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Testing out a theory

Nostalgia podcast with Victoria Mullen

In the latest episode of the Nostalgia podcast series, Chris Deacy, Head of the Department of Religious Studies, interviews Victoria Mullen, a University of Kent Religious Studies alumnus.

Victoria talks about her journey from managing a Canterbury restaurant to doing a degree in Religious Studies and now working as a school lay chaplain in Nottingham. We learn about her early years in Galway, perceptions of sexism and ageing, going swimming every day as a child, Robson & Jerome, seeing Bucks Fizz on stage, Catholic education, why teaching is a vocation, the relationship between forgiveness and sin, and what Victoria’s younger self would think about what she is doing now.

Religion in the German-Speaking World

Dr Ian Cooper, Lecturer in German for the Department of Modern Languages, has recently co-edited a publication titled Literature and Religion in the German-Speaking World (Cambridge University Press, 2019).

Ian says: “More than any other literature in Europe, and for deep-seated historical reasons, the German literary tradition has from its beginnings been in constant dialogue with religious ideas – whether expressing them or challenging them. This is the first book to address the meaning of that relationship across 800 years of literature in German, and shows how German-speaking culture from the medieval period to our own time has been profoundly concerned with the interconnections between the religious and the secular.”

Audition for J B Priestley’s Dangerous Corner

The University of Kent Players are pleased to announce that auditions for the University of Kent Players February production of Dangerous Corner, by J B Priestley will take place on:

• Wednesday 2nd October 12 – 13.30

• Thursday 3rd October 17.30 – 19.30 (arrive from 17.00 for a 19.30 start)

Both rehearsals will be in Cornwallis East 329 (third floor).

Dangerous Corner overview: Robert Caplan and his wife are entertaining her brother and sister-in-law, Olwen Peel and Charles Stanton – all of whom are associated with Robert in a publishing business. Because Robert insists on uncovering the truth about his brother Martin’s “suicide”, many unpalatable revelations ensue.

As always, it would be great if you’re able to attend both audition dates, but this is not essential. The audition process itself is fairly informal, with a chance to meet everyone and ask questions before the audition begins.

The production dates are 27-29 February 2020 and all cast/crew will be expected to be available for the full show week starting 24 February.

In terms of rehearsals, these are likely to start from mid-late October and to take place around lunchtimes and late afternoons (e.g. 16.00-18.00) depending on cast availability up until Christmas. Post-work rehearsals will begin from January.

If you like any further details about the above or the script ahead of auditions, please do not hesitate to contact the players: players@kent.ac.uk

Studio 3 Exhibition: ‘Leading Light: At the Outer Limits of Photography’

Dr Eleen Deprez, Gallery Curator and Outreach Coordinator, has put together a new exhibition entitled ‘Leading Light: At the Outer Limits of Photography’, which brings together recent works by international artists and photographers. The Exhibition will open at Studio 3 Gallery on Friday 26 September 2019.

‘Leading Light: At the Outer Limits of Photography’ presents experimental ways of image-making and examines the exploitation and manipulation of the photographic process, and will feature artists David Claerbout, Elias Heuninck, Junko Theresa Mikuriya, Chloe Sells, Eva Stenram, Maarten Vanvolsem and Corinne Vionnet. The exhibition will run until 12 November, from Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.

The exhibition is supported by Creative Campus at the University of Kent. Creative Campus is a scheme which seeks to support, coordinate and integrate best practice to mark out Kent as a highly creative place to work, study, play and visit.

As part of the exhibition, Studio 3 Gallery will host an opening night and a talk by artist Elias Heuninck on 26 September, a talk by Dr Manila Castoro on 24 October, and a pinhole photography workshop with Dr Claire Anscomb, who completed a PhD in History and Philosophy of Art at Kent, on 6 November. These events are free to attend and open to all.

Further details about the exhibition can be found on the gallery’s Facebook page.

For more details abut the Studio 3 Gallery, please see the page here.

KentVision Strategic Group update

Colleagues will be aware that we reached an important milestone in the development of the new KentVision student records system at the end of June. The project has now been taken ‘in-house’, we have established a new governance structure and the development team has been relocated.

The governance structure includes the KentVision Strategic Group and the KentVision Operational Group; they comprise stakeholders and practitioners who are both close to the business and highly committed to its delivery. The team’s relocation from the Innovation Centre to Cornwallis is intended to facilitate better connection with student data system users and will improve communication.

Both the KentVision Strategic and Operational Groups will meet regularly. The Strategic Group which has been established to receive the initial system development, complete the build and plan and deliver the implementation phase of the project, is committed to keeping the University abreast of latest developments and this is a brief first update.

Much has been achieved during the first development phase and University teams are currently reviewing the system that has been delivered in order to assess the completeness of the build and determine what further work need to be progressed in order to facilitate a smooth transition from SDS.

The first development phase of the project has been lengthy, during which time the University has continued to adapt and change. Accommodating University and external changes is important, but it has added complexity to the project and the Strategic Group is considering how best to launch the system using an incremental approach.

We consider such an approach to be important as it will allow for a clear and orderly migration from SDS that is timely and does not put important University processes at risk. In order to achieve such a migration, we will prioritise functionality for the initial launch (minimal viable product) and consider the best time during the spring and summer to introduce the new system.

The KentVision Strategic Group has met once and is planning to meet regularly from now on. We are currently overseeing the initial piece of work that will help determine the necessary components for a minimum viable product and from this we will develop an implementation plan and launch timetable.

We expect this initial assessment to complete later this month and we will issue further updates regularly via Campus Online/Kent Staff Online newsletter to ensure that University colleagues are kept informed of progress and can prepare for future changes.

Mary P. Hughes
Academic Registrar and Chair of the KentVision Steering Group

Mungo’s Available for Private Parties and Events

Looking to hold an event? Whatever the occasion, whatever the reason, Mungo’s has got it covered.

Located in Eliot College, Mungo’s bar and diner is the perfect place to celebrate special occasions and host exclusive events. With its newly refurbished colourful decor and friendly staff, this welcoming venue can be used for birthday parties, comedy evenings, live music performances, social gatherings and smaller informal events.

Exclusive venue hire is available weeknights from 21:00 until late, and all day at weekends. Food and drink packages are also available, as well as a fully stocked bar and an independent sound system that allows you to play your own music, should you wish.

Mungo’s guarantees to pull out all the stops to ensure a memorable occasion.

For further enquiries please contact venue manager, Sam Hackett.

For further information about Mungo’s, please click here.

Kent Sport Fitness Instructor raising funds for Ronald McDonald

Gavin Connor is known around Kent Sport for his larger than life personality and his ability to push people just the right way to help them succeed in their fitness journey.

But few know that Gavin had a traumatic time last year when his son was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a condition in which a child’s skull fuses too early, causing problems with growth.

Gavin’s son Orion was taken to the Oxford Children’s Hospital where he underwent major surgery, spending more than a week recovering. Luckily, it was a massive success and Orion is thriving beautifully since having the corrective surgery.

Not wanting to stay far from their son, Gavin and his wife reached out to the Ronald McDonald House which ensured the family had a place to stay nearby without having to travel three hours back and forth during the ordeal.

Gavin was touched by the generosity of the charity and wanted to give back to them to make it possible for other families to receive the same treatment when their children may have to go through something similar.

During the end of August, Gavin took part in the South Coast Challenge attempting to walk 100km along the coastline. It was an arduous 18 hour task, but he powered through from 8.20am Sunday morning to just after 2.30am Monday morning. He stopped at the 85km checkpoint and was told that blisters were peppering his feet and encouraged not to go any further. Gavin was absolutely gutted he couldn’t complete the journey, but his family was beyond proud of his accomplishments.

Although finished with the 2019 challenge, Gavin is determined to do it again next year in hopes to complete the experience with all 100km.

If you would like to learn more about Gavin’s experience with the Ronald McDonald House or to donate to his cause, please visit his JustGiving page.

If you’re interested in upping your fitness game to take on a similar challenge, Kent Sport provides various fitness programs to help you achieve just that.

Not a member yet? We have new membership options to suit your fitness journey. For Kent Sport news, events and special offers, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @UniKentSports.

Public Engagement with Research Communities of Practice Programme

All research/professional services staff and students interested in engagement with research are invited to join informal communities of practice sessions in the coming academic year. Members of the Kent Public Engagement with Research Network (KPERN) will be sharing their experiences and wisdom from across a spectrum of engagement activities in 4 themed lunchtime sessions. We are also lucky enough to be hosting an external expert on evaluation of engagement activity in a half-day workshop.

These sessions will also provide space and time to mix with others, support peers, and share ideas on engagement plans.

To register, please email Maddy Bell at peresearch@kent.ac.uk confirming which session/s you wish to join (subject to space). The sessions will be held on the Canterbury campus.

Bring your lunch, challenges, and ideas!

Session 1: Dr Amanda Bates: Patient & Public Involvement (PPI)

Tuesday 8^th October 1-2pm 2019

Dr Amanda Bates, Patient Experience and Public Involvement Lead for the Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS) will talk us through what PPI is (and what it isn’t!), why it is crucial, and how its approach can be transferable outside of the healthcare research field. She will reflect on the challenges of managing PPI in research and how they can best be addressed.

Session 2: Kasia Senyszyn: Working in parternship with external partners

Wednesday 6^th November 1-2pm 2019

Kasia Senyszyn, a School of Arts PhD student specialising in accessibility in theatre, has been working with Sun Pier House (SPH) in Medway, on the ‘Open Arts My Self’ project. Project artists from SPH will join Kasia to talk about how the collaboration came about and what it has involved, how it worked in practice, experiences of working across very different organisations, and lessons learned from the whole process.

Session 3: External expert Jamie Gallagher: Evaluating Engagement

Half day workshop Wednesday 29^th January 2020 (time to be confirmed)

Jamie Gallagher is an award winning and nationally recognised engagement professional and trainer, specialising in evaluation of the impact of engagement activity. After an overview of the engagement with research landscape, Jamie will move on to evaluation: the what, why and how. Participants will be supported to work on their own engagement and evaluation plans during the workshop.

Session 4: Laura Thomas-Walters: Innovative methods of engaging the public with research

Monday 10^th February 2020 1-2pm

Laura Thomas-Walters, a PhD student in Conservation Biology, commissioned her PhD quilt as a visual and tactile representation of the breadth of research undertaken at Kent. Laura worked with the Canterbury Quilters Society to produce the quilt, subsequently winning the Graduate School’s Postgraduate Community Experience Award. Laura will talk through the development of this innovative method of engagement, and where it will take her next.

Session 5: Dr Helen Brooks and Professor Mark Connelly: Gateways to the First World War – a plethora of engagement activity

Wednesday 4^th March 2020 1-2pm

Between 2014 and 2019, Gateways to the First World War was funded by the AHRC to support public engagement with the centenary of the First World War. In this session Dr Helen Brooks, a Reader in Theatre and Cultural History, and Mark Connelly, Professor of Modern History, will reflect on their experiences of a diverse range of public engagement activities: from talks and workshops to performances and lecture-concerts. They will discuss the ways in which they worked with community groups both as advisors and in developing participatory researcher projects, and reflect on the challenges and possibilities of this kind of work.

Customer service Pride Award – nomination deadline 25 September

The PRIDE Award recognises members of Kent Hospitality staff who go out of their way to deliver excellent customer service.

Do you know of a Kent Hospitality staff member (permanent or casual) that showed excellent customer service over the summer or during the busy Arrivals Weekend this year? If so, please take a few minutes to make your nomination online; pick up a paper form next to the red nomination boxes located in Kent Hospitality’s catering outlets and College reception areas or email pride@kent.ac.uk. The deadline is midday Wednesday 25 September.

Please make your nominations detailed, providing as much information as possible why the nominee should be considered for the award. The panel are looking for staff who achieve more than just what is expected in their role (i.e. hardworking, professional, positive and friendly attitude). Kent staff, students or members of the public can submit nominations.

The award is given out four times a year with each winner receiving £100 of shopping vouchers, a certificate and PRIDE badge.

Congratulations again to our most recent Pride Award winner – Lizzie Arbus, Chargehand in Kent Hospitality Housekeeping team.

For further information or for guidance on submitting nominations please contact: pride@kent.ac.uk.

University Rock Choir back this term!

Fresh from its successful gig during Summer Music Week, Rock Choir is back again this term!

A fun and enjoyable way to spend a Monday lunchtime, sessions cover pop, rock and chart singing, and are open to all University of Kent staff and students. Sessions are free – there’s no audition and no need to read music – just turn up!

Sessions take place on Mondays during term-time from 12.45-1.45pm in Colyer-Fergusson Hall starting 30th September; come and join in!