Work by SMFA Fine Art alumna Nadia Perrotta selected by UNESCO for Human Rights

A moving image installation about art and children called Because I am, written and directed by SMFA alumni Nadia Perrotta (BA, 2015, and MA Fine Art, 2017) and featuring Lalita Bailey, (BA Fine Art 2017) and the children of Squirrel Lodge and The Rabbit on the Moon nurseries, has been selected for a major UNESCO event in Italy about art and education.

Presented by Associazione Internazionale Arti Plastiche Italia, Spazio-Tempo Arte and Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti, Human Rights? #EDU 2018 is an International Exhibition of Contemporary Art from 23 June – 23 September at the Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti, Rovereto, Trento, Italy which features 161 artists from 37 countries defending the human right to education.

The event asks the artists to represent and tell, with their own artistic language, a personal vision of the problem of the right to education representing a story, a concept, a complaint, or showing a future perspective as message of hope or as a concrete proposal on the opportunities to be pursued to achieve this fundamental goal for the construction of a fair and right society.

More about the event here.
See Nadia’s film here.

Nadia’s film Because I Am was created during her artist residency since September 2016, at The Rabbit on The Moon Nursery in Sittingbourne, and there will be an exhibition – Because I am: A children’s journey across self recognition and discovery of the world around them through the arts – on Saturday 23rd June, 12.00-15.00 at Kemsley Community Centre, The Square, Ridham Ave, Kemsley, Sittingbourne showing the works the children created with her throughout the past year.

EqualiTeas

It’s 100 years since Parliament passed the Representation of the People Act 1918 which allowed the first women, and all men, to vote. The UK Parliament is celebrating this and other milestones in the UK’s democratic history and we want to be part of the festivities! Therefore it is time to arrange a tea party; EqualiTeas here at the University of Kent.

We want to invite you to debate and celebrate our equal right to vote. Just pop in for a cuppa and a chat with your colleagues across the campus!

Tuesday 26 June at Gulbenkian (15.00-17.00) Canterbury Campus

Thursday 28 June at Bistro No1 (15.00-17.00) Medway Campus

(Visit the Vote 100 pages to discover more).

If you have any questions please email: athenaswan@kent.ac.uk

Central staff induction 9 July 2018

Learning and Development are running the next Central Staff Induction on Monday 9 July at our Canterbury campus.

If you are a new member of staff and haven’t already attended an Induction event, please book your place by emailing the team at ldev@kent.ac.uk.

Project management training 23-24 July

Learning and Organisational Development will be running a two-day Project Management training course on 23 and 24 July.

Objectives and learning outcomes are as follows:

understand the need for a consistent approach to project management within the University
use the underlying principles contained within the University of Kent project management framework on all future projects
work with a colleague post course to develop your personal action plan
communicate the new project management approach to colleagues and partners within the University

Please make a booking via the Learning and Development activities calendar.

The Challenges of Religious Urbanization in Africa

The ‘Challenges of Religious Urbanization in Africa’ workshop, funded by the British Academy/Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) through the Religious Urbanization in Africa (RUA) project, will be held on 26 June 2018. It is hosted by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Lagos, in collaboration with the University of Kent.

The aim of the workshop is to gather a unique set of speakers to discuss current and urgent issues relating to intersections between infrastructure and the expansion of religious organisations in African cities. The key questions to be considered are

Do religious infrastructures ameliorate or exacerbate everyday challenges of safety, inclusion, and security?
How should development policies and analyses take account of religious dynamics and religious actors in urban African contexts?

Amongst the speakers is Dr David Garbin, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, who is Principal Investigator on the Rua Project.

The workshop programme is available on the Rua website.

Using the Templeman Library this vacation

24/7 opening will end at 23:00 on Friday 15 June. From Saturday 16 June, the library will be open 08:00 – 23:00 daily (closed Bank Holiday Monday 27 August).

Service desks:

Monday – Friday 09.00 – 18.00
Saturday 12.00 – 18.00
Sunday closed

Some spaces are changing…

The Chill Out Zone will close at 21.00 on Friday 15 June
Pop-up study space in D Block will close at 23.00 on Friday 15 June
A Block seminar rooms on the ground floor will be open as study space over the summer from Monday 25 June – check the screen outside each room for availability
A Block, Ground will be closed for work on the flooring between Saturday 16 and Sunday 24 June.

Studying across campus

Study Hubs are open throughout the summer apart from the Senate Study Hub which will close at 21.00 for the Summer vacation. Use our map to find your nearest Study Hub.

We are pleased to say Senate will be reopening later in the year as a dedicated Postgraduate Study Hub.

Don’t miss a beat

changes to study spaces (including the new PG study hub!)
Library and IT services
available resources
the return of the Chill Out Zone
lib memes

Curriculum Internationalisation Development session – Medway Campus, 29 June

A session has been arranged to take place in Medway on Friday 29 June, 11.00-12.30pm in the Medway Building M1-22.

Dr Anthony Manning is pleased to be working in collaboration with Dr Silvia Colaiacomo at UELT on the Curriculum Internationalisation Development Sessions (CIDS) focusing on mechanisms to develop and enhance curriculum internationalisation within modules and co-curricular educational activities.

The CIDS are designed to respond to an objective which features in both Kent’s Institutional Plan and our Internationalisation Strategy.

For further details including session outline please see: https://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/networks/ltn/index.html#062018CIDS

To book a place, email cpdbookings@kent.ac.uk

University proud to sponsor Canterbury Pride celebration

The University was proud to be a sponsor of Canterbury’s third annual Pride celebration on Saturday 9 June.

Nearly 100 staff, students, alumni and colleagues from Kent Union marched together as part of the event. Kent’s group was organised by colleagues from the LGBT+ Staff Network and Kent Union.

Over 1,100 people joined the parade, up 400 from last year, which was followed by a festival of entertainment including a craft fair, local food stalls and music from members of S Club 7.

The parade marched up Canterbury High Street into Dane John gardens. The atmosphere was one of jubilation and unity as people from all over Kent joined together to celebrate diversity, and remember those around the world who cannot attend such events, for fear of persecution or harassment.

SMFA’s Dr Ruth Herbert a trustee for National Youth Jazz Collective

Music Psychologist and performer, Dr Ruth Herbert, SMFA’s Lecturer in Contemporary and 20th Century Music Performance, has been invited to become a trustee of the National Youth Jazz Collective.

Founded in 2007, the NYJC supports the creative & educational needs of the young jazz musician, focusing on small group improvisation within a pathway of progression from beginners to young professionals, supporting music education to increase the ability of 8 – 18 year -olds to play by ear in small groups: to learn, improvise, compose, arrange and lead bands.

Dr Herbert commented: ‘I am delighted to have been invited to be a trustee for National Youth Jazz Collective. At a time when arts provision (including music) is being sidelined to the point of extinction in schools, the roles of organisations like NYJC are a lifeline & incredibly important in sustaining music provision. NYJC are doing an amazing job of reaching out- through regional workshops across the UK, through their Summer School, and other initiatives – eg inclusivity, particularly getting more young women into jazz. Simply giving young people the time and space to connect/experience/understand loads of different musics and have a good time!’

More information: http://nationalyouthjazz.co.uk/

SMFA Fine Art Alumna Nadia Perrotta Artist in Residence Exhibition in Kent

Since September 2016, SMFA alumna Nadia Perrotta (BA, 2015, and MA Fine Art, 2017) has been artist in residence at The Rabbit on The Moon Nursery in Sittingbourne, and there will be an exhibition showing the works the children created with her throughout the past year.

A children’s journey across self recognition and discovery of the world around them through the arts takes place on Saturday 23 June, 12.00-15.00, at Kemsley Community Centre, The Square, Ridham Ave, Kemsley, Sittingbourne.

Nadia is a film maker, visual artist, art writer and event organiser who works mostly with time based, installations, digital work, creative writing and performances. An experienced curator and art director, she was Project Leader for Wetlands Medway. More info about Nadia here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/nadia-perrotta-082a537