Diversity in the arts: a Lincolnshire case study

Laura Jones / December 7, 2016 / Research

Earlier this year, the University’s School of Fine & Performing Arts launched Lincolnshire Diversity in the Arts, an Arts Council England funded research project exploring rural artistic diversity.

Led by Dr Arya Madhavan and Dr Sreenath Nair, the project has taken theatre as a way of examining the challenges of diversifying arts in rural counties like Lincolnshire, and identifying ways to overcome these challenges.

As part of the project, a survey has now been launched to collect the thoughts and opinions of as many people living in Lincolnshire as possible.

If you can, please spare five minutes to share your thoughts and complete the online survey. All answers will remain anonymous and will contribute to the development of a cultural diversity strategy for the county.

For more information, or to access the online survey, click here.

Women’s history charted in new documentary

Laura Jones / December 2, 2016December 2, 2016 / News

The revolutionary history of women from militancy to sexual liberation and beyond was brought to life in a new BBC Four documentary thanks to the contribution of a Lincoln academic.

Women, Sex and Society: A Timewatch Guide draws on 30 years of TimeWatch footage and 70 years of BBC archive films to plot the revolutionary changes that took place, comparing how films from different periods presented the issues of their time.

Historian and broadcaster Helen Castor was joined by Professor Krista Cowman, Professor of History at the University of Lincoln, UK, and an expert in women’s history and politics.

The programme examined the fundamental shifts that have taken place in the UK, from the suffragette struggle for the female vote in the early part of 20^th century, through the social and sexual rebellion of the 1960s and beyond.

Professor Cowman described the ongoing transformation in the rights and roles of women, as the show explored the changes driven by successive waves of feminism and how these redefined the wants and needs of women.

Women, Sex and Society: A Timewatch Guide first aired on BBC Four on Tuesday 15^th November 2016 and is available on the BBC iPlayer.

Closure of Arboretum and Burton Road GP Surgeries

Zoe Homes / November 30, 2016November 30, 2016 / News

Information for students registered at Arboretum or Burton Road GP Surgeries

The University has been made aware by NHS England that following a period of consultation and an unsuccessful procurement exercise the Arboretum Surgery and Burton Road Surgery will be closing on the 7th January 2017.

Students who are currently registered with the Arboretum or Burton Road GP Surgeries will need to register with a new doctor following the decision to close these practices.

Your NHS registration will not automatically transfer to an alternative practice, you will therefore need to choose and register with a new doctor yourself. We strongly advise you to register with an alternative local practice as soon as possible to ensure continuity of your NHS registration.

We recommend that you consider the University of Lincoln Health Service, which is conveniently located in the Marina Building on campus and specialises in the healthcare of students and staff. The Health Service is currently welcoming new registrations. Please collect a registration pack in person from the surgery or download one from the practice website to find more information about the practice as well as useful advice on common health conditions: www.ulhsonline.co.uk

Guest Lecture – Martin Parr, Photographer

Zoe Homes / November 29, 2016 / Events

Lincoln School of Film and Media invite you to attend a guest lecture by renowned photographer Martin Parr.

Martin Parr is one of the world’s most iconic photographers, his ability to capture the essence of Britishness is unparallelled within contemporary image-making.

Wednesday 7th December 2016, 1pm to 3pm, SLB006

Places are limited, please reserve your free ticket now via the Eventbrite page (password: martin parr):

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/magnum-photographer-martin-parr-guest-lecture-tickets-29410978027

Martin Parr is a chronicler of our age. In the face of the constantly growing flood of images released by the media, his photographs offer us the opportunity to see the world from his unique perspective.

At first glance, his photographs seem exaggerated or even grotesque. The motifs he chooses are strange, the colours are garish and the perspectives are unusual. Parr’s term for the overwhelming power of published images is “propaganda”. He counters this propaganda with his own chosen weapons: criticism, seduction and humour. As a result, his photographs are original and entertaining, accessible and understandable. But at the same time they show us in a penetrating way how we live, how we present ourselves to others, and what we value.

Leisure, consumption and communication are the concepts that this British photographer has been researching for several decades now on his worldwide travels. In the process, he examines national characteristics and international phenomena to find out how valid they are as symbols that will help future generations to understand our cultural peculiarities. Parr enables us to see things that have seemed familiar to us in a completely new way. In this way he creates his own image of society, which allows us to combine an analysis of the visible signs of globalisation with unusual visual experiences. In his photos, Parr juxtaposes specific images with universal ones without resolving the contradictions. Individual characteristics are accepted and eccentricities are treasured.

The themes Parr selects and his inimitable treatment of them set him apart as a photographer whose work involves the creation of extensive series. Part of his unusual strategy is to present and publish the same photos in the context of art photography, in exhibitions and in art books, as well as in the related fields of advertising and journalism. In this way, he transcends the traditional separation of the different types of photography. Thanks to this integrative approach, as well as his style and his choice of themes, he has long served as a model for the younger generation of photographers.

Martin Parr sensitises our subconscious – and once we’ve seen his photographs, we keep on discovering these images over and over again in our daily lives and recognising ourselves within them. The humour in these photographs makes us laugh at ourselves, with a sense of recognition and release.

If you have any question or queries, please contact Clem Monro, cmonro@lincoln.ac.uk.

What’s on in Lincoln this week?

Zoe Homes / November 28, 2016November 28, 2016 / News

Here is a roundup of some of the things going on in Lincoln this week. For more information go to the Visit Lincoln website.

The Great War Remembered

Date: September 10, 2016 to January 3, 2017

Time: 10:00am to 4:30pm

Venue: Museum Of Lincolnshire Life

An exhibition at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life chronicling the First World War through the eyes of Lincolnshire’s residents, exploring conscription, objection and the rise of the tank.

Euan Uglow and Sargy Mann Exhibition

Date: September 24, 2016 to January 8, 2017

Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Venue: The Usher Gallery

An exhibition featuring two British artists translating 3D objects onto the 2D canvas at The Usher Gallery.

Christmas at Lincoln Cathedral

Date: November 19, 2016 to December 25, 2016

Time: All Day

Venue: Lincoln Cathedral

Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas at Lincoln Cathedral’s Christmas and Advent programme of services and concerts.

Advent Wreath Festival

Date: November 24, 2016 to December 15, 2016

Time: All Day

Venue: Church Of St. Mary Magdalene

The St Mary Magdalene Advent Wreath Festival will exhibit beautiful Christmas wreaths decorated by local businesses throughout Advent.

Christmas at Doddington Hall

Date: November 26, 2016 to December 21, 2016

Time: 9:00am to 9:00pm

Venue: Doddington Hall & Gardens

Enjoy Doddington Hall’s festive open days, and browse Christmas gifts, trees, and food from the farm shop.

Lincoln Ice Rink

Date: November 26, 2016 to January 1, 2017

Time: 10:00am to 9:00pm

Venue: Lincoln City Square

Get your skates on at Lincoln’s outdoor, city centre ice rink for a truly festive experience.

University of Lincoln Open Day

Date: November 30, 2016

Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm

Venue: University Of Lincoln

Visit a stimulating, friendly, award-winning study environment with state-of-the-art facilities at the University of Lincoln.

Lincoln Christmas Market 2016

Date: December 1, 2016 to December 4, 2016

Time: All Day

Venue: Cathedral Quarter

Lincoln’s Cathedral Quarter is taken over by stalls, entertainers and seasonal themes for four days of festive entertainment and shopping at the famous Lincoln Christmas Market.

Lincoln Medieval Christmas Market

Date: December 1, 2016 to December 4, 2016

Time: All Day

Venue: Medieval Bishops’ Palace

Go medieval this Christmas by browsing the range of historic market stalls selling a variety of festive goods and gifts at the Medieval Bishops’ Palace.

High Street Farmers’ Market

Date: December 2, 2016

Time: 9:00am to 4:00pm

Venue: High Street

This conveniently located market sits at the bottom of Lincoln’s Steep Hill, amongst the city’s buzzing High Street.

Lincoln Artists’ Christmas Market

Date: December 2, 2016 to December 3, 2016

Time: 10:00am to 9:00pm

Venue: St Martin’s Square

Find unique works from local artists in St Martin’s Square during Lincoln Christmas Market at the Lincoln Artists’ Christmas Market.

Exhibition: James E Smith

Date: December 3, 2016 to April 23, 2017

Time: 9:30am to 10:30am

Venue: The Usher Gallery

A collection of new works at the Usher Gallery by photographer James E Smith produced while in Australia, displayed alongside images from the Lincolnshire Mental Health Archive.

A Victorian Christmas

Date: December 3, 2016 to December 4, 2016

Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Venue: Museum Of Lincolnshire Life

Visit the Museum of Lincolnshire Life and take in the sights and smells of a traditional Christmas in the historic room-sets, and enjoy festive refreshments in the tea room.

Gifted Contemporary Christmas Market

Date: December 3, 2016 to December 4, 2016

Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Venue: The National Centre for Craft and Design

Head to England’s largest craft and design exhibition space for a contemporary Christmas Market and free, creative activities.

Christmas Wreath Making

Date: December 4, 2016 to December 6, 2016

Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Venue: Hartsholme Country Park

Create your own Christmas wreath for your home with help from the Rangers at Hartsholme Country Park.

Cinderella

Date: December 5, 2016 to January 8, 2017

Time: All Day

Venue: New Theatre Royal Lincoln

Treat yourself and your loved ones to a fabulous fairy tale treat this Christmas at the New Theatre Royal starring Kerry Katona and Chris Johnson. (Don’t forget you can get your ticket for £10 by showing your Student Card.)

Carols on the High Street

Date: December 8, 2016

Time: 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Venue: Lincoln Cornhill

Follow a Medieval Christmas tradition and enjoy carol singing in Lincoln city centre with the City of Lincoln Waites and Lincoln Beevor Band.

Visit Lincoln What’s On Guide > http://www.visitlincoln.com/whats-on

Students inspired by top music producer

Laura Jones / November 22, 2016November 22, 2016 / News

Music students at the University of Lincoln had the chance to learn from one of the best in the business when they were treated to a masterclass from renowned sound engineer and record producer, Tony Platt.

Throughout his long and successful career, Tony has worked with a range of high-profile artists, from Bob Marley and Paul McCartney to AC/DC and Iron Maiden, and is closely involved with the music industry accreditation body, Joint Audio Media Education Support (JAMES).

He joined students on the University’s BA (Hons) Music degree to deliver a talk entitled The Art Of Busking (or making it up as you go along), providing advice on producing and emphasising the importance of organisation in creativity. The students were then given the chance to perform, providing the opportunity to gain valuable feedback from the respected producer.

Tony Platt is the latest industry expert to work with Lincoln’s Music students, with musician and audio engineer George Shilling and Belle & Sebastian’s Mick Cooke having delivered guest lectures so far this academic year.

Elly Yeatman, a first year Music student, attended the session. She said: “It’s really interesting to hear from different people who all embrace music in different ways, from young community performers to music producers who’ve worked in the industry for years like Tony. Listening to their stories has really opened my eyes to how the music industry works and the wide range of opportunities available to me.”

As a member of JAMES, Tony works to promote supportive links between industry and education. He said: “With the rise of programmes such as Britain’s Got Talent, many students believe that success is instant but it’s really not. They have to find and develop their own style, and make the most of being at university and the facilities on offer to build their portfolio.

“Creative subjects are unique in that they require a completely different way of teaching to more traditional subjects. To develop their skills and understanding of music, students have to expose themselves to as many different viewpoints as possible and that’s why it’s great to get involved in sessions like this.”

Discounted panto tickets for staff and students

Zoe Homes / November 22, 2016 / News

The New Theatre Royal, Lincoln are offering staff and students from the University of Lincoln discounted tickets for this year’s Panto – Cinderella.

The Panto, which stars Kerry Katona, Chris Johnson, Ian Reddington and Rebekah Lowings, runs from Monday 5 December until Sunday 8 January.

Staff and students from the University of Lincoln can book a ticket for just £10 by showing their Staff or Student ID card at the time of booking.

(The discounted rate applies to the staff member/student only, discounted rate applies for all performances except Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The normal ticket price is £15-£22).

To book your ticket call into the Box Office on Clasketgate in Lincoln or telephone 01522 519999.

University promises mental health support for students

Zoe Homes / November 22, 2016 / News

On Friday 18th November the Vice Chancellor and Colin Warren our Local NHS Head of Mental Health Commissioning signed a new and revised Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat Declaration.

The University of Lincoln has agreed to sign the concordat to officially declare that it will ensure those who need mental health support get the help they need.

The document states that:

The University is making a commitment to agree to improve the outcomes for students with mental health conditions.
That we will work with external partners to ensure our students are kept safe in times of crisis.
We will support our students to find the help that they need, whether that be in house or an external service.
We will continue to develop partnerships with external services.
The University is committed to developing ways of sharing information with key people; we have already completed this with our local Improving Access to Psychological Therapies team, and have a process in place with the Crisis Team.

Julie Spencer, Head of Student Wellbeing at the University of Lincoln, said: “This shows a commitment to not only our students, but also our external partners such as the NHS, Police etc, that we are committed to supporting our students, that we are prepared to build external partnerships”.

The University already has a number of schemes in place to help those who need mental health support, and will be continuing to provide and develop these in line with the concordat.

Student Wellbeing Drop-in Sessions and Workshops

If you have been diagnosed as having a mental health condition, or if you are starting to experience a decline in your mental health which is impacting on your ability to study, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Wellbeing Centre or come along to a drop-in. This will give you the opportunity to meet with one of our advisors who will be able to offer you support and guidance.

Drop-in sessions take place Monday to Friday 12noon to 2pm in the Student Wellbeing Centre.

You can find out more about the workshops here: http://studentservices.lincoln.ac.uk/student-wellbeing-home/

Alternatively you can contact the team at studentwellbeing@lincoln.ac.uk or by calling 01522 886400.

Great Minds: Suzanna Taverne speaks on Trust and the BBC

Zoe Homes / November 17, 2016November 18, 2016 / Events

Trust and the BBC: does the public believe in its biggest broadcaster?

The reputation of the BBC and the extent to which it is trusted by the public will be examined in detail by a BBC Trustee in the next instalment of the Great Minds guest lecture series.

Suzanna Taverne will draw on her five years’ experience working with the broadcaster to examine three core questions: Why is the BBC trusted? What affects this trust? Will the BBC continue to be trusted in future? In her role as a BBC Trustee, she oversees the Services Committee, and is a member of the Value for Money Committee.

Her Great Minds guest lecture at the University of Lincoln is entitled, Trust and the BBC. It will take place at 11.30am on 24th November 2016 at 11.30am at the Engine Shed on the University’s main Brayford Pool campus. Admission to the public is free but prior booking is essential. The talk will be followed by a Q&A with members of the audience.

The event comes ahead of the publication of a new Royal Charter for the BBC, which will set out how the organisation will be governed, funded and regulated over the next decade.

Suzanna said: “The BBC is one of the most recognised broadcasters in the world and the most trusted source of news in the UK. It continues to play a central role in the UK’s cultural and political life, with 97 per cent of licence fee payers using BBC services for an average of more than 18 hours a week.

“I will be looking at the building blocks of people’s trust in the BBC: the range and quality of its content and services; its independence and impartiality; and whether it provides good value for money. I’m asking how trust in the BBC is holding up in an environment in which media channels and platforms are proliferating and the demographic makeup and behaviour of the audience is changing? Is the BBC’s independence in danger of being eroded? What is the impact of devolution and changing voting patterns? How well has the BBC management coped with the Savile affair and the challenges of pay, bureaucracy and reduced resources?”

Suzanna’s career has spanned finance, education, culture, and media, in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. She has worked at the Independent newspaper, Saatchi & Saatchi, Pearson and the FT Group, Imperial College London and was Managing Director of the British Museum responsible for delivering the £100m Great Court millennium project.

The University of Lincoln’s Great Minds guest lecture series aims to provide inspirational insights into different aspects of society – from the entertainment world to elite sport. Places are available to students, staff and members of the public. Admission is free but booking is essential.

This season’s Great Minds series has so far included appearances by rugby sporting great Rory Underwood, Lord Victor Adebowale CBE, Chancellor of the University of Lincoln and a cross bench member of the House of Lords, and BBC Autumnwatch presenter Chris Packham.

To book a place at the Great Minds guest lecture visit www.lincoln.ac.uk/events, email events@lincoln.ac.uk or phone 01522 837100.

Youngsters get creative in Marvellous Mechanicals Big Draw event

Laura Jones / November 15, 2016November 15, 2016 / News

Almost two hundred schoolchildren got creative when art and technology collided in a two-day drawing extravaganza at the University of Lincoln.

Pupils from schools across Lincolnshire joined University staff and students for Marvellous Mechanicals, held as part of a national Big Draw festival encouraging people of all ages to come together and express their creativity through drawing.

Following this year’s ‘STEAM Powered’ theme, which brings together science, technology, engineering, art and maths, the University teamed up with partner Siemens UK to offer children a chance to develop their artistic skills.

The pupils were given exclusive access to the company’s on-campus turbine training facility, where they were able to get their hands dirty and experiment with charcoal-based drawings.

They also visited the University’s new ‘Life Studio’ where they stretched their imaginations further by designing and creating personalised robot heads with card and art supplies.

Having tackled the more traditional art forms, the children were given the opportunity to experiment with mono-printing and embrace digital technology with Google’s Tilt Brush, a 3D virtual reality painting programme.

The Richmond School in Skegness was one of those involved in the event.

Year Four Class Teacher and Arts Coordinator, Rebecca Sylvester, said: “I’m passionate about drawing so I’ve loved being involved in the festival. For the children it was a great opportunity to practise the skills they’ve already learnt in the classroom, while learning to experiment with new mediums and materials.

“We’re always encouraging the children to give things a go and that’s what this day was all about. They got the chance to try something new and express their own creativity and really loved taking part in all the activities.”

Hosted by the University’s School of Architecture & Design, the Big Draw activities were led by Brian Voce, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design.

He said: “Drawing is the foundation of so much of what we see in the world around us. Everything made and manufactured by humans, from the pen in your hand to the house you live in, has at some point been drawn by someone.

“While art is often seen as not as important as other subjects, it simply isn’t the case. For example, drawing is integral to science, helping to visualise theoretical ideas and to communicate them to the general public.

“The Big Draw is not about being the best artist. It’s about creativity, innovation and being able to express yourself, and that’s why events like this are so important – they encourage and inspire children to become the artists and designers of the future.”