On Friday 24 September 2021, the Gulbenkian will host a performance by Linton Kwesi Johnson, whose influential and radical voice made him the first black poet to have his work included in Penguin’s Modern Classics series.

Gulbenkian’s Artistic Director, David Sefton, says; “Linton Kwesi Johnson’s is one of the most important voices in 20th and 21st century spoken word. It is fantastic to think of him performing here in Canterbury, and I am sure our audiences will grab this opportunity to watch a true legend in action.”

University of Kent Drama and Theatre graduate Taylor Sonko-Garvey will support the legendary reggae poet and social activist Linton Kwesi Johnson in a performance at Gulbenkian Arts Centre on 24 September.

Taylor developed her performance poetry on two modules, starting with Popular Performance in her second year and using Johnson as an inspirational subject throughout her studies.

About Linton Kwesi Johnson

Linton Kwesi Johnson’s work has always been political, vital and necessary, drawing attention to topics like systemic racism, police abuse and National Front attacks, calling for government, institutions and society to be held to account.

The legendary reggae poet and social activist was born in Jamaica before moving to London. He was a member of the Black Panthers and the poetry editor of political magazine Race Today, using the platform to introduce important ideas and new voices to the British public.

In 1974 Race Today published Johnson’s first collection of poetry: Voices of the Living and the Dead. In 2002 became only the second living poet and the first black poet to have his work included in Penguin’s Modern Classics series.

Johnson’s first album, Dread Beat An Blood was released in 1978, and since then he has released 14 more albums made with long-time collaborator, dub producer Dennis Bovell. He has been running his own record label, LKJ Records, since 1981, bringing new artists to the attention of wider audiences.

Tickets for the event are £15 (£10 Student/Under 26) and can be bought online

We were saddened to hear that Ivan Wills passed away after a long battle with illness.

Ivan worked for over 13 years as a Security Officer for the University and was a member of the Congregation Team for the majority of that time, a role which he particularly enjoyed. He pointed out on many occasions that watching the students graduate was what it was all about.

Ivan was a keen fisherman, a very proud grandfather and just a real character, who will be missed by all who knew him.

Campus Security Team

Article by Brenda Brunsdon, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team Manager:

The media are reporting that Monday, 6 September, was the busiest rush hour in London since the first national lockdown in March last year. Figures showed 831,000 taps into the Tube network between 07:00 and 10:00. According to Transport for London There were also 860,000 registered passengers on buses which is an increase of 40% compared to the week before. The schools are open and I’ve been told by someone who travelled into campus on Monday morning that there was significant rush hour traffic.

Apparently, it’s the same across the country; read the Business Financial Post article below. That article also reminds us ‘The rise in rush-hour traffic follows repeated government advice for people to return to work. Official “work from home” guidance was dropped by ministers on July 19 and businesses were told that the government “expects and recommends a gradual return over the summer”.’

The University has asked staff to be back in the office working from the week commencing 20 September. Offices will probably not be populated to full capacity as many staff will be taking advantage of Hybrid Working arrangements and continuing to work from home for 2 days a week. This should have a staggered effect on the staff population on campus. Many staff have been back to normal working for some time, eg. those in Housekeeping. Some have never stopped working on campus, ie. Campus Security. I know many departments encouraged staff to come in throughout the summer to get a feel for what it is like to be back. I have already been in a few times, as have most of my team and am going in again this week. Our IT function has asked us all to go into the office to run our computers to ensure that equipment is fully updated.

Many people have felt more productive and at ease working from home and are reluctant to relinquish the pattern of life they have adopted through the difficult pandemic period.  Additionally, many people will be anxious about returning. This is very natural and human. The period of the pandemic has been frightening, from a health perspective, and it can be anxiety provoking to think about giving up the checks and balances we were told to put in place to keep ourselves safe. However, many of us have been getting out and about more, going to restaurants, visiting friends in their homes, going on holiday, some even abroad. It’s a reality that society is opening up and going back to working at our ‘place of work’ is a natural part of that; it is what is expected of us at this time.

The University has done everything that the government has required in terms of risk assessment to ensure as safe a working environment as possible. As an organisation, it values its staff highly and wants to ensure that no-one becomes seriously ill as a result of coming into contact with Covid 19 in the workplace. This link will take you to all the University’s Covid 19 risk assessments which are housed on the Safety area of the University intranet; this includes a mental health risk assessment and additional ventilation guidelines. As you will see from the mental health risk assessment, consider contacting the Employee Assistance Programme at any time if you are experiencing anxiety about returning to work on Campus. You can self-refer to Occupational Health (OH), but if you believe you need adjustments in respect of returning to work, you need to discuss this with your manager and they should do a Management Referral. This is because OH do not produce reports as a result of self-referral consultations. In relation to changes in approach to working, the University has produced the Future of Work Resource Pack. This builds on the supportive structure initiated in the COPE framework which came into being in response to the work changes prompted by the pandemic.

There are positives to coming back onto campus. You will meet your colleagues. In some ways, it will be easier to get things done by having face to face conversations. You can have a meal rather than make something for yourself and you can have company while you eat, if you choose. You can use the University’s electricity to run your computer and make your drinks throughout the day. I’m sure there are many other positives that can be thought of. Let’s hope this is the start of a permanent return to a new form of normality and there are no future set-backs ahead in relation to the threat of Covid 19 infection.

‘Rush-hour traffic returned to pre-pandemic levels in parts of the country yesterday as the end of home working and the start of the new school term led to a rise in congestion’ on businessfinancialpost.com

‘Covid: Tube rush hour busiest since start of pandemic’ on bbc.co.uk

‘Top fears Brits have about returning to the office after the Covid lockdown’ by Alice Hughes & Lucy Skoulding on mirror.co.uk

‘Covid: Should I be working from home or going back to the office?’ on bbc.co.uk

‘Returning to work? What to expect from your first day back in the office’ by Alice Hall on telegraph.co.uk

‘Returning to the workplace after lockdown: how to handle anxiety’ by Fatmata Kamara on bupa.co.uk

Article by Dave Yard, Head of Marketing at the Gulbenkian:

A firm favourite and must-do event of the summer for families, the bOing! International Family Festival 2021 took place at the University of Kent campus on 28 & 29 August.

Over 5,000 people attended the festival across the weekend, with families enjoying free outdoor performances on stages across the campus, including dancing, juggling, puppetry and a global music stage.

bOing!’s Artistic Director, David Sefton said:

“We were delighted to have bOing! back again this year and the response from our audiences was fantastic! This was a smaller bOing! than usual, with some international artists unable to travel, and social distancing in place but despite this it felt like bOing! was back, the atmosphere was brilliant and everyone had a great time.

Plans are already well under way for bOing! 2022, which will be bigger and more exciting than ever.”

Kent Staff Family Day

Over 800 Kent staff members and their families attended the Kent Staff Family Day at bOing! Festival on Friday 27 August 2021, reuniting with colleagues and family while experiencing live performance, music and fun for all, on our beautiful Canterbury Campus. Organised a big thank you from the University to all Kent Staff in recognition for the tremendous effort put in by all throughout the year, the Kent Staff Family Day at bOing! was FREE for Kent Staff and their families to attend.

Reaction from audiences on Twitter included:

@boingfestival Oh Boing!, how we’ve missed you.  Such an incredible, fun filled day with so many new things to experience and enjoy.  Really the very best family festival bar none. So glad to be back, thank you so much!

The boing festival was, as always, fantastic. What a treat to see live performance again. We love the Gulbenkian; embracing exciting new shows and supporting a range of performing arts. Thank you @boingfestival 2021….you make us very happy.

The festival programme had a range of new work, including Jasmin Vardimon Company’s Alice (VR), an incredible virtual reality experience inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Frozen Light’s Night Out In Nature a fantastic new sensory outdoor piece work for young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

Alongside that bOing! presented Half A String’s The Puppet Van: The Lost Colour, Gandini Juggling’s Smashed2, Upswing’s Catch Me, a Global Sounds Music Stage programmed by Music for Change and GTown Talents and much more in a packed weekend of performance and activities.

bOing! is run by Gulbenkian Arts Centre at the University of Kent and is part of a programme of theatre and film for families that runs all year-round.

Further information about the festival is available online at www.boingfestival.com or call Gulbenkian Tickets & Information on 01227 769075.

Come join us for our Staff Conference: Connect and Collaborate week!

Starting from Monday 13 September and continuing over the five days, we have a number of sessions each day for you to sign-up to and get involved in.

Mainly online and with one or two sessions on campus, each session will be run by colleagues across the University, who will highlight a variety of interesting and important topics showcasing what Kent is all about. From a spotlight on sustainability to discovering what exciting plans are in store for Medway campus, there’s something for everyone!

To say a big thank you to all of you and to finish off the week in style, there’ll be a staff BBQ on Canterbury campus for us all to enjoy.

Feel free to sign-up to as many as you fancy, and don’t worry if you miss one as every online session will be recorded. You’ll find the programme for the week and the sign-up links below:

Staff Conference programme

Monday 13 September

11.00 – 11.30 – WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION – An update on Kent 2025 Strategy & Mid Term Review: Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen Cox will kick off the week with an update on Kent’s 2025 Strategy and where we are after a mid-term refresh. Sign-up to the session.

11.30 – 12.15 – Spotlight on Sustainability at Kent: Led by Dr Catherine Morris, If you want to find out about our sustainability commitments and how we are addressing them, have your say or discover how to get involved in sustainability projects, then this session will be for you. Sign-up to the session.

11.30 – 12.15 – The history of Kent – Farm to University Campus : Learn how the Canterbury campus went from being a farm to the institution we now know from Carole Barron, Head of Knowledge Exchange & Innovation. Sign-up to the session.

12.15 – 13.00 – The Turing Scheme: International placements: a whole new (virtual?) world: Find out what the successor to the Erasmus scheme means for global mobility and explore virtual exchange opportunities at Kent from Hannah McNorton and Emma Marku. Sign-up to the session.

12.15 – 13.00 – An introduction to KMTV and what it can do for you: Want to know more about KMTV and how it can support your work? Tune in to find out more from Sadie Appleby. Sign-up to the session.

Tuesday 14 September

11.00 – 13.00 – RESEARCH AND INNOVATION: Introduction and Overview: Led by Professor Shane Weller (chair). To register for this session or any of the following three presentations, please click here.

• An introduction to the Signature Research Themes: ‘Future Human’ and ‘Migration and Movement’ are two of the three new Signature Research Themes. Find out more from the theme leaders, Dr Lex Mauger and Professor David Herd.
• Collaborative Innovation Projects at Kent: Calling all academics and PSD staff! This 30-minute session led by Janine Coomber and Dr Anastasios Tsaousis, is for all colleagues interested in finding ways to collaborate with external organisations, with information, case-studies and Q&As.
• The KEF and the Concordat – an overview: Find out how two key initiatives are driving change in the way universities engage with businesses. Led by Carole Barron.

11.00 – 11.45 – The Medway strategy: Find out about the exciting plans for the Medway campus from Dr William Collier. Sign-up to the session.

11.45 – 12.30 – QA-ccessibility: How do we incorporate accessibility into our working practices so that digital services are available to all? A session led by Alison Webster and Ben Watson. Sign-up to the session.

12.00 – 13.00 – Tea, Talk and Text – the Staff Reading Group Theme “People and Work: Searching for Meaning” – ON CAMPUS in the Chapel, Eliot College: Led by Revd Dr Stephen Laird, join us for a 50-minute ‘taster session’, where we inform our discussions and reflections with short pieces of text from a variety of religious thinkers and traditions. To register, please email s.c.e.laird@kent.ac.uk so that reading material can be sent to you in good time.

Wednesday 15 September

11.00 – 13.00 – CIVIC MISSION – Introduction and Overview: Chaired by Dr Philip Pothen, this session will explore how three different initiatives are demonstrating the University’s commitment to its communities, its external partnerships and its wider civic mission. To register for this session or any of the following three presentations, please click here.

• iCCi and Creative Kent: Learn how these two initiatives are set to bring creative opportunities to our campuses and communities from Professor Catherine Richardson.
• The Kent and Medway Medical School: one year on: Find out how KMMS’s first year of operations has gone, and how the medical school is opening-up career opportunities for so many from our region, from Dr Anna Romito.
• The high street and civic mission: a pop-up shop in Ramsgate: In this interactive session led by Dr Vicky Mason, find out how to engage and get involved in a world outside academia.

11.00 – 12.15 – GLOBAL CHALLENGES SHOWCASE: Hear about how three research projects are making a global impact.  To register for this session or any of the following three presentations, please click here.

• Meet May & Bay, tackling sextortion and child trafficking in Thailand and Cambodia: Led by Emma Soutar and Professor Jane Reeves .
• Empowering Women in Science: A Global Challenge: Led by Professor Jen Hiscock (Natural Sciences) and Dr Jen Leigh (Centre for Higher Education).
• Sustainable Architecture in a Modern World: Led by Professor Henrik Schoenefeldt, Architecture, Arts & Humanities.

12.15 – 13.00 – QUALITATIVE FINDINGS FROM THE BAME STAFF NETWORK ALL-STAFF SURVEY: Come along to this session led by Dr Barbara Adewumi and Dr Bridget Ng’andu where findings of the survey – conducted by the BAME Staff Network – will be revealed. Outlining key themes to improve race quality from recruitment to career progression, this is a great opportunity for us to discuss what we as an institution can do better. Sign-up to the session.

Thursday 16 September

11.00 – 12.20 – LEARNING AND TEACHING AND THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE – Introduction and overview: Led by Professor Richard Reece, find out the latest on our approach to health and safety, teaching spaces, the format of staff-student interactions in the new academic year. To register for this session or the following presentation, please click here.

• Student priorities for the new year, with the new President of Kent Union, Aisha Dosanjh: Followed by Q&A

11.00 – 12.15 – A cuppa and conversation – for members of staff who are Kent alumni: Were you once a Kent student and are now a staff member? Want to share your memories of your time here? Or do you have ideas about how we should engage with our alumni? Now’s your opportunity to let us know and to help shape our future plans! Sign-up to the session.

12.15 – 13.15 – A Virtual Tour of Special Collections and the Archives: Based in the Templeman Library, our Special Collections & Archives team care for over 150 archive collections. In this virtual tour, you’ll get the chance to go behind-the-scenes, exploring our basement storage areas, and understanding how we care for the historic material in our care. Sign-up to the session.

12.30 – 13.15 – Two highlight sessions from the Medway Festival of Learning and Teaching: the Medway Festival of Learning and Teaching is jointly organised by the Medway universities to share, promote and celebrate best practice in learning and teaching. Sign-up to one or both sessions below.

• Guided Relaxation for Stress Reduction: Led by Annikki Laitinen.
• Phenomenal Women: Led by Patmarie Coleman.

Friday 17 September

11.00 – 12.00 – Implementing an antiracism strategy for the University: As an institution, and as individuals, we need to challenge and deconstruct systemic racism. In this session, we will introduce the draft Antiracism Strategy for Kent and suggest how you can get involved in this vital work. Led by Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura. Sign-up to the session.

12.00 – 12.45 – Outreach to schools – our widening participation strategy: Dr Marta Almeida Hill will give examples of outreach work we are currently delivering in schools and how we evaluate and measure impact. Sign-up to the session.

13.00 – 15.00 – Staff Summer Fete/BBQ – ON CAMPUS: Book your place now.

If you want to know more or have any queries re the Conference, please get in touch with the organising team at communications@kent.ac.uk.