Monthly Archives: November 2016

Music 1914-18: An exhibition by Dr Emma Hanna

This exhibition, on music in the period 1914-18, shows how integral music was and is to the history and memory of the First World War. During the conflict music was an important component in recruitment, fund raising and the maintenance of both civilian and military morale.

Music in all its forms was of course an established feature of everyday life, and the importance of music and all kinds of entertainments intensified during the course of the conflict. The elite musical scene in Britain became ever more internationalised, although the rising number of foreign musicians moving into local house orchestras was a cause of some concern to musicians’ unions.

That the fighting fronts were full of music and humour may come as a surprise. While Britain’s modern memory of the First World War is dominated by mud and loss, the history of music 1914-18 shows us that in the midst of so much fear and death there was a great deal of life. Music of all kinds connected servicemen back to the sound worlds of comfort, family and friends. Through music the soldiers were reminded of the homes for which they were fighting.

But it’s not all about bawdy music hall ditties and marching songs. Music and musicians were implicated in espionage plots; after 1915 bugle calls were used to guard civilians’ public safety after Zeppelin raids; orchestras provided cover for prisoners of war to escape from German prison camps. Music would also have therapeutic uses both for wounded servicemen and for the comfort of the bereaved in the war’s aftermath.

This exhibition gives a taste of research in progress by Dr Emma Hanna into the provision of musical entertainments in the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for a forthcoming monograph Music and Morale in the British Armed Forces, 1914-18. It demonstrates that music of all kinds was omnipresent on the home and fighting fronts during the war years and its aftermath, and the power of music to cajole, console, educate and inspire was unmatched by any other medium.

Music 1914-18 will be on display in the Colyer-Fergusson Gallery at the University of Kent from Tuesday 8 November until Thursday 24 November 2016. It will feature alongside a First World War lunchtime concert organised with the Music Department on Friday 11 November.

Find out more about the Gateways to the First World War project at http://www.gatewaysfww.org.uk/ .

Fine Art student’s work in Drill Hall Library

MA Fine Art student, Val Bolsover, has a new work, One for the Wrens, installed in the silent section of the Drill Hall Library on the Medway Campus. The site specific work is based on the existence of the Wrens in those Medway campus buildings and their lack of a figurehead. It is the centenary of the WRNS in 2017.

Said Val: ‘I grew up around boats, and as a teenager in the 1970s, thought it would be great to join the Navy. For girls there were plenty of career options in the Women’s Royal Naval Service. When I discovered that women were not allowed to serve on ships and go to sea I changed my mind – what’s the point in joining a naval service which is always ashore? The history of our association with the sea, whether naval, merchant, fishing or leisure, has until recent years been dominated by men. Ships and boats are traditionally named after women, and boats referred to as she. Until the late 19th Century naval and merchant ships carried a figurehead, most often a scantily dressed, buxom woman. These carved and painted figures were replaced by badges. Some figureheads lived on as sculptures ashore, where naval premises took the name of a former ship. At times of war, women had been called on to assist with the forces to release trained men for war. There has been much publicity about how the physical labour of women in factories, and in agriculture, influenced opinion in the fight for votes for women following the First World War. Less attention has been given to the skilled tasks undertaken temporarily by women in the forces.’

More info here https://www.kent.ac.uk/smfa/news.html?view=2338

Academic Division Excellence Award

The Academic Division Excellence Awards was created to recognise and reward outstanding team work in all units of the Academic Division, be they situated centrally or in academic schools.

This year’s award results were announced by Jon Pink, Academic Registrar, at a ceremony held for all entrants. Jon thanked all those who submitted an application, adding that the entries all testified to the excellent service administrative staff constantly deliver to students, academics and other professional colleagues.

The winning entry comes from the Medway Student Records Office who show how they used existing technology, an iPad and their website, to deliver a more accessible and flexible service to students. The judging panel admired the way the application of a simple idea, well thought through and effectively implemented, has enhanced the service staff can offer to students at the Medway campus.

Award-winning service to European Study Centres

Our IT and Library staff have won the 2016 National Acquisitions Group (NAG) Excellence Award for a project on delivering digital documents to our European Study Centres.

Students and staff in Athens, Brussels, Paris and Rome can now request scanned copies of articles and book chapters, if they are not available electronically through LibrarySearch or in local libraries.

As part of this project, we also:

The project was a real group effort, with colleagues in many different teams working together to deliver it. They include staff in Academic Liaison Services (Anna Miller, Jane Alderson-Rice, Justine Rush, Lesley Lawrence, Louise Price, Rachel Bode, Sue Bucklow, Theresa Thurston), Collections Management (Matthias Werner), Copyright (Chris Morrison), Infrastructure (Matthew Slowe), Learning and Research Development (Liam Green-Hughes, Stewart Brownrigg), Lending Services (Kaidi Goke), Publishing (Angela Groth-Seary), and Requirements (Tim Jenkins).

The NAG Excellence Award, which was sponsored by Nielsen Book, celebrates success and innovation in library acquisitions.

Apply for Student Projects Grant Scheme

We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2016/17 Student Projects Grant Scheme. In January 2016, grants totalling almost £50,000 were made to a range of projects including the European Summer Schools, the App Development Conference and the Work-Study Scheme. We are delighted that in the 2016/17 academic year we are able to award £50,000, with individual grants up to a maximum of £5,000.

The Student Projects Grant Scheme is funded by the Kent Opportunity Fund, which supports students by providing scholarships to enhance their academic studies, offering bursaries to assist individuals who are suffering financial hardship, and funding projects that help students to develop their personal and professional skills.

The Student Projects Grant Scheme encourages individuals to bid for funds to run projects that will enhance the student experience and employability of Kent students, offering them the opportunity to hone their skills and gain vital experience outside of the seminar room.

Applications are welcome from student groups in Kent Union, departments, faculties and schools across the University, including our campuses at Canterbury and Medway, our centre in Tonbridge and our European centres in Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome.

Application forms and guidelines can be obtained from the Development Office or downloaded from the Kent Opportunity Fund webpage at www.kent.ac.uk/giving/opportunityfund/projects/

Please note the closing date for applications is 16 December, 2016. Applicants will be notified of their application results by late January. Should you have any questions, please contact me on 01227 824547 or at W.K.E.Chow@kent.ac.uk

Partnership with City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra

The School of Music and Fine Art is delighted by the opportunities the continuing supportive partnership with the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra (CRSO) offers. The orchestra has given 5 World Premiere performances of music by student composers from the School of Music and Fine Art, and the CRSO outreach programme includes a Young Composers’ evening which allows young composers from the local area to hear their works played by the orchestra.

University of Kent at Medway music students play in the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra, which performs two student compositions every year in their concerts.

Lis Sadler, Orchestral Manager, City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra says, “Thanks to our link with the University of Kent, our orchestra is developing an ever more vibrant and forward-looking ethos. Plenty of new ideas in the pipeline, and some great young people to work with – exciting!”

Ruth Herbert, Lecturer in Music Performance in the School of Music and Fine Art added, “The partnership with CRSO just seems to go from strength to strength! Our students really love being part of the CRSO – both playing in it and composing for it. It’s fantastic for their musical development to be involved with such a vibrant organisation”

The CRSO was formed in 1969 to nurture excellence through music in the community. Under Music Director Peter Bassano, and President, Sir Roger Norrington, the CRSO has approximately 60 playing members, both amateur and professional musicians, who perform concerts at The Central Theatre, Chatham, and other venues in Kent. Recent concerts include a joint performance with Rochester Choral Society in Rochester Cathedral.
The next concert from the CRSO will be Music from the Movies on Saturday 19th November at The Central Theatre, Chatham at 7.30pm For more details go to http://crso.org.uk/concerts/

#EmpFest16 continues

The annual University Employability Festival continues on the Canterbury Campus, Week 2- 31 October to 4 November

Highlights include:

  • The Careers Fair: Tuesday 1 November, 12.00 – 15.00, Sports Centre, Canterbury campus

Meet with over 100 organisations offering

  • Graduate vacancies
  • Internships and Work experience
  • PG study options
  • Self-Employment

Plus two Keynes Atrium Mini Fairs!

  • Teaching Fair Thursday 3 November
  • Languages Fair Friday 4 November

Check out the exhibitors attending the Fairs and download your EmpFest programme at www.kent.ac.uk/ces/events/empfest

Follow us at www.facebook.com/ukces @unikentemploy