Blog from QMUL's School of English and Drama (SED)
Author: All Things SED Editor
I am the Web and Marketing Administrator in the School of English and Drama. Amongst my various roles, I run the School's website (www.sed.qmul.ac.uk) and its Twitter feed (@QMULsed). I also manage the running of the School's Open Days and draft promotional materials.
Detritus is a research project exhibiting Live Art and Performance across mediums and themes, to challenge what performance can and should be in gallery spaces.
Join us at Tension Fine Art for a day of overlapping performances and artworks that explore liveness, bodies, and materials.
A mixture of experimental live and non-live artworks, broaching durational, interactive, and pre-recorded mediums. The live performances will begin and end on staggered start times, amongst a selection of video and installation, so from open until close there will be something to experience.
Engaging with a variety of topics, the artists navigate being witnessed by an audience in a gallery. Detritus as a project is an investigation into the politics of performing in these spaces, while the artworks comprising Detritus 2022 specifically consider bodies and liveness in this sphere.
Welcome to our latest round up of events, opportunities and schemes that may help you meet collaborators, improve your career prospects or simply broaden your horizons.
Thanks to our intern Ryan for making this post and creating the rather dystopian main graphic. Please let us know if you have any suggestions for the next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
Quorum with Dr Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal It’s work. So work it
7th December, 2022 | 17:30-19:00 (Presentation will begin at 18:00)
Rehearsal Room 2 And Zoom.
‘It’s work. So work it.’: Corporate drama training in the workplace
This talk will explore the expansion of drama-based training into the workplace, and the recent growth in skills training programs and courses offered by theatres and conservatoires. Examples include (but are not limited to): the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD) and the Donmar Warehouse. In these training contexts, the skills of professional performers are heralded as enabling managers and workers to craft confident professional performances from their inner material, promising to unleash employee ‘authenticity’ via the use of methods originally developed for performers. The rise of these offerings is fed by the increasing prioritization of effective communicative, ‘soft’ or performance skills at work, creating space for theatre institutions to capitalize by offering short courses that repackage elements of their training as now directly applicable to the non-theatrical workplace. This talk will consider the history of these forms of workplace training, look in detail at their methods and modes of delivery, and ask how the provision of drama-based training shapes modes of employee performance in the contemporary workplace. Dr Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal is a lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at Queen Mary. Her research considers performance and emotional labour, and the imprint of Stanislavskian modes of performer training within contemporary work.
Queen Mary research behind art exhibition exploring politics of privacy and big tech
Just how private are your WhatsApp messages?
A new exhibition combines art with Queen Mary research exploring what privacy means in our increasingly digital world and how the idea can benefit big tech board rooms more than its users.
Dr Philippa Williams and Dr Lipika Kamra are studying how Meta-owned WhatsApp can influence everyone from ordinary people to national governments. They explained: “WhatsApp is marketed as a personal space for communication with trusted contacts, but our research found it’s not safe or secure for all. Our exhibition looks at how privacy is constructed and regulated, and who by – sparking questions like, can we carry on like this, and do we want to?”
‘Privacy Techtonics’ is free to visit online at www.otoka.org and in person at Nottingham’s Broadway Gallery from 11 November to 4 December.
(B)OrderS Inaugural Lecture: Protecting Refugees without Borders
Date: Thursday, 1 December 2022, 10:00 – 12:00 GMT (including light lunch)Venue: Hybrid event: online or in room 313, Third Floor, School of Law, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS
The Role of Law in Bordering, Ordering, and Othering Series The Past, Present and Future of Borders The protection of those in flight is a paramount obligation. It is a duty that transcends borders and formal categories, such as status as a refugee under the 1951 Convention/1967 Protocol, or status as a stateless person under the 1954 Convention, or as a beneficiary of complementary or subsidiary protection, or someone entitled to humanitarian consideration, or someone deemed excluded for reasons of criminality or national security, or someone otherwise extraditable, or one who is trafficked, or the victim of modern slavery, or one who flees famine or drought.
The humanitarian necessity is always there: among the questions facing lawyers, activists, and governments, as the movements of people continue to grow, are the extent to which a “principle of refuge” has normative force, and how, in any event, to galvanize and operationalize the necessary political will so that no more lives are lost, and futures can be rebuilt.
Dr Keith A. Manley, ‘Bodies in Libraries as Viewed by Agatha Christie and “Golden Age” Detective Writers’
The name of Agatha Christie is synonymous with the discovery of dead bodies in libraries, usually in country houses. This paper will consider death amidst the books in Agatha’s novels and her own upbringing amongst books. But Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple will share the limelight with other `Golden Age’ sleuths of the 1920s and 1930s, with guest appearances from Lord Peter Wimsey, Inspector John Appleby, and others. All of them appreciated libraries, and murder of course; not for the faint-hearted.
The following seminar will be in-person only at 5.30 p.m. in the Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AB. Free to attend, but please book in advance.
On Wednesday 7 December, join us in QMUL’s beautiful Octagon Room (Queens’ Building) for mulled wine and mince pies from 5:30pm. A programme of secular and sacred carols will begin at 6pm, led by a choir and contextualised with short critical commentaries from QMUL colleagues. All welcome!
Applications are open now for the Frontline programme 2023. Get paid to train for a rewarding career where the skills you’ll build will help change lives.
This is the work that makes a difference. If you’re looking for a graduate career where your work makes a difference for real people every day, then our two-year Frontline programme could be for you. You’ll qualify as a social worker and complete a fully funded master’s degree with Lancaster University. Once qualified you’ll become an agent of change for the families you work with and your profession.
You’ll develop new skills to empower families to make positive change for themselves,
making children your priority and keeping them safe from harm. You’ll also improve social work through excellent practice, leadership and innovation alongside our Fellowship of social workers dedicated to doing the same. This is the work that changes society. This is social work.
Welcome to our latest round up of events, opportunities and schemes that may help you meet collaborators, improve your career prospects or simply broaden your horizons.
Visual and Material Forum: 1 Dec – Wang and Choudhury – Global Histories in Print and Illustration
The Visual and Material Forum has a wonderful interdisciplinary event coming up featuring the research of two QMUL doctoral researchers from different schools. This double-bill research seminar on Global Histories in Print and Illustration will present the work of Ningfen Wang (History) on representations of Black Africans in 17th-century prints, and Aratrika Choudhury (Comparative Literature) on the British Empire and book illustrations.
Please let me know (emilie.oleron@qmul.ac.uk) if you would like to be added to the Teams event in advance. Otherwise just come to the SCR or click on the link on the day.
Rules: A Short History of What We Live By’ with Professor Lorraine Daston
When: Wednesday 7 December 2022, 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: Room 313, Third Floor, School of Law Queen Mary University of London Mile End Road London E1 4NS
The School of Law is delighted to be hosting a special book symposium on Professor Lorraine Daston’s Rules: A Short History of What We Live By (Princeton, 2022). The event is organised by Professor Maksymilian Del Mar.
In Rules, historian Lorraine Daston traces the development of rules in the Western tradition and shows how they have evolved from ancient to modern times. Drawing on a rich trove of examples, including legal treatises, cookbooks, military manuals, traffic regulations, and game handbooks, Daston demonstrates that while the content of rules is dazzlingly diverse, the forms that they take are surprisingly few and long-lived.
Our local art gallery hosts the first major retrospective of Italian postmodernist artist and fashion designer Cinzia Ruggeri (1942–2019). For fans of boundary-pushing art and design which straddles performance and architecture.
Friday: 5-6pm, Live Twitter Q&A with the Penguin recruitment team Follow the Careers channel here: https://lnkd.in/eAGvHHb5
Watch the ‘How to work in publishing’ webinar below or here
Applications are open for the Lyric’s SPRINGBOARD Training Programme
Applications are open for 18 – 25 year old’s in West London to be the Lyric’s 2023 – 2024 SPRINGBOARD trainees.
SPRINGBOARD is the Lyric’s free part-time training programme that aims to find, inspire and champion the next generation of performers from underrepresented backgrounds. This ground-breaking programme is a performance pathway into employment for people who have zero to little formal drama training.
Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre, 17-18 November 2022
This Wellcome ISSF-supported symposium, hosted by Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre, explores the role of theatre, performance and related art practices in the experience and expression of grief in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Planned as a hybrid event, taking place online (17 November, via Teams) and in person (18 November, Birkbeck School of Arts), the symposium approaches its subject by bringing together artists, academics, community organisers, health and social care professionals.
TV & MEDIA – Digital Media Training, MAMA Youth (London)
Calling all young creatives aged 18-25 with a passion for creating compelling content and a desire for a career in media check out this 6 week FREE intensive digital media training delivered by MAMA Youth and BAFTA winning, Licklemor Productions held at the SKY TV Campus!
Here’s what you’ll get…
Master the tools and techniques required to succeed in a ‘real life’ collaborative and fast paced environment
Practical hands-on experience in digital media content creation at a production company
A working knowledge of the multi-disciplinary skills required for employment in the industry.
Exclusive access to apply for jobs with their industry partners
Deadline: 21st November Want to get a wide range of digital media training? Apply now!
MUSIC – Label Assistant (Leeds)
Leeds music label Come Play With Me are searching for a local music lover to join their small team as a label assistant! Day to day responsibilities will be focused around supporting the label manager with social media, looking after the online stores, supporting on release cycles for physical/digital releases and the overall preparation for each individual release, alongside opportunities to get involved with the wider activities happening at CPWM.
Here’s what you’ll get…
Experience: A passion and knowledge for local music and supporting under-represented people in the industry. Strong communication skills, self disciplined and ready to use initiative and creativity for problem solving.
Location: Hybrid between Come Play With Me office (Leeds) & Remote
Employment type: 16 hours per week, starts January 2023 for 8 months
This role is funded by Arts Council and Youth Music’s Incubator fund, so is only suitable for people aged 18-25.
Deadline: 17th November at 12pm Are you a music lover? Want to work in local music? Shoot your shot!
FILM – Film Trainee Finder 2023-24, Screenskills
Film Trainee Finder run by Screenskills is perfect for anyone searching for an entry-level placement where you can train and learn key skills on an active film production.
Here’s what you’ll get…
Experience: None
Location: UK Wide
Salary: Undisclosed
Employment type: April 2023 – March 2024
Deadline: 28th November Kickstart your career in Film by applying now!
ADVERTISING – Design Internship
Sampson May have a 12 week internship programme for innovative, digital-savvy designers who are starting out in the creative sector.. You will end the internship with real-world experience working with a range of clients, across varied projects.
Here’s the topline…
Experience: Design graduate
Location: London
Salary: London living wage
Employment type: 12 week internship
Deadline: 30th November Interested in working in brand design? Click here to find out more
Free Entry To UK-Wide Festival Of Journalism 2022
Journalists at every stage of their career are offered free places at The Festival of Journalism 2022, a series of pop-up evenings across the UK offering training, insight, and connections. Coming up in Newcastleand Manchester, each event offers three days of workshops, panel discussions, and practical advice, put together by PA Media Journalism Training, the sister company to PA Media, with support from the Google News Initiative. And, best of all, it’s all free. You can check out the full lineup and get your space here.
This year we are turning the big 20 and we are putting young people at the forefront.
Join us LGBTQ+ Hybrid Conference – LEVEL 20 UNLOCKED for a day of presentations, workshops, round table talks, film screenings, exhibitions and much more. Parts of the conference will be live streamed.
Programme
10:30 – Coffee, Networking, Stalls
11:00 – 12:00 Schools Out
12:00 – 13:00 Gendered Intelligence
14:00 – 15:00 Mosaic
15:00 – 16:00 Positive History: The National HIV Story Trust
Ninette Osei Wilson is the recipient of the LAH 2022 Black History Month commission. As part of the commission Ninette will be running a bespoke workshop next week on the 17th of November for ethnically diverse, global majority members. The workshop will work in two stages. Firstly, you can collect art materials from Ninette this Sunday 13th of November in Hackney, East London. You will then engage in an onlineworkshop on the 17th November using the art materials which include canvases and acrylic paints, in your own home. —
Kunle Adewale is Mental Health Champion/Advocate, Social Development Practitioner, Global Leader and the founder of Arts in Medicine Projects and Arts in Medicine Fellowship. He has trained and graduated over 800 students and professionals in the field of arts and medicine from over 40 countries across the globe.
Join him in person for a very special workshop and seminar exploring his practice and research at King’s College London. —
Mental health is a journey, an exploration, a road to travel along and today we take a moment to pause and reflect: a place to check in with ourselves. A pitstop.
Lewis Pickles is an arts in health and education practitioner working across a number of community and clinical settings. Join Lewis to develop your own writing and artwork around creativity and mental health, reflecting on this year and looking to the next in our free online workshop. Lewis will then work with The Road team to create a ‘London Arts and Health ‘Pitstop Zine’ which will be showcased on the LAH website in an online digital sharing.
SPOTLIGHT ON: ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH
For They Let In The Light is a new live commission at Chisenhale Gallery by artist and mental health activist the vacuum cleaner (aka James Leadbitter), developed with a group of young artists he met during Spring 2021 at the Coborn Centre for Adolescent Mental Health in Newham, East London.
In his performances, films and site-specific interventions, the vacuum cleaner draws on his own experience of mental health disability, working with young people, health professionals and adults to challenge how mental health is understood, treated and experienced. This project responds to a crisis in young people’s mental health, amplifying the experiences of those uniquely isolated by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.
For They Let In The Light is being presented at Chisenhale Gallery on the following dates:
Friday 25 & Saturday 26 November, at 7pm
Friday 2 & Saturday 3 December, at 7pm An afternoon of ‘in-conversations’ between artists, curators and thinkers involved in the project will take place on Sunday, 4 December, 2-4pm.
Opportunities from London Arts In Health Forum
The London Community Foundation – Peabody Community Fund The fund was founded in 2014 and exists to support projects and activities designed to improve the quality of life of Peabody residents and the wider community. The deadline for projects from late March 2023 onwards is Friday 9 December 2022.
Apply to be an academic consultant on NHS Untold Film stories Apply to be an academic consultant on Untold Film Stories to: work with a BFI curator to support film teams creating films inspired by the BFI’s NHS on Film archive, and support film teams to deliver community engagement programmes that engage diverse audiences during the filmmaking process.15th December 2022
The centre for Creative Explorers artist in residence Applications for the Centre for Creative Explorers artist in residence programme 2023 are now open! Applications are welcomed from creative practitioners from any creative background who have a vision and passion for supporting the empowerment of young people. Friday 18th November.
Community Programme Manager Art Explore is looking for an experienced Community Programme Manager with a passion for arts engagement and cultural outreach to build an innovative Community Programme for Art Explora in the UK. Sunday 20th November.
Environmental Sustainability Specialist Julie’s Bicycle is looking for an Environmental Sustainability Specialist to join our Creative Green consultancy for 2-3 days a week until April 2023. Julie’s Bicycle (JB) is a pioneering non-profit organisation mobilising the arts and culture to take action on the climate crisis. 23rd November 2022.
Participation and operation Manager The Participation and Operations Manager is responsible for delivering the efficient operation of Outside Edge Theatre Company’s office and managing the company’s programme of participatory arts projects across London. This is an exciting opportunity to support the company’s growth and secure a sustainable and long-term future for the UK’s only theatre company and participatory arts charity focused on addiction. Friday 25th November.
Community Development Officer The Museum of Brands is looking for a Community Development Officer to deliver the ambitious second phase of our wellbeing project to help engage people living with dementia (including early onset), their carers and families, as well a wider 55+ audience across London with the Museum of Brands. Deadline 5th December.
For They Let in The Light For They Let In The Light is a new live commission at Chisenhale Gallery by artist and mental health activist the vacuum cleaner (aka James Leadbitter), developed with a group of young artists he met during Spring 2021 at the Coborn Centre for Adolescent Mental Health in Newham, East London. 25th November – 3rd December.
Kensington & Chelsea Creative Conversation This Creative Conversation will once again bring together people living, working and learning in the borough. The session will be run using the Open Space format, with no speakers and no presentations. A safe space is created in order for everyone attending to suggest topics to talk through and to enable people to participate in these discussions. This allows you to input into several different conversations in a single session. Tuesday 22rd November.
RAFTS: Live Serpentine presents a special one-night concert, bringing to life Rory Pilgrim’s film, RAFTS, beyond the screen. Created over three years with residents of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, RAFTS was made for the exhibition Radio Ballads to explore stories of support in our everyday lives. 26th November.
The Arts and Healthcare in East London – Networking Lunch and Workshop Are you part of an organisation delivering participatory art activities in Hackney or Tower Hamlets? Or are you a link worker or other health or social care professional interested in fostering links with the local creative sector? Queen Mary University of London, in collaboration with Creative Wick, are hosting a catered networking event at our Mile End campus (room to be confirmed), which we’d like to invite you to. The event aims at forging links between local arts organisations delivering social impact. Wednesday 7th December.
KEEP GOING: Tim Crouch and Andy Smith in Conversation
Thursday the 1st of December at 5pm, The John Thaw Theatre, Martin Harris Centre
KEEP GOING: Tim Crouch and Andy Smith in Conversation
Tim Crouch and Andy Smith have worked together since 2004 making and presenting Tim’s acclaimed and award-winning plays including An Oak Tree, The Author and most recently Truth’s a Dog Must To Kennel. This in conversation event will see them reflect on their practice and explore key elements of their work, including notions of collaboration, context, form and content.
Tim Crouch is a writer and theatre-maker who since creating My Arm in 2003 has had work presented at (amongst others) The Royal Court, The Unicorn, NTS and the RSC as well as touring nationally and internationally. He also created and co-wrote Don’t Forget The Driver, a six-part series for BBC2.
Andy Smith is a theatre-maker whose recent works include COMMONISM, SUMMIT, and the ongoing series Plays For The People. He is a lecturer in theatre practice at The University of Manchester.
Dr Andy Smith (He/Him)
Lecturer in Theatre Practice, Martin Harris Centre, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL
My office hour in semester one takes place on Wednesday between 1pm and 2pm will be by appointment only. Please email me to arrange an appointment either in person on the MHC corridor or on ZOOM (link below). If this is not convenient for you please contact me to arrange another time.
Please be aware that I work part time at The University of Manchester so may sometimes be unable to respond quickly to emails, but I will endeavour to get back to you as soon as I can.My working days during semester one are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
If you need help regarding mitigating circumstances all the forms and information can be accessed here
If you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help you can text Shout to 85258 (the UK’s first free 24/7 text service for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere) or call the University’s 24/7 mental health and wellbeing support helpline on 0800 028 3766.
MEDIA – Sky News – Work Experience Programme
Want to do the best work of your life? Make your mark at Europe’s leading entertainment brand. A place where you can be yourself and let your skills shine.
Here’s what you’ll get…
– Experience: None necessary – Location: London – Salary: Undisclosed – Employment type: up to 2 weeks
TV & FILM – HETV Trainee Finder 2023-24, Screenskills
High-End TV (HETV) Trainee Finder is an entry-level placement programme that places trainees on HETV productions to ensure a continued supply of talent, capable of making world-class creative content.
Deadline: 28th November Find out more and applyhere!
Further sources of interesting events, opportunities and jobs are…
We can’t wait to receive your application for our innovative, inclusive and supportive degree programmes. If you have a relevant humanities A-Level, BTEC or other qualifcation we would love to hear from you.
Our standard entry requirements are ABB (A-level) / DDM (BTEC) for English based courses and BBB (A-LEVEL) / DDM (BTEC) for Drama based courses. We do offer a contextual offer making policy based on your circumstances and are happy to advise before you apply.
Here’s a list of what you can study with us including joint programmes with other schools:
Creative Writing
Want to become a writer? Our creative writing courses expose you to new work and challenge your own writing to become a confident creative writer across prose, poetry, non-fiction and many more experimental styles.
Want to work in performance, culture, social justice or build your own business? These Drama courses are a great way to start your bespoke career path.
Want to work in journalism, law, film and TV, teaching or marketing? English gives you the critical confidence to write well and get ahead in so many careers.
Welcome to your November update from the School of English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London.
5 Things to Note this November:
Go to Being Human Festival: We have events including around DIY publishing, Yiddish culture on stage, experiences of care with the Foundling Museum. See our events
Apply to QMUL, the University of the Year 2022 at UK Social Mobility Awards: Ask questions to our helpful admissions team and apply now for undergraduate courses – UCAS Deadline is 25 January 2023. Ask a question
Support A Season of Bangla Drama: Discover Bengali culture at the largest festival in the world celebrating theatre, film and culture. See a curated selection
4-27 November – Venues all over Tower Hamlets This month-long festival uses the powerful medium of theatre to celebrate Bangladeshi heritage in a creative and accessible way. There is a wide range of plays in the programme, many of which cross language barriers through the mediums of dance, music and physical theatre. Queen Mary University of London through our drama team is a key partner with the festival. This year’s theme is ‘freedom of speech’ and self-identity’. This is prevalent as some productions look back though history with topics including the Bengal famine of 1943-44; one man’s journey in the context of the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh; and the story of migration in the 70s and 80s. Crucially, as 2022 marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Language Movement, this momentous subject is addressed in two plays. Circus A playwright tries to save her theatre with a controversial play. Will it work? YOU get to decide!
How to Make Rice (pictured above) A play, about a seemingly innocuous method to make rice, takes the audience through the Bengal famine 1943-44. Features our very own Souradeep Roy.
Taking Pride in History The history of 1952s language movement comes alive in a unique craft-making and poetry translation workshop.
A talk with readings. Katie Brown’s sketches on generational conflict, Summer Lisky’s stories of combatting fascism and Arnold Kaizer’s satire of community and synagogue antics.
11 November – 6.30-8pm – The Octagon at Queen Mary University Of London Join us for an evening of poetry with Shara McCallum, Sudeep Sen, Shivanee Ramlochan, and Gboyega Odubanjo. This is an occasion to celebrate these fabulous poets and their publications – including McCallum’s No Ruined Stone, Sen’s Anthropocene: Climate Change, Contagion, Consolation, Ramlochan’s Everyone Knows I Am a Haunting, and Odubanjo’s Uncle Aunty Poems – and to gather together in listening, in reverence, in play, and in redress. The poetry readings will be followed by a drinks reception, and access information is available here. Free and open to all, but please book via Eventbite and contact Nisha Ramayya (n.ramayya@qmul.ac.uk) with any questions. This poetry extravaganza is part of Subtexts, the Creative Writing event series at Queen Mary.
Organised in partnership with Wasafiri www.wasafiri.org, and supported by the School of English and Drama, the Centre for Poetry, and Renaissance One.
QM Postcolonial Seminar: Roanne Kantor book discussion
Friday 18 November – Online Roanne Kantor (Stanford University) will discuss “South Asian Writers, Latin American Literature and the Rise of Global English” with us. Book here
Community Lunch with Phakama and Museum of the Home
Friday 18 November – 12-4pm at Museum of the Home
Inspired by East London’s Project Phakama‘s visit to the Petit Dejeuner ‘breakfast’ event in Paris, young people from Phakama lead on a new community event lunch which will focus on welcoming new and existing East London communities to come together and share in food donated by local eateries and restaurants. This lunch is a family-friendly event for local families, refugees and migrants, community groups and young people. The event will be hosted by Phakama’s young people, with collaborations alongside young people from Paris Radio station Radio Raptz and dance organisation La Permanence Choregraphique. Come and take part in this Community Lunch with improvised dance creations, music performances and a strong sense of celebrating togetherness. Organisations can contact Phakama directly on any potential groups who would like to attend. The event will showcase and celebrate ideas around how creativity can positively effect marginalised people and communities. This event is produced alongside researchers from Queen Mary University of London whose research is themed around home, migration and creative practice. Book here
Please join us for drinks and conversation on 23 November at 5pm to celebrate the launch of our two new books, both written during a year’s fellowship at the National Humanities Center in North Carolina. RSVP Events from around QMUL & Beyond
4-6 November Writeidea Festival – Free events with authors in Tower Hamlets
REPORT JUST PUBLISHED: ‘How engaging in community action can improve the mental health and wellbeing in young people (14-25 years old)?’ Read the report
POSTDOC POSITION: AHRC-funded project ‘Remaking Britain: South Asian Connections and Networks, 1830s to the Present’ Read more
STARS NOMINATED FOR GEORGE DEVINE AWARD: Mojisola Adebayo (Drama)’s play ‘Stars’ (pictured above – Illustration by Candice Purwin) nominated. Book now for the ICA run
ANDREA BRADY: Andrea is a guest on Gareth Farmer’s new Talking Poetics podcast discussing her poetry. Listen here
Marxist Keywords for Performance
Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal and Shane Boyle will be celebrating the publication of their project “Marxist Keywords for Performance” (written with the Performance Political Economy research group) at the 19th Annual Historical Materialism London conference on 12 November. The next day, 13 November, Shane will be presenting a chapter from his forthcoming book Arts of Logistics.
New Podcast on Fan Fiction Launched by Clio Doyle (English)
Clio and Mireille survived grad school together, but that was just the first step. The vast archive of fanfiction awaits and they must band together to read and analyze it, one pairing at a time. Clio’s PhD in English and Mireille’s history with AO3 should make them perfect partners. But can they overcome their differences? Or will this impossible task drive them further apart? They can talk about pairs – but can they make one? Listen to the new podcast here
Apologies if we missed any listings, do let us know and we can post on social media. Also if you have any news for our next newsletter please do reply or get in touch.
Welcome to our latest round up of events, opportunities and schemes that may help you meet collaborators, improve your career prospects or simply broaden your horizons.
Simmons & Simmons – London ‘BreakThrough the diversity bias’ Event 10 November INVITE
Simmons & Simmons are hosting a diversity panel event ‘BreakThrough the diversity bias’ alongside the Barclays D&I team and we would be delighted to have you and your members join us on Thursday 10 November at our London office! We know that it can be challenging navigating entering a career in law which is why we have organised this panel event where you can ask questions and learn more about diversity and inclusion from leading members of the Firm and Barclays.
BreakThrough the diversity bias. Simmons & Simmons, panel event at CityPoint, London. Thursday 10 November, 5.45pm-8.30pm (including time to network). Panellists: ● Alan Thomas – Trainee for Simmons in Disputes & Investigations. ● Charlotte Aherne – Legal Director, Senior Wealth Management lawyer at UBS. ● Lucy Glover – Legal Project Managerand Relationship Manager at Barclays. ● Tepo Din – Senior Managing Counsel atBank of New York Mellon. ● And moderated by Joanna Harris -Head of D&I at Simmons & Simmons
Whether you are a law or non-law student, a graduate of any discipline, or if you just want to hear more about commitments to diversity and inclusion – anyone is welcome to attend! Maximum travel reimbursement of £50.
Date 1 Apr 2023, 00:00 – 31 Mar 2024, 23:55 Region UK Age 18+ Application deadline 28 Nov 2022 Career stages Entry, Early Industries Film Funding ScreenSkills funded
ScreenSkills Trainee Finder 2023-24 is now open for applications.
Film Trainee Finder is an entry-level placement programme that places trainees on film productions to ensure a continued supply of talent, capable of making world-class creative content. Participants become part of an industry-recognised group of trainees and receive exclusive access to training placements across the UK.
In previous years trainees have been placed on films including The Batman, Matilda, Jurassic World Dominion, No Time to Die, The Railway Children Return, Mothering Sunday, The Son, Tuesday, The Lost King, Pretty Red Dress, Persuasion, Boys in the Boat, The Eternal Daughter, Benediction, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Dungeons and Dragons, Ali & Ava, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, After Love, Empire of Light and MEN.
Free online symposium: Shakespeare and Race Spoken Word(s)
Theatrics of technologies and drama in the classroom
Wednesday 9th November 2-5pm (live and on-line)
MA Students at University of Derby and Derby Theatre have been conducting Practice as Research with young people in schools using theatre and drama to explore the world of virtual reality and gaming.
How can theatre and drama support young people to explore the future of technologies pedagogically for both the benefits and challenges to wellbeing? And how can drama enhance the curriculum?
The Symposium will be online or in person in the studio theatre at Derby Theatre, Eagle Walk, Derby DE1 2NF.
We want to support 5 LGBTQIA+ artists in the development of a new idea or work.
Introducing, is a commission for early-career queer performance makers / live artists whose work involves dance, movement or physical theatre.
In collaboration with our friends at Stanley Arts Croydon, artists will be given money, access to space, one-to-one check-ins, workshops, tailored mentoring, sharing opportunities & peer feedback sessions to develop their new work.
We are looking for bold & exciting new ideas from LGBTQIA+ artists who want to push boundaries in their performance making. Experimenting, exploring, trying new things or alternative ways of making. Click here to head straight to the application form! The deadline to apply is Monday 7th November by 5pm. Commission activity will take place from November-February.
If you have any questions about the application or commission, you can email fraser@razecollective.com.
For more information on the commission details, criteria & application head to razecollective.com/intro
Wednesday, 9 November 2022 14:00The Recovering Pessimists Guide to Optimism – Live longer, live better Register
Wednesday, 16 November 2022 14:00 From Surviving to Thriving Register
Wednesday, 23 November 2022 14:00 Reflective learning workshop Register
Wednesday, 30 November 2022 14:00 Workshopping Critical Thinking: skills and tools Register
Art and poetry in conversation with John Milton and Cornelia Parker
The OU’s Contemporary Cultures of Writing research group are holding the second of three free online seminars with the Institute of English Studies in their November series: Ekphrasis, Creating a space for Art and Literature.
We would like to invite you to the second seminar on Tuesday 15 November 2022 6pm-7pm:
Details of the event and of how to register can be found at the following link:
The third and final seminar Beyond Ekphrasis featuring Heather Richardson (The Open University) and Maria Isakova-Bennett (Coast to Coast Poetry) will take place on Tuesday 29th November 2022 6pm-7pm. You can also book this event here:
The Future is Back is a FREE creative writing and mentoring scheme for LGBTQ+ writers.
Black and brown writers are especially invited to apply. It is funded by Arts Council England, with Spread the Word and Central Islington Library as main partners.
The scheme is to help writers who wish to take their craft to the next level by providing a safe, supportive and stimulating environment, and giving insight into the professional writing world. The Future is Back contributes to global efforts with a dedicated anti-racist focus. It asks you as a creative person to reflect on questions of representation, voice, and anti-racist commitment. Please note that this is a prose writing scheme.Deadline: 27 November,All info on The Future is Back here
Walthamstow’s First Annual “The Midnight Gallery” is being launched at CRATE St James Street on national museum night to celebrate and showcase the art from local artists and wordsmiths!
Whether you’re a budding collector, fellow artists wanting to network, another night owl creative or somebody interested in the spoken word art form this is the place to be on November 1st!
We are inviting artists and creatives to showcase and sell their work as part of the event;
We welcome all types of mediums. You can exhibit as many pieces as you’d like.
Please ensure works are family friendly or have a disclaimer. You will be able to keep all your sales, we don’t require any commission.
Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre, 17-18 November 2022
This Wellcome ISSF-supported symposium, hosted by Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre, explores the role of theatre, performance and related art practices in the experience and expression of grief in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Planned as a hybrid event, taking place online (17 November, via Teams) and in person (18 November, Birkbeck School of Arts), the symposium approaches its subject by bringing together artists, academics, community organisers, health and social care professionals.
WriteNow is back! This year, Penguin is partnering with leading TV content creator, BBC Studios, to offer writers an opportunity to expand their understanding of both the TV and publishing industries.
Applications are open exclusively for commercial fiction – books with a fast-moving plot and a hook that reels the reader in.
WriteNow is looking for compelling love stories, comedy and family drama, and gripping crime and thriller novels.
Applications open on Monday 7 November and close on Sunday 8 January. It starts with just 1,000 words.
Student Art Pass – a year of art + opportunities for a fiver
A Student Art Pass lets you dive into culture on a budget with free entry to hundreds of museums and galleries across the UK, and 50% off major exhibitions.
Plus, you’ll gain access to paid arts opportunities and grow your network by joining the #WeAreArtful @StudentArtPass community. All for just £5 a year.
A new performance explores the positive potential of foster care and its histories through creative practices, hoping to change the stigma and negativity attached to being in care. This is part of our ongoing research project The Verbatim Formula, working with care-experienced young adults to explore issues in the system, led by Queen Mary’s contemporary theatre and performance expert Dr Maggie Inchley. and funded by People’s Palace Projects.
This series of events celebrates the arts, activism and publishing in Tower Hamlets – reflecting on the local histories of community-led politics and multilingual literary cultures, as well as exploring what’s going on in the area today. Events are organised by Queen Mary literature expert Dr Rehana Ahmed, who is currently writing a book about the production and reception of contemporary British Asian writing in the context of debates around race, ‘diversity’ and inclusion in the publishing industry.
Young artists from Phakama will host new and existing East London communities to share food donated by local eateries and restaurants. The event will showcase and celebrate ideas around how creativity can positively affect marginalised people and communities. This event is produced alongside Queen Mary researchers whose work is themed around home, migration and creative practice.
Join Queen Mary’s Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow Dr Clare Stainthorp to discover how people have celebrated life events outside of religious traditions, in Victorian times and today. Dr Stainthorp is currently researching how ‘freethinkers’ harnessed the power of regular publications to shape conversations about faith and society in Victorian Britain.
Newly discovered secrets include one-act plays, sketches and songs, translated and directed by Queen Mary research fellow Dr Vivi Lachs. Get a sense of the history and atmosphere of London’s vibrant Jewish immigrant theatre in English and Yiddish through Dr Lachs’ work on AHRC-funded research project, ‘Making and Remaking the Jewish East End’.
Queen Mary University of London is a key partner on this year’s exciting festival which aims to celebrate Bangladeshi heritage in a creative and accessible way.
The play tells the story of the life and work of the most revered modern Bengali poet, a cult figure Jibanananda Das (1899-1956), born and bought up in Bangladesh, but unfortunately hardly known to the outside world.
Date09/11/2022Location: ArtsOne Pinter Studio QMUL Mile End Road E1 4NSA playwright tries to save her theatre with a controversial play. Will it work? YOU get to decide!
Date11/11/2022Location: Brady Arts and Community Centre 192-196 Hanbury Street London E1 5HUA play, about a seemingly innocuous method to make rice, takes the audience through the Bengal famine 1943-44.
Date13/11/2022Location: ArtsOne Pinter Studio QMUL Mile End Road E1 4NSThe history of 1952s language movement comes alive in a unique craft-making and poetry translation workshop.
Date20/11/2022Location: ArtsOne Pinter Studio QMUL Mile End Road E1 4NSUsing their words, young people in Tower Hamlets will commemorate 70 years of the Bangladesh language movement, using their own creative writing skills to mark this anniversary of cultural independence.
Welcome to our latest round up of events, opportunities and schemes that may help you meet collaborators, improve your career prospects or simply broaden your horizons.
Wednesday 26th October 2022 5:00pm-6:30pm, Bancroft 113 (Mile End campus)
As part of QMUL’s Black History Month programme of events, students and staff are invited to an afternoon of networking with QMUL alumni who will be offering insight into post-graduate life and where their degrees have taken them. This session is a great opportunity to network with fellow students and alumni. Refreshments will be available!
Hosted by Beatrix Andrews, a final year Modern Languages student, hear from an incredible line-up including:
Dr Maame Nikabs Linguistics PhD, 2020 – Inclusive Language and Culture Consultant
Deanna Lyncook English and History BA, 2018 – History PhD Student and host of the ‘History Hotline’ Podcast
Elliott Ajai-Ajagbe Daley English BA, 2008 – Author, Actor, Playwright, Director, Poet and Teacher
Gretchen Gerzina’s Black England, a research conversation
We’re hosting a research conversation on Gretchen Gerzina’s Black England: A Forgotten History, which is reissued this month Wed 26 Oct, 2-3:30pm in assoc with QMUL Postcolonial Seminar. #BlackHistoryMonth
Cultural Advocacy Fellows Symposium Launch: Unexpected Solutions: Inequalities, Policy and the Cultural Sector
27 October, 4-6pm followed by reception, The Octagon, Queens’ Building, Mile End Campus
Queen Mary’s Cultural Advocacy Fellows scheme, a partnership between Queen Mary Arts & Culture and The Mile End Institute, is a coalition of advocates helping to make the case for the creative and cultural sectors in London, nationally and internationally. Over the next three years, our Fellows will work with artists and Queen Mary academics to tackle some of the major challenges facing the cultural sectors. Our Fellows are drawn from organisations such as London Mayor’s Culture Team, Equity, Bectu, Musicians’ Union, Arts Council England, Tower Hamlets Council, Creative Diversity Network, Society of Authors, and the Financial Times.
This research brings together Queen Mary researchers, youth workers, artists, and young people to develop a methodology for Creative Youth Work. Arts Council England and the research team from the Health Engagement to Avoid interpersonal violent injury in young Londoners (HEAL) project, who are also working with Spotlight, will be attending the session.
This talk examines the way the coming of the picture postcard in the 1890s changed the nature of theatrical celebrity and the relationship between performer and audience. Postcards are an under-used resource for the cultural historian. They were integral to the creation of the image of the star. What we find is the construction of a visual culture that sustained a fan base and predated the cinema. This paper will look at the images of performers who appeared in straight drama and in musical comedy, contrasting the images of actors and actresses. The talk raises issues about celebrity culture, portraiture, performance and sexuality.
Rohan McWilliam is Professor of Modern British History at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, and a former President of the British Association for Victorian Studies. He is at work on a history of the West End of London, the first volume of which was published in 2020: London’s West End: Creating the Pleasure District, 1800-1914 (OUP). Rohan has published widely on the histories of popular politics and popular culture, including his book The Tichborne Claimant: A Victorian Sensation (2007) and articles on topics ranging from Victorian melodrama to the Labour Party in the 1980s.
Event Details: The lecture will take place in Graduate Centre on QMUL Mile End Campus, and will be followed by a reception with refreshments in the same building.
Hannah Thomas is a soon-to-be graduate of the MA Applied Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, as well as a Senior Communities Officer at Birmingham City Council, focussing on cultural communities.
Her artistic practice centres around end-of-life palliative care arts and health practices, in which she collaborates 1-1 with a person in palliative care to develop original audio compositions based on that person’s life.
This free online workshop will allow you to experience some of Hannah’s artistic practice, as well as engage in debate about cultural social prescribing and palliative care.
Black theatre-making is often written out of the archive, credited to white theatre practitioners, or catalogued in ways that make it hard to find. Because Black theatre makers were frequently at the forefront of movements for change, their work was regularly subject to censorship and surveillance and collected in state archives.
Marina Warner, “Viral Spiral: Multiple Shape-shifting from Ovid to Covid”
The Centre for Comparative Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London, is delighted to announce the inaugural lecture in our Annual Lecture series.
A group of metamorphoses in myths and legends features gods and in between creatures, who are not quite divine and not quite mortal either, who can change their shape multiple times. For example, Mestra, the daughter of Erisychthon, is given this gift by the gods when her father sells her, and she is able to elude the clients he panders her to.
Marina Warner will explore stories of multiple transformations in and out of different bodies, and reflect on their significance in relation to today’s concerns with fluid identities and interspecies contact and contagion.
24 November 2022, 6.00pm GMT (in person and online).
Attendance is free but booking is required.
Book here to attend IN PERSON (the Lecture will be in the Ian Gulland Lecture Theatre, Goldsmiths, New Cross, London SE14 6AD, and will be followed by drinks).
Launch of our new report ‘Artists, Other Creative Practitioners and COVID-19: Personal Experiences and Policy insights’, 4-6.30pm, Thu 3 November, @MuseumoftheHome, FREE
The Prize is now open! Submissions close 1 November 2022
The prize is free to enter and open to any citizen of a Commonwealth country who is aged 18 and over. It is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words). Regional winners each receive £2,500 and the opportunity to be published online by Granta magazine, and the overall winner receives £5,000.
Where possible, we are recording this year’s talks and making them available online for a short period afterwards – for details, please contact stephen.greer@glasgow.ac.uk
Code Creators
We are Code Creators, a student led non-profit project dedicated to teaching Python in a simple way. As you are aware, coding is becoming an increasingly important skill and students with tech skills are 50% more likely to receive positive responses to applications. Whether you are aspiring for a career in data, analytics, starting your own business or traditionally non tech roles, having skills in coding will benefit your career in this digital age.
We provide beginners classes for anyone with an interest in the subject but doesn’t know where to begin. No prior knowledge is needed and by completing the course you will reach a high enough standard to include Python on your CV for any potential job role.
The Course
The course will begin on Sunday 30th of October and run for 10 weeks. 8 of these will include teaching and the other 2 will provide time to work on your own project. The course materials including recordings will be made available to re-watch at any time.
The course costs £30 but if you and a friend sign up together you can both receive 20% off. By purchasing this course 100% of the revenue goes to fund numerous social projects improving lives in the UK and abroad. To learn more about these projects please visit:https://www.enactussheffield.org/
How to sign up?
If you are interested in our Python courses the next stage is to enrol on the link below:
Here is a interview with Ryan who is from Project Search about his interests.
Tell us about yourself. What are your favorite things to do?
My favorite things to do is I like to look at parts of the motherboard and I like to teach my self on the names on the motherboard I also like to take part the computer and clean all the parts and put them back I’m trying to learn how to fix them but that is the more tricky part
What would you most like to learn on your internship in English and Drama?
I would like to learn from Project Search is more programs that are available to me on the desktop like all the Microsoft programs how to make a blog and how to do everything more professional.
What are your favorite social networks?
My favorite social network is YouTube as I like to watch people build there own computers and talk about what parts they got and why they chose them also I like to watch the videos on upcoming and new parts coming out as I like how much components are being better and quicker for easier and quicker use using computers.
You like gaming what are your favorite games and why?
My favorite video game is PC Building Simulator as it aims to teach people a step by step instructions explaining the order parts should be assembled and providing useful information on what each part is and its function.
Which celebrity would you most like to meet and why?
I would like to meet S.Y. Hsu & Samson Hu as they are both the CEO’s of ASUS which is the company what my laptop is from. I would like to ask them about how they came up with the company and when they first had the idea on the company. Maybe be possibly work for there company one day.
Professor Simon Gikandi:Beyond the Pleasure Principle: Rethinking the Aesthetic Ideology Thu 20 October Peston Lecture Theatre in Graduate Centre QMUL Mile End Campus 1830 – Reception to follow
The Annual lecture of the Department of English at Queen Mary is named in honour of Lisa Jardine CBE HonFRS FRHistS, who died on the 25 October 2015, at the age of just 71. With this lecture, the School of English and Drama remembers Lisa as an intellectual and a figurehead who will always be associated with its foundations and its ethos, but most especially as our friend. About the lecture: Beyond the Pleasure Principle: Rethinking the Aesthetic Ideology The idea of the aesthetic is one of the most privileged and vexed terms in the European tradition: It is caught, on one hand, between the promise of freedom, pleasure, and beauty and, on the other hand, the violence of modernity and what Lisa Jardine famously called worldly goods. This lecture is both a reflection on the connection between ideas of beauty and taste in the world of commodities and the possibility of aesthetic practices in a decolonized world.
Simon Gikandi is Robert Schirmer Professor and Chair of English at Princeton University.
SI Leeds Literary Prize 2022 Shortlist Showcase with The Asian Writer11 October 2022 – Online
Rose Dastgir (Creative Writing) chairs this event for the SI Leeds Literary Prize. The award is for unpublished fiction by UK-based Black and Asian women, aged 18 and above.
The award aims to act as a loudspeaker for fresh and original literary voices from an under-represented group, and to help them reach new audiences in mainstream culture.
The biennial prize began in 2012 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022, with the sixth edition of the prize. Book a free ticket
Internal Launch Event: Centre for the Study of the Nineteenth Century and its Legacies
Wed 12 October – SCR – Queens’ Building, Mile End Campus The event is open to anyone with research interests related to the long nineteenth century. Follow on Twitter
Nicholas Ridout (Drama) & Dhanveer Singh Brar Talk: Performance, Possession & Automation with performance by Eirini Kartsaki
Join Nicholas Ridout and Dhanveer Singh Brar in conversation about their new 3-year research project, Performance, Possession & Automation. The project brings together academics and artists to investigate the resistant power of ‘spirit possession’, the contemporary rise of automation, and their entanglement with histories of colonial slavery. How is contemporary performance shaped by and responding to these experiences? This launch event will also feature a performance from the project’s commissioned artists, Eirini Kartsaki and Nicol Parkinson: anomalopteryx Anomalopteryx is a flightless bird, known as a lesser bird, only slightly taller than a turkey. A play of movement in and out of sense, in other words, speeches and sounds.
Plus don’t miss NINE, a retrospective exploration of a 1998 performance by Kate Brown with Nicholas Ridout, as part of Artist Archive on 21 October. Book here
The Parkes Institute: Tradition: The Use of Old Material in Yiddish Theatre and Music with Vivi Lachs
Changes in conventions, culture, and language make performing older Yiddish material challenging. Queen Mary AHRC Research Fellow Dr Vivi Lachs on her practice of incorporating early 20thC Yiddish texts in contemporary performances, and PhD candidate Katie Power about the use of older material in mid-century productions in the London Jewish theatre world.
Plus book ahead for:
Writeidea Festival: London Yiddishtown: East End Jewish Life in Yiddish Sketch and Story by Vivi Lachs Sunday 6 November. 1pm. Free. Bethnal Green Library, Cambridge Heath Rd, E2 0HL
SPECIAL EVENT – BOOKING ESSENTIAL Queen Mary/Jewish Museum: Secrets of the London Yiddish Stage Thursday 17 November, 7.30. Free Jewish Museum, Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert Street, NW1 7NB
27 October Tim Bale – ‘Brexit: an accident waiting to happen?’ Book discussion. Chair: Alvina Hoffmann
If you plan on attending the sessions, please email Tom Chidwick, Manager of the MEI at t.chidwick@qmul.ac.uk to be added to the mailing list.
Book Ahead
Publishing is Power
From 16 Nov-11 Dec 2022
This is the first in a series of three activities that celebrate the arts, activism and publishing in Tower Hamlets. ‘Publishing is Power’ offers opportunities for people to meet, share experiences, write creatively, and get involved in DIY publishing. It is a chance to reflect on the local histories of community-led politics and multilingual literary cultures, as well as explore what’s going on in the area today. Each activity in the series is open to those aged 18 or over who are interested in the local area and in breaking into poetry and publishing, with all and any kinds of experience.
Mojisola Adebayo: Family Tree Announces National Tour in 2023, Stars and launch of Black British Queer Plays and Practioners: An anthology of Afriquia Theatre book
Family Tree
Actors Touring Company (ATC), the UK’s leading theatre producer of international plays, today announces a major Co-Production and National Tour with Belgrade Theatre Coventry, in association with Brixton House of a new stage production of Mojisola’s Adebayo’s play Family Tree. Adebayo’s powerful and poetic drama explores race, health, the environment and the incredible legacy of one of the most influential Black women of modern times, Henrietta Lacks. Originally commissioned by ATC and the Young Vic in 2020, an outdoor work-in-progress piece was showcased at the 2021 Greenwich + Docklands International Festival. This new 2023 tour will be the fully-realised stage production.
Mojisola Adebayo’s co-edited Black British Queer Plays and Practioners: An anthology of Afriquia Theatre (Bloomsbury Methuen), is out in October. It features a range of Black British Queer plays from the 1980s to the present, ending with STARS by Mojisola Adebayo, which premieres at ICA in April 2023, touring with Tamasha. The introduction is drawn from Mojisola’s QMUL PhD thesis supervised by Catherine Silverstone and Caoimhe McAvinchey. Launch coming soon.
Mojisola’s play Stars, ‘an Afrofuturist space odyssey‘ opens at ICA in April 2023, with Tamasha.
About the work: Meet Mrs: an old lady who goes into outer space… in search of her own orgasm. Isn’t that where all orgasms go? Her quest is sparked by three encounters: a young neighbour who discloses a secret, an old friend who reveals she is intersex, and a would-be lesbian lover in a launderette who offers Mrs two drops of her own pressed lavender and a smile that says, ‘I handle delicates with care’. Told through one woman and a live DJ, with projected animation and captions, STARS is a moving and joyful, sensitive yet funny, Afrofuturist odyssey that, on selected nights, transforms into a celebratory club night, with multiple DJs and accessible for all.
More infoStepney Words Fifty Years On – Project Film Now Live on Youtube
Last autumn SED’s Professor Nadia Valman and journalist Alan Dein hosted a series of writing workshops at Stepney All Saints School. The workshops marked the 50th anniversary of the famous Stepney School Strike in 1971, when hundreds of students refused to go to school, protesting against the sacking of their English teacher, Chris Searle, for publishing Stepney Words, a collection of student poems that dealt with poverty, racism and urban neglect.
In this short film, Nadia and Alan bring Chris Searle and some of his former students back to their old school to tell the story of Stepney Words and its distinctive approach to writing, and to work with a new generation of young Stepney poets. Watch the video
Isabel Waidner signs book deal with Hamish Hamilton (Penguin)
‘Hamish Hamilton has snared the follow up to Isabel Waidner’s Goldsmiths Prize-winning Sterling Karat Gold (Peninsula Press).’
Matt Rubery talks live on BBC Radio’s Free Thinking on Reading
‘The word ‘reading’ may appear to describe something specific and universal, but in reality it’s more of an umbrella term, covering a huge range of ways in which people interact with text. Dyslexia and hyperlexia may be two of the more obvious departures from normative ideas of reading, but whether we’re neurodivergent or not we all read in different ways that can vary significantly depending on what we’re reading and why we’re reading it. Matthew Sweet is joined by Matt Rubery, Louise Creechan and poets Debris Stevenson and Anthony Anaxagorou.’ Listen now
Call for Papers: “Contesting Authenticity in Literature, 1200-1700”
30 – 31 March 2023 / Senate House, University of London
This two-day conference will explore the concept of “contesting authenticity” in later medieval and early modern literature, including both the production and ongoing reception of texts of contested authenticity. Proposals are welcome which consider literature in any language, including translations. See the full CfP
Alumnus Tam Hussein’s new novel is shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Journalism The book is a fictional story (inspired by Tam’s two-decades of research and reporting) weaving together the narratives of early Jihadi foreign fighters in the Syrian conflict.
Read more and buy the book Apologies if we missed any listings, do let us know and we can post on social media. Also if you have any news for our next newsletter please do reply or get in touch.
Come to meet students, get a free goodie bag, books and more plus a chance to find out more about the courses.
English and Creative Writing Sessions
Time (BST)
Session
Location
Content
12:00-13:00
English and Creative Writing Welcome & Taster Session
ArtsTwo Lecture Theatre
Join us to hear why English, and Creative Writing matter to your future, and learn about our degrees that focus on critical thinking, cultural analysis, and world literatures.
15:15-16:15 – ONLINE & IN-PERSON
English and Creative Writing Welcome & Taster Session (Hybrid)
ArtsTwo Lecture Theatre
Join us to hear why English, and Creative Writing matter to your future, and learn about our degrees that focus on critical thinking, cultural analysis, and world literatures.
Drama Sessions
Time (BST)
Session
Location
Content
11:15-12:15
Drama Welcome and Taster Session
Film and Drama Studio – ArtsTwo
Join us to hear why Drama matters to your future and our degrees that focus on social justice, wellbeing and inclusivity
14:00-15:00 ONLINE & IN-PERSON
Drama Welcome and Taster Session (Hybrid)
Film and Drama Studio – ArtsTwo
Join us to hear why Drama matters to your future and our degrees that focus on social justice, wellbeing and inclusivity
Welcome to our latest round up of events, opportunities and schemes that may help you meet collaborators, improve your career prospects or simply broaden your horizons.
Join award-winning QMUL alumna, spoken word artist, educator, and now author Jaspreet Kaur for a FREE workshop at Universities across the UK.
Through a series of intimate and facilitated workshops, ‘The Brown Girl Like YOU!’ University Tour will provide a safe space for open dialogue about womanhood on themes such as body image, mental health, relationships, and social media.
University is a vital transition point in all our lives and these workshops will provide an opportunity for young South Asians to share their stories, build their confidence, and know that they’re not alone on their journey of navigating their intersectional identities.
Queen Mary Arts and Health: workshop with Theatre of the Oppressed practitioner Sanjoy Ganguly
This month, People’s Palace Projects has arranged for the internationally renowned Theatre of the Oppressed practitioner Sanjoy Ganguly to come to London. Dr Ganguly is Artistic Director of the Jana Sanskriti Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed in Kolkata, and has a huge range of experience working across health-related inquiries through performance.
As our network continues to coalesce, we thought this would be a fantastic opportunity for us to work with Dr Ganguly in workshops on broader questions around how our collective can function meaningfully, the work we would like to do together, how to create and reflect on partnership working for the future – both within Queen Mary and beyond – and how TO practice might help us with evaluative strategies within our work.
With apologies for the short notice, we will be holding two workshops in the w/c 26 September:
Tuesday, 27 September, 1-5pm (ArtsTwo Film and Drama Studio)
Wednesday 28 September, 1-5pm (ArtsOne Harold Pinter Studio)
In these sessions will be focusing on our collective work in the Arts and Health network together using TO techniques.
Please use this sign up sheet to let us know which session/s you’d like to attend. If you have any problems filling it out please email Meg (m.clinch@qmul.ac.uk). We’ll be in touch with more information closer to the date of the workshops, but there is no need to prepare anything. We are looking forward to seeing you.
Alumna Meg Hodgson presents: MOONFACE @ Camden People’s Theatre, 7 & 8 October
2022. Shady billionaires make plans to colonise and mine the solar system behind all our backs, and one rocky satellite is dangerously close to the edge. One last cycle to figure out where it all went wrong and how (if) we can course-correct before it’s too late.
Made in collaboration with Professor Ilan Kelman: coordinator of UCL’s Space Health Risks Research group, MOONFACE is a humorous and exuberant love letter to our nearest celestial neighbour and an exploration of how much ‘space’ we all take up in our late-stage capitalist universe. Developed with the support of Camden People’s Theatre, UCL Culture, The London Mining Network and The Yard Theatre.
Volunteer Opportunity at Half Moon Theatre – Get Experience for your CV
It’s Lydia (studied drama and MSc creative arts and mental health), I am now working at Half Moon theatre just down the road.
We are looking for a volunteer for our Youth Theatre on Wednesday evenings with our Orbit group for school years 10-13. The sessions are from 6:30-8:30pm and take place on Wednesday 28th September – Wednesday 7th December (no session on the 26th October due to half term), some more info can be found here: https://www.halfmoon.org.uk/youth-theatre/
The volunteer will help the young people participate in the weekly youth theatre sessions and generally support the facilitators in any way they need during the sessions. Here are some accounts from previous volunteers
If anyone is interested, they can directly contact Jen jen@halfmoon.org.uk with their CV and/or saying why they would like to volunteer. I have signed Half Moon up to the QMUL volunteering service but as the term starts so soon.
Poplar Union hiring new Front of House Assistants!
This is for you if you have previous customer service experience and/or front-of-house experience.
Friends I am working with at Care for St Anne’s in Limehouse are organising a panel event to commemorate the life of radical East End GP David Widgery who died suddenly, 30 years ago.
Some of you may know his book Other Lives, published in 1992. He was a remarkable individual active in all sorts of networks including Rock Against Racism. His book offers a profound sense of the poverty and challenges that much of the East End faced in the 1980s and it gave voice to those whose lives were being marginalised the Docklands regeneration process. Staff working in this department at the time knew David, and he had several links with Queen Mary. I think it will be a fascinating event.
The panel (7pm 28 September 2022, at St Anne’s Limehouse) comprises others who knew David and worked with him.
to open Fragments Festival on 29 September! After its World Premiere at Toronto Film Festival and ahead of its general release in the UK on 7th October, we’re honoured to open this year’s festival with THE WOMAN KING (dir: Gina Prince-Bythewood, USA/Can).
Inspired by true events, it’s the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit who protected the African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. It follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. The film stars Oscar® winner Viola Davis as Nanisca alongside Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and John Boyega.
The London Arts & Humanities Partnership is delighted to announce that its AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) Scheme is open for proposals for studentship projects to commence in October 2023.
As we will be holding the next information session on 14th September12-1pm, please sign up via the online form to book your place by midday the day before and we will send you the Zoom link to the meeting.
Sign-up to an exciting new training offer in research data visualisation
This offer is exclusive to HSS researchers and people should register directly with me. Numbers are capped at 30.
Dates: Wed 16 Nov 1.30-4.30 ONLINE
Wed 23 Nov 1.30-4.30 ARTS ONE: 1,28
Wed 30 Nov 1.30-4.30 ARTS ONE: 1,28
The emphasis is on developing critical thinking for effective data visualisation and engagement with research. Free online tools and techniques to put this into practice will be signposted, including techniques for gathering evidence of engagement that can be used to demonstrate impact.
Take the first step towards becoming a pro content creator! Learn to produce exciting creative content across platforms like TikTok, YouTube and more. Gain tips on how to manage your social media and organically grow your community.
Hot on the heels of a sensational run in New York last year, ‘the greatest cabaret artist of their generation’ (The New Yorker) and ‘the vocally brilliant and dramatically fearless countertenor’ (The New York Times) are bringing their acclaimed show to London. Only An Octave Apart is Justin Vivian Bond and Anthony Roth Costanzo’s joyous and surprising musical fantasia, revelling in everything strange and beautiful in the coexistence of contrasts – from Purcell’s 17th century aria “Dido’s Lament” to Dido’s early 2000s hit “White Flag”, from “Autumn Leaves” to “The Waters of March”. Co-created and directed by Zack Winokur, with music supervision by Thomas Bartlett, arrangements by Nico Muhly, musical direction by Daniel Schlosberg, and costume design by JW Anderson, Only an Octave Apart celebrates the historical and the hysterical, from countertenor to counterculture.
Hanaz Writers is a unique start-up business. It is a group of people who are interested in writing areas. Your background does not matter to us. Any age, gender, education, or experience is welcome to the volunteering scheme.
Hanaz Writer Volunteering place is where volunteers are welcome to collaborate. They can expand themselves in creative writing, editing, and proofreading and gain experience. If the company sees the potential, it offers a job offer.
We aim to aid, advise, inspire and motivate anyone attempting to break into the industry or progress within it.
It’s Wednesday and that means issue 55 is here! Follow the link to read, or click here to read articles via our website! Check out a sneak peek of the content included in this issue below!
FREE series of workshops & screenings to existing youth programmes with an aim to engage young people (16-25) primarily from marginalised communities such as Black and QTIPOC/PGM*, working class, migrant and Disabled.
The intention is to introduce the archive as a resource and archiving as a mode of storytelling available to, and representative of, the identities and lives of those normally excluded from history making practices. By working with the collections held both at MDR and Iniva, the programme aims to offer young people with the tools to confidently explore, interrogate and create the stories they want to tell or wish were told through engaging activities that center creative play, conversation and making. By introducing young people to places, digital spaces and people that are made for/representative of them, we hope to empower their claim to history and uphold the integrity of what is important to them.
We recognise that archives are often spaces accessed by people with privilege ie. wealthy/higher educated/able-bodied/neurotypical, and so a core objective is to work to open up these spaces through prioritising access, inclusion and safety. This programme will be facilitated by creative practitioners from marginalised backgrounds whose practices are informed by disruptive approaches to history telling and making.
Welcome to your September newsletter from the School of English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London and welcome to all our new students starting on 19 September.
3 things to do this September:
Book now for our Open Day: We can’t wait to meet you on Saturday 8 October 2022 on our Mile End campus.
Last Chance to apply for 2022: Overseas applications close on 2 September for PGT courses and Home on 9 September.
New Student Information: Incoming undergraduate students should read our guidance and keep an eye out for pre-enrolment emails.
Join us on 8 October for tasters, freebies and a chance to meet our incredible team
We will be hosting our October open day covering courses including the new:
Drama with Creative Writing Drama and History
Plus discover why our subjects make you more employable and give you highly sought after transferable skills. Book your session
Events in September
Antigone
3-24 September – Regents Park Open Air Theatre A blistering retelling of the epic story from the writer of Barber Shop Chronicles, Inua Ellams starring QMUL English and Drama alumna Zainab Hasan.
A torn family. A hostile state. One heroic brother. One misguided son. One conflicted sister, and the second is on the run.
Living with MachinesNow until 8 January 2023 – Leeds City Museum
What can Dickens, Lowry and Leeds factory workers teach us about the rich and powerful, work-life balance and holidays on a budget? You might be surprised.
Co-curated by Leeds City Museum and the British Library, this exhibition will reveal the surprising parallels between the Industrial Revolution and today’s world of ‘big tech’. Discover the origins of football leagues, fast fashion and the 9-to-5 working day and what they can tell us about surviving and thriving in a fast-moving city.
You’ll discover a sometimes-surprising variety of machines – from sewing machines and dobby looms, to potato peelers and tricycles. Follow the changes these contraptions brought through the atmospheric art of L S Lowry, a first edition of Elizabeth Gaskill’s North and South and Charles Dicken’s handwritten notes on his novel Hard Times.
This exhibition is inspired by the new and unexpected stories being uncovered by the AI-powered Living with Machines research project led by our very own Ruth Ahnert. The Living with Machines research programme is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) via UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Strategic Priorities Fund. This multidisciplinary collaboration is delivered by The Alan Turing Institute, the British Library and partner universities. Find out more on the Living with Machines project website.
Continues until 11 September – Various venues around East London Acclaimed artistic Director and Queen Mary English alumnus Bradley Hemmings’ spectacular free festival continues with events like the inflatable garden of Unfurl (pictured above) in Bethnal Green Gardens.
Open House London: Queen Mary University of London History Tours
11 September – Queen Mary University of London
On Sunday 11th September, Nadia Valman (English) will be leading three historical tours of the Mile End campus, exploring the Queen’s Building (1887), Mile End Hospital (1858), and the Novo Cemetery (1733), the UK’s second oldest Jewish cemetery.
The immersive event in Paradise Gardens is a community-focused celebration of the life and times of Portuguese Jewish bare knuckle boxer Daniel Mendoza (1764-1836), who helped make the sport what it is today and was the first true sporting celebrity in Britain. A plaque honouring him is on the QMUL campus near Ground cafe.
The exhibition is a way to engage the wider community in the histories of boxing and the Jewish connection to the East End dating back to Mendoza’s time and to explore the ways in which community members from a wide range of backgrounds are today “fighting back” against racism, discrimination and other challenges they encounter.
A Season of Bangla Drama returns this November We are delighted to announce that A Season of Bangla Drama returns in 2022 with another high calibre and diverse line-up of plays. The Festival, which is the largest diaspora celebration of Bengali culture in Europe, will run from 4 – 27 November, in venues across the borough including the Pinter Studio.
This is the tenth year of the Festival’s strategic partnership with our Drama Department. The theme for this year is Freedom of Speech and Self-determination, as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Language Movement which was catalysed by Martyrs Day in 1952: many plays will address this topic.
Ali Campbell (Drama) and Ruksana Begum (Tower Hamlets Arts) have secured the full £30k applied for from Arts Council England, supporting 15 theatre companies artistically, financially and – notably – technically, with the involvement of Drama’s full team led by our technical director Jules Deering.
In August our alumni team profiled lots of our English graduates as part of South Asian History Month. Read their inspiring stories via the links below.
Anum Ahmed (English BA, 2014), Policy Professional at the Department for Education.
Jennifa Chowdhury (English and History BA, 2016), Learning and Development Coordinator at the Cabinet Office.
Maansi Kalyan (English BA, 2016; English Studies: Writing in the Modern Age MA, 2019), Production at Havas, shares what the month means to her and how she is taking action via her Brown Girls Don’t Podcast.
Discover documentation of Live Art: Histories of the Present with videos of brilliant talks from Dominic Johnson (Head of Drama) and Vanessa Macaulay (PhD Graduate) Live Art: Histories of the Present was a two-day symposium which took place at the University of Glasgow on Wednesday 6th of April and Thursday 7th of April 2022, with presentations from Gavin Butt, Harriet Curtis, Dominic Johnson, Vanessa Macaulay, Phoebe Patey-Ferguson and Heike Roms. Staged as part of the Live Art in Scotland project, it explored the complex relationship between live art and the material, historical conditions which have enabled, fostered, and sometimes constrained the possibilities for experimental and interdisciplinary performance.
Apologies if we missed any listings, do let us know and we can post on social media. Also if you have any news for our first Semester 1 newsletter please do reply or get in touch.
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