Monthly Archives: March 2022

Announcing iCCi Advisory Board – 31 March 2022

The Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries (iCCi) is proud to announce the formation of our inaugural Advisory Board. It brings together a diverse range of experts from across the creative industries, including representatives from our ART31 programme and the student body here at Kent.

Launched in September 2021, iCCi provides an innovative new approach to creativity at Kent. It aims to bring together everything cultural and creative Kent does on and off campus – connecting the University’s nationally recognised arts programme with its internationally recognised research and teaching.

It also forges new relationships with the expanding range of creative businesses in Kent.

iCCi is already playing a key role in the region, as lead partner in Creative Estuary, a £4.3m Cultural Development Project running until 2023.

Ambitious new projects include The Docking Station, the conversion of a listed building at Chatham Historic Dockyard into a unique creative facility including a state-of-the-art immersive digital studio, co-working space and artist studios, due to open in 2025.

Professor Catherine Richardson, Director of iCCi says:

“I am really delighted to have in place a Board with experience, talent, authority and such a diverse range of interests from across the creative industries. I know that they will support and challenge us to make a hugely positive and lasting impact on the cultural sector in Kent and beyond.”

Announced on 31 March 2022, the board will hold their first formal meeting on 12 April 2022.

Board Members

Chair: Lizzie Hodgson

Lizzie is a consultant and strategist, founder of ThinkNation and Nile and Chair of RE: Generation 2031. She works within creative industries, global corporations, the public sector, government, and charities. She helps to identify purpose and vision, delivering impact and growth primarily through strategic communications.

Vice Chair: Mel Alcock

Mel is an experienced Chairman & Executive Director drawing upon experience garnered in Senior Executive roles at Fremantle, Disney, Sky, i-Crossing, and Curzon. Mel is currently Chairman of the British Board of Film Classification, Mentor at Ascension Ventures, Vice Chairman of Cement Fields and Owner of the Complete Circle Consultancy Ltd.

Aisha Dosanjh

Aisha is President of Kent Union, the student body for University of Kent. She studied Psychology at Kent, has been involved with a range of student societies, and as Uniion President is committed to working with students and enabling them to get involved with and lead campaigns on issues they are concerned about.

Ray Mia

An Immersive audio producer for Music, TV, Film & Audio Drama. Ray founded RECHORD.XYZ, is former Executive Vice President at UMG – the world’s largest music company and owner of Liverpool based record label JACARANDA RECORDS. A graduate of University of Kent, Ray is a supporter of creativity in the county, sitting on numerous boards including The Marlowe Theatre, The Thames Estuary Growth Board and Kent Music.

Conrad Murray

Conrad is Director at the BAC Beatbox Academy. He is a multi award-winning theatre-maker, writer, director, rapper, beatboxer, live looper and singer. He uses his Anglo-Indian working-class background to address issues such as class, race and heritage. He was listed as one of the Top 100 in The Stage newspaper’s annual industry list in 2021 and was named in The Observer’s top ten theatre shows of the year in 2020 for his work as musical director and composer on Pilot Theatre’s Crongton Knights.

Sonia Nayyar

Sonia Nayyar is the Project Manager for Cohesion Plus, a local diverse led arts organisation based in North Kent. Cohesion Plus is an Arts Council England recognised National Portfolio Organisation and delivers culturally diverse events and outdoor festivals across Kent. The aim of the organisation is to showcase culturally diverse arts and promote community cohesion, celebrating shared values.

Jo Nolan

Jo is Managing Director at Screen South, a Kent based Cultural Development Agency. She has extensive experience in independent film production, having developed her skills through Production Management, AD Department and Art Direction. Her contribution has been integral to the success of several award-winning talents from the UK independent film scene and she has delivered over 250 productions including features, award winning shorts and music promos.

Imogen Robertson

Imogen is a creative producer and consultant based in Medway and the South East. Having worked as a producer and general manager in theatre and the museum sector, Imogen returned to Medway, where she grew up, as Bid Director for Medway’s UK City of Culture bid. She has produced work for The National Trust, Madame Tussauds, Pussy Riot, Toyota and Stella Artois and has a particular interest in interactive and digitally innovative arts and work that engages audiences in contemporary issues and historic contexts in new ways.

Sacha Wares

Sacha Wares is a critically acclaimed theatre director, who has worked for more than twenty years at the forefront of British new writing. She is the founder of Trial and Error, a new creative studio producing drama and documentary using immersive technologies. She is associate artist at the Donmar Warehouse, innovation associate at English Touring Theatre and associate director at the National Theatre’s Immersive Storytelling Studio.

Nick Willis

Nick Willis is an artist and student who is passionate about arts opportunities for young people across Kent. He’s written and directed a short film with iCCi and BBC New Creatives, as well as currently working as a BFI Film Academy Young Programmer in London. Having been a part of ART31 and its Youth Board Generate for a number of years now, he is looking forward to assist iCCi in their exciting and ambitious plans to grow.

My Cultural Self: Reflections on my British and Sri Lankan upbringing

This blog post forms part of a series exploring identity, culture and heritage as part of the University of Kent’s South Asian Heritage Week.

By Anne Alwis, Senior Lecturer in Classical and Archaeological Studies

When I was six weeks old and my sister was 11, our family emigrated from Sri Lanka to England. Ethnic conflict between the minority Tamil and the majority Sinhalese populations had been flaring for decades. In 1974, my mother, a Tamil Christian, and my father, a Sinhalese Buddhist, sat under a banyan tree and made the momentous decision to leave their country. Casting horoscopes and palm readings were part of their inherited culture and they recalled that a palm reader had told my father that he would have another child and emigrate. They had politely thanked him and afterwards, laughed, reflecting on the waste of money. My sister was ten, they had no plans for another child, and they were happy.

But now, a year later, the situation had changed. I had indeed unexpectedly arrived. Moreover, conflict was escalating and they were afraid. Although their love marriage had always been controversial given their divisive backgrounds, real danger now lurked. My father, who was a Station Master in the age of the steam train, was being escorted home every night by an armed guard for protection. So, they decided on England, where two of my mother’s sisters had lived since the 1960s. Sri Lanka had been occupied by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British but it was the latter who arguably made the most impact, probably because they were the most recent colonists and had settled the longest (from 1818-1948). My parents viewed England with complex feelings; respect and resentment intertwined in a comfortable alliance. My father could resent the ‘Britishers’, as he called them, yet I am partly named after Princess Anne.

I entered England as an infant smuggler. At Colombo airport, the guards ordered my mother to remove her gold bangles and give them to her brother who was saying goodbye. My resourceful uncle asked to give me one more hug. As he embraced me, he slipped the bangles into my blanket. With one last kiss, he passed me back to my mother and we all entered England safely. My father was 50 and my mother was 38.

Our first home was with aunt Grace, my mother’s youngest sister, who then lived in Frimley. Our two Surrey years were particularly fraught for my sister because she experienced her first, but unfortunately not her last, encounters with racism. Apart from my aunt, we were the only Asians in the neighbourhood. My sister then spoke English with an accent (she is trilingual in Sinhalese, Tamil, and English), and her name is Nalini, which was unpronounceable in those days. Strangers rubbing her skin to see if the brown would come off was the least of her traumas. Another issue were my father’s names: Kadigamuwa Giragamage. He became George. My mother had no problem because her Hindu ancestors were converted by missionaries a generation earlier. Consequently, she and her siblings have the most Methodist names possible: Florence, Wesley, Kingsley, Violet and Grace.

Nursing was the only career available to my parents at that time. After they had left school at 18, they had no relevant UK qualifications. My mother had been a housewife. Because the jobs were in London, and aunt Violet lived in Tooting Broadway, that was our next destination and the place I think of as home. If I had to describe myself, ‘South Londoner’ would be my instinctive first choice. From when I was two until I was four, we lived in a cramped room in aunt Violet’s house. The room was so small that my sister had to sleep on a camp bed in my aunt and uncle’s room whilst I nestled between my parents in their bed.

Living in one room was obviously not ideal and my parents saved hard. Eventually, they were able to rent nursing quarters for a reduced rate at St Benedicts, in Tooting, our first real home. Thanks to my parents’ frugal lifestyle, we bought our first house when I was about 6 and we moved to our final home when I was 8. Our last move was dictated by more racial bullying – stones were being thrown at my sister’s bedroom window.

It transpired that my mother was a born nurse but my father absolutely hated the job. He had loved being a Station Master. However, to support our family, he had no choice. He detested it all his life but, as a very decent and hardworking man, he never took his frustrations out on us, and looking back, I am amazed. All their lives they worked opposite shifts so that someone could be at home with me and my sister, which meant that since we ate as a family, most nights, we had supper around 9 pm. My father, who loved food, learned to cook and it became his main hobby: food shopping in Tooting at the local market and halal shops, cooking – always cooking – borrowing recipe books from Tooting Library, and spending endless hours copying and annotating recipes. Today, I have 16 A4 folders of his opus in my office.

My sister went to the local comprehensive and was effectively miserable for years until she could leave school. Racist bulling was part of her everyday experience but she never told our parents. She felt they would be unable to help and they were always working or looking after me. I, on the other hand, was part of the next generation, which was increasingly diverse. Whilst I had my share of racism – typically being called the ‘P’ word, for example – it happened far less often to me, probably because I grew up in a more mixed environment, with friends from India, Jamaica, Pakistan, the Caribbean, China and Cyprus – Christian, Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim alike – so diversity was my norm.

My parents were very anxious people, endlessly worrying that something ‘bad’ could, or would, happen to us: ‘be careful’ was the mantra of my childhood. But I don’t know if this was naturally part of their characters (both their mothers had died when they were young), a result of their moving, or both. In addition, politeness and obedience were qualities that were ingrained in them, and us, culturally. But most importantly for them, as immigrants, and indeed, as Sri Lankans, my parents’ focus lay on education, working hard, and achievement, which meant high marks. For them, as for many immigrants, these were the only ways by which security and success could be measured. Distraction from schoolwork was strictly frowned upon so my sister and I were not allowed to socialise with friends unless it was our birthday. It was also practically difficult to do so since we did not have a car. My parents wouldn’t let us travel by ourselves in case something bad happened, nor did they themselves have much free time to take us anywhere since they worked so hard to obtain financial security.

Our main social circle was our UK family. Particularly memorable were our boisterous get-togethers for birthdays and Christmases, with a very small group of family friends, all of whom were Sri Lankan Tamils. Every Sunday, my mother would also take us to the local church. Unknown to her, most nights my father would get me to pray to his statue of Lord Buddha.

So how does our story end? My parents emigrated, as millions do, to give their family a better chance in life, and they succeeded. They were genuinely very happily married for 49 years. My sister became a high-flying tax accountant in the City and married a Malaysian Hindu. They have two children. I got a PhD in Classics and am now a lecturer. I eventually married a lapsed Catholic from Argentina and we have one daughter. What my parents wanted for us – their versions of security and happiness – did happen; “touchwood”, as they would say.

This blog post forms part of a series exploring identity, culture and heritage as part of the University of Kent’s South Asian Heritage Week. This week runs from the 28 March -1 April 2022 and invites exploration of the identities, history and heritage of British South Asians.

For more events and activities please see Kent Union’s South Asian Heritage Week website.

Marking Ramadan 2022

Article by the Talent and Organisational Development team

Ramadan begins on the evening of Saturday 2 April and ends on the evening of Sunday 1 May 2022.

Muslims follow the lunar calendar, so the exact start and end dates depend on the sighting of the moon so these dates can vary slightly.

Ramadan is followed by the festival of Eid al-Fitr which for the year 2022 is celebrated/ observed on sundown of Monday 2 May ending at sundown on Tuesday 3 May.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

Muslims believe it is the month during which the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over 1400 years ago. Ramadan is the holiest month of the year for Muslims and it is considered that the reward of good deeds during this month are multiplied several fold.

During Ramadan, from dawn until sunset, Muslims are obliged to abstain from all forms of food, drink (including water), smoking and sexual activity. Most Muslims will wake before dawn for a meal before the start of their fast (also known as Suhoor), and break their fast (also known as Iftar) with dates and water at sunset, and then a meal.

This year, fasts in the UK will last around 14-15 hours. The start and end times vary as the month progresses.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. The overall purpose of the fast is to gain Taqwa (which means to gain piety or God consciousness). This is achieved through an increase in prayers, reading the Qur’an, self-reflection and self-discipline.

What is Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the month of Shawwal, which follows Ramadan as the 10th month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar.

Its name comes from an Arabic term which translates as the “feast of breaking the fast” and, although not a public holiday in the UK, it is for many Muslim countries.

It marks the end of Ramadan and was originated by the prophet Muhammad. It is one of two global festivals celebrated by Muslims every year, the other being Eid al-Adha, which falls later in the summer and honours Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated for one to three days, depending on the country. Fasting is forbidden on the Day of Eid, in contrast to the 30 days that came before.

Find out more

For further information and guidance:

Howtostayhealthyduringramadanguidelines.pdf
Inclusive employers Ramadan 2022 fact sheet.
All usual facilities are available on campus (prayer rooms, access to the mosque etc)
Religion and belief – Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity – University of Kent

University Teaching Prizes 2022 – applications open

Applications for our 2022 Teaching Prize awards are now open! Every year we reward individual colleagues or teams for their fantastic work in teaching and/or learning support.

For this year prizes will be given in each academic division. There’ll also be a university-wide prize for learning support.

Who can apply

Colleagues can apply from all divisions and professional services teams.

For this year’s application you’ll need to think about three criteria:

Excellence in Teaching or Supporting Learning
Dissemination and Influence
Above and Beyond Expectations of Normal Working

How to apply

To apply please complete our University Teaching Prizes application form.

When to send it by

Please send your form to the Centre for the Study of Higher Education by 17.00 on Friday 13 May 2022.

What happens next

Chaired by Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Education and Student Experience, the panel will meet early June 2022.

Prizes will be given out at the end of the Learning and Teaching Conference on Monday 20 June 2022.

For more information visit our Teaching webpage.

Sustainability achievement: ISO14001 re-certification

We are celebrating recertification to ISO14001:2015 standard following a successful external surveillance audit by Socotec on our Environmental Management System (EMS).

What is ISO14001 certification?

ISO14001 is the international standard for environmental management recognised by governing and funding bodies and achieving and keeping certification to the standard further demonstrates the commitment and leadership for environmental sustainability which exists at the University. The University has held the standard since 2012.

How is ISO14001 certification audited?

The audit took place both on campus and virtually across 6 days in December and involved talking to staff across the university, inspecting key locations, reviewing our environmental policies, strategies, procedures; and assessing our progress against environmental targets and objectives.

The auditor praised the University, and in particular the staff, commenting that “ Each member of the university staff that I spoke with during the audit demonstrated a high level of knowledge of environmental management and their role in supporting the university’s environmental objectives“.

Why does this matter?

The Environmental Management System (EMS) covers all of our UK operations, and therefore is at the heart of embedding environmental improvements across the University. It offers a systematic and transparent way of managing our environmental objectives and targets, reducing our impacts and ensuring compliance against environmental legislation.

The EMS is one of the key ways in which the University will deliver against the strategic objectives of the Sustainability Strategy published in October 2021.

Recognition and thanks go to all the staff involved in the audit process who took time to speak to our auditor and who have contributed to the continual improvement of the University’s environmental performance. Find out more about our Environmental Management System.

For more information please contact Catherine Morris, Sustainability Manager c.morris@kent.ac.uk.

Lead by example initiative

At Kent, we wish to encourage excellence amongst students, leading by example. In light of our Good Neighbour initiative, we aim to celebrate local student residents who exemplified what it means to be a kind and respectful neighbour.

At Kent, our aim is to inspire students to be good neighbours, by drawing from the model students living in our communities and bringing them to the forefront. We would like to recognise the achievements of those students who go the extra mile and embed themselves within their neighbourhoods.

Do you have local student residents displaying exemplary behaviour and community spirit in your area?

Are your student neighbours benefitting the area where you live and giving back to their community?

We would like you to get in touch with information about your excellent student neighbours. Please provide their address and some information about why your neighbours deserve recognition for the award.

You can either:

Fill out the Good Neighbour Award form online.

We look forward to hearing your experiences and celebrating students who deserve recognition for their contributions to our local community.

We plan to interview the winners of the Good Neighbour Awards and share these case studies with our cohort of students to inspire and empower them. We will use these real-life examples to inform our resources for the future and make them relevant to students living locally in years to come.

Trans inclusion and support at Kent

What does it mean to be Transgender or Trans?

Transgender, or Trans, is as an umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Someone who is trans may identify as (not limited to) transgender, non-binary, or genderqueer.

Support for trans students at Kent

There is a Trans Support Group in Canterbury that meets twice a month. It is open to trans, intersex and non-binary people at Kent. The group is run by trans/non-binary people for trans/non-binary people. Family and partners are welcome.

We have gender neutral toilet facilities across our campuses, and these facilities will increase as building improvements and construction takes place.

Student Support and Wellbeing offer mental health support, counselling and peer support groups to all students and have an advisor with specialist LGBTQ+ support knowledge. You can also check out our LGBTQ+ self-help resource section online.

You can also update your gender and preferred name (which shows on your Microsoft Teams account) on KentVision.

How can you be a good ally to trans people?

Cisgender, or Cis, describes someone whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned to at birth.

There are lots of simple ways you can become a better ally and show support to trans colleagues, such as:

Updating your pronouns on your email signature, Zoom screen and Teams profile. Include a link to a website such as mypronouns.org for people to find out more.
Wear one of our new Rainbow lanyards. These are designed around the ‘Inclusion Flag’ which incorporates the Pride rainbow flag with pink, blue, brown and black, representing the trans community and people of colour within the LGBT+ community.
Familiarise yourself with policies, guidance and terminology.

Here are more ways you can be a good ally.

LGBTQ+ student groups at Kent

The LGBTQ+ Student Network acts as a voice for LGBTQ+ students to both the University and the Students’ Union and helps to ensure informed decisions are made on a practical and strategic level as well as planning events and networking opportunities for students. Email the Student Network if you are interested in joining.

You can also join the student LGBTQ+ Society at Canterbury and the Medway LGBTQ Society, a safe space for students of marginalised gender identities and sexualities to socialise and meet other like-minded individuals. Make friends and develop your support network.

Transgender Day of Visibility – support and allyship for trans students

International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is an annual event on March 31 dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.

Read our Staff LGBT+ Network’s joint statement on Trans Inclusion and Support.

What does it mean to be Transgender?

Support for trans students at Kent

We have gender neutral toilet facilities across our campuses, and these facilities will increase as building improvements and construction takes place.

You can also update your gender and preferred name (which shows on your Microsoft Teams account) on KentVision.

How can you be a good ally to trans people?

Cisgender, or Cis, describes someone whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned to at birth.

There are lots of simple ways you can become a better ally and show support to trans people, such as:

Updating your pronouns on your email signature, Teams profile and social media profile. Include a link to a website such as mypronouns.org for people to find out more.
Wear one of our new Rainbow lanyards. These are designed around the ‘Inclusion Flag’ which incorporates the Pride rainbow flag with pink, blue, brown and black, representing the trans community and people of colour within the LGBTQ+ community.
Tweet your support using #TDOV2022 and tagging @UniKent, @ukclgbtq and @Medwaylgbtq.
Familiarise yourself with policies, guidance and terminology.

Here are more ways you can be a good ally.

Study into the Experience of Transgender Students in Higher Education

Lynne Regan from Student Support and Wellbeing, recently gave multiple talks about her research on the Experience of Transgender Students in Higher Education, including a presentation to members of the Executive Group.

You can watch the recording and view the PowerPoint slides to learn more about Lynne’s findings and her suggestions for what we can do at Kent to improve the experience of our trans students.

LGBTQ+ student groups at Kent

Free 11+ Tuition Programme

Our University of Kent Academies Trust school Chatham Grammar is offering free places on its online Medway Test tuition programme over the Easter holidays for children of Kent staff.

If you would like your child to attend our FREE Medway Test (11+) online tuition, please register via the Chatham Grammar website.

Meet Thomas – Kent Union’s new Vice President for Welfare and Community

A huge congratulations to Thomas on his new role as Vice President for Welfare & Community 2022/23, a student leadership position in Kent Union. This role draws focus to student life within the local community, development of student safety schemes and tackling student welfare issues at Kent.

We asked Thomas a few questions about his plans for the role, revealing his passion about living, studying and working in Canterbury.

What would you like to bring in your role as VP of Welfare & Community?

“Having previously volunteered for the Independent Police Advisory Group and Kent Union, I have a good knowledge of the work being done to make our cities safer and I am excited to contribute towards this great work in my new position. I am passionate about driving an increase in the volunteering and outreach from Kent Union societies and clubs, providing opportunities to use their unique skills to benefit their local community. I want to amplify their student voice and provide students with the tools and funding they need to mobilise their initiatives off-campus”.

Where do you feel you’ll work most closely with the local community in your role?

“A key part of the work we do is making Canterbury and Medway safe places to live and study. Local safety isn’t just an issue owned by students, rather it is one shared by our whole community. I would like to work with our local residents and services on shared goals that improve the city not just for students, but for everyone.”

How do you feel your experience at Kent has prepared you for the role?

“I have lived in Canterbury for 5 years and studied on the Medway campus to complete my degree, this gives me a great idea of the challenges faced by our students in these areas and I can’t wait to start my role and make a difference at Kent. One of the wonderful things about living and studying here, is that you truly feel a part of Kent, and that is something I am proud to be.”

We wish Thomas the best of luck in his new position, and look forward to working alongside him in the year to come.