Author: Laura Jones

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.”

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.”

The University hosted two special guests last week when the Chief Executive and Keeper of The National Archives and its Head of Research visited the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) and its digital archive.

Funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the University is working in partnership with the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial Trust to preserve the heritage of Bomber Command by constructing a digital archive and providing the content and interpretation for an exhibition which will be housed in the new IBCC visitor centre when it opens in 2017.

Jeff James (Chief Executive and Keeper) and Val Johnson (Head of Research) were met by representatives from the Trust and the University, including Matthew Cragoe, PVC College of Arts, Ian Snowley, University Librarian, Heather Hughes, Head of the IBCC Digital Archive and Paul Stephenson, Head of the School of History & Heritage.

The visit began at the IBCC site on Canwick Hill, where Project Director Nicky Barr outlined the progress so far, before proceeding to the offices of the IBCC Digital Archive on the University’s Riseholme campus.

Here the archive team were able to explain the project’s ethos and approach to digital archiving, leading to an interesting and fruitful discussion about some of the challenges that digitisation poses for all archives.

All too soon it was time for Jeff and Val to return to London but the team were delighted to introduce them to this major project and show how it fits into the University’s broader commitment to digital collections management.

Young animators who developed their talents at the University of Lincoln have helped to bring to life an award-winning tale by acclaimed British author and illustrator Raymond Briggs, best known for his Christmas classic, The Snowman.

Patrick Collins and Alison Oxborrow were part of the team at Lupus Films who created Ethel & Ernest, a hand-drawn animated feature film telling the true story of Raymond’s own parents, two ordinary Londoners living through a period of extraordinary events and immense social change.

The pair joined a team of top British talent breathing life into these special characters, with Lincolnshire’s own Oscar winner Jim Broadbent and Golden Globe winner Brenda Blethyn in the title roles, and Olivier Award winner Luke Treadaway as Raymond.

Both Patrick and Alison met the film’s Animation Director, Peter Dodd, and Head of Assistant Animation, Denise Dean, while studying the BA (Hons) in Animation degree course at the University of Lincoln, and acknowledge it was these industry connections that helped them join the team at Lupus Films entrusted with bringing Raymond Briggs’ most personal story to the silver screen.

Patrick, who graduated with Alison in 2015, explained: “I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t studied animation in Lincoln. As well as learning about form, construction and animation technique I met some great people who actually work in the industry. When I saw that Denise was looking for assistant animators to work on the film, I jumped at the chance.”

Sultan Efe, Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Animation in the University’s Lincoln School of Film & Media, said: “It’s fantastic that both Alison and Patrick have gone on to work on such a high profile animated feature film project in which they’ve been able to demonstrate their expertise in traditional animation techniques.

“At Lincoln our students engage with industry experts, becoming creative animators with the flexibility to practise their craft in a variety of media and making valuable connections along the way.”

Ethel & Ernest premiered at the BFI London Film Festival 2016 and is now being shown in cinemas across the UK (released 28^th October 2016).

An online resource charting the history of Feminism in the late 18th century to the early 20th century has been launched, providing the perfect starting point for those wanting to research the topic.

Created with researchers and students in mind, the Routledge Historical Resources: History of Feminism pulls together a wealth of articles, chapters, books and journals focusing on the long Nineteenth Century of feminism (1776-1928).

It features thousands of chapters of primary source materials, digitised for the first time, alongside 1,000 chapters of secondary book content and 100 journal articles from a range of Taylor and Francis journals. It also includes 16 newly commissioned thematic essays by experts in the field, including Women’s Movements and Ideologies in the long 19th Century by Professor Krista Cowman from the School of History & Heritage.

Images from the London School of Economics and Political Science’s Women’s Library help to bring the resource to life as well as creating a fully comprehensive resource of this much studied era of gender history.