged Service children in schools across Wiltshire and Somerset in 2013.

This programme will geographically extend the current project in place with the University of Oxford in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

The aims of the project are:

Inspire intellectual, global and personal curiosity in pupils.
Enrich and enhance students’ self-esteem, aspirations and hopes for the future.
Introduce the language and context of Further and Higher Education and dispel any misconceptions about university study and life.
Give students a greater understanding of their progression through school.

These aims will be achieved through delivering interesting, informative and relevant programmes to learners between the ages of 10-18 both in schools and in universities.

Dr Sally Griffin, Bath Spa Widening Participation and Access Manager, has been spearheading Bath Spa’s involvement, working closely with Joy O’Neill, founder of the SCSN and Dr Mel Macer from the University’s School of Education.

Dr Griffin and Dr Macer already work together on the School of Education's Education Policy into Practice (EPIP) group and Dr Macer’s involvement in the programme adds additional understanding and experience having previously worked supporting Service schools in Wiltshire.

Service School children move around a considerable amount during their schooling and can also be under a lot of strain if their mother or father is deployed away from home on a detachment or active service.

The project has already received expressions of interest from a number of schools in Wiltshire and Somerset to deliver Higher Education awareness and aspiration-raising activities for their Service children, with events planned for a number of schools this summer.

Dr Griffin said: “Dr Macer and I are delighted to work with Joy O’Neill on this project and to be able to support the children of service families in this way. We believe that everyone with the potential to benefit from higher education should have the opportunity to do so, and through this programme we hope to inspire these young people to consider university as an option for their future.”

A recent Ofsted report highlighted that the impact of mobility and deployment on the lives of children and young people from armed service families, is an area of concern for a wide range of providers of services to children, young people and their parents.

Bath Spa University Master’s courses receive funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council

22/02/2013 10:54:15

Bath Spa has been awarded a number of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) studentships reflecting the high quality and prestige of its creative Master’s awards.

Students looking to study certain creative Master’s courses at Bath Spa University can now apply to receive an AHRC-funded studentship. The AHRC funding has been made available under the AHRC Block Grant: Capacity Building Scheme and a number of Bath Spa Master’s courses have benefitted.

Courses that have studentships available are: MA Creative Writing; MA Writing for Young People; MA Scriptwriting, Master of Fine Art (MFA), MA in Design as well as a PhD in Creative Writing.

The Creative Writing course at Bath Spa is now in its twenty-first year and is one of the most successful and popular in the UK. Many graduates secure book publishing deals within a year or two of completing the course. Awards and nominations received by graduates include the Man Booker Prize long-list, Orange Prize, Costa Prize and The Guardian First Book Award, the Betty Trask Prize, the Manchester Book Award, and also a W.H. Smith New Talent Award.

The University has demonstrated its commitment to expanding its impressive list of Creative Writing staff with the appointment of ten new Professors including author Kate Pullinger, novelist and screenwriter Fay Weldon, poet David Harsent, writer and novelist Naomi Alderman, author David Almond, and novelists Philip Hensher and Tessa Hadley.

Dean of the School of Humanities & Cultural Industries at Bath Spa, Dr Steve May, said: “It is a mark of the quality of our programmes, tutors and students that the AHRC has supplied this funding. Our students are very high calibre - for example, the recipient of the AHRC PhD Studentship last year was T S Eliot prize shortlisted poet Sean Borodale. We’ll be looking for equally strong candidates in 2013.”

To ensure student learning is closely linked to industry practice, certain courses work collaboratively with museums and galleries of national and international significance, notably local institutions such as the Holburne Museum, Bath; Arnolfini, Bristol; Spike Island, Bristol; and Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.

Professor Mike Tooby, Acting Dean of Bath School of Art and Design, said: “The studentships provide a valuable opportunity for students to participate in outstanding MA programmes. The courses reflect the best of current work in art and design and are closely linked to the highest level of professional practice.”

More information on how to apply for an AHRC Studentship is available here

Bath Spa University student wins prestigious fashion competition

22/02/2013 10:44:49

Bath Spa fashion student, Stephanie Kitchen, has won the 2013 Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) competition.

Stephanie Kitchen, a BA (Hons) Fashion Design student, was announced the overall winner of a national design competition at a catwalk event in London on Tuesday 19 February. Fifteen finalists were selected from over 100 entries submitted to the FAD competition, to design optimistic solutions for the next decade.

The catwalk final took place during London Fashion Week as part of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout showcase where aspiring young designers compete for vital funding and top industry placements.

Stephanie’s work was judged alongside that of other contestants by a top industry panel including iconic fashion journalist and talent spotter Hilary Alexander.

Stephanie not only won the final of this prestigious competition, but also had her work personally selected by Hilary Alexander to be showcased on the catwalk at the London Fashion Weekend, which is open to the public and takes place at Somerset House this weekend to round off London Fashion Week. More information is available here

Commenting on the high standard of designs, Hilary Alexander said: “Overall, the standard of this year's FAD entries was extremely high. The three winners stood out immediately and the decision of the judging panel was unanimous.

With reference to Stephanie, she added: “The winning entry was outstanding, in concept, inspiration, execution and creativity - with an extremely high degree of sustainability, wearability and commercial appeal, as well.

“It was eye-catching, functional, futuristic, fun and accompanied with fabulous accessories which looked to the future in an original eco-manner.”

Commenting on winning the final, Stephanie said: “It was so amazing to have the opportunity to see my designs on the catwalk and I was so flattered and shocked to have been announced the winner of the FAD competition.”

Louise Pickles, Course Leader and Coordinator of Fashion at Bath Spa, added: “It is fantastic that Stephanie has won this prestigious national design competition. The level of thought and attention to detail that went into the development of this mini collection was astounding.

“This is the fourth year that we have had finalists in the FAD competition, and we are thrilled for Stephanie and the tremendous opportunities that this will open up for her.”

This is the twelfth year that creative charity FAD has run the competition with the aim of challenging fashion students to think outside the commercial box, encouraging them to look to art, culture and wider social trends in their research and design work.

Bath Spa University lecturer speaks at prestigious Fine Arts Academy in Munich

21/02/2013 12:25:32

Professor Maria Lalic gave a lecture at the Academy on Thursday 7 February.

Professor Lalic is Principal Lecturer in Fine Art at Bath Spa University and an artist of international repute. She was invited to give a lecture as part of the Academy’s ‘Jour Fixe’ series. Jour Fixe is an annual lecture series organised by students of the Academy who invite selected artists to speak on a particular topic.

Professor Lalic’s talk was held on the centenary of the first ever lecture at the Academy and discussed ‘The Material of Colour. The Colour of Material’ in relation to her paintings. These can be broken down into three groups:

The ‘Colour and Metal Paintings’ in which certain paints are used with the metals from which they derive;
The ‘History Paintings’, in which a Winsor and Newton paint chart is used as a readymade for the categorization of colour by era, and
The ‘Landscape Paintings’ which link the name of a paint and particular landscape by paintings and places.

Speaking about her lecture Professor Lalic said: “It was a tremendous honour to be asked to give this lecture, and significantly for me, in relation to Max Doerner. His seminal text, ‘The Materials of the Artist and their Use in Painting', was hugely influential to me as a student and remains a valuable source of information.”

The event was open to both students and members of the public with a workshop for students being held the following day. The lecture and related workshop was fully funded by the Akademieverein (a circle of friends and supporters of the Munich Academy of Fine Arts) and the Studentenvertretung (Student Council).

The Academy of Fine Arts in Munich was established in 1770. Notable Alumni include Giorgio de Chirico, Vasily Kandinsky, Josef Albers and Paul Klee.

The Fine Art course at Bath Spa is a studio-based course covering media, painting and sculpture taught by internationally recognised tutors such as Professor Lalic. Students have access to excellent facilities and technical support and are given their own substantial workspace in one of the University’s purpose built studios.

The majority of Fine Art graduates go on to become professional practising self-employed artists. Alumni include painter and Turner Prize nominee Glenn Brown, Paul Harrison and John Wood whose videos are exhibited around the world, Nina Dolan, Louisa Fairclough, Laura Ford, Nicholas May, Peter Randall-Page, Nigel Rolfe, Michael Stubbs and Alison Turnball.

More information about the BA (Hons) Fine Art course is available here

Partners in Creative Enterprise will benefit Bath

13/02/2013 11:29:46

Bath Spa University’s long-standing relationship with Creative Bath has been formalised in a partnership to promote creative enterprise in Bath.

Bath Spa University’s degree courses reflect its strong focus on creativity, culture and enterprise. Matched with Creative Bath’s aims to promote the creative industries and support the growth of creative businesses, the result is a powerful partnership to help the economic development of Bath and the growth of the creative industries sector. It will also give local businesses an insight and link to the University and the resources it can offer.

The partnership will provide creative professionals in Bath with access to the University’s creative talent through regular membership events. Speed networking evenings will generate quick introductions and structured discussion. ‘Design Matters’ breakfast sessions will be supported by specialists from the University leading discussion on subjects such as the importance of branding.

Creative Bath members will be contributing to students’ creative showreel and social media projects, as well as welcoming students to Design Matters and keynote events. The partnership will also benefit Bath Spa University students through the Creative Bath Intern Scheme, which aims to retain graduate talent in Bath, a shadowing scheme, and work experience opportunities with members’ companies.

Adam Powell, Head of Enterprise and Local Partnerships at Bath Spa University said: “We’re delighted to be strengthening our partnership with Creative Bath. This two-year initiative will help students and graduates grow their professional networks and portfolios and help us celebrate local creative businesses that have benefitted directly from accessing Bath Spa University’s creative talent.”

Greg Ingham, Chair of Creative Bath said: “It’s tough out there. Tough for graduates seeking work. Tough for businesses aiming to expand. Bath Spa University’s work in fostering links between the university and local businesses is absolutely essential. Students need opportunity and knowledge of the sector. Businesses need fresh, bright new talent and so we are delighted to be forging ahead with Bath Spa on this Strategic Partnership.”

Bath Spa University Masters graduate receives recognition for her work in textile design

29/01/2013 16:03:54

A Masters Textiles graduate from Bath Spa University has been awarded for her work in textiles design with her collection recently featuring at a prestigious exhibition.

Penny Seume, MA Design: Fashion and Textiles graduate has recently had a selection of her work shown at the prestigious Society of Designer Craftsmen annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London.

The range, inspired by New York, was firstly one of four finalists in the fabric category for the New Design Britain awards at Interiors UK in January 2012, winning a stand at the show and a highly commended recommendation.

Following her recommendation, at New Designers in June 2012, Penny’s work was then selected by the Society of Designer Craftsmen and invited to show at the annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London which was held this January.

For the exhibition, Penny designed printed velvet fabric based on the New York skyline and worked with upholsterer, Ann Dyke and interior designer for Dulux, Chris Read, to produce a spectacular sofa. Capturing the atmosphere of New York glittering in the winter sunlight the sofa, entitled Vagabond Shoes (in homage to Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York - the very hub of this design) is a true collaboration of all their skills.

The whole body of work has been given a Distinction award by the Society and in addition to the sofa, Penny showed cushions and linen lampshades based on her paintings and collages of the city.

Following the exhibition, the sofa will be featured with the Dulux colour of the year, a deep midnight blue in contrast to the golden sofa.

Penny, who following her training at Bath Spa, now works full time from her studio in Bristol, designing and creating beautiful printed fabrics, wallpaper and interior products. Her products reference the original location in a subtle way and capture some of the inherent mood and magic.

Commenting on the success of her work, she said: “I’m overjoyed to have received the award from the Society and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing people stroking my velvet printed sofa and cushions!”

Her collections have been variously inspired by the Bath skyline, New York and London, the latter capturing twinkling lights, barges and architecture by the Thames Embankment and was designed for the ‘London: A Celebration’ show at the Oxo Tower Gallery in May 2012.

Mary Berry and Bath Spa on BBC2

29/01/2013 14:58:59

President of our Alumni Association and honorary graduate Mary Berry is the feature of a documentary to be shown on BBC2 tonight (Tuesday 29 January).

‘The Mary Berry Story’ is a two-part documentary in which Mary shares personal milestones in her life and talks about the highs and lows on a lifetime spent teaching the nation to cook.

The first programme includes her visit to Newton Park to meet with the Vice-Chancellor and talk about her days as a student at Bath College of Domestic Science.

The second programme in the series will be broadcast on BBC2 on Tuesday 5 February.

Further programme information is available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qfrch

Bath Spa University graduate placement schemes working wonders for students

25/01/2013 15:45:29

The University has seen a substantial increase in the number of placement schemes including the continuation of the highly successful Parragon Books placement scheme.

Over two thirds of the University’s undergraduate awards provide students with the opportunity of a placement or work-based learning module. Placements can range from a month to a year in industry and are flexible and responsive to the needs of the employers.

There has been around a 300 per cent increase in the number of students opting to take the University’s work placement module since the 2011/12 academic year.

One of the most successful programmes has been the Parragon Graduate scheme. This three month paid internship for graduating publishing students, at international publisher Parragon Books in Bath, provides a fantastic opportunity for them to experience a real working environment.

Head of HR at Parragon Books, Claire Williams, explained: “The scheme is designed to prepare graduates for the world of work and to build up local relationships within the community. It aims to integrate students into the workplace, encouraging the appropriate attitudes, responsibilities and commitments which are all vital in the work place.

“We try to make the whole experience for graduates as professional as possible where they will go through the whole recruitment process including professional interviews and feedback as well as the full induction process when they join the business.

“So far the placement scheme has been a great success. We have had some really fantastic graduates join the business, some of which have gone on to secure permanent roles and for others, it has provided a great stepping stone into the industry they want to work in.”

Parragon Graduate Placement Scheme from Parragon Books on Vimeo.

Acting Head of Department for Creative Writing and Publishing, Katharine Reeve, said: “Parragon has been amazing through this whole process and thought carefully about the quality of the experience. Students have taken editorial assistant and licensing roles and the feedback has been extremely positive on both sides. Those taking the placement have either been offered jobs within Parragon or elsewhere. We are delighted to be working with them.”

The importance for students to gain high quality work experience is continually being highlighted and reflected in employer and student surveys. Results from the most recent High Fliers research warned that graduates without work experience will struggle to get jobs no matter how good their grades.

The University last year established a dedicated placements team which, in partnership with its employer liaison team, is supporting more students and local business than ever before in seeking and developing new placement opportunities.

Employers who offer placement schemes benefit from highly-motivated university students who bring fresh ideas and new energy to the workplace.

With over 1,500 Bath Spa students on placement in a range of businesses, schools and other settings, Head of Enterprise & Local Partnerships at the University, Adam Powell, added: “Placements and industry-led projects are an essential part of degree programmes today not only for the skills, knowledge and networks developed, but to gain an understanding of how formal and informal recruitment works.”

Businesses interested in discussing potential placement opportunities or industry projects should contact Dorothy James or Jamie Bradbury by emailing placements@bathspa.ac.uk

Bath Spa University graduate helps England Netball make history

24/01/2013 14:51:55

Geography graduate part of the England Netball team who beat Australia to seal a historic first series win.

Serena Guthrie, who graduated from Bath Spa with a BSc Geography degree in 2011, was part of the starting line up in the team beat world number one side Australia by 51-49 at Wembley Arena on Wednesday.

In this three Test series against Australia, the team made history by clinching the series after winning the second Test against the much-fancied visitors. It followed a 58-53 win in first Test - which was only the third time England had beaten Australia.

Team Captain Pamela Cookey said: “It's amazing. The girls really put in a performance tonight. I'm so proud of them.”

Victory at Wembley gave the hosts a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. England are ranked third in the world and will play their final game against 10-time world champions Australia at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on Saturday.

After the test series, Serena will return to Bath to join up with the rest of her Team Bath team-mates for the 2013 Superleague season.

Team Bath get their Superleague campaign underway with a home fixture against Celtic Dragons at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on Thursday 7 February.

For further details and ticket information please see http://www.teambath.com/sport/netball/superleague/

Bath Spa University students help Bath Abbey look back on its past

21/01/2013 14:56:53

Students from Bath Spa University are working in conjunction with Bath Abbey as part of a lottery funded oral history project.

The ‘Creating Voices’ project has been designed to capture the stories of the many individuals who were involved in caring for the Abbey’s fabric or who worked on restoring the present Abbey building. The project has received £22,200 funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Heritage and History students from the University will help the Abbey collect and present people’s stories from over a 60-year period of the Abbey’s rich and inspiring history, from the 1942 Bath Blitz, which provided the impetus for the 13 year post-war restoration of the Abbey, up to the end of the Abbey 2000 restoration.

In addition to the £22,200 received from the HLF, a further £7,000 has been provided by the Friends of Bath Abbey bringing the project total to £29,200.

The formation of the Friends of Bath Abbey in 1948 was crucial to the preservation and enhancement of the Abbey during this period as the Friends provided the driving force and much of the funding for both these programmes.

Dr Kristin Doern, Heritage Subject Leader at Bath Spa University, said: “This is an exciting time for the Abbey, and an ideal opportunity to look back and record the experiences of those who have worked on the Abbey in the past.

“A particular strength of the project is the collaboration between Abbey volunteers and Bath Spa students, broadening the range of people our students work with, and helping the Abbey capacity build in terms of the skills of its core volunteers.

“Because the project runs over two years, it also gives us the chance to be involved in something on a longer term basis which has opened up new possibilities for how we can be involved, and increases the number of students who will benefit from working with the Abbey team. We are delighted to be involved in a project that further develops what is already a key partnership for the University, and welcome the opportunities it will bring for our students.”

The Reverend Prebendary Edward Mason, Rector of Bath Abbey, said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Thousands of people visit the Abbey and worship here every year but often take for granted the amazing architecture and atmosphere, not realising just how many individuals have helped contribute to this.

“The project will open up a fascinating collection of memories and bring to life the post-war restoration programme, as well as the one at the turn of the millennium. It will help share these crafts-people’s stories and hopefully engender a deeper understanding of the building and the connection many people have with the Abbey, which will be especially important in light of the next phase of redevelopment including the Footprint project.”

Award-winning biographer and novelist to give free public lecture at Holburne Museum

14/01/2013 14:20:32

Stella Tillyard, the best-selling historian and biographer, will be coming to Bath on Tuesday 22 January to give an open lecture as part of Bath Spa University’s Centre for History & Culture annual lecture series.

Dr Tillyard’s lecture is entitled ‘Bright metal on a sullen ground: the idea of character in English biography, history and the historical novel’. She will trace the idea of character in English biography, history and the novel from William Shakespeare to Wolf Hall and ask whether the historical novel has now eclipsed biography and history as our favourite way of learning about the past.

Tillyard is best known for her biography Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox 1740 – 1832 which won several prizes, including the Meilleur Livre Etranger, and was made into a highly successful six-part BBC series.

Last year Tillyard published her first historical novel, Tides of War, which was longlisted for the Orange Prize. The historian Simon Schama described it as, “Dazzling”, and added, “I love this book. It’s beautifully written, the characters are deeply involving and the historical settings so right - in short, Tides of War is a triumph.”

Looking forward to the event, Dr Tillyard said: “I am greatly looking forward to speaking in Bath, a city with a tremendous culture and history that also played host to many of the most famous characters of the last two hundred and fifty years of British history.”

The lecture begins at 6:00pm, all are welcome and entrance is free. This event follows the recent news that Bath Spa University and the hosting venue, the Holburne Museum, announced a new partnership to promote their academic and cultural collaboration with the University sponsoring the Holburne’s latest exhibition: ‘Painted Pomp: Art and Fashion in the Age of Shakespeare’, which opens on 26 January. The exhibition will feature nine exceptional full-length Jacobean portraits by William Larkin, painted around 1613-18.

Holburne Museum and Bath Spa University announce new partnership

07/01/2013 11:13:57

The Holburne Museum and Bath Spa University are today announcing a new partnership to promote their academic and cultural collaboration. To celebrate the announcement, Bath Spa University is also sponsoring the Holburne’s latest exhibition: ‘Painted Pomp: Art and Fashion in the Age of Shakespeare’, which opens on 26 January. The exhibition features nine exceptional full-length Jacobean portraits by William Larkin, painted around 1613-18.

The Holburne’s role as a University Museum was established in 1973 through its association with the University of Bath. This new partnership with Bath Spa University, which is well known for its study and research in the areas of creativity, culture and enterprise, recognises the strategic alignment of the two institutions. The partnership builds on the work the Museum and the University have done together over several years, contributing to the University’s teaching and creating innovative and exciting performances, exhibitions and concerts. The partnership will allow them to build upon this relationship to develop further:

opportunities for collaborative research, exhibitions, publications and projects;
taught academic programmes, specifically in the areas of art and design, history and arts and heritage management; and
opportunities for students and staff to expand their personal and professional development.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University said: “Bath Spa University is a creative hub of culture and enterprise and we support our students in their endeavours to develop their practice. Our various project partnerships with the Holburne Museum have continued to expand over the years, so it is fitting that we now work more closely together to further develop our relationship.”

Dr Alexander Sturgis, Director of the Holburne Museum said: “Education is at the core of what the Holburne is about. We are delighted and proud to be working in partnership with Bath Spa University. I can’t wait to see the ways in which our collaborations will develop and flourish over a wide range of museum activities and academic disciplines.”

Bath Spa student finalist in prestigious fashion competition

19/12/2012 11:28:06

Bath Spa University fashion student, Stephanie Kitchen, has been selected as one of 15 undergraduate finalists in the 2013 Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) competition.

Stephanie Kitchen, a BA (Hons) Fashion Design student will be representing Bath Spa as one of only 12 colleges and universities in the UK to have a student in the final.

Stephanie and the fourteen other finalists were selected from over 100 entries submitted to FAD over the last year in which they were asked to design optimistic solutions for the next decade. The brief challenged students to ‘look forward and explore’ and asked students to envisage a key development or change taking place in the next ten years, and design two outfits which respond to it.

The catwalk final is set to take place at London Fashion Week in February 2013 as part of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout showcase where aspiring young designers compete for vital funding and top industry placements. The contestants have until February to make their final designs which will be judged by a top industry panel including iconic fashion journalist and talent spotter Hilary Alexander.

Commenting on making the final, Stephanie said: “I am so excited to have been selected for the FAD final. I really enjoyed working on such an inspiring brief and am really grateful to have been given the opportunity to showcase my designs during the London Fashion week.”

Louise Pickles, Course Leader and Coordinator of Fashion at Bath Spa, added: “This is the fourth year that we have had finalists in the FAD competition, and we are thrilled that Stephanie will now have the opportunity to develop her collection and showcase at Vauxhall Fashion Scout to the fashion industry in February.

“Developing this collection at the same time as her own collection for her degree will be challenging, and we wish her every success for the finals.

“This has been a successful year for the Fashion Design course at Bath; Stephanie’s success follows that of Chloe Jones who won the Gold Award at Graduate Fashion Week in June 2012 and helps to confirm the high level of creativity, quality, and professionalism of our students.”

Mary Berry President of new Bath Spa University Alumni Association

12/12/2012 11:12:16

Bath Spa University is pleased to announce that Mary Berry CBE is the first President of its new Alumni Association. The aim of the Association is to provide support to former students and help ensure the friendships and contacts created while at the University continue to develop long after graduation.

As a former student herself, Mary is well placed to encourage other alumni to become an active part of the Association. At the age of 18 she trained at Bath College of Domestic Science, followed by a Paris Cordon Bleu course. She has written more than 70 cookery books since her first was published in 1970 and has sold more than five million. She has hosted several television series for the BBC and been a judge on The Great British Bake Off since 2010.

She was recently awarded an Honorary Degree by the University and is keen to promote the new Alumni Association to other graduates. Speaking about the Association she said: “I was very pleased to accept Bath Spa University’s invitation to be President of the Alumni Association. My time at Bath College of Domestic Science was wonderful and gave me a good start to my career. It is inspiring to hear about the achievements of other alumni and I look forward to welcoming many more of them to the Association.”

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of the University said: “Bath Spa University has a long history and we are proud of the many illustrious, talented and inspiring individuals who have been part of our story. The new Alumni Association is a way for friends, old and new, to come together to share their experiences of Bath Spa and help shape the University’s future.”

The first issue of the ‘Alumni and Friends’ magazine will be available in Spring 2013 and the University is keen to hear from past students who wish to contribute stories, news, memories and any other interesting information. More information about the Alumni Association including how to get in touch is available at www.bathspa.ac.uk/alumni

Ken Loach awarded an honorary doctorate by Bath Spa University

14/11/2012 09:36:02

Bath Spa University is pleased to announce that film director Ken Loach is to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate on Thursday 22 November in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the film industry.

Loach has won multiple awards for his work including the Palme D’Or in 2006 for his film ‘The Wind That Shakes The Barley’. He is also well-known for his films ‘Kes’ and ‘Looking for Eric’. His film ‘The Angels’ Share’, which won the Jury Prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, was recently screened at Bath Spa University to raise funds for Community Arts Therapies. Loach, who is Patron of the Community Arts Therapies, was in attendance and answered questions from the audience.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University comments: “As a university dedicated to nurturing creativity, we take inspiration from individuals such as Ken Loach. His illustrious body of work demonstrates that film making can offer a realistic reflection of our world and open our eyes to things we may often miss. The power of his films to inform thought and shape opinion is a masterclass for film makers of the future! We are honoured to award him an honorary doctorate and look forward to welcoming him to the Bath Spa University community.”

Speaking about his award, Ken Loach said: “This is very generous of the University. I’m looking forward to meeting the staff and, particularly, the students. In response, I hope I can make a small contribution to the University’s work.”

Professor Slade will present the award at an event celebrating Loach’s career alongside guests from the film industry and University staff and students at the University Theatre at Newton Park.

Bath Spa hosts launch of international magazine Granta

02/11/2012 09:38:39

Bath Spa University is proud to support the launch of the latest issue of Granta Magazine at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution on Thursday 15 November.

‘Granta 121: Best of the Young Brazilian Novelists’ features work by Carola Saavedra and Vinicius Jatobá. Both will take part in the Bath launch in a panel discussion with Online Editor of Granta Ted Hodgkinson and translator Jethro Soutar.

Granta has had a long and distinguished history, publishing many of the world’s finest writers on a wide array of subjects, from intimate human experiences to large public and political events. In the pages of Granta, readers met for the first time writers such as Bill Bryson, Romesh Gunesekera, Blake Morrison, Arundhati Roy and Zadie Smith; and encountered topics as diverse as the fall of Saigon, the mythology of the Titanic, adultery, psychotherapy and Chinese cricket fighting.

Dr Paul Meyer, who runs the undergraduate Creative Writing programme at Bath Spa University, said: “Granta is one of the world’s top literary publications. The University is proud to help launch this special issue devoted to new Brazilian writing.”

Speaking at the event are:

Carola Saavedra is the author of the collection of short stories Do lado de fora, and three novels including Paisagem com dromedário, which was published in 2010 and won the Rachel de Queiroz Award for Best Young Author.

Vinicius Jatobá is a literary critic and has contributed short stories to the prose anthology Cariocas and Cinema Utopia Revolução. He is currently working on his first novel, Pés descalços, and a collection of short stories Apenas o vento.

As well as being the online editor of Granta, Ted Hodgkinson is judge of the 2012 Costa Book Awards for Poetry. His work has appeared in Notes from the Underground and The May Anthology. He has a MA in English from the University of Oxford and an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University.

Jethro Soutar is the author of two nonfiction books published by Anova: Ronaldinho: Football's Flamboyant Maestro (2006) and Gael García Bernal and the Latin American New Wave (2008). He translates Spanish and Portuguese, and his translation of Argentine novel La Aguja en el Pajar, written by Ernesto Mallo, was published as Needle in a Haystack by Bitter Lemon Press in 2010.

Tickets to the event are free, please contact Paul Meyer, Subject Leader of Creative Writing, Bath Spa University to reserve a place: p.meyer@bathspa.ac.uk or 01225 876 591

Bath Spa PhD student shortlisted for prestigious T.S.Eliot Prize

29/10/2012 14:26:06

Sean Borodale, a PhD Creative Writing student at Bath Spa University has been shortlisted for the prestigious T.S.Eliot Prize, one of the most important poetry prizes in the UK.

Sean has been shortlisted for his first collection of poems ‘Bee Journal’, a poem journal which tells the life of a bee hive. He has been shortlisted alongside major names including Simon Armitage, Sharon Olds and Kathleen Jamie. This is a remarkable achievement for a newly published poet.

The T.S.Eliot Prize for poetry was established in 1993 by the Poetry Book Society to honour its founder. It is regarded as the most prestigious and valuable prize in the UK for poetry. Previous winners include Seamus Heaney, Derek Walcott and Ted Hughes.

Judges Carol Ann Duffy, Michael Longley and David Morley chose six collections from 131 submissions, and a further four collections were selected by the Poetry Book Society, making up a shortlist of 10 poets. The winner will be presented with a cheque for £15,000, donated by Mrs Valerie Eliot, and each of the shortlisted poets will receive £1,000.

David Harsent, newly appointed Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa said: “The T.S.Eliot Prize is considered one of the most prestigious awards for poetry - not just in the UK, but internationally. Sean Borodale's outstanding first collection, 'Bee Journal' makes him a worthy candidate for this year's prize. His shortlisting is further evidence of the strength and depth of the Bath Spa University Creative Writing programme.”

Course Leader Richard Kerridge added: “We are delighted. Sean's book deserves this recognition. It is original, powerful and subtle - a poetic journal of beekeeping, starting with the arrival of the bees and telling their story with intense, exact observation and strong undercurrents of feeling."

The winner of the Prize will be announced at an award ceremony on Monday 14 January 2013. More information is available at http://www.poetrybooks.co.uk/projects/4/

New learning resource about young people’s life in care to be launched at House of Lords

25/10/2012 08:26:05

A new resource for schools has been developed to help pupils and teachers across the UK better understand and appreciate the needs of children and young people in care. ‘In Care, In School’ has been developed by Bath Spa University and Bath & North East Somerset Council working with young people in care and care leavers from the region.

‘In Care, In School’ includes 10 films of different scenarios based on the real life experiences of In Care Council members in Bath and North East Somerset which show a range of different interactions between pupils and teachers, and other staff, in and outside the classroom. It is accompanied by a resource pack for use in Personal Social Health & Economic Education (PSHE) lessons to encourage class discussion and learning as well as a training guide for school staff. For older students and staff training purposes there are also three four-minute films of young people talking about their experiences of school, leaving care, and subsequent careers.

It will be launched at a special event at the House of Lords on 29 October 2012 hosted by Baroness Walmsley, as part of National Care Leavers Week and coincides with the publication of the All Party Parliamentary Group Report on ‘Education Matters in Care.’

Naina Thomas of the Bath and North East Somerset In Care Council said: “When I was in school I found it very difficult to make new friends, and to fit in. This was due to being in foster care and moving schools a lot. When starting a new school I always had to make the teachers aware I was in foster care, just in case I had an appointment with my social worker during school time. Having these appointments during school time was the hardest, they made me different, and no one else had to leave the class for an hour or so.

“This pack is to help (not tell) teachers and pupils to understand, from a young person’s point of view, what it is like being in foster care and having an education. From this pack I hope teachers can take a step back and start thinking about the young person’s needs and feelings. I hope pupils will get a better understanding of something they might not fully understand. Overall, I would like my experiences to make a change within the schools, and to make people more aware about people in foster care.”

The project was jointly funded by Bath Spa University and Bath & North East Somerset Council with support from a number of local and national voluntary organisations. The project team worked with young people in care to create a number of brief everyday scenarios, based on their own experience at school. A local film company and professional and child actors were commissioned to bring these scenarios to life. A two minute trailer of the films can be seen on YouTube here

Councillor Dine Romero, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Youth, said: “We are pleased to see that this innovative project is gaining the recognition it deserves. Bath & North East Somerset Council is committed to supporting activities and opportunities which help young people to make a positive difference to their lives and communities. We are immensely proud of the children and young people involved in the In Care Council whose inspiration will help to improve the lives of others.”

‘In Care, In School’ has also been shortlisted for a prestigious National Children and Young People Now Award in the Children in Care category. The winners will be announced on 29 November.

Edward Timpson, Minister for Children and Families, said: “I want children in care to have the best possible start in life. These films can play a meaningful part in improving their chances by showing their experiences in a vivid way, as well as make teachers and pupils more aware of the challenges they face.”

The ‘In Care, In School’ materials are already being used in youth work, and with young adults with learning disabilities. The project team are also working with a number of fostering agencies to explore how the materials can be used in training foster carers and other professionals, and developing a self-audit model on attachment awareness for schools.

Along with Bath Spa University and Bath & North East Somerset Council, ‘In Care, In School’ is supported by:

ASDAN www.asdan.org.uk
Buttle UK www.buttletrust.org
In Care Council, Bath and North East Somerset Local Authority
National Union of Teachers www.teachers.org.uk
Off The Record (Bath) www.offtherecord-banes.co.uk
PSHE Association www.pshe-association.org.uk
Suited and Booted Studios CIC www.suitedandbooted.org
The Who Cares? Trust www.thewhocarestrust.org.uk
VisionWorks for Schools www.vision-works.net

Another successful year of fundraising by Bath Spa University students for WaterAid

19/10/2012 08:47:50

On Thursday 18 October £3,400 was presented to WaterAid as a result of a fundraising initiative at Bath Spa University. £1,700 was raised by the Ecumenical Chaplains’ Soup Lunch and presented by final year student Catherine Nagle. This funding was matched by the University and a cheque was presented by Vice-Chancellor Professor Christina Slade.

The Soup Lunch initiative has been running since 2001 and offers students and staff at the University a chance to replace their usual lunch with a quick lunch of a cup of homemade soup, bread and cheese. It takes place in the Students’ Union every Thursday during term time and aims to remind people how lucky we are to be able to drink clean, unpolluted water from a tap and think of those people in the world who are not so fortunate. The money raised by the Soup Lunch initiative over the academic year has been matched by the University every year since 2006.

The Soup Lunch is also a good way for students to have contact time each week with Father Bill, OSM and the Anglican chaplains Jan Knott and Tonya Nixon and the Students’ Union.

Father Bill, OSM, Catholic Chaplain at Bath Spa University said: “The effort of Ecumenical Chaplaincy Soup Lunch is a good example of the concern of Bath Spa students and Bath Spa University for those less fortunate than ourselves. We hope this term will provide another chance to support for WaterAid and the important work they do, bringing help to many”.

WaterAid is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) that aims to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities. More information is available at: www.wateraid.org/uk/

Local company Musica fast becoming a well-known name thanks to Bath Spa University graduates

29/10/2012 14:23:28

In May 2010 Rosanna Campbell (now Mead) won the Bath Spa University Business & Enterprise Competition and was awarded £1,000 prize money which allowed her to set up her business Musica. The company provides interactive music workshops to benefit the health and well-being of older adults and particularly those with dementia. Following the initial success of the business in Dorset, care homes across the South West have expressed interest and Musica has therefore employed a team of representatives to run workshops in other parts of the country.

A team of five people are now leading Musica sessions, and four of these are recent music graduates from Bath Spa University. Frankie Whittingham who graduated this summer, has taken on the first Musica license – Musica Wiltshire – and through this Frankie will be running her own Musica business providing workshops for older adults in care homes and hospitals across the county.

Rosanna says: “The support I have received from Bath Spa University since winning the Competition back in 2010 has been fantastic. I can honestly say that if it hadn’t been for the support and encouragement from Bath Spa I don’t think that my business would have expanded at the rate that it has. Taking on Bath Spa graduates to run Musica workshops has been an excellent decision and I have been overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and professionalism. They are an asset to the company and are already proving popular, with many clients making repeat bookings.”

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University said: “Here at Bath Spa we seek to create a culture of creativity and enterprise and foster skills in our students that will help them in their careers outside higher education. The annual Business & Enterprise Competition is an excellent way for students to develop their entrepreneurial skills and turn their creative ideas into business realities. The experience of Rosanna is testament to the value of the scheme and I am delighted that her business is growing thanks to the work of Bath Spa graduates.”

More information about Musica is available at: www.musica-music.co.uk

Howard Hodgkin awarded an honorary doctorate by Bath Spa University

25/01/2013 10:31:00

Bath Spa University is pleased to announce that Howard Hodgkin was awarded an Honorary Doctorate on Thursday 27September for his outstanding contribution to British painting.

Howard was first a pupil and then later a tutor at the Bath Academy of Art. While a pupil he was taught by Clifford and Rosemary Ellis who ran the Academy, as well as William Scott and Peter Lanyon from 1950 and 1954. As a tutor he worked alongside fellow painters Michael Craig-Martin, Robyn Denny, John Ernest and Adrian Heath between 1956 and 1966.

In his painting and prints Howard uses bold colour and abstract forms to represent emotional moments, memories and experiences. His work has been shown in galleries around the world and in 1985 he represented Britain at the Venice Biennale and won the Turner Prize. In 1992 he was knighted for his services to the arts.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University said about the appointment: “Our long and illustrious history as a foremost centre for creativity and artistic talent is reflected by the notable persons who have made it so. One of these individuals is Howard Hodgkin, one of Britain’s most influential and respected artists. We are honoured to award him with an honorary doctorate in recognition of his outstanding contribution to, not only British art, but also the Bath Academy of Art and now Bath Spa University.”

The ceremony took place at Corsham Court in the presence of former colleagues and students of Howard’s during his time at the Bath Academy of Art.

Bath Spa University residential accommodation plans given go-ahead

29/10/2012 14:15:32

Bath Spa University is celebrating the news that Bath and North East Somerset Council has granted planning permission for the development of new residential accommodation at its Newton Park campus.

The planning approval was granted at a meeting of the Council's Development Control Committee, and followed a lengthy process of stakeholder consultation and design development. The Committee voted unanimously in favour of the proposal.

This project is the second phase of the major redevelopment and expansion of facilities on the University’s campus at Newton Park. The plans are for the development of nine new student halls of residence to provide 561 bedrooms together with single-story buildings to house an energy centre and Estates and Services facilities. The work will include demolition of existing, non-listed buildings and re-development of car parking and the addition of a netball court in the walled garden at the top of the campus. Construction of a new academic building is already well underway and is due to be completed by spring 2014.

The Newton Park campus improvement project is the most important buildings development Bath Spa University has conducted in the last 20 years, and will provide considerably improved facilities for future generations of students. The superb new learning and residential facilities for students are an important element of the University's desire to provide the best resources and an improved experience for future students.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christina Slade said: "This is excellent news for Bath Spa and we are delighted that our plans to improve facilities for our students in coming years can now be fully realised. The new residential development will ensure we can guarantee university accommodation to all eligible first year students. The impact on the local community was also an important consideration and by accommodating more students on campus, we will help reduce the pressure on housing in the city. This, together with our superb new academic building, will confirm Bath Spa as a leading university for creativity, culture and enterprise.”

Highly acclaimed artists, prize-winning novelists, leading poets and innovative composers join Bath Spa University

29/10/2012 15:57:14

Sixteen new Professors to include novelist and screenwriter Fay Weldon, artist Gavin Turk & composer Joe Duddell

Group of prize-winning writers, cross-cultural collaborators, and cutting-edge artists will cement Bath Spa University’s reputation as a hub of creative excellence

Bath Spa University today (26 September) announces the appointment of sixteen Professors to join its vibrant, creative academic community. Joining the University’s celebrated Creative Writing, Art & Design and Music & Performing Arts departments, these highly prize-winning novelists, leading poets, acclaimed artists and innovative composers have been appointed to help build upon its great foundations across the cultural and creative industries.

The new posts come as part of a wider programme of development and growth, led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Christina Slade.

Professor Slade comments: “Bath Spa University is a leading education institution in creativity, culture and enterprise. These appointments build upon our excellence in creativity and will enhance our teaching and research. Each of the new Professors brings with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that will prove invaluable to the fulfilment of our vision to expand and become a truly international university whose students are global citizens.”

The new Bath Spa University Professors include:

Professor of Art & Design

Dexter Dalwood
Mike Tooby
Gavin Turk

Professor of Creative Writing

Naomi Alderman
David Almond
Aminatta Forna
Maggie Gee
Tessa Hadley
David Harsent
Philip Hensher
Nicholas Jose
Kate Pullinger
Fay Weldon CBE

Professor of English

John Strachan

Professor of Music

Amanda Bayley
Joe Duddell

With several of the new Professors in post from the start of this new academic year, the rest are due to join the university in early 2013.

These leading individuals will contribute to Bath Spa University life in a number of different ways across the campuses working on research collaborations, giving lecturers and providing expertise to students.

Amy Dawson, Students’ Union President said: “Bath Spa is a wonderful place to be a student. Not only are the campuses beautiful, it is a welcoming, friendly and creative environment. The new Professors are a very welcome addition to a great team of tutors who help guide us through the best years of our lives!”

Road works to Globe roundabout near Newton Park campus

29/10/2012 15:53:55

Bath and North East Somerset Council will be undertaking road improvements to the Globe roundabout on the A4 in Bath to install a pedestrian crossing from Monday 24 September 2012 for around three weeks. Traffic control measures will be in place, so staff and students travelling to the Newton Park campus for the duration of the road works are advised to allow extra time for their journey in case of delays.

Catherine Wells-Burr

29/10/2012 15:58:34

Everyone at Bath Spa University is deeply saddened about the death of graduate Catherine Wells-Burr. Catherine graduated in 2011 with a first class honours degree in Business and Management and will be fondly remembered by all those here who knew her. Our heartfelt sympathy and sincere condolences are with Catherine’s family at this distressing and difficult time.

Stars have a whale of a time on Moby-Dick project

21/09/2012 10:48:26

An ambitious project designed to bring a literary classic to the attention of a new generation of fans is nearing completion.

The Moby-Dick Big Read has been two years in the making and will run for more than three months from its launch on 16 September at the Plymouth International Book Festival. Some of the nation’s best loved stars – from Sir David Attenborough to Stephen Fry, Benedict Cumberbatch and Simon Callow – are among those supporting the project, along with personalities from right across the globe.

A cast of 270 people including community leaders and young people, have created an incredible digital version of Herman Melville’s prophetic masterpiece, which was first published in 1851.

The project is being co-curated by Dr Philip Hoare, artist in residence at Plymouth University’s Marine Institute, and Angela Cockayne from Bath Spa University, and is hosted by Peninsula Arts at Plymouth University.

Dr Hoare said: “Moby-Dick is a novel that everyone has heard of but, I would suggest, very few people have read. This is a way of introducing it to a new audience and is something people can pick up as and when they choose – it is completely suited to the digital age.”

The project will be officially launched with actor Simon Callow reading to a live audience. The first chapter of the book, read by actor Tilda Swinton, will then appear online the following day with a chapter then being released every day.

30 staff and students from Bath Spa University are involved in the project and Angela Cockayne said: “Moby-Dick is a shape shifter, as a work it hovers somewhere between natural history, philosophy, autobiography and fiction. A compendium of cetology, anthropology, obsession, prophesy, self-destruction and morality, it is saturated with metaphor. This will be a very contemporary and visual response to a text which is as pertinent today as when it was first written in 1851, and perhaps arguably even more so. A work ahead of its time, revisited its eco-poetics for the 21^st Century.”

Other highlights include Sir David Attenborough’s poignant recording of “Does the Whale's Magnitude Diminish? - Will He Perish?”, Stephen Fry in bed with the tattooed Queequeg, Benedict Cumberbatch musing on krill and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Rick Stein on how to eat a whale.

Other readers include authors China Miéville and Will Self, directors John Waters and Tony Kushner, and pop stars Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys and Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews.

The project also features art works, which will be released online, from Anish Kapoor, Mark Wallinger, George Shaw, Antony Gormley, Matthew Barney, Gavin Turk, Pae White, Marcus Harvey, Boyd Webb and Susan Hiller, among others. Many have created new work for the project, from paintings to installations, sculptures and films and their works are not illustrative, but provocative, risk-taking and even shocking – like Melville’s book itself.

Bath Spa student exhibiting work at The Royal Artillery Museum

18/09/2012 14:12:55

MA Investigating Fashion student Sonia Carr is exhibiting work from her dissertation at The Royal Artillery Museum in London. The exhibition called ‘We Were There’ was originally scheduled to be held for one day only, but the Museum was so impressed with the work, they decided to extend the length of the exhibition.

Sonia originally sent a questionnaire to a small number of soldiers asking them about their thoughts on military wear and their comments and memories of life in the military. She received an overwhelming response from soldiers of all ages and ranks who wanted to contribute to the work. Sonia has created one piece in particular using the images sent to her by the soldiers. It is a large quilted canvas montage of images where the thread symbolically joins together the memories and experiences of the soldiers. Sonia has described this as her homage to Guernica by Picasso, his world-famous protest against the Spanish Civil War which was painted in 1937 and shows the tragedies and sufferings of war.

Speaking about her work and the exhibition, Sonia said: “Fashion, as a phenomenon, is exciting and at certain times can be considered a means of presenting a statement that is not all that it seems – almost as though here is a hidden agenda, in a form of subliminal messaging. It is recognised that, in terms of fashion, the military uniform is seen as a fashion statement and has been used by designers over the decades from Elsa Schiaparelli and John Galliano, to Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh, who have used the military uniform as inspiration for their collections.

“Furthermore, it can be seen that the fashion industry has created an enormous impact on combat and military attire and presented a major shift from garments being used as basic protective uniforms that saved lives to presenting garments that have graced many major catwalk shows and subsequently inspired a new generation of followers of fashion.”

The exhibition will open with a private view on Saturday 8 September and will be open to the public for one month from the 10 September.

Ninth UK Songwriting Festival success

21/09/2012 10:50:45

The ninth annual UK Songwriting Festival organised by Bath Spa University has again proved to be a resounding success. 28 songwriters took part in the week-long event which was held at Shennanton House in Scotland from the 12 to 17 August.

The week included lectures, group playback and critique sessions, live band sessions and acoustic live recordings. As well as working with musicians and tutors, students gained invaluable insight from special guest tutor Midge Ure who participated in the student songwriting workshop sessions. This year’s Festival was held in partnership with the Burnsong Organisation, of which Midge is Patron.

The Director of the Festival is Joe Bennett, Dean of the School of Music and Performing Arts at Bath Spa University. In his BBC interview Joe said: “It’s extraordinary just to be able to spend time around creativity in such a rich way. This year’s Festival has generated 140 new songs, and the recordings and gigs have enabled some of the new work to reach a wider audience. We’ve heard jazz, rock, folk and even Euro-pop. The house band certainly had their work cut out!”

More information about the Festival is available at uksongwritingfestival.com and an article about the Festival appeared on the BBC News website here

Bath Spa University offers the world’s only Master’s degree in Songwriting which is available to study at the University’s Songwriter’s Centre near Bath, or as an online distance learning option.

More information about the courses on offer at the School of Music and Performing Arts is available at bathspampa.com Photos of the end-of-week gigs can be downloaded from the Facebook group at http://tinyurl.com/swf12photos

OFFA approves Bath Spa University’s 2013-14 access agreement

17/08/2012 12:22:23

The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) today announced its decisions on access agreements submitted by universities that wish to charge tuition fees of more than £6,000 a year in the academic year 2013-14. Bath Spa University is among those institutions whose access agreement has been approved by OFFA.

Bath Spa University has an impressive record of attracting a high number of students from non-traditional backgrounds. In 2010/11 95 per cent of full-time undergraduate students were from state schools and colleges and 34.5 per cent were mature students. The University has an extensive and successful outreach programme working with local and regional schools and further education colleges to encourage progression to higher education. This involves working with young people, their parents and supporters, mature and Access to Higher Education learners, people with disabilities and specific learning needs and a range of community groups, including those that support BME learners and young people in care or from a care background.

The University is investing over £1.4 million in its access to higher education initiatives which include the following:

• A targeted programme for pre-16 students in selected Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) schools delivered in collaboration with the University of Bath. The initiative will focus on supporting schools in raising results at GCSE Mathematics, Science, English, Modern Foreign Languages, History and Geography, drawing on the complementary subject specialisms of the two universities.

• The Wessex Partnership which allows the University to offer foundation degrees at further education colleges and private providers, so that students from under-represented groups have an opportunity to study a higher education programme at their local college or private institution.

• Long-term outreach programmes and partnerships with local school and colleges. These programmes will also be developed with a number of the University’s partner academies, trust and teaching schools.

• Through the Western Vocational Progression Consortium (WVPC) of seven higher education institutions, online resources including the Lifepilot website that offers information, advice and guidance to adult, part-time and work-based learners about progression routes to higher level study and the Careerpilot website that helps 14 to 19 year olds plan their progression to study and work.

• Developing the progression of students with Access to Higher Education Diploma qualifications to undergraduate degree programmes.

• The Bath Education Trust which was formed with the University of Bath, the City of Bath College and Rotork, an industrial partner, to offer school students from three partner schools access to a wide range of courses and enrichment activities.

Professor Stephen Ward named Professor Emeritus by Bath Spa University

17/08/2012 12:13:26

Professor Stephen Ward, Dean of the School of Education at Bath Spa University has been awarded the title of Professor Emeritus. The title is conferred upon individuals who are already a Professor and have achieved outstanding success throughout the course of their career.

Professor Ward has worked at the University for over 30 years having joined the Bath College of Higher Education in 1980. He was responsible for developing the field of Education Studies and having been made Dean of the School of Education in 2006, went on to lead the School to an outstanding OFSETD ranking. Bath Spa University is now a pre-eminent provider of education and teaching degrees in the UK. The Emeritus Professorship means that Professor Ward will continue to work closely with the University, supervising PhD students and giving guest lectures. He is the first Professor in the University's history to be made an Emeritus.

Speaking about his Emeritus Professorship, he said: "I'm delighted to be honoured with an Emeritus Professorship. The decision to retire was difficult and this role will allow me to continue to be part of a University I have seen evolve over time, growing from a teacher training college into a leading higher education institution.

"I am proud to have worked with excellent colleagues and students and pleased I will continue to hear about all their successful endeavours. This is a wonderful place to live and work and I am very grateful for 32 happy years."

Professor Ward is retiring from the University at the end of this academic year. He will be formally announced as Professor Emeritus at the University's graduation ceremony on Friday 20 July by Vice-Chancellor Christina Slade who said: "Professor Ward has been an exceptional member of Bath Spa University for over 30 years. His dedication has resulted in Bath Spa becoming one of the best places in the UK for teacher training and education courses. His role as Professor Emeritus will ensure he continues to be an inspiration to our staff and students in years to come."

Bath Spa University graduate wins D&AD New Blood Award 2012

21/09/2012 10:45:04

Sophie Kemp, a Graphic Communications graduate at Bath Spa University has won the D&AD New Blood Award 2012. Sophie was awarded the prize for her project '1 Down 2 Sit' a photographic exploration of the people behind Crufts.

The series of photographs were compiled into a book encased in a slipcase made to look like the cages dogs are kept in throughout the event. To get to the book, people must work by tearing through the slipcase, mirroring the effort of owners who have to work more than their dogs in the competition.

Speaking about her award, Sophie said: "It's very exciting to be recognised by the industry for my documentary photography, which is something that I am really passionate about. I now plan to explore this practice further professionally."

Stuart Henley, Course Leader Graphic Communications congratulated Sophie on her win and said: "Sophie deserves this win, she has worked tirelessly across all her modules; making use of all that the course has to offer from screenprinting, letterpress and etching workshops through to her photography, illustration and typography lectures and studio classes."

The D&AD New Blood Awards showcase the best work of graduates in graphic design, visual communication, advertising, digital media, illustration, photography and other commercial creative arts. It is a prestigious, international festival and helps graduates prepare to enter the world of work.

The final degree show from Bath Spa's Graphic Communications graduates 'Assembly 2012' was much acclaimed and was featured in Creative Review. More information about the BA (Hons) Graphic Communication at Bath Spa University is available at http://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/graphic-communication.asp

Success for Bath Spa University Creative Writing graduates as their books are published

17/08/2012 11:35:40

Creative Writing at Bath Spa University can boast a distinguished list of graduates who have achieved critical and commercial success. Adding to that list are five more graduates who have recently had new work published:

• Nathan Filer completed his MA in Creative Writing in 2010 and the novel he wrote as part of the course 'Where the Moon Isn't' is being published by Harper Collins in spring 2013.

• Sarah Hammond recently completed an MA in Writing for Young People and her debut novel 'The Night Sky in my Head' has been published by Oxford University Press. The book will be launched at Waterstones in Bath on Thursday 12 July 2012.

• Nikita Lalwani is currently reading for a PhD and previously completed an MA in Creative Writing. Her first novel 'Gifted' was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2007 and her second novel 'The Village' has recently been published by Viking UK.

• Jennifer McVeigh completed her MA in Creative Writing in 2009 and her debut novel 'The Fever Tree' has been published by Viking UK.

• Alison Rattle recently completed an MA in Writing for Young People and her debut novel 'The Quietness' is being published by Hot Keys.

The writing course at Bath Spa University is now in its twentieth year and during that time has become one of the most successful and popular in the UK. Course tutors are themselves respected writers and their links with the publishing industry are invaluable to graduates.

The University has expanded its offering and as well as an undergraduate degree in Creative Writing, postgraduate courses are now available in Nature and Travel Writing, Scriptwriting and Writing for Young People. More information about the Creative Writing department is available here http://www.bathspa.ac.uk/schools/humanities-and-cultural-industries/creative-writing/default.asp

Bath Spa University hosting sustainable development event in Bath

17/08/2012 11:34:22

Researchers from Bath Spa University are presenting research about the recent UN Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio at a free event in Bath. ‘Ways To The Future We Want’ is being held on July 12 at Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institute from 10:00 to 16:00.

The aim of the event is to share research findings and provide a forum for local organisations to promote ways to achieve a more sustainable future. Speakers at the event will be from the following:

• Bath and North East Somerset Council
• Zero Carbon Bristol
• Oxfam
• Royal Agricultural College
• Soil Association
• African Initiatives
• Tree Aid
• Bath Spa University
• University of Bath

Dr Rebecca Schaaf, Subject Leader for Geography at Bath Spa University and organiser of the event said: “This event is a great opportunity for people in Bath and Bristol to find out how to make a difference by living a little more sustainably. During the day, the speakers and exhibitors will demonstrate what a more sustainable future can look like, and how we can all play our part to reach the future that we want.”

More information including the programme is available at:

http://www.facebook.com/WaysToTheFutureWeWant
http://www.ssmbathspa.com/research/communities-and-social-identities

Writing inspired by Nature the subject of a new event hosted by Bath Spa University

17/08/2012 11:33:30

Bath Spa University’s Research Centre for Writing and the Environment is hosting a day of free discussion between writers who are inspired by Nature. 'Writing the New Nature' is being held on July 6 at Corsham Court from 10:00 to 17:00.

The aim of the event is to discuss whether in the face of mounting ecological challenges across the world, whether nature writing, environmental journalism and eco-literature can help make a difference. Writers taking part in the discussion include:

• Jim Perrin – traveller, mountaineer and author
• Melanie Challenger – poet and novelist
• John Vidal – environment editor at The Guardian
• Brett Westwood – naturalist and presenter and producer at the BBC Natural History Unit
• Richard Kerridge – eco-critic
• Greg Garrard – eco-critic
• Carrie Etter – poet
• Paul Evans – nature writer

Paul Evans, Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and organiser of the event said: "Bath Spa University has a leading reputation in creative writing and we are responding to environmental and cultural challenges with new postgraduate courses in environmental, travel and nature writing. We are very pleased to host this event and provide opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between writers in this exciting field."

The event is free for the public to attend, but a place must be booked in advance. Booking is through the office at Corsham Court on: 01225 876383

Bath Spa University announces honorary degrees for 2012

17/08/2012 11:32:42

Five distinguished figures from the worlds of music, fashion, journalism and cookery will receive honorary degrees from Bath Spa University this summer.

The degrees will be awarded by Vice-Chancellor Professor Christina Slade at the University's graduation ceremonies on 20 and 21 July 2012 in recognition of extraordinary contributions in their respective fields.

Set to receive honorary degrees are:

•  Mary Berry CBE – one of the UK's best-known and respected cookery writers and TV cook. At the age of 18 she trained at the Bath College of Home Economics, followed by a Paris Cordon Bleu course and she is a qualified teacher. She has written more than 70 cookery books since her first was published in 1970 and has sold more than five million. She has hosted several television series for the BBC and been a judge on The Great British Bake Off since 2010.

•  Manolo Blahnik CBE – Manolo Blahnik's shoe designs have been worn by women all over the world for almost 40 years. Blahnik began his career in 1973 on the advice of a US Vogue Editor Diana Vreeland. The brand is known for elaborate and classic designs and prides itself on the highest level of quality and comfort. It is currently present in 23 countries world-wide. In 2007 he was awarded the CBE for services to the British fashion industry.

•  Professor Ian Hargreaves CBE – started his journalistic career on local newspapers in Yorkshire and spent 15 years on the Financial Times before becoming Deputy Editor in the early 1990s. He was Director of BBC News and Current Affairs in the late 1980s, Editor of the Independent in the mid-1990s and Editor of the New Statesman in the late 1990s, before taking up the position of Director of the Centre for Journalism at Cardiff University. In 2010 he took up a new chair in Digital Economy at Cardiff University.

•  Grenville Jones – a choir leader and musician who lives in Bath. His driving passion is to get people of all ages singing, to enable them to make friends, enjoy themselves and have fun through music. He has appeared on TV and radio across the world through his leadership of Bath Male Choir, the Golden-Oldies charity, which he founded in 2008, and his many other musical projects and concerts.

•  Miller Puckette – the author of 'Max' and 'Pure Data', two seminal and widely-used software environments for live computer music. After studying mathematics at MIT and Harvard University and conducting research at IRCAM in Paris, he joined the music department at the University of California where he is now professor and chair of the department. He has also written extensively on techniques for analysing and synthesizing sound with a computer, and on real-time human/computer interactions in musical performance.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Slade commented: "At Bath Spa University we foster an ethos of creativity, culture and enterprise, and we want our students to become global citizens, ready to make a difference. There can be no better inspiration for them than these internationally respected figures, and I am delighted to welcome such worthy recipients to our fellowship of honorary graduates."

Writers of Upstairs Downstairs and Life on Mars speaking at symposium on historical and fantasy fiction

17/08/2012 11:31:44

Fay Weldon CBE and Ashley Pharoah are among the internationally renowned novelists, poets, scriptwriters and historians taking part in a symposium about historical and fantasy fiction organised by the Bath Spa University Contemporary Writing Research Centre. 'Other Voices, Other Times' is being held on Friday 29 June at Corsham Court and will feature readings, seminars and workshops.

Fay Weldon CBE, novelist and writer of the original Upstairs Downstairs script, and Ashley Pharoah, whose time-shift detective Gene Hunt featured in the TV series Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, will be taking part in the symposium along with other eminent writers including:

•  Gerard Woodward – award-nominated poet and novelist and Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.

•  Ian Mortimer – historian and novelist, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a keen advocate of the public importance of history.

•  Marie-Louise Jensen – author of historical fiction for young people and a graduate of Bath Spa University’s MA in Writing for Young People.

•  Ros Barber – award-winning poet and author of the biographical novel in verse, 'The Marlowe Papers'.

•  Liesel Schwartz – author whose steampunk novel 'A Conspiracy of Alchemists', has just been bought by Random House in an international publication deal linking the UK, US and Germany.

The symposium is being chaired by Celia Brayfield and Mimi Thebo, both novelists and Senior Lecturers in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. Celia Brayfield says: "We want to bring together writers from the two dominant genres in fiction today. Historical and fantasy writing share so many of the same challenges – world-building, creating dialogue that sounds authentic and reads well, giving voices to the people who're excluded or marginalised by traditional approaches. We want to explore these and also to build an academic foundation for further study."

The symposium will produce an edited on-line anthology of papers, including readings by speakers, and an online forum for continuing debate leading to an interdisciplinary research network in the UK. Findings will also be presented at the Association of Writing Programmes Annual Conference in Boston, USA in 2013, at which potential partner institutions will be invited to join a discussion group towards an international conference.

As well as academics and students, the symposium is open to members of the public with an interest in these areas. Booking is now taking place, so for this and more information please visit http://www.othervoicesothertimes.com

Two Bath Spa University creative art students selected for The Threadneedle Prize 2012

21/09/2012 10:45:25

Two creative art students from Bath Spa University, Lauren Marsh and Camila Sadler have been selected for The Threadneedle Prize for Painting and Sculpture 2012. This prestigious prize is the UK's leading showcase for contemporary figurative and representational painting and sculpture.

Lauren is in her first year of the Creative Arts course at Bath Spa University and Camila is in the third year. All the works selected for the exhibition are sourced through an open competition and it is a remarkable achievement that both Lauren and Camila have been selected in the same year. Their work will be on display as part of the competition exhibition at the Mall Galleries in Central London from 26 September to 13 October 2012. Admission is free.

The winner of The Threadneedle Prize will be awarded £30,000 and three judges will decide on the overall winner. Visitors to the exhibition can also have a say by voting for the £10,000 Visitor's Choice prize. The Prize encourages both experienced and emerging artists to submit fresh and intriguing works that are topical observations of the world today.

The judges of this year's prize are Peter Randall-Page, a UK artist and alumni of the Bath School of Art and Design, Christopher Riopelle, Curator at the National Gallery and Nicholas Usherwood, curator, art critic and features editor of Galleries Magazine.

More information about The Threadneedle Prize 2012 is available here http://www.threadneedleprize.com

Bath Spa University Graduate Chloe Jones wins Gold Award and Best Womenswear title at Graduate Fashion Week 2012

17/08/2012 12:37:40

Chloe Jones, a Fashion Graduate from Bath Spa University has won the Gold Award for Best Student Collection of 2012 as well as the Best Womenswear title at Graduate Fashion Week in London (13 June). The Gold Award is the highest honour and most prestigious of the awards. Previous winners at Graduate Fashion Week include Stella McCartney, Giles Deacon, Matthew Williamson, Antonio Berardi and Christopher Bailey.

Chloe was presented with a £20,000 award by the fashion editor of International Herald Tribune, Suzy Menkes, style icon, Daphne Guinness, and Fiona Lambert, Brand Director at George who were sponsors of Graduate Fashion Week 2012. The judges commended Chloe’s creativity and tailoring and were also impressed by how commercially ready her collection, entitled 'Our Father Who Art in Heaven' is.

Having wowed the judges with her collection, Chloe said of her win: "It's such a privilege to be able to show at Graduate Fashion Week, let alone be nominated for an award. It was such an honour to meet all the judges and have the opportunity to show them my work, so to come away with both the Womenswear and Gold Award is incredible. I'm so excited for what lies ahead, not just for myself but for the course at Bath Spa too."

Chloe was one of just nine Bath Spa University students selected to show their collections at Graduate Fashion Week this year. They were chosen by a panel of industry experts including Fashion Designer Tonia Baystan, Show Producer John Wolford and Fashion Stylist Rebekah Roy. The group of Bath Spa University students showing at Graduate Fashion Week this year attracted critical acclaim from fashion’s leading commentators who attended the event.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University said: "This is a truly remarkable achievement and all of us here at Bath Spa are thrilled for Chloe. Our fashion programme provides exceptional teaching quality for students in an environment that fosters creativity and enterprise. It is a testament to the dedication of our staff and students that one of Bath Spa’s students has been recognised as an outstanding talent and future star of the fashion world."

Chloe's collection as well as those from other Bath Spa University Fashion Graduates who exhibited at Graduate Fashion Week, will be on show at the annual Bath Spa University Fashion Show which will take place on Wednesday 20th June at the Forum in Bath. The show is open to the public and tickets are now on sale for two shows: reception at 3.00pm for a 3.30 show and reception at 7.00pm for a 7.30 show. Tickets are £6 per person and are available at http://fashionshow.artbathspa.com on 01225 876373 or from the Bath School of Art & Design, Reception, Sion Hill, Lansdown.

Bath Spa University hosting international conference in Digital Writing and Creativity

17/08/2012 11:30:27

Internationally renowned academics, artists, film makers and writers are speaking at a conference about Digital Writing and Creativity organised by Bath Spa University. 'MIX – merging intermedia, 2012' is being held from July 16 to 18 at Corsham Court and will feature presentations, workshops and a public exhibition of digital work created especially for the conference.

The aim of the event is to bring together experts in this field to address questions about: how new media can be used for serious artistic purpose and how to create a suitable critical vocabulary for this; the relationship between digital writers and the commercial world of 'gaming' and; identifying audiences for digital writing and how can they be accessed. As well as academics and students, the conference is open to members of the public with an interest in these areas.

More than 40 speakers from countries around the world will meet to discuss the latest developments in digital writing. They include:

•  Mark Amerika - internationally renowned 're-mix' artist and pioneer of internet art, digital video and experimental literature. Professor of Art and Art History at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

•  Kate Pullinger - acclaimed writer for both print and digital platforms. Reader at De Montfort University and founder of the Transliteracy Research Group.

•  Tom Konyves - video poem creator and multi-media writer. Lecturer in screen writing in British Columbia.

•  Dr Maria Mencia - leader of practice led research in language driven new media/art/literature.

Lucy English, a Reader in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and organiser of the conference said: "Academics and digital practitioners often work in isolation from one another and have few opportunities to share their findings and work towards common goals. The MIX conference will be a varied, unusual and stimulating open dialogue between researchers, practitioners and publishing industry professionals and provide a forum where ideas can be transferred and standards of good practise developed."

Liberated Words, a screening of short films created especially for the conference will be open to the public at the Pound Arts Centre, Corsham during the event.

Booking is now taking place, so for this and more information please visit http://www.mix-bathspa.org

Bath Spa University sponsors Bath Startup Weekend 2012

17/08/2012 11:29:32

Bath Spa University is sponsoring the 'Bath Startup Weekend 2012' an event for all aspiring entrepreneurs which is taking place from 8 to 10 June at the Bath Innovation Centre in Bath. Throughout the weekend visitors can get hands-on experience and expert advice about how to develop their ideas and concepts for various commercial sectors.

Adam Powell, Bath Spa University’s Head of Employability said: "Bath Spa University supports creativity, culture and enterprise and this event is a way to help our students and graduates learn more about how to turn their ideas into viable business opportunities and become entrepreneurs."

The University actively promotes opportunities for enterprise across all subject areas. A key part of this is the continuing development of strong links with business which gives students the opportunity to gain relevant experience and helps them achieve success in their chosen career.

Attendees at the 'Bath Startup Weekend 2012' can get advice from business experts including: Alex Solomon, Director, RightMove; Tessa Cook, Managing Director E-Commerce, Dyson; Karen Brooks, Project Director at SETsquared Partnership; Sean Smith, Director Matox Technologies and many more.

More information about the event is available at http://bath.startupweekend.org/

Bath Spa University named in top ten greenest UK universities

17/08/2012 11:22:09

Bath Spa University has been awarded a First Class Award and ranked 8th out of 145 in the People & Planet Green League 2012 – the UK's only comprehensive and independent green ranking of universities unveiled today (29 May) in The Guardian. The University will receive the award at a special 'graduation ceremony' to be held in Westminster by People & Planet on 21 June 2012.

The People & Planet Green League assesses the environmental and ethical performance of all universities annually, awarding First Class 'degrees' to the greenest and Fail to those doing the least to address their environmental impacts. Bath Spa University is among 46 institutions to achieve a 'First' in 2012 - 10 more than did so last year despite a higher points threshold.

The University's ambitious Carbon Management Plan has so far achieved a 25 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from 2005 levels and is on course to deliver 50 per cent savings by 2020. The University has also significantly increased recycling and reduced waste. In the past six years waste to landfill has been reduced by nearly 300 per cent which has been helped by the introduction of a food waste initiative last year.

Bath Spa University's EcoCampus and ISO 14001 EMS accreditation helps ensure continuous improvements across a range of environmental indicators. The University is also proud to have been awarded 'Fairtrade University status' earlier this year.

Bath Spa University Environmental Officer Ola Bankole said: "This year's Green League result is an encouragement and vindication for the sustainability path Bath Spa University has wholly embraced. It reflects the commitment right across the University - from the Vice-Chancellor to staff and students - to embed an environmental culture in every aspect of the University's operations and activities. This excellent performance will only spur us to continue to improve."

Nationally, the People & Planet Green League table reveals that the university sector has cut carbon emissions for the first time, recording a 5 per cent reduction compared to 2011 results. Bath Spa University has reduced its carbon footprint by 25 per cent since 2005.

New anthology showcases diverse talent of Bath Spa Creative Writing undergraduates

17/08/2012 11:21:14

For the first time, Bath Spa University Creating Writing undergraduates have published an anthology featuring the work of 58 third-year authors.

'Headspace' is an exciting collection of short stories, flash fiction, script, poetry, novel extracts and journalism.

The project, which includes a professionally printed and bound edition and a content-rich website, has been co-ordinated by Creative Writing undergraduates, Edwin Collings-Wells and Creative Writing/Publishing student Harriet Steeds as their final year Creative Enterprise Project.

The front cover of the print edition was designed by Creative Writing/Publishing student Nina Camacho. All students who contributed work to the anthology will receive a copy at their graduation ceremony in July.

View the anthology online at http://www.headspaceanthology.com where there are also photographs and background information on each of the 58 contributors.

Former Bath Spa University student and celebrated author, Nikita Lalwani has written the foreword to the anthology. Nikita was named Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year. She was also long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award.

Commenting on Headspace, Nikita Lalwani said: "It is an immersive experience, and the stories are testament to the breadth of style and content that can emerge from a course like this."

Co-editor Edwin Collings-Wells said: "We’re really excited about the first ever anthology of undergraduates' Creative Writing. MA students have been producing them for years, so it's about time we joined the club.

"Perhaps the most exciting thing about Headspace is the anthology's online legacy project, which will invite future Creative Writing and Publishing students to contribute digital media content to the website as part of their various creative projects, such as audio poetry readings, short films and visual art that relates to the existing written work. So watch this space for enhanced content in 2013."

Dr Paul Meyer, Subject Leader of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, added: "This is indeed a very special anthology – a keepsake for all graduating students of the writing programme. The website too is not just aspiring to industry benchmarks, but setting them - tangible evidence of our students’ creativity and enterprise."

Follow the project @BSUAnthology

Two new public events from Bath Spa University students and Bath museums

17/08/2012 11:20:27

Final year Heritage students at Bath Spa University are working in partnership with the Holburne Museum and No. 1 Royal Crescent to present two new public events.

Opening on Saturday 26 May, ‘Sculpture Culture’ is a trail of sculpture around the city which complements the new exhibition at the Holburne Museum ‘Presence: the Art of Portrait Sculpture’. Families can follow the trail to discover and explore the rich variety of portrait sculpture in Bath.

Dr. Alexander Sturgis, Director of the Holburne Museum said: "Working with Bath Spa University Heritage students is partly about us helping to prepare students for the wider world beyond university, and anything we can do to show how museums really work is valuable, but it also brings an enormous amount to us – the dialogue is two way."

‘Bringing you the Whole Story’ is a new travelling community exhibition which has been developed by students with the Bath Preservation Trust and No. 1 Royal Crescent. The aim of the exhibition is to document the major redevelopment of the historic house museum at No. 1 and No. 1a Royal Crescent and to encourage local community engagement with the project. The exhibition opens on Friday 1 June at the Building of Bath Collection at the Countess of Huntingdon Chapel at 6:30pm. It will then go on tour to a variety of Bath Preservation Trust events over the coming months.

Tom Boden, Head of Education and Audience Development for the Bath Preservation Trust and No. 1 Royal Crescent said: "We have worked with Bath Spa University Heritage students for a number of years and their contribution has proved a real asset to the Bath Preservation Trust. Their creativity, enthusiasm and capability have resulted in an innovative exhibition which I'm sure will prove very engaging for families and local residents."

Dr Kristin Doern, Heritage Subject Leader at Bath Spa University said: "Every year we raise the bar for our students and they continue to exceed expectations. This wouldn’t be possible without the commitment, professional guidance, and passionate engagement of colleagues at the Holburne Museum, Bath Preservation Trust, and the range of museums and heritage organisations we work with in Bath and the South West."

Both projects will be launched at a private celebration at the Holburne Museum on Thursday 31 May.

Bath Spa students help to develop Bristol Urban Sport exhibition

17/08/2012 11:25:00

History students from Bath Spa University have co-curated an exhibition called Bristol Urban Sport in partnership with staff from Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives and Bristol City Council.

Bristol Urban Sport opens on Tuesday 22 May 2012 at M Shed, Bristol’s flagship Museum on the dockside. The exhibition runs until 9 September 2012 and is free to attend. To celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Torch in the city on 22 May, the exhibition will stay open late on the opening night until 9pm.

Bristol Urban Sport explores the relationship between the fabric of the city and sport over the last 200 years. The exhibition reveals how the people of Bristol have manipulated both the natural landscape and man-made architecture for sporting activity.

The students have interviewed a range of people from local groups and clubs and identified photographs, memorabilia, objects and film that will feature in the exhibition.

Bath Spa University student Alice Bowring said: "We’ve been working on this project for about 8 months. It’s been really interesting to learn about how an exhibition is put together, and we’ve all developed lots of new skills."

Becky Peters from Bristol Museum, Galleries and Archives said: "It’s been great to work with Bath Spa University students on developing this exhibition and they’ve uncovered some really fascinating stories."

The exhibition has been awarded the Inspire Mark, which recognises and supports outstanding projects taking place around the UK that are providing new opportunities for young people and their communities as a result of the Games.

The project is supported by RELAYS, a London 2012 legacy project based in universities across the South West that aims to inspire young people to volunteer, try new sports and be creative. RELAYS is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

An exciting programme of events, talks and family activities will run alongside the exhibition. Please visit the M Shed website for further information: http://mshed.org/whats-on/

Lloyd is Bath Spa University’s Student Employee of the Year

17/08/2012 11:12:08

Lloyd Evans, a student from Bath Spa University who works part-time at Complete Control UK Limited based in Corston, Bath, has become the University’s Student Employee of the Year.

BAFTA award winning Complete Control, which was recently awarded Bath’s Best Digital Design Agency for 2012, works with some of the biggest children’s brands in the world, producing websites, games and apps that combine animation, graphic, sounds and state of the art technology.

The competition, organised by the National Association of Student Employment Services, recognises the contribution and achievements of students who combine a part-time job with their studies. Bath Spa’s Job Shop, which runs a service to help students find local and degree-related part-time work to fit around their studies, invited local employers to send in nominations.

For the past six months Lloyd, a second year undergraduate studying Creative Music Technology, has been using his flair to create original sounds for use in projects at Complete Control. Glynn Hayward, Managing/Creative Director at Complete Control nominated Lloyd for his outstanding ability to find, create and edit sounds.

Glynn Hayward said: "Lloyd works quickly and accurately – crucial in a fast paced commercial studio. His interpretation and understanding of the briefs, both verbally and written is excellent. Having someone as talented, passionate and with the cutting edge up-to-date commercial awareness he brought to the job has enabled the whole team to do things in our projects which we haven’t been able to do before. This has had a hugely positive effect on our business in terms of audio production."

Glynn values his links with Bath Spa University as he likes to tap into the expertise offered by current students who in turn value such fabulous paid work experience opportunities, working in a busy commercial studio. "It’s a win-win situation all round," he summed up.

Glynn and Lloyd attended the Business West 'Bath Mixer' Evening, hosted at Newton Park on Wed 16 May, where Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University, welcomed guests and staff. As part of proceedings, Professor Slade presented Lloyd with a certificate and thanked Glynn for providing such superb part-time work opportunities for Bath Spa students.

Juliet Mather, Job Shop Coordinator at Bath Spa University, who manages the student employment service, commented: "These awards recognise the importance of part-time work experience for the future employability of students, as well as the valuable contribution students can make to key local employers."

Creative Futures – celebrating the creative talent of Bath Spa students

28/11/2012 15:04:07

From 16 May to 20 June, Bath Spa University in association with Creative Bath will present an exciting programme featuring all end-of-degree events across the university.

Creative Futures is a month-long season of films, performances, events and degree shows, celebrating and showcasing the innovative and creative talent of Bath Spa students.

The season opens with a special Bath Chamber of Commerce and Business West drinks reception, hosted by the university's Vice-Chancellor Professor Christina Slade. Bath Spa University has established strong links with the local business community and is keen to encourage local companies to meet staff and students to explore future collaborative opportunities.

Ian Bell, Executive Director of the Bath Chamber of Commerce, said: "We recognise and greatly value the contribution that students from Bath Spa University already make to the local economy. We want to see that increase still further, so we are delighted to support Creative Futures and remain committed to working with the university to highlight the quality of skills, energy and fresh ideas that its graduates have to offer."

Other events on the bill include:

Creative Music Technology Degree Show – 23 May
An interactive exhibition of highly original work, featuring audio, multimedia and composition. Graduates from this course include internationally renowned DJs, producers and composers.

Drama & Performing Arts Showcase
Catch Performing Arts students in Punk Rock and A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Egg/Ustinov Theatre and in The Arsonists and A State of Silence at The Rondo.

Party in the City – 1 June
Bath Spa University Choir will join 2,000 other performers for the Party in the City, the opening event for the Bath International Music Festival. The Choir will perform John Cage's Musicircus at different points in the evening at both Bath Abbey and St Swithin's Church.

Bath School of Art & Design Degree Show – 9 to 17 June
Spread over ten days and two venues (Sion Hill and Elements Arts Space), this programme features the exciting creative output from graduating students on a range of degree programmes, including Graphic Communication, Textile Design for Fashion & Interiors, Photography & Digital Media, Three Dimensional Design, Creative Arts and Fine Art.

There's also an industry evening providing a dedicated opportunity for creative professionals to network with students and view their work.

Graduate Fashion Show – 20 June
As its grand finale, Creative Futures closes with the annual Bath Catwalk Show in The Forum, when Bath Spa Fashion students showcase their final collections with the help of professional models from London. The Catwalk Show is followed by a closing drinks reception for all the university's cultural partners across the region.

A printed programme providing full details will be available from key venues across Bath, and the listings are also available online at http://www.bathspa.ac.uk/creativefutures

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christina Slade, said: "This year Creative Futures is shining the spotlight on the wealth of creative talent we have here at Bath Spa University.

"We are excited to present such a diverse programme of artistic events and very much look forward to sharing with you the extremely high quality of work produced by our enterprising staff and students."

Greg Ingham, Chair, Creative Bath, added: "The work of Bath Spa in fostering links between the university and local businesses is absolutely essential. Students need opportunity and knowledge of the sector. Businesses need fresh, bright new talent.

"Bath Spa has been closely involved with Creative Bath, the cluster for local creative businesses and professionals (www.creativebath.org). We've worked on a number of projects that help students build relationships with local companies and an understanding of the sector.

"So we're delighted to be a partner on the Creative Futures project. It's a great showcase for the emerging creative talent from the university and will further demonstrate how the students are contributing to the cultural fabric of the city. With 20 events packed into a season-in-a-month, Creative Futures is here to be experienced and celebrated."

South West Universities win bronze in prestigious Olympic Vision awards

17/08/2012 09:20:00

The Universities South West RELAYS (Regional Educational Legacy for Arts and Youth Sport) project was awarded Bronze in the prestigious ‘Coubertin’s Olympic Vision’ Award which acknowledges the national higher education project that most lives up to the ideals of the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin.

RELAYS is a collaboration between the region's universities including Bath Spa and was short-listed from over 200 entries. The initiative was placed in the Bronze medal position of third following a week-long public vote. Submissions from all six short listed nominees can be seen on http://www.podiumawards2012.com/coubertin-award

Held in the shadow of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium on 3 May, the awards ceremony was held by Podium, the Further & Higher Education unit for the 2012 Games, as recognition and celebration of the vital role colleges and universities across the UK have played in delivering the London 2012 Games.

It was an amazing night of success for RELAYS as the project also scooped a Silver Award for the Invaluable Volunteering Project and a Bronze Award for the Outstanding Sporting Project.

Collecting the awards on the night was Project Director, Leanne Dingle, who said: "This has been a fantastic night for RELAYS and gives the project the national recognition that it so rightly deserves. These awards are the culmination of the extraordinary collaborative spirit of our region’s universities and cultural partners, who had the vision back in 2008 to recognise the unique ability of students and volunteers to inspire and engage with, to date, nearly half a million young people across the region. Tonight has brought the incredible 2012 spirit that is in the South West to the home of the Games."

RELAYS is led by Universities South West and delivered through 11 of the region’s universities (The Arts University College at Bournemouth, Bath Spa University, Bournemouth University, Plymouth University, University College Falmouth, University College Plymouth St Mark and St John, University of Bath, University of Bristol, University of Exeter, University of Gloucestershire and the University of the West of England) and arts partners (Lyme Regis Development Trust, Watershed Bristol and The Works in Cornwall).

It recognised that 2012 presented a unique opportunity for HEIs to work collaboratively together and with external partners to reach out the community in a positive and pan-regional way. Through a creative blend of sport and culture, RELAYS has delivered a creative range of events from art workshops to school sports competitions, surf events to dance showcases, public festivals to running community classrooms aimed primarily at young people up to the age of 18 and are run by RELAYS staff based at the universities and delivered through a team of trained student volunteers.

The numbers to date are impressive and with an action-packed schedule of activity for 2012, they are increasing daily:

-      Events held – 1,327
-      Young people engaged – 79,522
-      Audience at events – 371,187
-      Businesses supported – 1,825
-      Volunteering opportunities – 6,570

RELAYS is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity that has been set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games and HEFCE (The Higher Education Funding Council for England).

FutureFair² schedule of speakers and workshops

17/08/2012 12:19:00

Whatever year you’re in at Bath Spa University, this is an opportunity to hear directly from professionals, recent graduates and peers who are currently working in the creative, cultural and heritage industries and other unrelated roles that you might also be interested in.

Learn about what the work involves and pick up hints and tips about successfully finding jobs and work experience.

Find out how to effectively look for a graduate job, part-time job, placement, internship or volunteering opportunity (JustV).

Speak directly to a recruitment consultant from ‘RSG Solutions’ and ‘Bath Spa Careers’ at their stands in Newton Foyer.

Learn how to be an effective networker, how to write a great CV, or find out about the best post graduate course.

FutureFair² schedule

9-10am TEACHING - Room NE101
Learn how to get into teaching, what the training’s like, and the different ways you could use teaching skills and experience to promote education in the UK and abroad.
Chaired by Ian Rowe (P/T Lecturer – Employability) with Mike Maitland (MD, Experience Teaching Abroad), Janine Marriott (Learning Coordinator, Arnos Vale Cemetery) and Sue White (BSU Careers Consultant).

10-11am HISTORY & HERITAGE – Room NEG02
Listen to panellists at various stages in their careers talking about their journey to date and current roles, and giving advice & tips based on what has worked well for them.
Chaired by Kristin Doern (Senior Lecturer – History) with Adrian Tinniswood (author, broadcaster, lecturer & board member), Janine Marriott (Learning Coordinator, Arnos Vale Cemetery), Faunsia Tucker (Volunteers Manager, Holburne Museum), Abi Fisher (BSU student).

10-11am JOURNALISM – Room NE101
How do you break into the competitive world of journalism and make a living?
Chaired by Marc Leverton (freelance journalist and P/T lecturer in Employability) with Rin Simpson (freelance journalist) and Kate Morrison (post graduate student & P/T lecturer).

10-11am POST GRADUATE STUDIES – Room NE209
Get advice and guidance from Bath Spa Careers about the different types of post-graduate courses available and funding implications.
Presenter Sarah Nicholson, BSU Careers Consultant

11-12pm GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES – Room NE105
Learn where to look for graduate opportunities and how to utilise Twitter and recruitment companies to good effect.
Presenter – Tom Davidson, BSU Graduate Opportunities Officer

11-12pm VOLUNTEERING & CHARITY WORK – Room DYG10
Explore how volunteering can boost graduate skills and put something back into the community. Learn about securing opportunities through ‘JustV’, the University’s volunteering database.
Chaired by Ian Rowe (Former Regional Manager, British Red Cross & P/T lecturer), with Susan Hammond (BSU Student Development Coordinator) and Faunsia Tucker (Volunteers Manager, Holburne Museum).

12-1pm MARKETING, SALES & EVENTS MANAGEMENT - Room SNG01
A chance to hear about some of the jobs involved in managing the interface between organisations and their customers and stakeholders, including the increasingly popular role of events management.
Chaired by Ian Rowe (former marketing & account manager & P/T lecturer), Owen McNeir (Director of Development & Marketing, Bath Festivals), Lynne Locker (Events Advice & Support Officer, B&NES Council), Sarah Dabrowski (Media Planner, Response One).

1-2pm PUBLISHING – Room SNG01
Learn how the world of publishing is embracing digital information systems and the opportunities that this is creating.
Chaired by Marc Leverton (freelance journalist and P/T lecturer in Employability), Katharine Reeve (BSU senior lecturer in Publishing) and Laura Baker (Senior Editor, Paragon Books).

1-2pm CV WORKSHOP - Room SNG10
What are the ingredients of a powerful CV? Come and find out how to produce one of the key job hunting tools.
Bath Spa Careers

2-3pm WORKSHOP – HOW TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO FOR A CAREER – Room NEG13
If you haven’t got a clue what to do when you graduate, then come along and learn how you might decide where to aim.
Presenter Sue White (BSU Careers Consultant & Coach)

2-3pm TEFL TASTER SESSION – Room NE105
An interactive session to help you get a feel for what it’s like to teach English as a foreign language (except you’ll be learning Thai)
Presenter Mike Maitland (Managing Director, ‘Experience Teaching Abroad’)

2-3pm CV DROP-IN CLINIC – Room SNG10
Bring along your CV for a quick check and pick up invaluable guidance as to how to improve it.
Bath Spa Careers

3-4pm PLACEMENTS & INTERNSHIPS – Room NEG13
Learn how having a placement or internship under your belt would seriously enhance your chances of impressing a future employer – and talk to two current 2nd year students who have just made the most of their experience.
Chaired by Ian Rowe (P/T Lecturer in Employability) with Leah Snape (BSU Placements & Mentoring Coordinator), Jessica Streeter and Rebecca Callaghan (Open Placement Module students).

3-4pm HUMAN RESOURCES – CAREERS GUIDANCE & RECRUITMENT – Room NE105
A chance to explore what it’s like working in these roles, hear panellists talk about their journey to date and give advice & tips based on what has worked well for them (or not).
Chaired by Marc Leverton (P/T Lecturer in Employability) with Jane Wylie (BSU careers consultant), Eleanor Hartup (BSU HR Adviser) and a recruitment consultant from RSG Solutions.

4-5pm EFFECTIVE NETWORKING – Room NEG13
The traditional, and for some intimidating, image of networking is changing, and students now have at their fingertips the means to tap into huge social and professional networks that can easily create great opportunities - learn how it works.
Presenter Ian Rowe (P/T Lecturer in Employability & former sales manager)

Follow us on Twitter: @FutureFair_BSU

Curtain Raised on Bath Spa's Theatre Production Centre

17/08/2012 09:21:38

Staff and students from Bath Spa University’s School of Music and Performing Arts were delighted to open their new Theatre Production Centre this week.

The Centre is fitted out with a scenic workshop, costume and prop making facilities, design studio, CAD computer suite and production office. This new facility will enable the university’s BA Hons Theatre Production students to work with the best industry-standard resources during their studies.

Michael Budmani, Subject Leader in Theatre Production, said: "We're delighted that the Theatre Production Centre provides state of the art facilities to support students starting their journey in a career in technical theatre. We maintain that if you go backstage in a theatre and see the skill, then that skill can be learned on our Theatre Production programme.

"We already have excellent alumni statistics, with our Theatre Production graduates at work throughout the industry. Theatre Production Centre affords our students the opportunity to reach for even greater horizons, in terms of both standard and scale of their work."

The launch event was attended by representatives from across Bath’s theatre scene, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Christina Slade, and staff and students from the School of Music and Performing Arts. An exhibition of intricately detailed miniature set models made by students was greatly admired by all, as were displays of scenery and finely-made costumes. Performing Arts students also entertained guests with recitals of poetry ranging from Shakespeare to Keats and Dylan Thomas.

At present there are nearly 50 students studying Theatre Production at Bath Spa University and graduates from the course work in the theatre and performing arts industries across the UK.

During their studies, students produce work in the University’s three venues – the University Theatre, Michael Tippett Centre and Burdall’s Yard – as part of the Bath Spa Live Live arts programme. They also gain experience in professional theatres across the South West, including the Theatre Royal Bath and Salisbury Playhouse. Currently being produced at the Centre are props, costumes and scenery for the students’ final year thesis productions, which will be staged at the egg and Ustinov theatres, from 16 May to 20 June.

Joe Bennett, Head of School of Music & Performing Arts, said: "We're delighted to be able to provide such a high-quality working environment for our BA Theatre Production students.

"The course is rapidly becoming well known across the industry for the standard of its graduates, and we already have a strong working relationship with local theatres, including Theatre Royal Bath and Salisbury Playhouse. A large-scale facility like this enables the students to be ever more ambitious in their design aspirations, and they always try to give Bath's theatre-lovers the best experience possible."

New book challenges relationship between fine art and architecture

17/08/2012 09:22:28

Bath Spa University’s publishing house, Wunderkammer Press launches a new book on 30 May 2012 exploring the question of painting from an architectural perspective.

Painting with Architecture in Mind, Essays on Painting and Architecture brings together both prominent and up and coming authors to consider painting in relation to its architectural frame or display space.

The volume is edited by Ed Whittaker and Alex Landrum, and includes an exclusively produced fold-out insert by painter Brad Lochore.

The contributors consider ways in which thinking about painting (its mode of expression and form of expansion) challenge the architecturalised environment, providing a bold challenge to the preconception of the symmetrical histories of architecture and painting.

It includes the keynote paper Matisse in the Becoming – Architecture of Painting by Eric Alliez and Jean Claude Bonne, presented for the first time in English translation, and also a keynote paper from the world renowned architect and visual artist Mark Pimlott.

Other contributors include John Chilver, Alex Coles, Bernice Donszelman, Catherine Ferguson and Linda Khatir.

Co-editor and Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at Bath Spa University, Ed Whittaker said: "Painting with Architecture in Mind offers exciting and through-provoking debate on the subject of painting and architecture and suggests the rethinking of the terms of reference for both disciplines.

"This beautifully illustrated volume should appeal to anyone interested in not only looking at paintings, but also why they are where they are."

For more information visit: http://www.wunderkammerpress.com

Launch of new student anthology from the specialist MA in Writing for Young People

17/08/2012 11:06:25

A new anthology of writing for children and young people will launch on 15 May at Foyles on Charing Cross Road in London.

'Writes of Passage' is a varied collection of work by recent graduates from Bath Spa’s specialist and highly successful MA in Writing for Young People, bringing together 15 talented writers to watch in the coming years.

From dark, troubling stories for teenagers to funny stories for younger readers, the writing featured in this anthology is as diverse as the class of 2010-11 themselves.

There are exciting adventure stories and stories that will transport readers back in time to the Victorian age or forward into the future, or across the globe to war-torn Africa. You will find a ghost story, and stories about love, courage, friendship and facing difficult truths.

Julia Green is the Course Director of the MA Writing for Young People. Her novels for teenagers include Blue Moon, Baby Blue, Hunter’s Heart (Puffin), Breathing Underwater, Drawing with Light and Bringing the Summer (Bloomsbury).

Julia said: "The publication of a new student anthology from the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa is always an occasion to celebrate. It marks a pivotal stage for each writer: a rite of passage.

"We have been running the course for seven years now, and we are proud of the success of our students. At last count, at least 18 of our graduates had secured a publication deal and many more have found literary agents to represent them.

"We select our students carefully from the many applications we receive, and we nurture them well. However, there are things that can’t be taught: the passion and imagination, creativity, energy and innate talent that each student must bring with them. I believe you will find evidence of all these things in the extracts contained within Writes of Passage."

Published work from Bath Spa graduates range from picture books for very young children (Karen Hughes’ Baby Badger’s Wonderful Night) to challenging fiction for young adults (C.J. Skuse and Jim Carrington). All the age-ranges in between are covered: Elen Caldecott’s funny, touching stories about contemporary families for 8-12 year olds; Gill Lewis’s prize-winning novel about an osprey (Skyhawk); Sally Nicholls’ award-winning Ways to Live Forever (recently made into a film); and Marie-Louise Jensen’s historical novels for teenagers.

Recent additions to the list include Maudie Smith’s quirky and touching stories about Opal Moonbaby for 7-9 year olds, Che Golden’s The Feral Child, and Sarah Hammond’s original and sensitive novel for teenagers, The Night Sky in my Head.

Attendance at the launch party is by invitation only. If you would like to be added to the guest list or an electronic copy of the anthology, please email info.writesofpassage@gmail.com

For more information and to read extracts from the anthology visit http://writesofpassageanthology.wordpress.com/

FutureFair² shines spotlight on graduate careers

17/08/2012 11:02:45

Following its success last year, FutureFair² returns to Bath Spa University’s Newton Park campus on Wednesday 9 May, bringing together career advice and opportunities for students.

Organised by the university’s School of Humanities & Cultural Studies, FutureFair² will offer students inside information from industry professionals and recent Bath Spa graduates working in a wide range of arts and humanities fields.

The event opens with a discussion panel on working in the events industry, featuring Bath Festivals’ director of marketing Owen NcNeir and Lynne Locker from Bath & North East Somerset Council’s events and support office.

Q&A sessions will run throughout the course of the day during which professionals will talk about their own careers and how they first got their foot in the door. Areas covered include: marketing and PR; publishing and journalism; history and heritage; teaching and travel; charities and volunteering.

Taking part in the sessions will be Susan Hammond (Just V), Sue Tilley (Bath & North East Somerset Council) and Laura Baker, a senior editor at Paragon Books, as well as representatives from Experience Teaching Abroad.

FutureFair² will take place in Newton Building at Newton Park on Wednesday 9 May from 9am to 4pm, and is open to students from all courses and year groups interested in careers in the arts or humanities.

Marc Leverton, Employability Tutor at Bath Spa University said: "FutureFair was extremely popular last year and so we have high hopes for this year’s FutureFair². We’ve got a really interesting and mixed bunch of professionals and recent graduates taking part, who should provide students with both inspiration and practical tips.

"One student who attended last year's event met Bath-based Anthem Publishing, who she then got an internship with, and from that she has just been taken on full-time.

"The event is open to all our students but will be of most interest to those studying creative and humanities subjects who are keen to develop their employability."

To keep up-to-date with developments, follow FutureFair² on Twitter at @FutureFair_BSU

Bath Spa hosts launch event for Granta magazine's 'Britain' edition

17/08/2012 11:02:01

Bath Spa University is proud to host the launch of new writing magazine Granta’s Britain edition in Bath’s Guildhall on Wednesday 16 May at 6.30pm.

The event will take the form of a panel discussion on Visions of Britain hosted by Ellah Allfrey, Deputy Editor of Granta, in conversation with celebrated novelists Tessa Hadley (a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University) and Cynan Jones.

Granta has had a long and distinguished history, publishing many of the world’s finest writers on a wide array of subjects, from intimate human experiences to large public and political events. In the pages of Granta, readers met for the first time writers such as Bill Bryson, Romesh Gunesekera, Blake Morrison, Arundhati Roy and Zadie Smith; and encountered topics as diverse as the fall of Saigon, the mythology of the Titanic, adultery, psychotherapy and Chinese cricket fighting.

The spring 2012 Britain edition of Granta to be launched in Bath next month will feature new writing from a wide range of authors including Mark Haddon, Mario Vargas Llosa, Rachel Seiffert and Cynan Jones, as well as showcasing the work of 20 artists responding to the question of British identity.

Dr Paul Meyer, who runs the undergraduate Creative Writing programme at Bath Spa University, said: "We are thrilled to host this exciting launch event for the spring edition of Granta. It is a highly respected publication and over the years it has played an important role in bringing many talented and challenging new writers to the fore.

"This discussion will bring together two of the UK’s most original and highly praised authors to share insights and opinions about British culture."

Tickets for the launch event are £4 for the general public, £2 for Bath Spa University staff and students, and £2 for loyalty card holders from Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, the official bookseller for the launch. To book a place or find out more, please contact Paul Meyer at p.meyer@bathspa.ac.uk

Bath Spa students showcase writing in London

28/11/2012 14:05:04

ARC, an anthology of new writing from Bath Spa University’s postgraduate creative writing students, will launch on Tuesday 15 May 2012 at Foyles on Charing Cross Road, London. The launch marks the 20th year of the hugely successful MA in Creative Writing.

In addition to new writing, the event will feature readings by notable graduates of Bath Spa, including Sam Harvey (The Wilderness, shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2009, long-listed for the 2009 Man Booker Prize, winner of the Betty Trask Prize for 2009), who has also contributed a foreword to the anthology.

The anthology is edited, produced and promoted by Bath Spa University students, and this year features a fascinating interview with Naomi Alderman, an author and games writer, whose novel Disobedience won the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers. It will also include the three best Flash Fiction stories written by students and judged by award-winning novelist Gerard Woodward.

Bath Spa University has produced many of the most original and acclaimed writers of the past decade, including Tessa Hadley, Mimi Thebo, Mo Hayder and Tricia Wastvedt. The most recent graduates look likely to continue this success.

Dr Steve May, Head of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, said: "This year’s 20th anniversary anthology looks set to be our best ever. Not only is the quality of writing exceptionally high, but the diversity of genres is very impressive too. No wonder top literary agents and publishers welcome the anthology launch to find exciting new voices."

To view extracts from ARC and read an exclusive interview with Bath Spa University PhD student and two-time novelist Ian Breckon (Knight of Swords) visit http://www.arcanthology.com

Attendance at the launch is by invitation. Further information from: anthology2012@live.com

Bath Spa students handpicked to support Blur's Graham Coxon

17/08/2012 09:24:10

Three students from Bath Spa University have been handpicked by Blur guitarist Graham Coxon to support him when he plays Trinity in Bristol this Saturday (28 April 2012).

Chris Bunt (guitar/vocals), Jim Heard (bass/vocals) and Mike Griffiths (drums/vocals) are all third year Commercial Music students at Bath Spa, where they formed their band Jackhatch in 2010 playing a mix of punk rock and power pop.

To launch the release of his eighth solo album A+E, Graham Coxon is playing 14 shows across the UK in April and has chosen the support acts himself. Any band or artist who wanted to support Graham could enter the competition by uploading a Youtube link to his website.

Jackhatch won both the public vote and was Graham’s personal choice for the Bristol leg of the tour.

Jim Heard said: "We’re absolutely over the moon. The Trinity gig is sold out and we’re looking forward to playing to a packed house alongside one of the icons of British rock and pop music."

Senior Lecturer in Commercial Music, Richard J. Parfitt added: "Jackhatch are an incredibly talented band that mix three-part harmonies with sharp angular post punk rock. Being picked by Graham Coxon is a stamp of approval and indication of their commitment and originality."

Find out more about Jackhatch at https://www.facebook.com/jackhatchband For more on Graham Coxon’s A+E tour and the 14 support acts visit: http://toursupport.grahamcoxon.co.uk/

Bath Spa moves up national higher education league table

17/08/2012 11:00:54

Bath Spa University has moved up ten places in The 2013 Complete University Guide to the UK’s 116 universities, published today (24 April 2012).

The independent league table compiled by Mayfield University Consultants sees Bath Spa move from its 85th spot last year to 75th.

Data from the rankings are derived from official sources and assess a comprehensive range of measures including academic attainment, staffing, research and facilities.

The Complete University Guide highlights Student Satisfaction and Graduate Prospects as two key areas in which Bath Spa has seen significant improvement in the last year.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University said: "We are delighted with the news today that we have moved up The Complete University Guide.

"It is testament to the work we are doing here to give our students an experience that is distinctive, creative and fulfilling, and one that will give them a real advantage as they move into their chosen professions. These are challenging times for higher education but this indicates that Bath Spa is providing the right balance of academic support and facilities, social opportunities and career guidance.

"There is obviously more work to be done, and the next few years will be an extremely exciting time for the university as we construct new state-of-the-art teaching facilities at our Newton Park campus, with media facilities to rival anything found at cutting-edge commercial organisations and broadcast companies."

Child protection conference at Bath Spa University sparks national debate

17/08/2012 11:00:07

A major conference on children and the UK media held at Bath Spa University last week has sparked a national debate on how we best protect children online.

Organised by Bath Spa University in partnership with David Niven Associates, 'Childhood and the Media: Images, Rights and Responsibilities' took place on Friday 21 April, and scrutinised various aspects of children’s representation and rights as well as media responsibilities and regulations.

Speakers included Elisabeth Ribbans, Managing Editor of the Guardian; Simon Milner, UK Head of Policy at Facebook; Naomi Gummer, UK Public Policy Analyst at Google; Sue Steel, Coordinator of the Anti-Bullying Alliance; and Dr Fleur Fisher, Chair of the Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel.

One of the key debates was on whether new legislation is needed to protect children from internet pornography. There have been recent calls for an ‘opt-in’ system to automatically exclude internet users from accessing internet pornography unless they specifically sign up for it.

At the conference, Google argued that laws would not be sufficient to protect young people as technology is moving too fast for legislation and that the onus should be on parents to monitor their children’s internet use. Facebook also told delegates they were unable to prevent children under 13 setting up Facebook accounts, despite this being against government policy.

The debate continued in the national press with the Telegraph and the Daily Mail responding to Google and Facebook’s comments.

Professor Stephen Ward, Dean of Bath Spa University’s School of Education, said: "The conference was a great success and there were many valuable and interesting discussions on both how children are represented by the media and the responsibilities of the media in protecting our young people. We managed to attract some leading names to speak at the event, confirming Bath Spa’s reputation in the areas of education policy and child protection.

"Not surprisingly, the issue of protecting children from online pornography led to a heated and impassioned debate. Through our teacher training at Bath Spa we are only too aware of the need to help children manage their lives in the increasingly complex digital world in which they are growing up. We are pleased to see this issue has been picked up on a national level to inform all those who are concerned with children’s safety and well-being and we will monitor with interest how this develops and whether or not government takes the legislation route."

David Niven, Managing Director of David Niven Associates, added: "Once again controversy is generated as to the best way to protect our children and young people, and to whose responsibility that ultimately is. It’s not a question of only one side having responsibility, much like manufacturers of cars are responsible for all aspects of in-car safety, but drivers have responsibility for how they drive their car.

"So, organisations such as Facebook and Google are responsible for as much online safety as they can (and more is possible). But, parents and young people are responsible for how it is used. There is no easy answer, but much more education is needed all round to improve the experience and safety of our children."

What your choice of dog says about you

17/08/2012 10:52:36

The breed of dog you own may reflect your personality.

That is the finding of a study by Jo Fearon and Dr Lance Workman of Bath Spa University presented today (20 April) at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference held at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London (18-20 April).

The research was conducted in collaboration with the Kennel Club and OnePoll.

A thousand dog owners completed an online questionnaire that assessed several personality traits, such as extroversion, agreeableness and emotional stability. They also provided details of the breed of dog they own.

These breeds were then split into seven groups:
•      Gundogs ( eg golden retriever)
•      Hound dogs (eg greyhound)
•      Pastoral (eg German shepherd)
•      Terrier (eg Staffordshire bull)
•      Toy (eg chihuahua)
•      Utility (eg bulldog)
•      Working (eg doberman).

Findings revealed some interesting variation between breed groups relating to owners’ personality features. In particular, owners of Pastoral and Utility breed groups were more extroverted; owners of Gundogs and Toy dogs more agreeable; owners of Utility, Toy and Gundogs more conscientious; owners of Hound dogs more emotionally stable, and owners of Toy dogs were more open to new experiences.

Dr Workman said: "This study indicates that we might be able to make predictions about someone’s personality based on the breed of dog that they choose to own. It seems that likely that personality types are subconsciously drawn to certain breeds."

He also suggested that: "The differences in personality factors found between owners of different breeds might arguably be related to the lifestyle of the owner. For example, more extroverted individuals might be better suited to the pastoral breeds such as German shepherd or border collie, whereas those who are particularly emotionally stable might be suited to ownership of Hound dogs such as a beagle or greyhound."

Press release originally issued by the British Psychological Society.

Double book-series deal for Bath Spa graduate Candida Harper

21/09/2012 10:27:33

Debut teen author and graduate from Bath Spa University’s specialist MA in Writing for Young People, Candida Harper has been signed up by Simon & Shuster Children’s Books in two separate two-book deals.

The first novels from each of the two very different fiction series will be published in 2013; the first a hard-hitting thriller set in a gritty dystopian future, and the other a humorous teen fiction about the fashion dilemmas and romantic dramas of a 14-year-old girl.

Published under the name CJ Harper in February 2013, The Disappeared is set in a future where children are segregated into institutions that range from comfortable ‘learning communities’ to prison-like ‘Academies’. When 17-year-old Jackson is moved from a top learning community to an academy he suddenly finds himself in a harsh, violent, society and he realises his whole life has been based on half-truths. The second book in the series is set to follow in 2014.

The second series begins with Have a Little Faith. Being 14 is a minefield and Faith is just hoping to make it through Year 10 without too many disasters. But when she and her best friend sign up to take part in an inter-school choir with the local boys’ comprehensive, Faith’s life gets even more complicated. Just how is she supposed to concentrate on becoming the next Cheryl Cole when she’s trying to understand how teenage boys’ minds work? Have a Little Faith will be published in May 2013 under the name Candy Harper, with a second book to follow.

Candida graduated from Bath Spa University in 2010 with an MA in Writing for Young People, a highly successful postgraduate degree which has seen many of its students go on to achieve publication.

Julia Green, Course Director said: "I am thrilled to hear about Candy’s success in achieving two book deals, but not entirely surprised! We were all excited to read chapters of The Disappeared as Candy developed her ideas for this story in the workshops, week by week. It’s a tribute to her hard work, energy and passion for writing and the success is very well deserved."

Candida, who grew up in Oxfordshire and now lives in Devon, has worked as a bookseller and a teacher. She is married and has a daughter named after Philip Pullman’s Lyra.

Conference to challenge media representation of children and young people

17/08/2012 10:51:28

An impressive line-up of speakers from both social and traditional media will gather at Bath Spa University on Friday 20 April for a major conference to explore and challenge the image of children and young people in the UK media.

Childhood and the Media: Images, Rights and Responsibilities will scrutinise various aspects of children’s representation and rights as well as the media’s responsibilities and regulations.

Speakers include Elisabeth Ribbans, Managing Editor of the Guardian; Simon Milner, UK Head of Policy at Facebook; Naomi Gummer, UK Public Policy Analyst at Google; Sue Steel, Coordinator of the Anti-Bullying Alliance; and Dr Fleur Fisher, Chair of the Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel.

The conference is the fourth in a series of conferences on child protection and safeguarding hosted by David Niven Associates in partnership with Bath Spa University.
Aimed at anyone working with children and young people, particularly social care and education professionals, the event will examine why all too often the media portrays the young in a negative light and how this image can have a direct impact on helping and protecting them.

Professor Stephen Ward, Dean of Bath Spa University’s School of Education, said: “Our Childhood and the Media conference is an important date in the diary for anyone working with children and young people or concerned about their increasingly negative portrayal in the media.

"It will be a very interactive event with a number of opportunities to work with other professionals on a number of key issues, such as how we share the experiences of looked after children without exposing them individually and the role of schools in protecting children both in the real and online world."

David Niven, Managing Director of David Niven Associates, added: "This promises to be a conference of great value, with an excellent range of speakers and a wonderful menu of workshops. Too often reporting of young people is negative and, although justified on some occasions, so many positives don’t see the light of day."

Childhood and the Media: Images, Rights and Responsibilities takes place on Friday 20 April from 9.15am until 4pm at the Michael Tippet Centre, Bath Spa University.

Tickets cost £65 per individual delegate, £120 for two delegates and further reductions are available for groups. Please contact David Niven Associates for details.

For more information about the conference call 0845 833 0859, email info@dnivenassociates.co.uk or visit http://www.dnivenassociates.co.uk

How to promote yourself as a children’s author

17/08/2012 10:49:26

Seminar for writers, students and published authors: 30 June 2012

Many people dream of one day writing a children’s book but these days it’s a fiercely competitive arena and it is vital that writers have a thorough understanding of how to promote both themselves and their work.

In a marketplace where it is no longer enough to be published, authors must interact directly with their audience – taking part in all kinds of promotional events and giving public talks.

Bath Spa University, home to the highly successful specialist MA in Writing for Young People, is holding a one day seminar for aspiring and published children’s authors exploring the full spectrum of promotional activities to reach potential audiences.

The seminar takes place at the university’s postgraduate centre at Corsham Court in Corsham on 30 June, and the booking deadline is 30 April.

The seminar tutors will be Gill McLay, director of the Bath Festival of Children’s Literature, and Steve Voake, author of several books for young people and a senior lecturer in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa.

Gill McLay says: "Authors these days are no longer allowed just to write; they have to write and promote their work, which are two very different skills. This course aims to offer a bridge from writer to published and promoting author.

"Steve and I will offer advice on working with schools and your publisher to creating a successful event for all ages as well as more general help on knowing what to expect when you start promoting. The course has had a trial run already and we had great feedback so we’re delighted to be doing it again."

Writer Jo Nadin, who attended the trial seminar, adds: "Too often it is just assumed that authors will have the knowledge, skills and confidence to sell their book. It is simply not the case. We are not all born entertainers, or shameless self-promoters.

"Gill and Steve’s insights into what teenagers actually want were invaluable, as were Steve’s ideas for talks and workshops. It was also hugely informative to be able to talk to other authors and share ideas and fears.

"This course should be compulsory for every new author. I learned more in six hours than I have in six years as a published author."

'Running successful events for young people and reaching your audience' takes place on 30 June from 10am until 5pm. The cost of the seminar is £150 which includes lunch.

To book a place, please email Patricia Lynn at p.lynn@bathspa.ac.uk for a booking form by 30 April.

New film shares young people’s experiences of life in care

17/08/2012 10:45:01

Young people from Bath & North East Somerset travelled to Torquay this weekend to take part in the National Union of Teachers (NUT) Easter Conference to promote a film they have made to help both their peers and teachers understand what it is like to be in foster care.

The film ‘In Care, In School’ is a series of 10 scenarios based on real life experiences of members of the Bath & North East Somerset In Care Council, a group of looked after children and young people in the care of the local authority.

Supported by education policy experts from Bath Spa University, the In Care Council devised the short films to reveal the difficult situations children in care can face at school. The team of young people appointed Bath-based production company Suited & Booted Studios CIC, worked with a professional script writer, and helped direct the filming. All roles in the film were performed by local child actors.

The films paint an honest picture of everyday issues faced by children in care, providing a thought-provoking, insightful and extremely eloquent perspective; from the difficulty of knowing what to write in an autobiography assignment to finding it difficult to be enthusiastic about designing a Mother’s Day card.

The aim is for ‘In Care, In School’ to be shown in primary and secondary schools across the country to help pupils and teachers better understand and appreciate the needs of children and young people in care. The film is accompanied by a resource pack for use in Personal Health & Social Education (PSHE) lessons to encourage class discussion and learning, backed up by a training pack for school staff.

Care leavers and In Care Council members Kelvin and Naina Thomas spent Saturday at the NUT Conference talking to teachers and other professionals about the ‘In Care, In School’ film and resources. Kelvin first went into care at the age of 8, and Naina at 12. They described the making of the films and offered advice on how teachers could best support children and young people in care.

Kelvin said: "It was good to be able to speak directly with teachers about these issues and how children in care actually feel. We worked hard to try to bring them to everyone’s attention."

Naina commented: "A lot of teachers are concerned to support young people in care but they are worried about getting it wrong. We hope our project will help to give them the confidence to address some of the issues involved, both inside and outside the classroom."

Dave Biddleston, Secretary of the NUT in Bath & North East Somerset, who organised the stand at the conference, said: "It has been a privilege to be involved in this project from the start. The NUT warmly supports it both at a local and a national level."

Cllr Nathan Hartley, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Youth, said: "This is a tremendous achievement and we’re extremely proud of the young people involved in the project for all their enthusiasm and commitment. This worthwhile initiative is supported by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s objective to ensure that children and young people enjoy their childhood and are prepared for adult life."

Mike Gorman, Head of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Virtual School, works closely with the In Care Council to help ensure their voice is heard. The In Care Council is also supported by Bath-based Off The Record.

Mike said: "The project came about when we talked to the In Care Council about their experiences in school. They told us it would be really helpful if other children and teachers understood more about what it was like to be in care. They wanted to tell others how they really felt.

"We were clear from the start that the In Care Council should set the pace and direction of the project. The film had to involve young people in care at every stage, avoid sensationalism and be rooted in their everyday experience of school."

Tim Loughton MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, has given his support to the project.

Mr Loughton said: "This is an excellent example of what can be done through imaginative local cooperation. I am particularly impressed by the way in which the local In Care Council has played a central role. Raising awareness in schools about the needs of looked after children is very valuable work. We need more examples of this kind of innovation."

‘In Care, In School’ was jointly funded by Bath Spa University and Bath & North East Somerset Council, with additional support from the national PSHE Association, The Who Cares Trust, ASDAN, VisionWorks and the NUT.

The film and support materials have been piloted in three schools in Bath & North East Somerset and are being used by PGCE students from Bath Spa University in 48 primary and 10 secondary schools across the UK. Initial feedback has been extremely positive.

Following a full evaluation of the resources, ‘In Care, In School’ should be available for teachers to download free of charge from autumn 2012.

Launch of ‘Our Games, Our Values’, a free resource for primary schools

17/08/2012 10:35:48

Students from Bath Spa University have developed a free resource for primary schools in South West England, inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Values.

Teachers were invited to a launch event on Wednesday 28 March at the Assembly Rooms in Bath, hosted by Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor at Bath Spa University and Rt. Hon. Don Foster MP.

The resource contains ten activities that celebrate local, ‘South West’ links with the Games. It creates opportunities for children to learn about Olympians and Paralympians who train here, local artists who have been inspired by the Games and important local people, such as Hodgson Pratt, who have played key roles in the modern Olympic Games.

The students have sought advice from education professionals and piloted the activities in four local primary schools.

Copies of the resource will be distributed free of charge to primary schools in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. It will also be made available online for primary schools in the South West to download it from the Bath Spa University, RELAYS, Team West of England websites.

Bath Spa University student Peter Jones said: "We’ve been working on this project for about 18 months and we’ve learnt lots of useful skills. Taking part has inspired several of us to become teachers once we graduate."

Rt. Hon Don Foster, MP for Bath said, "When the UK bid to host the 2012 Games, we stressed the importance of the lasting legacy they could bring; legacy benefits for sport, culture, business, tourism and education.

"This excellent educational resource, produced by students from Bath Spa University, uses local links with the Olympics and Paralympics to stimulate a range of educational activities which can be used for years to come; a lasting educational legacy of the Games."

The initiative has been awarded the Inspire Mark, which recognises and supports outstanding projects taking place around the UK that are providing new opportunities for young people and their communities as a result of the Games.

The project is supported by RELAYS and Team West of England, but has been fully led by the students themselves.

RELAYS is a London 2012 legacy project based in universities across the South West that aims to inspire young people to volunteer, try new sports and be creative. RELAYS is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Bath Spa students enter the Dragon’s Den

21/09/2012 10:38:36

Entrepreneurial students at Bath Spa University have been pitching their business ideas in a Dragon’s Den style competition in the hope of winning up to £1,500 in prize money.

Forming part of a programme of activities to develop the culture of enterprise at the university, the Business & Enterprise Competition is now in its fifth year and students have had access to a range of workshops on business start-up and enterprise to help them with their pitches.

From the 39 entries received from across the university, four finalists were selected in each category – Enterprise Idea and Business Start-up. The finalists presented their ideas to a panel of judges comprising university staff and industry representatives for full rigour and impartiality.

Each finalist gave a 10 minute presentation on their start-up or enterprise idea, after which they were thoroughly grilled in a 20 minute question and answer session.

The overall winner of the Business Start-up category was a BA Creative Media Practice student with Appeal Software Ltd. This is a digital publishing and content distribution service, offering cost effective, worldwide distribution of content on tablet devices and smartphones without compromising on quality.

A group of BA Business & Management students won the Enterprise Idea category with their pitch for Business QaRds, linking QR codes to an online professional profile to transform the traditional business card into an interactive networking tool.

Susan Cherrett, Bath Spa’s Enterprise & Employer Liaison Manager, said: “We were incredibly impressed with the range and originality of the ideas our students came up with and the judges had a tough job in deciding one overall winner in each category. We have some amazing talent here and we look forward to watching how these students get on in the future – we’re confident they all have exciting careers ahead of them!”

The winners received their awards from the university’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Christina Slade at a special ceremony.

Bath Spa becomes a Fairtrade university

17/08/2012 09:48:39

Bath Spa University is proud to be named among the growing list of universities and organisations to achieve Fairtrade status, marking the latest step in its commitment to improve environmental and ethical performance.

A Fairtrade University is one that has made a commitment to supporting and using Fairtrade products. They ensure that Fairtrade products are available in as many places as possible and they raise awareness of Fairtrade and the benefits that it brings to producers in developing countries with students and staff.

Bath Spa’s refectory and students’ union provide Fairtrade food and snacks to the university community. The aim is to increase the availability and range of Fairtrade products bought and sold on campus year-on-year.

Ola Bankole, Bath Spa University’s Environmental Officer, said: “We are thrilled that the Fairtrade Foundation has awarded us the Fairtrade University status. The support and work of our refectory and students’ union was essential in achieving this accreditation and we also have to thank the students and staff who helped out recently during Fairtrade Fortnight.

“An important part of sustainable development is promoting fairness for the disadvantaged in our world and we all need to be increasingly aware of the impact of our purchasing decisions, as individuals and organisations.

“Choosing Fairtrade offers farmers and workers a better chance to work their way out of poverty, through fairer wages, safer conditions at work and a little extra, called the Fairtrade premium, to invest in projects to improve life for their whole communities.”

Local sixth formers enjoy a taste of university life

17/08/2012 10:31:37

Sixth form pupils from schools across Bath & North East Somerset and Wiltshire have joined students at Bath Spa University this week to find out more about life at university.

Bath Spa is holding Open Learning Week from 19 to 23 March as part of its work to widen participation in higher education and to encourage more young people from all backgrounds to consider university as a next step after school or college.

More than 60 pupils have taken part in lectures this week, including Business & Management, Education, Music, Psychology, English Literature, Geography and Sociology.

They have also been given tours of the Newton Park Campus and met student ambassadors, who were able to give them a frank view of student life from both a social as well as an academic perspective.

Open Learning Week was organised by Bath Spa’s Widening Participation Outreach and Marketing teams.

Ben Leventhall, Widening Participation Outreach Officer, said: "We have a strong history of working closely with our local schools and sixth form colleges. The idea for Open Learning Week came from teachers themselves who were keen for their pupils to try out taster lectures at university, and we were more than happy to oblige.

"We’ve had really positive feedback from both pupils and teachers. One girl told us that she discovered university isn’t as big or as complicated as she thought it might be, and the visit has really boosted her confidence about applying for higher education. This is just what we wanted to hear!"

Fresh New Writing from Bath Spa University Postgraduate Students

28/11/2012 14:05:28

20th Anniversary of Writing Success

ARC, an anthology of new writing from Bath Spa University’s postgraduate creative writing students, will launch on Tuesday 15 May 2012 at Foyles on Charing Cross Road, London. The launch marks the 20th year of the hugely successful MA in Creative Writing.

In addition to new writing, the event will feature readings by notable graduates of Bath Spa, including Sam Harvey (The Wilderness, shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2009, longlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize, winner of the Betty Trask Prize for 2009), who has also contributed a foreword to the anthology.

The anthology is edited, produced and promoted by Bath Spa University students, and this year features a fascinating interview with Naomi Alderman, an author and games writer, whose novel Disobedience won the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers. It will also include the three best Flash Fiction stories written by students and judged by award-winning novelist Gerard Woodward.

Bath Spa University has produced many of the most original and acclaimed writers of the past decade, including Tessa Hadley, Mimi Thebo, Mo Hayder and Tricia Wastvedt. The most recent graduates look likely to continue this success.

Dr Steve May, Head of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, said: "This year’s 20th anniversary anthology looks set to be our best ever. Not only is the quality of writing exceptionally high, but the diversity of genres is very impressive too. No wonder top literary agents and publishers welcome the anthology launch to find exciting new voices."

To view extracts from ARC and read an exclusive interview with Bath Spa University PhD student and two-time novelist Ian Breckon (Knight of Swords) visit http://www.arcanthology.com

Attendance at the launch is by invitation.

Further information from: anthology2012@live.com

Bath Spa University students host the Social Media Experiment

17/08/2012 10:40:49

Publishing and film students from Bath Spa University ran the hugely successful ‘Social Media Experiment’ as part of an international digital media conference in Bath last week.

X Media Lab took place from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 March in Bath and at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, bringing together leading visionaries from across the world to explore the latest thinking in digital entertainment and communication.

Speakers included Jeff Gomez of ‘Tron’ and ‘Avatar’ fame; Jane Hu, Head of Programming Strategy at YouTube; and Ralph Simon, mobile strategist for Lady Gaga, Madonna, U2 and the World Cup.

Ed Vaisey MP, Minister for Culture, opened the conference, which kick-started the first ever Bath Digital Festival, which runs until Monday 25 March.

A team of 15 students from Bath Spa’s School of Humanities and Cultural Industries worked alongside international experts to cover the entire conference weekend using live blogging, infographics, Storify and Flickr as well as the more popular Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

The Social Media Experiment proved so popular, the twitter hashtag #xmlbath2012 was trending worldwide and a series of short films produced by Bath Spa students were widely circulated by speakers and participants via the full range of social media channels.

Publishing lecturer Katharine Reeve was the project director for the Social Media Experiment. The project is a collaboration with Mike Johnston (Director of Filming and Senior Lecturer, Creative Media Practice) and Holly Tarquini (Film Producer) from Bath Film Festival.

Katharine said: "This was an incredible opportunity for our students and an example of how social communication is the key to success today."

Paralympic medallist Ben Rushgrove shares his story at Bath equalities event

17/08/2012 10:28:33

Sprinter and Paralympic silver medallist Ben Rushgrove will offer an insight into the opportunities that led him to achieve success in his sport at an equalities event in Bath next week.

Hosted by Bath Spa University and the University of Bath, the annual Joint Equality Forum takes place on Thursday 15 March and has taken the Olympics and Paralympics as its inspiration.

The event organisers hope to bring the Olympic and Paralympic values of respect, excellence, friendship, courage, determination, inspiration and equality to life in a university context.

Ben Rushgrove will provide the key note address and will answer questions from the audience.

Local community groups and employers will join students and staff from both universities to take part in workshops exploring issues around equalities in our universities using equality in sport as a platform for discussion and debate.

They will consider how we can create opportunities in universities and topical issues such as racism in football, as well as mental health issues in sport and coaching for students with protected characteristics.

Ben Rushgrove said: "I am really looking forward to having a discussion about equality and equal opportunities in sport and the wider community. Hopefully my presentation will help both in summarising some issues and raising new ones."

The Joint Equality Forum takes place at Bath Spa University’s Newton Park campus on Thursday 15 March from 9.30am to 3.15pm.

Local employers and community groups interested in attending the event can book online at http://tinyurl.com/equalityforum2012 If you are unable to attend but would like to find out more, please register your interest on the website to receive a summary following the event.

Bath Shoppers Invited to 'Shower in Sound'

17/08/2012 10:24:58

Visitors to Bath’s Green Park Station this Saturday will have the chance to experience a 'sound shower' and try their hand at 'catching' sound using umbrellas and paint rollers, as part of this year’s annual science fair, Bath Taps into Science.

Dr Nigel Holt, senior lecturer in Psychology at Bath Spa University will run the 'Sounds like Science' attraction amidst the fruit and vegetables of the busy farmers’ market, together with Dr Ian Walker, lecturer in Psychology at the University of Bath and a team of student volunteers.

Dr Holt has represented Bath Spa University at the science fair for the last eight years and sees it as an excellent opportunity for the public, and children in particular, to discover and be inspired by science in a hands-on and fun way.

Dr Holt said: "It’s great to be a part of the Bath Taps into Science fair and see people genuinely excited by science. On our Sounds like Science stall we explore aspects of sound and hearing that people don’t think about every day.

"We’ll be talking about directional sound and will try catching sound using some intriguing homemade spy microphones (technically known as parabolic microphones) made from household items such as umbrellas and paint rollers.

"Our sound shower is also very popular. It’s a fascinating way to listen privately to music in a noisy public space. People stand beneath our special dome-like structure through which the music is directed down towards them."

Dr Holt will also draw on his day job - researching noise and motorcycling. Visitors will be able to experience the sort of sounds motorcyclists hear: all the excitement and none of the danger!

The Sounds like Science stall will form part of the second day of Bath Taps into Science, which will be held at Green Park Station in Bath on Saturday 10 March from 10am to 4pm. Entrance is free.
The first day of the fair is Friday 9 March at the University of Bath Claverton campus from 10.30am to 3pm.

The fair is organised by staff and students from the University of Bath, Bath Spa University, Bristol University and the University West of England (UWE) and other colleges.

For more information please visit http://www.bath.ac.uk/math-sci/extracurricular/bathtaps/

Major book deal for Bath Spa University prize-winner

17/08/2012 10:24:13

A major US publishing deal has just been announced for Bath Spa University Creative Writing graduate Brian Kimberling.

Last year Brian Kimberling was the winner of a new literary prize, the Janklow & Nesbit Bath Spa Prize. The prize was awarded by the renowned literary agents to the best piece of work produced by a student on the Bath Spa University Creative Writing MA.

Part of Brian's award was the offer of representation by Janklow & Nesbit – and the six-figure two-book deal with Pantheon is the result. Brian said that he was "hugely indebted to Bath Spa".

Brian’s novel 'Snapper' will be published by Pantheon in 2013. It tells the tale of a disastrous love affair between a man, a place, and its people, narrated by a bird researcher in the backwaters of Indiana.

Professor Tim Middleton at Bath Spa University commented: "Brian has done exceptionally well to secure this major deal. The MA Creative Writing attracts excellent students from around the world, so winning the Janklow & Nesbit prize is a significant achievement. I hope we’ll see Brian in the best-seller lists both in the UK and in his native America."

Will Francis from Janklow & Nesbit described Bath Spa University’s creative writing programme as a "dominant force" and "one of the strongest" in the UK in terms of students going to become published authors. Recent successes have included Lucy Christopher, Samantha Harvey, Nikita Lalwani, Evie Wyld and Emily Mackie.

Bath Spa University Supports LGBT History Month

17/08/2012 10:21:03

Bath Spa University is pleased to support Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans History Month, which celebrates the lives and achievements of the LGBT community in the UK.

Bath Spa University is hosting a lecture by Dr Timothy Jones, co-director of the University of Glamorgan's Centre for Gender Studies in Wales, on the subject of 'Beyond the Stained Glass Closet: Christianity and homosexual law reform in 1950s Britain'.

Timothy Jones is a cultural historian with a particular interest in gender, sexuality and religion. He is currently working on a new project about the religious production of knowledge about homosexuality in the 1950s, particularly around the Wolfenden Report. He argues that religious writing was surprisingly influential in the decriminalising sex between men, and contrasts the ease with which major churches supported law reform with current perceived conflicts between religious and sexual discrimination.

The lecture is open to the public and is at Bath Spa University's Newton Park campus at 7.00pm on Wednesday 29 February. There is no charge to attend – to book a place please email HRContact@bathspa.ac.uk

History of Education at Newton Park Uncovered

17/08/2012 12:24:34

Bath Spa University's historic Newton Park campus has been associated with education for many years - and historians at the University are now delving into its past to see what secrets will be uncovered.

Newton Park was first opened as a teacher training institution in 1946 as part of the emergency post-war initiatives to fill shortages created by the war, and ex-service people were accelerated into teaching with a one-year course. The then Princess Elizabeth officially opened the teacher training college in 1950.

Since then the campus has seen significant developments, including the merging of the Bath Teacher Training College and Bath College of Domestic Science to form Bath College of Higher Education in 1975, and the merging with the Bath Academy of Art (itself with an even longer history since 1852) in 1983. University College status followed in 1997, and full University title in 2005.

Senior History lecturer Dr Bobby Anderson explained how the student-led project began:
"Our students are very aware of the rich heritage of the Newton Park campus and are fascinated by the experiences of former generations of students. A group of Year 3 History students put forward a project proposal to undertake a comprehensive review of the history of Newton Park as an educational establishment, and I was only too happy to support them."

Dr Anderson explained that while a lot of archive material exists for the students to explore, they were also keen to talk first-hand to anyone who studied or worked at the college before the 1990s. They would like to share their experiences, photographs and other memorabilia that they may have of their time at Newton Park.

If you have any information which would help this exciting new project please email Kate James on: newtonpark.project@gmail.com

Bath Spa University Helps Preserve Computer Games

17/08/2012 10:19:37

An archive of computer games websites may seem an unusual subject for collection by the British Library – but with the help of Bath Spa University gaming expert Professor James Newman, a major project is underway to capture a comprehensive view of computer game development.

Professor Newman, who is Director of the Media Futures Research Centre at Bath Spa University, and co-Director of the National Videogame Archive, is advising a partnership of the British Library and the National Media Museum. A special collection of videogames will be created for the UK Web Archive, preserving the cultural and societal impact of computer games in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Professor Newman explained: "This is a major step forward in ensuring that a significant part of UK culture is documented and preserved.

"Being a gamer isn't just about playing games. It involves writing about them, reviewing them, debating which version is best, sharing strategies and tactics, writing solution guides, drawing pictures of characters, making movies, writing stories that develop game narratives…We need to make sure that all these practices, all these materials, many of which are shared online, are preserved so that we can understand what games mean, how they are played, and what their impact is."

For more information, and to nominate a videogame website for inclusion in the collection, see http://www.webarchive.org.uk/ukwa/info/nominate

Lecturer’s Film to Air on BBC HD

17/08/2012 10:18:49

Robert Brown, Lecturer in Film and Creative Production at Bath Spa University, will see his film 'Silent Things’ broadcast on BBC HD on Sat 11 February at 23:30.

‘Silent Things’ is a short film about an autistic man and woman who undergo an extraordinary test of character and friendship. The cast of this character driven drama includes Georgia Groome (star of London to Brighton) Antonia Campbell Hughes (Jane Campion’s Bright Star) and Andrew Scott (2005 Olivier Award Winner, Band of Brothers).
'Silent Things' received its international premiere at the 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam, winning the IFFR New Arrivals award. The UK premiere was at the 18th Raindance Film Festival.

Rob Brown is an award winning writer/director whose nominations include 'European Competition' at Brest European Short Film Festival, 'Best Newcomer' at Rushes Soho Shorts and the BBC New Filmmakers Award.

Catch ‘Silent Things’ on BBC HD on Sat 11 February at 23:30 or BBC iPlayer shortly afterwards.

http://www.silentthings.whitelantern.co.uk/

Bath Spa University Receives EU Commission's Recognition for Researcher Development

17/08/2012 10:01:05

Bath Spa University has achieved the HR Excellence in Research Award from the European Commission. Twelve new universities have now been given the accolade bringing the UK total to just 50 higher education institutions recognised in this way.

Professor Eric Thomas, speaking as President of Universities UK, said "I am delighted to announce that 12 UK institutions have been awarded the HR Excellence in Research Award by the European Commission for their work to implement the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. Research and innovation are a key priority for UK universities and this award recognises the increase in support being provided for the career and professional development of researchers."

A UK-wide process enables UK higher education institutions to gain the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award, which acknowledges their alignment with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for their Recruitment. The UK process incorporates both the Quality Assurance Agency Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers to enable institutions that have published Concordat implementation plans to gain the HR Excellence in Research Award. The UK approach includes ongoing national evaluation and benchmarking.

Bath Spa University Lecturer Triumphs in Costa Book Awards

21/09/2012 10:37:53

Andrew Miller, Bath Spa University Lecturer in Creative Writing, has won the Costa Books Awards beating stiff competition to the £35,000 prize. His sixth novel, Pure, scooped Costa’s ‘Best Novel’ earlier this month and has now been crowned overall winner of ‘Costa Book of the Year’.

Pure, a parable of the French Revolution set in 18th-century Paris, was commended by the judges: "A structurally and stylistically flawless historical novel, this book is a gripping story, beautifully written and emotionally satisfying. A novel without a weakness from an author who we all feel deserves a wider readership.”

The Costa Book Awards started life in 1971 as the Whitbread Literary Awards and is one of the UK's most prestigious and popular literary prizes. The awards recognise some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. It’s unique for having five categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book. Category winners then compete for best overall book.

See an interview with Andrew Miller by the Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/ [...] r-novel-Pure-wins-Costa-Book-of-the-Year-2012.html

See an interview with Andrew Miller by the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16710939

Eminent US College President Visits Bath Spa University

21/09/2012 10:35:53

Bath Spa University today welcomed Dr Warwick Carter, President of Columbia College Chicago. The visit builds on the University’s strategy to cement international relationships, and Dr Carter took the opportunity to view exciting work from a range of students studying creative subjects and explore future collaboration.

Both institutions share a history of very strong creative courses and are linked by a cornerstone partnership that has its roots in creative writing. This year there will be collaboration at a major US writing conference and joint projects running in film and media.

Dr Carter, who spent many years developing global education and live arts programmes for Walt Disney Entertainment, toured Bath Spa University’s beautiful campuses, art and design facilities, theatres and music studios. He also met with the new Vice-Chancellor Professor Christina Slade.

Dr Steve May, Head of Department of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, hosted the event and said: “We are delighted to be building on our excellent links with Columbia College. Our strong relationship with fiction writing has been an excellent starting point for partnership, holding public facing events at Bath Lit Fest and Chicago’s Story Week. We have also produced joint research papers at international conferences in the USA, UK and Australia. I look forward to further collaborative working in the future.”

The universities are building on these links with a virtual exchange based on joint projects in Year 1 of the Creative Media Practice undergraduate programme and student exchanges linked to curriculum projects in Year 3 of the same degree. Research links around trans media production are also being explored, with Columbia College staff presenting at Bath Spa University’s ‘Mix: Merging Intermedia X11’ conference in July 2012. The conference will explore transmedia writing and digital creativity.

OBE for Former Bath Spa University Vice-Chancellor

17/08/2012 12:23:48

Professor Frank Morgan, who retired as Bath Spa University Vice-Chancellor in December 2011, has received an OBE for services to Higher Education. The New Year honours list accolade follows 15 years in the post of the University’s Vice-Chancellor and 25 years' service at the University.

Professor Morgan's retirement follows a career of very significant accomplishment, steering the then Bath College of Higher Education to University College status in 1999 and University title in 2005.

In his final year as Vice-Chancellor he worked hard to deliver a real momentum for the University to ensure its future prosperity. His final project for the University saw him signing a contract that would see a major new academic development in the heart of Newton Park campus. The new building will transform facilities for staff and students.

Prestigious Book Award for Bath Spa University Lecturer

21/09/2012 10:30:18

Andrew Miller, Bath Spa University Lecturer in Creative Writing, won ‘Best Novel’ at the Costa Books Awards 2011. His sixth novel outshone Booker Prize winner Julian Barnes to win the prestigious award.

Pure, a parable of the French Revolution set in 18th-century Paris, was commended by the judges: "A structurally and stylistically flawless historical novel, this book is a gripping story, beautifully written and emotionally satisfying. A novel without a weakness from an author who we all feel deserves a wider readership.”

Miller humbly said: “With the kind of work I do the occasional attention of a prize jury makes everything a little easier. For me there's a great sense of relief. Huge amounts of luck involved, of course. No good pretending otherwise.”

The Costa Book Awards started life in 1971 as the Whitbread Literary Awards and is one of the UK's most prestigious and popular literary prizes. The awards recognise some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. It’s unique for having five categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book.

The winner in each category receives £5,000, and then one of the five winning books is selected as the overall Costa Book of the Year. This year's individual category winners have been announced for the prestigious awards and the overall winner will be announced on 24 January.

Synopsis of Pure:

Deep in the heart of Paris, its oldest cemetery is, by 1785, overflowing, tainting the very breath of those who live nearby. Into their midst comes Jean-Baptiste Baratte, a young, provincial engineer charged by the king with demolishing it. At first Baratte sees this as a chance to clear the burden of history, a fitting task for a modern man of reason. But before long, he begins to suspect that the destruction of the cemetery might be a prelude to his own.

Bath Spa University Lecturer Chosen for Film Festival

17/08/2012 12:34:59

Robert Brown, Lecturer in Film and Creative Production at Bath Spa University, will see his film 'Paper Hearts' screened at the London Short Film Festival (LSFF) on 13 January.

The film has already obtained backing from Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey and received positive reviews whist showing at Rushes Soho Shorts, Singapore International Film Festival and Leeds International Film Festival.

The idea for the short drama came when Rob spent several months working with homeless people as part of his ‘Rough Sleepers’ multimedia project. The documentaries he made during this time inspired the script for 'Paper Hearts' and people sleeping rough contributed ideas for the story. The film script was brought to life after being selected for funding from IdeasTap, a funding body for emerging art talent, by a panel that included Kevin Spacey.

Mr Spacey said: "What I really liked about this project was its potential to give homeless people a creative voice and make a difference."

‘Paper Hearts’ was soon spotted by BFI London Film Festival and LSFF programmer Philip Ilson who encouraged Rob to submit it to LSFF for consideration.

Rob is delighted that it was selected for the festival: "It was a real honour to be awarded funding by Kevin Spacey to get the film off the ground. He spoke very highly of the project and this made me determined to make a success of it. I’m delighted that it has been selected for such prestigious festivals."

The film tells the story of a dysfunctional father and son who make a surprising discovery about each other. It tackles the perceptions of homelessness and aims to break down social barriers.

New Year Brings New Vice-Chancellor to Bath Spa University

21/09/2012 10:28:40

The start of 2012 sees a new direction for Bath Spa University as Professor Christina Slade takes the helm as Vice-Chancellor at a time of exciting changes.

In 2012 alone, the new Vice-Chancellor will lead the University through major changes to the campus during a world-class development project and navigate the greatest changes for a generation in the way UK universities are financed.

Professor Christina Slade brings a wealth of experience from her previous role as Dean of the Schools of Arts and of Social Sciences at City University London. She has been Dean of Humanities at Macquarie University (2003-8) and Professor of Media Theory at the University of Utrecht in which capacity she led a €1.25 million seven nation EU funded project entitled ‘Media and Citizenship: transnational television cultures reshaping political identities in the EU.’

Trained as a philosopher of logic and language, her research has focussed on issues of the media since 1990. Her monograph, ‘The Real Thing: doing philosophy with media’ (2002) examines the role of reason in the media, while ‘From Migrant to Citizen: testing language, testing culture’, (2010) jointly edited with Martina Möllering, looks at linguistic, legal and philosophical aspects of citizenship testing.

Professor Slade is delighted to be joining Bath Spa and is looking forward to her future in the city. She said: “There couldn’t be a better time to join Bath Spa University as we move through one of the most interesting times in higher education for quite some time. This is a wonderful opportunity to help the University pursue its ambitions, and to promote its reputation both at home and abroad.”

Bath Spa University Graduates Work with Patrick Stewart to Raise Awareness of Domestic Violence

21/09/2012 10:31:49

Theatre Company “Unique Voice” has been in the spotlight after performing at a Bristol school alongside Sir Patrick Stewart, to raise awareness of domestic violence. The prestigious actor is a patron of the theatre company which tours schools to run drama workshops that educate children about social issues.

The members of Unique Voice graduated from Bath Spa University in 2009 and were finalists in the University’s business plan competition with their theatre company start-up proposal. They students have made a huge success of Unique Voice creating a fresh, new and dynamic theatre company that is dedicated to vocalising current issues in society with raw passion and creativity. Since leaving the University they have secured a range of high-profile contracts, including working with Bristol City Council.

Sir Patrick Stewart got involved with the current project because he experienced the terrible effect of domestic violence after seeing his father beating his mother as a child. As part of the actor’s visit he attended Oasis Academy in Hengrove and watched Unique Voice's drama programme titled, Me+You=4eva.

Before introducing Me+You=4eva, Sir Patrick talked to the students about his own personal experience. He explained that “it was not taken seriously” and that domestic violence “was something to be ashamed of - a secret”.

Impressed with the work that Unique Voice is presenting to schools, Sir Patrick described it as “magnificent” and “remarkable”. He believes that awareness of domestic violence is improving dramatically because organisations like this “are letting people know what the facts of domestic violence are.” Around 2,000 children from 27 schools in the area have been involved in the programme.

Unique Voice Company Director Krystal Keekey, said the team were "overjoyed" to welcome Sir Patrick Stewart to see their work first hand.

Bath Spa University graduates involved in the project include: Krystal Keekey, Vicky Dias, Cat Sparkes, Daniel Langridge, Matthew Ward, Suzanne Booth, Ruth Stokes and Sarah Fullagar.

Bath Abbey Marks Advent with Unique Work of Art from Bath Spa University Student

21/09/2012 10:28:18

Preparations are currently underway at Bath Abbey to install a one-off work of art to commemorate the Advent. The piece, which officially goes on display on 22 November, will hang suspended from the ceiling in the centre of the Abbey until Christmas Eve.

Jane Sargeant, who designed the piece after winning a competition run with Bath Spa University, will be working with a team of professional installers this week to hang the artwork in place. Once completed, this will be one of the first things visitors will see on entering the Abbey as a reminder of the Advent season.

Jane Sargeant said: “For me, the challenge as an artist lies in a desire to make the viewer stop and consider part of their surroundings they might not have considered before. The pieces I’ve created for the Abbey provide focal points for quiet contemplation, a chance to stop and think. The clear reflective tubes echo the architectural features within the Abbey, the open spaces filled with an ever-changing light. The imagery contained within is inspired by details often overlooked - the dark hidden corners, worn stone work and fading texts - and create another theme of Advent, the progress from darkness into light.”

According to The Rector of Bath Abbey, Rev Preb Edward Mason: “At Christmas we celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world. Advent helps us to prepare for this cosmic event by challenging us to think about the great issues of life and death. That is why we have commissioned this installation for the Advent season.”

The installation will be displayed in the Abbey from Thursday 22 November and throughout Advent until Christmas Eve, with preparations for the work to be put into place starting this Thursday 10 November.

Jane Sargeant is an experienced and extensively published illustrator who currently lives with her husband and three children. In July this year Jane re-graduated from Bath Spa University in Creative Arts specialising in fine art and textiles.

Bath Spa University Hosts Information Event on Student Fees and Funding

17/08/2012 12:34:00

Bath Spa University is joining forces with the University of Bath to help people in the South West with questions about student finances and the new 2012 higher education fee and funding arrangements. The two universities are holding an information evening on 14 November between 7 and 9pm at the Newton Park campus of Bath Spa University.

The free event supports a national campaign led by the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance dedicated to explaining the 2012 changes to student finance in England. The event will help to ensure people understand how the new student finance package works. There are also presentations on other areas of student finance, such as local university financial support, Government Student Support loans and grants, and how to budget at university.

The event is for students, parents, carers, teachers and careers advisers who would like to know more about student finances and there is an opportunity to meet and talk to local experts. Speakers will include admissions staff, money advisers and Student Ambassadors from the University of Bath and Bath Spa University. There will also be a finance quiz for students with Amazon vouchers as prizes.

For bookings and enquiries contact Missy on m.beal@bathspa.ac.uk or Sue on s.garrett@bath.ac.uk

The Independent Taskforce on Student Finance has a range of useful resources: http://www.studentfinance2012.com/resources

Reminiscences of Student Life - Fifty Years On

11/02/2013 08:51:45

A special student reunion is taking place in Bath of former students from the then Bath College of Domestic Science.

On Thursday 8 September 33 former students from the 'class of 1961' are gathering to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of their student days. Now part of Bath Spa University, the Bath College of Domestic Science was an important part of the higher education provision in Bath, with annual intakes of around 90 students - some from overseas - training to become teachers of domestic science.

Reunion organiser Diana Clarke is looking forward to sharing reminiscences of their time in Bath, of looking back on old photos to jog their memories, and of comparing and contrasting their experiences as students with those of their grandchildren.

Diana's group was based in the new Sion Hill building (now home to the Bath School of Art and Design), opened the previous year by the late Queen Mother who commented at the time: "As I look upon these potential teachers, one reflection occurs to me. I think it not unlikely that before they have had much opportunity of teaching domestic science to others, they may be busily applying it in their own homes, and it would be difficult, I think, to criticise husbands who have determined this choice."