Shane Weller, Professor of Comparative Literature and Head of the School of European Culture and Languages, has just co-authored a new book entitled The Making of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Fin de partie’/’Endgame’ (University Press Antwerp and Bloomsbury, 2018).

Originally written in French and first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1957, Samuel Beckett’s Endgame is widely regarded as one of his most important works. The new publication is a comprehensive reference guide to the history of Beckett’s text.  It includes a complete descriptive catalogue of available relevant manuscripts, including French and English texts, alternative drafts and notebook pages, as well as a critical reconstruction of the history of the text, charting its genesis through the process of composition to its full publication history.

For more details, please see the publisher’s website.

As part of our Learning at Work Week (LAWW), we are launching our ‘Kent Experiences’.

The theme for the national LAWW campaign 2018 is ‘Networked for Learning’ and to link in with this theme we would like to provide opportunities for staff to get involved with and network with colleagues in areas of the organisation they don’t usually get  the opportunity to interact with. Better understanding of the organisation and broader network relationships help in improving communication, appreciating diversity and creating a culture of respect among many other benefits.

These Kent Experiences are being offered from areas across the University on both Canterbury and Medway campuses and include a diverse range of activities, some taking as little as an hour which could be undertaken in a lunch hour if  required.  We will have further activities being launched from our Estates department and potentially other areas in the next week or so, so keep an eye out for more  announcements.

You can view a brief descriptor of all the current opportunities by clicking on this link and then register your interest by following the outlined instructions or by completing this poll. Once your interest has been registered you will be contacted with more information and details of who to contact to finally agree your activity date and time.

If you have any further queries related to this ‘Kent Experiences’ launch, or you would like to offer an experience in your area of work, please do not hesitate to contact  Ali Whelan: a.j.whelan@kent.ac.uk .

Out and Proud, an exhibition of LGBT+ role models and allies will be staged at Kent from 17 May – 6 July 2018 at the Templeman Library.

Kent is proud of its diverse student, staff and alumni community. ‘Out and Proud’ aims to showcase some of our LGBT+ role models and allies to highlight the amazing people on our campuses who share their stories to inspire others. This exhibition also features books from the Templeman Library on LGBT+ role models throughout the ages.

Role models challenge stereotypes, provide guidance and advice, and they are examples to all about overcoming prejudice and discrimination and about being proud of who you are. This exhibition is designed to share experiences, good and bad, and to be a reminder that we are all citizens of this beautifully diverse world.

Curators are Christin Hoene and Jan Moriarty for the LGBT+ Staff Network, and Joanna Baines and Elspeth Millar (Special Collections & Archives) for the Templeman Library. Design is by Leanne Taylor.

There will be a launch event on Thursday 17 May at 16.00. If you would like to attend, please book via our Eventbrite page. You can find out more on our blog pages.

“And to those who are living out and proud. You are a beacon for others to find their way home.” Julie Anne Peters

The Corporate Events team is looking for volunteers to help during congregations for Canterbury and Medway – can you help?

MEDWAY (Rochester Cathedral):

• Tuesday 10 July (x2 ceremonies), 10.30, 14.30

CANTERBURY (Canterbury Cathedral):

• Monday 16 July (x2 ceremonies), 10.30, 14.30
• Tuesday 17 July (x3 ceremonies), 10.30, 14.30, 19.30
• Wednesday 18 July (x2 ceremonies), 10.30, 14.30
• Thursday 19 July ((x3 ceremonies), 10.30, 14.30, 19.30
• Friday 20 July (x1 ceremony), 10.30

This is a special day for all of our graduating students, and a great opportunity to be involved in a feel-good University event.

We have a variety of roles available for volunteers, so whether you would like to be in the Cathedral for the ceremony, helping the graduands check-in, or managing the guest queue, there is something suitable for everyone.

Things to know:

• Volunteers working two consecutive ceremonies will be provided with lunch or dinner in between their two shifts
• Volunteers can choose any ceremony ‘shifts’ from the above list, and full training will be available for your designated role in the lead-up to congregations
• In any role, there will be a member of the congregations team on hand to support you
• Different roles will have different start and finish times due to the requirements of that role for the ceremony
• It’s a wonderfully joyful week and is a great opportunity to see any students that you have supported graduate.

If you would like to get involved in July 2018 congregations, we would be delighted to have you!

To register your interest or to find out more about the roles available, please email congregations@kent.ac.uk with your preferred ceremony/ies or your query.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Corporate Events, Development Office

What’s a better way to relieve stress while taking in the beautiful scenery and getting some fresh air? Why joining in with the University of Kent Canterbury 10K run, of course! The 10K is part of the University’s Stamp Out Stress series of events to help students manage the demands of exam season.

The run, which is co-organised with Sporting Events UK, is a fun and welcoming event that is open not only to students but also to people of all abilities, from University staff to the wider community.

Starting at the Pavilion at 10.30 on Sunday 20 May, the route takes runners through the Canterbury countryside along the historic and picturesque Crab and Winkle Way. Participants will be timed and receive a medal. This is a day for all the family including shorter races for children. Sign up today <http://www.sportingeventsuk.com/enterevent/university-kent-canterbury-10k>!

The Stamp Out Stress series of sports activities includes guided-bicycle rides, using Kent Sport’s Cycle Hub, one-off events like miniature golf, bubble football and a variety of fitness classes. Pre-booking for events is advisable. For further details see the Sport at Kent timetable booklet.

To stay up-to-date with the latest news, events and special offers at Kent Sport, Like UniKentSports on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Athena SWAN awards are a recognition of advancing gender equality and improving the working environment to benefit everybody at the University.

The latest awards have just been announced and we have a lot to celebrate. We have been successful in our application for an Institutional Bronze award, Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science have our first ever Silver-level award, History are the first school in the Faculty of Humanities to hold a Bronze award and Medway School of Pharmacy have been awarded Bronze.

These successes will inspire and inform all our on-going work in advancing gender equality and all our future Athena SWAN applications across the University.

Find out more about our work with Athena SWAN here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/human-resources/athenaswan/

As part of Whitstable Biennale’s partnership with The Ash Project, SMFA Fine Art Lecturer and acclaimed artist Adam Chodzko is hosting the Ash Walk on Saturday 25 August from 14.00-16.00.  He will lead a walk into the near future as part of a funeral procession for some of the UK’s last remaining ash trees.

The Ash Project is a cultural response to ash dieback in the Kent Downs, celebrating the cultural, natural and social history of the ash tree, to present a series of artists’ walks in 2018 through ash landscapes in Kent, encouraging study and providing an intimate, conversational way to explore the landscapes.

An award-winning artist, Adam Chodzko uses a wide range of media including video, installation and performance. His work is characterised by a keen curiosity, exploring the interactions and possibilities of human behaviour – the gap between how we are and how we could be. With a few surprises in store for walkers, along the way, this walk promises to be stimulating, interactive and surprising.  The walk is FREE but needs to be booked online in advance.

Find out more on the Whitstable Biennale’s website.

Members of staff from the Estates Department were recently awarded Highly Commended Awards at the AUDE (Association of University Directors of Estates) Awards Gala Dinner at Canterbury Cathedral’s Chapter House.

Sarah Cooke, Head of Customer Services and Engagement, was Highly Commended in the Chair’s Award for Long Term Contribution. Sarah was reocgnised for continually developing her role and contributing within the Estates Department, the University as a whole, and to the local community. Sarah joined the Estates Department in 1989. She was shortlisted alongside three long-standing University Directors of Estates.

The Head of Customer Services and Engagement, Sarah is an excellent example of someone who has continually developed their role and sought to contribute more and more both within the Department, to the University and to the local community. Having joined the Estates Department in 1989 as a Data Operator within the Maintenance section, Sarah spent the early years of her career gaining knowledge and experience in various aspects of the Estates Department’s activities

Most recently, in keeping with the department’s independent approach to value and goal setting, she has been instrumental in developing the CHOICE value system. As a result of her work with Investors in People, Sarah recognised the significance of implementing a set of core departmental values, as these are the essence of the department’s identity and underpin the behaviour of the team.

Sarah has also been closely involved with development of the Estates Management Development Programme (EMDP) specifically targeted at giving managers the right tools to do the job, and which has now been recognised at institutional level.

Community and social responsibility are two key drivers for the department’s outreach work and Sarah has driven these with unswerving enthusiasm and dedication since the outset. This includes organising key annual events to engage staff and fundraising for local and national charities – in particular, the Estates Charity Christmas raffle, which was an idea Sarah developed in 1999, and brings together Estates staff, local suppliers and businesses in collaboration to raffle off prizes to staff with all proceeds going to charity. The charity is selected from many nominated each year by staff members. The department then adopts this charity for the year; and this idea has led to several thousands of pounds going to worthwhile causes.

Emily Mason, Environmental Sustainability Assistant, received a Highly Commended award in the Emerging Talent Award category, for her project, Futureproof. It uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for staff and students from across the University to assess the impact of their activities and create bespoke, targeted action plans to improve. By developing Futureproof, Emily has delivered something with far wider-reaching impacts than we had ever envisaged. This approach represents a significant change for the better as Universities are extremely diverse and are not suited to a one-size-fits-all approach.