Colleagues are invited to attend the Learning & Teaching Network session taking place on Wednesday 6 February, from 13:15-14:30 in the UELT Seminar Room, Canterbury.

Presented by Dr Ruth Herbert and Dr Rich Perks, School of Music and Fine Art/Centre of Music and Audio Technology, Humanities Faculty Teaching Prize Winners 2018 the session aims to explore the utilisation of peer-review in the teaching environment. Referring directly to the redevelopment of music performance courses within the SMFA and CMAT as a case study, this session will discuss the conventional approaches to teaching music performance employed across the higher education landscape in the UK, and how the measures taken in SMFA/CMAT changed the performance culture and enhanced student learning at the University of Kent.

Participants will then break into small groups to discuss the viability of employing a similar strategy in their own subject areas, and potentially re-think approaches to delivery of content . The session will be interactive and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss their experience and examples.

Please confirm your attendance by completing the online booking form.

For History Month, the ‘Out & Proud’ LGBT+ Role Models Exhibition, previously at the Templeman Library, will be at the Drill Hall Library. The exhibition will be opened by University of Kent Vice Chancellor Karen Cox, Champion for the LGBT+ Staff Network, at the Drill Hall Library (Medway campus) on Thursday 14 February at 4pm.

Please register for your FREE ticket on Eventbrite.

‘Out and Proud’, curated by the University of Kent LGBT+ Staff Network, aims to highlight the diverse experiences of staff on our campuses who share their stories to show the realities of being a queer person. From coming out stories to awkward conversations and incidences of discrimination and harassment, the exhibition is an honest representation of real people, from the harsh realities to the wonderful acts of solidarity and humanity.

Nicola Shaughnessy, Professor of Performance in the School of Arts has just co-edited a new collection, Performing Psychologies: Imagination, Creativity and Dramas of the Mind (Bloomsbury 2019) with Philip Barnard.

The book offers new perspectives on arts and health, focusing on the different ways in which performance interacting with psychology can enhance understanding of the mind. The book challenges stereotypes of disability, madness and creativity, addressing a range of conditions (autism, dementia and schizophrenia) and performance practices including staged productions and applied work in custodial, health and community settings.

Featuring case studies ranging from Hamlet to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the pioneering work of companies such as Spare Tyre and Ridiculusmus, and embracing dance and music as well as theatre and drama, the volume offers new perspectives on the dynamic interactions between performance, psychology and states of mind. It contains contributions from psychologists, performance scholars, therapists and healthcare professionals, who offer multiple perspectives on working through performance-based media.

There will be a book launch at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham, London, on Wednesday 23 January 2019, at 18.30. This precedes a performance of Hearing Things (Playing On Theatre), which is featured in the book, (performance starts at 19.30). The event is also an NHS night, organised by Dr Paul Gilluley, Chief Medical Officer at East London Foundation Trust, with a panel discussion afterwards at 21.00 in which Nicola will participate with representatives from the theatre company, mental health service users and medical professionals. The panel includes the psychiatrist Hugh Grant-Peterkin who contributed to the final chapter of the book: “Re:Creating Psychiatry”.

Tickets for the performance of Hearing Things on Wednesday 23 January can be booked here.

For more information about the book, please see the publisher’s page.

Most of us will make a New Year’s resolution – maybe to lose weight, quit
smoking or drink less. One of the top resolutions is to get fit but how do
you go about getting in shape for 2019?

Here are some tips to help you:

• Walking – Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose
  weight and become healthier. Think of ways to include walking into your daily routine,
  such as walking part or all of your journey to college, using the stairs instead of the lift,
  or leaving the car behind for short journeys.
• Cycling – Cycling is a low-impact type of exercise, so it’s not as hard on your joints as
  running or other high-impact aerobic activities, but it still helps you get into shape.
  You’ll burn lots of calories and get leaner, more powerful legs.
• Running – Running is free, you can do it anywhere, and it burns more calories than any
  other mainstream exercise. If you enjoy regular walks, consider ramping them up a bit
  into jogging. Start slow and increase your pace and distance gradually.
• Dancing – Whether you like to jump, jive, tap, tango or shake your hips, dancing is one
  of the most enjoyable ways to get moving. There are lots of dance styles you can try
  including street dance, Ceroc, salsa, tap, ballroom, Zumba, Bollywood, jazz, flamenco,
  and cheerleading.
• Fitness classes – If you have trouble keeping to a routine, or you just want to get
  active under the guidance of an instructor, sign up for a regular exercise class that’ll
  get you moving in a structured environment. You could try aerobics, Zumba, yoga or
  pilates.
• Team sports – If you’re more competitive, think about playing a physical game as part
  of a team. You don’t have to be an expert to play informally at the park with friends, or
  why not join a regular sport session of your choice. If you like traditional and team
  sports, consider basketball, netball, football, badminton or tennis.

The University of Kent Wellbeing Zone is a free tool to help you learn more about all aspects of wellbeing and you can use it to better manage your own health and wellbeing.

Logon today at www.kent.wellbeingzone.co.uk
Or create an account by clicking ‘Register’ and using the following organisation Code : KENT1

The Centre for English and World Languages is offering Kent staff the chance to do a ten-week Language Express Spanish course for £81 –half the normal fees.

The course starts on Thursday 24 January from 18.00-20.00 on the Canterbury campus.

Hurry, as you will need to book your place by 17.00 on Monday 21 January!

Find out more about the course on the CEWL webpages.

For more information, and to book your place at the discounted rate, please email languageexpress@kent.ac.uk

We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Dr Mike Walkey, Director of DICE from 1991 and a colleague, friend and mentor to many of us.

Mike came to the University of Kent from Queen Mary College, London and played an incredibly important role in establishing DICE, helping it grow from its early beginnings and leading on the creation of the conservation undergraduate programme. He also led a number of important research projects focusing on freshwater and marine conservation around the world.

After his retirement in 2002, Mike maintained close links with the School, and particularly enjoyed working with students on the annual field trip to the Peruvian Amazon. We will miss Mike’s unflappable nature and can-do attitude, accompanied by a twinkle in the eye whenever the outside world was being more absurd than usual. His knowledge, wisdom and kindness helped support a whole generation of DICE students and will remain one of his most important legacies.

Dr Bob Smith, Director of DICE

Mike’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 29 January at Barham Crematorium, CT4 6QU. No flowers please. A memorial service at the University will be held at a later date.

Do you enjoy a challenge and an adventure? Are you looking for something to make your 2019 one to remember? The University of Kent is looking to find up to 10 Peace Riders to cycle from the University of Kent on 23 March 2019 to the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.The Peace Ride is part of a series of events raising awareness and funding for the Children’s Football Alliance and their Slum Soccer programme in India.

The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing is a war memorial dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. The Peace Ride was launched in November last year at a unique commemorative event to twin Kent Sports football pitches with the Flanders Peace Field in Belgium, attended by University of Kent Vice-Chancellor Karen Cox and Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield. For more information about the commemoration event visit our Facebook album.

The cycle challenge will see a staff and student team of riders leave the University early on the Saturday morning and head for the Kent coast, enjoying a rest while crossing the channel, before getting back in the saddle to ride to Ypres. The fully supported ride includes all travel logistics, accommodation as well as an invitation to the Peace Village dinner and celebrations on Saturday evening.  Participants will return on Sunday 24 March by supported transport back to the University, having made a significant contribution to the charities cause.

If you are interested in this challenge and motivated to fundraise, you can find out more about the Peace Ride by contacting Oli Prior at Kent Sport via o.prior@kent.ac.uk for more information and visiting the Children’s Football Alliance website.

In the latest episode of the Nostalgia podcast series, Dr Chris Deacy, Reader in Theology and Religious Studies in the Department of Religious Studies, interviews Professor Mark Connelly from the School of History.

Mark and Chris cover everything from reading Ladybird History books as a child; enjoying Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’; encountering Chesney Hawkes on a plane; having a soft spot for Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion; reading History at university; supporting West Ham Football Club and being a huge radio fan. Mark also talks about how he was the only pupil at his school to take O Level Religious Education.

Chris’ next interview as part of this series, to be released on Friday 25 January, will be with the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Karen Cox.

Future interviewees include Clive Marsh (Head of the Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Leicester), Dr Francis Stewart (teaches Religious Studies at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln), Jeremy Scott (Senior Lecturer in English Language & Linguistics), Professor April McMahon (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education), and Professor Philippe De Wilde (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation) Chris also speaks to one of SECL’s former students, Abi Hawkins, now Head of RE at Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School in Canterbury.

The incorrect date was printed in the University diary 2018/19 for the July Congregation ceremonies in Rochester. The correct date is Tuesday 9 July 2019. Please amend your diaries accordingly.

You can view the dates for future ceremonies online which we update as dates and times are confirmed.