University of Kent alumna and honorary graduate Fi Glover returned to Kent last week to interview current students about their opinions on how far relations between men and women are being redefined in the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and #MeToo. The interviews took place in the Student Media centre and will be aired on Wednesday 14 February at 1.45 on Radio 4.

Fi Glover and Peter Curran are traveling around the country to find out if, and how relations between the sexes are being redefined in the UK’s workplaces, from call centres, to comedy clubs to student unions.

Says Fi Glover: “Social change is usually only identified in the rear view mirror of history but we are going to try and run alongside this one and find out if we are living through one of the most significant cultural shifts of recent times.”

SMFA music lecturer Anna Neale has released a new single Evolution which is available on all the usual music platforms (Spotify, iTunes etc). The video was filmed at the Dockyard and the Church, and featured University of Kent (Medway) students

Evolution  is taken from Anna’s forthcoming album Wide Sky, due for release on the 23rd March, featuring performances from Syrian musicians and the members of the English National Opera (ENO) chorus. Fusing together Middle Eastern music with Western pop, and continuing the world music theme featured in her pervious album ‘River Man’.

Anna Neale is a multi-talented singer/songwriter, composer, session vocalist, and voice over artist, and has performed at most of the major music conferences, released two albums and two EP’s to critical acclaim, written songs for other artists, radio and TV advertising, and provided vocals for many TV animations, songs and adverts. As well as her composing and performing credits, Anna has lectured at the University of Cambridge, The British Museum, BIMM (Brighton & London), Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Hertfordshire. She is also a member of the Oxford Brookes’s music industry board.  Her research interests include songwriting and the music of Ancient Greece.

For more information:  http://www.annaneale.net
The video: https://youtu.be/GrWcMpNOMko

All staff, and especially those with a student facing or support role, are invited to an interactive workshop and information session on Wednesday 21st February in the Templeman Library with Tony Giles, blind global traveler and author, sharing his experiences of studying, living and travelling with sensory impairments.

Tony is totally blind and severely deaf in both ears, and gained a BA in American Studies from the University of Northampton in 2001 and a MA in Transatlantic Studies from the University of Birmingham in 2003.

He has written about some of his travel adventures in two published Ebooks: Seeing The World My Way, 2010 (republished 2017) and Seeing The Americas My Way, 2016.

You can follow Tony’s adventures at www.tonythetraveller.com

Book your free place here.

On 6 February 1918 over 8 million women aged thirty and above were given the vote following decades of campaigning by suffragists and suffragettes. Throughout the year, the University of Kent will be marking the centenary with a range of interesting interdisciplinary events including round table discussions, outreach workshops and lectures.

For further details contact the Athena SWAN Team: m.k.janhonen@kent.ac.uk

The next inspirational speaker event is here and we are very pleased to confirm that Prof Karen Cox, University of Kent Vice-chancellor and president, will be delivering a talk “From Pudsey to Professor: How Education Transforms Life” as part of the Student Success Project Inspirational Speaker programme​, Tuesday 13 February 2018, 18.00, Grimond Building.

Come and hear how education changed the life of Professor Karen Cox; how education took her from Pudsey to Professor. This is an event not to be missed. Staff and students are warmly invited to hear about Karen’s unique journey to such a senior position in our institution.

Date: Tuesday 13 Feb 2018
Time: 18:15
Where: Grimond Building

This event is free and open to all. For more information on the talk and how to book please visit our EventBrite page.

Refreshments and networking will take place after the event in Grimond Foyer. Feel free to circulate this invitation as widely as possible.

SMFA Fine Art students are part of the new artists’ collective Muster Station, created in response to the University of Kent’s planned closure of the School of Music and Fine Art.

As Muster Station, they have been invited by Whitstable Biennale to take part in the 2018 Tate Modern Exchange projects, at the Tate Modern in London, with a theme “Production”.

It takes place on 3-4 February, and will involve SMFA alumni, students and some MA’s and BA’s as well as staff, and is open to the public throughout.

Through a programme of workshops, talks, interactions and interventions Muster Station will explore the means by which artists produce in response to constantly shifting conditions of space, time, audience and the ebb and flow of economic and political support.

For more information, please see our webpage.

International Partnerships is hosting the next Global Hangout of the series on Wednesday the 7 February between 17.00-19.00.

The event will be themed ‘Celebrating Love’ in the lead up to Valentine’s Day on the 14 February. All Canterbury students are welcome to attend and we are inviting everyone to book their places online now by following this link. Places are limited and tend to go quickly – so please get booking asap!

Global Hangouts is a series of free global networking events arranged throughout the academic year. With a fun and relaxed atmosphere, the hangouts include interactive activities, refreshments and live music and performances. If students or staff wish to find out more information, they can visit our webpage.