11 November 2019 – 31 January 2020
Curated by Dawn Cole

On November 11th 1918, the guns fell silent and hostilities ceased on the Western Front with the signing of the armistice. One hundred years later we asked people to record their day on November 11th 2018. This exhibition features a selection of those diaries created for The Diaries of the Here and Now project, which are now part of the University of Kent’s Special Collections & Archives.

The diaries, written by people spanning several generations, and feature drawings, paintings, collage, poetry and even film, and take numerous themes, including:

• general accounts of the day
• political
• remembrance and remembering specific people
• memorialisation
• reflections on war and conflict
• health
• Brexit
• fears for the future
• personal stories
• journeys

The Diaries of the Here and Now was developed by artist Dawn Cole (www.dawncole.co.uk).

29 April – 28 June 2019

Alternative Comedy Now: The Exhibition celebrates the 40^th birthday of alternative comedy with an exhibition of material from the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive (BSUCA).

The early summer of 1979 saw the opening of the Comedy Store in Soho and the formation of the group Alternative Cabaret, kick-starting the alternative comedy movement that would revolutionize the style, subject matter and politics of British stand-up.

Using BSUCA’s unrivalled collection of material, including publicity materials, photographs, press coverage, scripts, LPs, and business records, this exhibition tells the story of how alternative comedy grew into a rich and vibrant scene throughout the 1980s, and sowed the seeds for today’s comedy circuit. Presented by Special Collections & Archives and the School of Arts.

17 May – 6 July 2018 
Curators: Christin Hoene and Jan Moriarty, and the Special Collections & Archives teamThe University of Kent is proud of its diverse student, staff and alumni community. ‘Out and Proud’ aims to showcase some of our LGBT+ champions, role models, and allies to highlight the amazing people on our campuses who share their stories to inspire others. It will also feature books from the Templeman Library about and by LGBT+ role models throughout the ages.

Role models challenge stereotypes, provide guidance and advice, and they are examples to all about being proud of who you are and overcoming prejudice and discrimination.

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.

29th March to 11th May 2018 
Curators: Hans Maes and Aurélie Debaene

Portraits & Philosophy: a Conversation invites you to participate in this interaction between image and idea.

Ten of the world’s leading philosophers of art are portrayed here by renowned photographer Steve Pyke and visual artist (and Kent graduate) Claire Anscomb. These striking black-and-white portraits are accompanied by short excerpts from the book Conversations on Art and Aesthetics in which Kent lecturer Dr. Hans Maes discusses key issues in art and aesthetics with these individual philosophers.

Become acquainted with the thoughts and faces of contemporary aesthetics and let yourself be challenged by this up close and personal view of philosophy.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Templeman Library at the University of Kent. The Templeman Library sits at the heart of the Canterbury campus and has played a central role in the academic lives of the thousands of students and staff who have passed through its doors and roamed its stacks. Drawing upon the University’s extensive photographic archive, our exhibition will celebrate the development of the Library from its humble shop-based beginnings to its recent award-winning expansion and redevelopment, as well as highlighting the ever-changing ways in which the Library is used.

The exhibition will be complemented by original material from the University Archive and themed displays showcasing the unique collections we care for, including treasures from our Special Collections; the British Cartoon Archive; the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive; and our most recent acquisition, the David Drummond Pantomime Collection, one of the largest collections of historic pantomime material in the UK.

The exhibition will be opening in March. During the week of 19th–23rd March we will be celebrating Our Templeman with a range of tours and events. Please visit our website for further information.