13/12/21 – 17/12/21
‘End the semester in your favourite Christmas jammies, jumper or loungewear!
Show your support for Young Lives vs Cancer by donating to Paul’s House, a cancer home from home right here in London.
Scan the QR code below to find out more and help us smash the target!’
Halima Sadia
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/friends-of-pauls-house
Final year UG Drama Students from Performance in The Gallery led by Martin O’Brien are putting up a live-art exhibition space tomorrow from 1100-2100 as part of their final performances.
There will be live performances including durational works, photographic and video installations as well as other set installations from the 18 students on the module being presented all throughout ArtsOne and ArtsTwo.
Audiences are welcome to walk in and out throughout the day as they please and a schedule is provided with the specific times of artist performances. Some refreshments will also be provided.
Everyone is welcome to come and support the artists in their final works.
Full programme with works and titles to be released soon but get a flavour of where and when in the table below…
| Student | Gallery Space | Performance Time |
| Ellie | RR1 | 11.00-13.00 |
| Clera | RR1 | 13.30-15.30 |
| Eirini | RR1 | 16.00-21.00 |
| Tallulah | RR2 | 15.00-21.00 |
| Joana | RR2 | 15.00-21.00 |
| Arzum | RR2 | 15.00-21.00 |
| Thomas W | RR2 | 15.00-21.00 |
| Tom L | Pinter | 14.00-16.00 – Live action 18.00-21.00 – Exhibition |
| Gus | Pinter | 14.00-17.00 |
| Pianka | Pinter | 18.00-21.00 |
| Lammin | Pinter | 18.00-21.00 |
| Sophia | G18 (Film Studio) | 11.00-13.00 |
| Megan | G18 (Film Studio) | 14.00-16.00 |
| Issac | G18 (Film Studio) | 17.00-20.00 |
| Bet | FADS | 20.30-21.00 |
| Emma | FADS | 15.00-18.00 |
| Maria | Arts One Foyer | 11.00-21.00 |
| Ata | Arts One Foyer (streamed from remote location TBC) | 11.00-21.00 |
Please let us know if you have any suggestions for next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
Tuesday 7 November 2021
1600-1700 UK Time
Wednesday 8 December
Soft start at 18:30 GMT via Zoom
Book on bit.ly/qm0812o
Vivian Chinasa Ezhugha, one of the new directors of Live Art Development Agency, will be talking about navigating leadership as a performance artist.
A convivial conversation between Rachael, Nisha and Juliette will be followed by a reception.
SED Livelihoods in English ESH6044: Presenting yourself to others (careers)
07-Dec-202110:00 – 12:00
09-Dec-2021 11:00 – 15:00
External fair run by Tower Hamlets
Amazon Women’s Event Series: Silencing your inner critic
09-Dec-2021 12:00 – 13:00
External event hosted by Amazon
LONDON YIDDISHTOWN: EAST END JEWISH LIFE IN YIDDISH SKETCH AND STORY, 1930-1950
Thursday December 9th 7.30pm at JW3
An evening with Vivi Lachs, Alan Dein and guests for the book launch of
LONDON YIDDISHTOWN
Conversation, story readings and East End music.
£10 in person with a big discount on the book and free CDs of Cockney-Yiddish music hall songs.
JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road, London NW3 6ET,
Book here: https://www.jw3.org.uk/index.php/whats-on/london-yiddishtown
TO BUY THE BOOK, DESCRIPTION AND REVIEWS
https://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/london-yiddishtown
Add voucher code FW21 for a 30% discount
https://www.eurospanbookstore.com/book/detail/london-yiddishtown/?k=9780814348475
Add voucher code VIVI20 for a 20% discount
OR IN PERSON launch discounts – a whopping 36% off
LONDON YIDDISHTOWN: GREAT JEWISH BOOKS ONLINE AT THE YIDDISH BOOK CENTER
Sunday December 12th 1pm (Eastern time), 6pm (UK)
ONLINE: Yiddish Book Center
LONDON YIDDISHTOWN: YIDDISH NEW YORK
27th, 28th and 29th December 6.30-7.45 (UK)
ONLINE: Three lectures, each focusing on a different writer
London Yiddishtown: Katie Brown’s comic and rueful tales of family shenanigans
London Yiddishtown: Arnold Kaizer’s humour on community and synagogue politics
London Yiddishtown: I A Lisky’s left-wing stories of work, protest and fascism
Sign up at https://www.yiddishnewyork.com/
Discover all the things you can learn
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Welcome to our last newsletter in the School of English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London.
We’re moving to a new mailing system next month, so please sign up here to re confirm and make sure you’re on our new list.
Images from left to right: Patricia Hamilton (Admin Team) at Life Between Islands at Tate Britain, Wasafiri Issue 108: House of Wisdom: Libraries and Literatures of Islam, Mojisola Adebayo (Drama) and image from Tamara Atkin discovery story (Guillaume kills a giant in an illumination from 13th and 14th century manuscripts of the ‘Chanson de Guillaume d’Orange.’ Photograph: Granger Historical Picture Archive/Alam).
REDISCOVER: FEMINISM: Last chance to book for our year 12 English, Drama and Creative Writing event next Wednesday.
Sign up here
OFFER HOLDER DAYS: Our first offer holder day is happening on 15 December and we can’t wait to meet our applicants.
TIKTOK: We’re so happy with the response to our TikTok posts from our first student creator. Check out our latest post – snippets from student variety night Slappin Da Bass here.
MASTER’S OPEN EVENTS
MA English Literature and MA Creative Writing Zoom Event
Tuesday 7 November 2021
1600-1700 UK Time
Book Launch: Bad English: Literature, Multilingualism, and the Politics of Language in Contemporary Britain (2020) by Rachael Gilmour. A convivial conversation between Rachael, Nisha and Juliette will be followed by a reception.
BANGLADESH@50 VICTORY DAY CONCERT
Come to Queen Mary’s Great Hall at the People’s Palace for a Victory Day concert featuring Naz & Bolly Flex, Mumzy, Nish, Khiyo, IMD, Iksy, Taal Torongo and DJ Osmani Soundz.
LISTINGS
‘We talked about solitude’: Modernist Female Authors, Solitude, and Affective Bonding
Melissa Alexander (University of Oxford)
Tuesday 7 Dec 2021, 5:00pm – Online via Zoom
Book here
History of Libraries Seminar: Rachel Eckersley on dissenting academy libraries
Tuesday 7 Dec 2021, 5.30pm – Online
Book here
Mojisola Adebayo (Drama) has been shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award for Best New Play of the Year for ‘Family Tree‘. Family Tree is inspired by the life of Henrietta Lacks whose cells were unlawfully used in medical trials for hundreds of years.
Read more about the award | Read more about the play
Rehana Ahmed and Nadia Atia (English) are guest editors of the latest edition of Wasafiri Magazine titled: House of Wisdom: Libraries and Literatures of Islam.
Students and staff can read online
Alumnus Tomiwa Owolade’s book has been acquired byAtlantic and W.F. Howes This is Not America: Why We Need a New Conversation about Race. Tom studied BA English Literature and graduated in 2018 and Nathalie Grey profiled him for Black History Month last month.
Tamara Atkin (English)‘s discovery of a lost fragment of lost 12th-century epic poem was featured in the Guardian.
Craft Podcast Over the last year, Wasafiri’s Publishing Director, Malachi McIntosh (with support by members of the Wasafiri team) has been hard at work designing and recording Craft – a literary podcast featuring a range of international writers, including Daniel Mella, Chen Chen, Bernadine Evaristo, and Raymond Antrobus. Craft removes the constraints of the interview form, allowing guests to explore their work and processes on their own terms, and creating an immersive and intimate experience for the listener. The first episode with Nina Mingya Powles launched last month. We are proud that Wasafiri Magazine is based at Queen Mary University of London.
Listen now on your favourite podcast platform
Solitudes Project podcast Spaces of Solitude wins Lovie Silver Award for the podcast episode ‘The Mind’ won Silver in Individual Episode category! The episode was produced by Natalie Steed, presented by Hetta Howes (PhD graduate) and curated by Akshi Singh.⠀Huge thanks to contributors Sarah Garfinkel, Denise Riley and Adam Philips.
The Distance Cure Hannah Zeavin discusses the role of distance in the history of mediated therapies with Solitudes researcher, Charlie Williams.
Tiffany Watt-Smith (Drama)’s new book Bad Friend: A Love Story, a “necessary and timely” meditation on female friendship has been acquired by Faber & Faber.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions for next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
Watch our Instagram Live to see the sort of thing you could submit.
Craft is brought to you by Wasafiri, the magazine of international contemporary writing. Check out our website (www.wasafiri.org) for outtakes from this interview that didn’t (quite) make the final cut, and much more from writers all over the world.
REMINDER: Upcoming event in week 10 – a talk by Ed Charlton (English, QMUL). Register by email, or through this form: https://forms.office.com/r/FeUpKRUKEU
The talk is part of an International Society for Intellectual History seminar series.
Join us for the first focused engagement symposium on Interpersonal Violence and Violence Reduction hosted by SMD Crisis Network. Speakers include our very own Paul Heritage (Drama/People’s Palace Projects). The new Queen Mary & SMD Crisis Network is pleased to host our first focused engagement symposium on Interpersonal Violence and Violence Reduction. We aim to connect researchers from across all Schools & Faculties in the University who have an active academic interest in this area, and to explore new directions and collaborations for future research, education and engagement.
Early-career reviewers who have no formal training or professional experience in arts journalism, check out @VAULTFestival‘s New Critics Programme!
Deadline: 10 December, 8pm Find out more: https://buff.ly/3oOQyks
Get a chance to produce your own area at London Remixed Festival (25 March 2022) with support from industry specialists.
Deadline for applications: 8 Dec
Find out more: https://www.globallocal.co.uk/opportunities
Nice free online workshop introductions to various career skills:
Nov. 26 – Adobe InDesign 101
Nov. 26 – Visual Design 101
Dec. 3 – Adobe Illustrator 101
Dec. 10 – Digital Marketing
Apples & Snakes Artists Newsletter | Arts Admin E-Digest | ArtsJobs | BBC Academy | Creative Access (Jobs) | JournoResources | Lectures.London | MediaBeans (media jobs) | QMUL Careers | Presspad | Tower Hamlets Arts | Write at Home (freelance writing opps)
Please let us know if you have any suggestions for next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
Join Rachael House, legend of the comic strip and queer zine scene, for a free two-hour zine making workshop in the Art Studio on the theme of queer Wonderland.
Talks Programme
Hochhauser Auditorium, Sackler Centre
11.30 – 15.00
Join Dr Kiera Vaclavik, Curator Alice Power, Queer Bruk founder Akeil Onwukwe-Adamson, and
Quiplash for insightful talks about queer communities and identity.
11.30 – 12.00 Alice is a Boy’ with Dr Kiera Vaclavik
This talk explores the instability about identity at the heart of the Alice books and shows how
‘gender blind’ casting of the central role was for many years a feature of theatrical adaptations.
13.30 – 14.00 Finding queer communities through digital rabbit holes with Alice Power
Many journalists have put the blame of the closure of LGBTQ venues on social media and dating
apps. Assistant Curator of Architecture and Urbanism, Alice Power, however, contends that from its
inception the internet has been a vital tool community building for marginalised groups.
14.15 – 15.00 Making LGBTQ intersectional Wonderlands with Queer Bruk and Quiplash
This panel highlights two organisations striving to cultivate intersectional queer spaces to counter
the mainstream gay scene.
We would love to invite you to the first session of the ECR Work in Progress Seminars at the SED! The event will take place on Wednesday December 8th, 4:00-5:30pm at Arts Two, 3.20. We will be hosting two speakers from the School of English, and the panel will be followed by a Q&A.
Dr Deven Parker – Byron’s Poetic Cartographies
This paper examines cartography as a popular and hotly contested form of representing the Peninsular war and argues for its centrality to the poetics of Byron’s Childe Harold. I explore how innovations in mapping, coupled with the British public’s desire to visualize the events of the war, created a new market for published military maps. The popularity of these maps coincided with the rise of body of poetry I term “cartographic war poetry” that was directly informed by and sometimes even published with popular war maps. I demonstrate how cartographic war poetry remediates the perspectives of the maps themselves, deploying a series of formal and textual strategies to anesthetize military violence and advancing the government’s case for continuing a war facing significant opposition. Byron seeks to intervene in these literary and political contexts, replicating the perspective of both military maps and cartographic war poems in order to expose its ideological underpinnings. Toggling between the distant, birds-eye perspective of war cartography and a much closer view, Byron reveals, I argue, the problem with cartographic representation: that its guise of accuracy and objectivity actually furthers violence.
Dr Clare Stainthorp – Freethought Dialogue and Debate in the Secular Review/Agnostic Journal
The freethought movement’s periodicals grew and sustained a space in which atheist, agnostic, and secularist ideas could be developed and debated during the second half of the nineteenth century. Reading, writing for, and editing periodicals built social networks, imagined communities, and feelings of shared endeavour. Nonetheless, the freethought movement was not built on a single homogenous platform; factionalism and infighting were rife. Debates and dialogues looked both inward and outward, and proliferated in various ways. This paper focuses on the Sunday weekly periodical that began life in 1876 as The Secular Review: A Journal of Daily Life and was titled The Agnostic Journal and Eclectic Review in 1907 when it ceased publication. I will explore how dialogic forms (specifically verbatim debate reports, imagined dialogues, readers’ letters, and correspondence columns) functioned and consider how the heterogeneity and multivocality of freethought was navigated by those involved in the movement.
Sumita Majumdar and Daniel Oliver wrote a chapter together for this book that’s just come out.
Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training focuses on neuro and physical difference and dis/ability in the teaching of performance and associated studies. It offers 19 practitioners’ research-based teaching strategies, aimed to enhance equality of opportunity and individual abilities in performance education.
Challenging ableist models of teaching, the 16 chapters address the barriers that can undermine those with dis/ability or difference, highlighting how equality of opportunity can increase innovation and enrich the creative work. Key features include:
Wednesday 24 Nov, 18:30 GMT both in-person and online. In-person booking: bit.ly/qm2409ip Online booking: bit.ly/qm2409o
This lecture will explore the formative influence of art school education within post-punk music culture. It will address the work of electro-pop and industrial music pioneer Fad Gadget (a.k.a. Frank Tovey) as a response to the avant-garde shock tactics of experimental performance by staff and students in the Fine Art department at Leeds Polytechnic in the mid-1970s. The presentation is based upon Butt’s forthcoming book No Machos or Popstars: When the Leeds Art Experiment Went Punk (forthcoming Duke University Press, 2022).
Our very own Di Beddow is featured in this exhibition in Cambridge.
This exhibition looks at the rich history of poetry about Cambridge, by focusing on poems and poets concerned with the places of the city. From Geoffrey Chaucer to the lesser-known Mary Davys, Sylvia Plath to William Wordsworth, poets both inside and outside the University have been moved to write about different areas of Cambridge. As well as transporting readers as far as Grantchester and Trumpington, these poems also help us shed new light on central locations, such as the Mill Pond and Market Hill.
a live and in-person event – on the 25th of November 2021, at 6pm in the Hitchcock Cinema in ArtsOne.
The launch is followed by a drinks reception. Details and registration
In this panel debate we welcome leading writers and thinkers on the Occupy movement to reflect on its legacy and dynamics today.
100 MASTERS SCHOLARSHIPS ON OFFER FROM AZIZ FOUNDATION
Yesssssss you read that right! We’re offering 100 masters’ scholarships at 18 Preferred Partner universities in the areas of:
We ask university partners to commit to tackling Islamophobia on campus and in higher education. Wondering why your preferred university isn’t on our list? Reach out to them and ask them to join our programme! Want to learn more about the scholarships?
SIGN UP to out information event on the 2 December, link in our bio
The Sex Lives of African Women Available to watch on demand during festival | £5
Alexandra Hemsley presents… 29 Nov, 6.30pm | The Hub | £7 – £5
Malika’s Poetry Kitchen 29 Nov, 7.30pm | Theatre | £12 – £10
First Five with Yomi Sode 1 Dec, 7pm | Theatre | £12 – £10
Bernardine Evaristo in-conversation with Hannah-Azieb Pool 2 Dec 7.30pm | Theatre | £15 – £13
Julianknxx’s Black Corporeal 3 Dec 7.30pm | Theatre | £12 – £10
Speed-writing workshop with Veronica Mckenzie, 4 Dec, 5pm | Rehearsal Space | £10 – £8
Bernie Grant Arts Centre and online, 29 November – 5 December 2021
@BGArtsCentre | #TottenhamLiteratureFestival | berniegrantcentre.co.uk
The Women & Power festival at Shakespeare’s Globe will ask some of the most important questions of our moment. Join the conversation to discover the role that theatre, music, art and poetry can play in exploring the intersections of gender, race and class that are at the centre of social change today. How does the work of Shakespeare speak to this moment of gender revolution? How can we use Shakespearean performance to tell our own stories of oppression and assault?
This festival includes performances, panel events, a scholarly symposium and workshops that will spotlight and prioritise the work and the voices of women of all backgrounds.
Ever wondered what it’s like to work as a designer at Google? Or what the team look for in a great design portfolio? On Wednesday December 1st, Creative Lives in Progress is teaming up with Google Creative Lab to host a portfolio review for emerging designers. Apply to take part via Homerun.
Good to Go Festival at Theatre Deli London highlights artists whose work was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Wednesday 24 November
17.15 – 18.30 GMT
The seminar takes place on Zoom. To attend please register here. You will then be sent a link to join on the day.
Eggheads is back for a second series on Channel 5 and we are looking for teams to take part.
Teams can be made up of friends, family, colleagues or members of clubs – whether you quiz regularly, started during lockdown or maybe this will be your first time.
Each team will consist of 4 team members and 1 standby.
If you beat the Eggheads you could win a cash prize. If you don’t the prize fund rolls over.
We would love it if you could share our flyer (attached) on social media, or forward it to people/students/colleagues who you think would be interested.
The closing date for applications is midnight on 10th December 2021 so don’t miss out on applying!
If you are interested, you can apply online via our online entry form.
You can watch an episode at https://www.my5.tv/show/eggheads
Thursday 2 December / Reference Point / £3.50 entry (+fees) / Tickets
We’re excited to be celebrating the winner of the 2021 White Review Short Story Prize, sponsored by RCW, at Reference Point on 2 December. This year’s prize was awarded to RZ Baschir for ‘The Chicken’. On behalf of the judging panel, Preti Taneja said that the story ‘announces her as a brilliant new talent.’
Join us for short readings, followed by drinks in Reference Point’s bookshop and bar space. Issues of The White Review will be on sale, as well as Reference Point’s unique collection of first editions.
Theatre publishers Nick Hern Books are bringing their first-ever pop-up bookshop to acclaimed London new-writing venue the Bush Theatre for two days only on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 November! Choose from a massive range of playscripts and books all at amazing, one-off bargain prices, with hundreds available for just £2. Find out more
Apples & Snakes Artists Newsletter | Arts Admin E-Digest | ArtsJobs | BBC Academy | Creative Access (Jobs) | JournoResources | Lectures.London | MediaBeans (media jobs) | QMUL Careers | Presspad | Tower Hamlets Arts | Write at Home (freelance writing opps)
Please let us know if you have any suggestions for next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
In 1971, English teacher Chris Searle was sacked from a school in Stepney for publishing his students’ poems about their perspectives on the world around them. His students, joined by others from local schools, went on strike and marched from the East End to Trafalgar Square to demand justice. Fifty years later, Chris and his pupils, with historians and grassroots activists, reflect on Stepney then and now, student strikes then and now, and the continuing radical potential of poetry. The afternoon will end with performances from today’s young poets.
Speakers include: Chris Searle, Alan Gilbey, Tony Harcup, Judith Suissa, Ken Worpole, Julie Begum, Rob Waters, Tom Woodin, Angela Hancock, Alan Dein, Nadia Valman with poets Dillon Kalyabe and Becksy Becks.
18 Nov, Thursday, 5pm, GMT
Want to know how literary realism renders quantitative facts qualitatively perceptible? Don’t miss Prof. David Kurnick’s talk on “The Erotics of Large Numbers” next week!
All are welcome – Register here: https://qmul-ac-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrdeqtrTsiGtW2q5Dgr-Te8IgHJm6mnga1
Please join us for the launch of a new book Entanglements of Two: A Series of Duets, edited by Karen Christopher and Mary Paterson, and published by Intellect Books. The event will include contributions from Karen Christopher, Mary Paterson, David Berman (Physics, QMUL), Andrea Milde and Jemima Yong.
Tue, 23 November 2021 | 18:30 – 20:00 GMT | Add to calendar
with Gavin Butt (Northumbria University)
Wednesday 24 Nov, 18:30 GMT on Zoom or in-person in RR2, ArtsOne building at Queen Mary University of London.
In-person booking: bit.ly/qm2409ip
Online booking: bit.ly/qm2409o
QUORUM committee is excited to invite you to a free seminar hosted by QUORUM at Queen Mary University and online on 24 November: This lecture will explore the formative influence of art school education within post-punk music culture. It will address the work of electro-pop and industrial music pioneer Fad Gadget (a.k.a. Frank Tovey) as a response to the avant-garde shock tactics of experimental performance by staff and students in the Fine Art department at Leeds Polytechnic in the mid-1970s. The presentation is based upon Butt’s forthcoming book No Machos or Popstars: When the Leeds Art Experiment Went Punk (forthcoming Duke University Press, 2022).
For more, visit QUORUM Twitter (@QuorumQMUL) or our website: https://quorumqmul.wordpress.com/
Thursday 25 November, 7.00pm – 8.00pm UK time – Online – Free, but booking is essential
A strong emotional attachment to the memory of empire runs deep in British culture. In recent years, that memory has become a battleground in a long-drawn ideological war, inflecting debates on race, class, gender, culture, the UK’s future and its place in the world. Peter Mitchell’s Imperial Nostalgia surveys the scene of the imperial memory wars in contemporary Britain, exploring how the myths that structure our views of empire came to be, and how they inform the present. Taking in such diverse subjects as Rory Stewart and inter-war adventure fiction, man’s facial hair and Kipling, the Alt-right and the Red Wall, Imperial Nostalgia asks how our relationship with our national past has gone wrong, and how it might be improved.
Peter Mitchell will be discussing his book and the issues it raises with Nadine El-Enany, Reader in Law at the Birkbeck School of Law, and Gargi Bhattacharyya, Professor of Sociology at the Centre for Migration, Refugees and Belonging, UEL.
We’ll be reading “Inhumanities” from A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None (U of Minnesota P, 2018). A brief introduction will be given by Ananya Mishra. Chair: Charlotta Salmi.
The seminar will be IN PERSON in Laws: 3.08-D and ONLINE. Please register via the following link:
Week 10 Monday 29 November 1-2:30 pm – Chair: Rehana Ahmed
The seminar will be IN PERSON in Scape Canalside TR1 and ONLINE.
Thursday 18 November 2021
6-7pm GMT | 7-8pm CET | 1-2pm EST
The enduring power of storytelling is undeniable and the printed book has proved resilient, even in the face of digitization and the global pandemic. So what does the future have in store for reading, storytelling and the ‘text’ in a world where visual media is increasingly dominant? How do advances in digitization change the way we read and experience texts? And how does this change the way that books and other kinds of textual media are made?
Our esteemed panellists will draw on their own research projects to explore these questions and to demonstrate how important research from across the humanities is in shaping our understanding of the past, present and future of our cultural heritage and production. Register for the event here.
New Possibilities for Performance Eastside Projects
ONLINE: Saturday 4 December, 11am–1pm
Pay what you can (£7 suggestion), Free to EOP
BSL interpretation and live captioning What is at stake in experiencing performance? How is this experience mediated, live and direct in close physical contact or mediated and transmitted via technology and screens? What does it mean to make performance, now in a pandemic and post-pandemic world? Where is performance made and shown, and by whose authorship?
This event will explore what is currently at stake in performance across all live contemporary art forms, reflect on the current climate for making and sharing performance and build collective conversations in response to a series of urgent questions and provocations by guest contributors. Guests include Barak adé Soleil artist, dancer and co-director of Live Art Development Agency, Joe Moran choreographer and director of Dance Art Foundation, Louise O’Kelly curator and founder of Block Universe, Lucie Mirkova, Head of Artistic Programmes at DanceXchange, and SERAFINE1369 dancer and artist.
The event will start with a series of provocations exploring ‘what is at stake in performance now’. With responses engaging with current concerns within choreography, contemporary art, live art, artistic practice and beyond. We will explore what is at stake in the live experience, and what a removed viewing through a screen or device may add or take away from the observer.
This event is “pay what you can” to allow for flexibility depending on your income, the suggested amount for those with secure income is £7 READ MORE
BOOK TICKET
Are you keen to gain a year’s experience working in a theatre for young people? Half Moon Theatre is looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated Creative Learning Assistant to support all aspects of the company’s extensive programme working with young people in Tower Hamlets.
Each year, Half Moon works with around 26,000 workshop participants and has around 25,000 audience members. Half Moon is a theatre for young audiences which tours nationally and specialises in artform development and new writing. Our participatory work and professional theatre programme have equal status and are mutually enriching.
The post is a fixed term one-year contract, paid at the London Living Wage, funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation Internship Programme.
The Jack Petchey Internship development programme is designed for young people who are leaving further or higher education and starting out in the youth/charity sector – or young people who have done one or two years of employment and are looking to transfer into, or take their next career step in, the youth/charity sector.
We particularly welcome applications from residents of Tower Hamlets.
Please email a CV and covering letter (maximum 1 side A4) demonstrating your experience and abilities to : beccy@halfmoon.org.uk
(Please also send your completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring form)
Closing date for applications: Friday 26 November 2021 at 10am
Interviews: w/c Monday 29 November 2021
Starting date: Monday 10 January 2022
What do Computacenter do? In simple terms, you’d be joining a company who delivers digital tech solutions to some of the biggest organisations in the world. They have opportunities across Business Management, Project Management, Technical Consultancy, and Sales.
Placement Years – £17k, Locations across the UK, Add real value from Day 1, Hands on experience and the opportunity to learn and work on innovative solutions for our customers.
Graduates – £30k starting salary, Locations across the UK, Structured support programme designed to fast track your learning and development in a business that really cares about it’s employees.
Interested? Follow the link below to their Future Careers page to find out more.
http://ocply.co/am-computacenter21
Apples & Snakes Artists Newsletter | Arts Admin E-Digest | ArtsJobs | BBC Academy | Creative Access (Jobs) | JournoResources | Lectures.London | MediaBeans (media jobs) | QMUL Careers | Presspad | Tower Hamlets Arts | Write at Home (freelance writing opps)
Director of Admissions Dr Charlotta Salmi and the team would love to receive applications from you for the following courses which are now open to apply online:
Please let us know if you have any suggestions for next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
Diaspora Speaks × Peach Magazine Creative Writing Workshop
16 November 2021 | 6-8 pm | St Benet’s Chaplaincy – QMUL Mile End
An amazing creative writing workshop is around the corner. A Diaspora Speaks x Peach Magazine collab. All welcome.
For many years, Tower Hamlets Council and Queen Mary University of London have been proud to support A Season of Bangla Drama, an annual festival which brings the borough’s communities together each November to celebrate the magic of theatre as well as the arts and cultural traditions of Bangladesh.
As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Bangladesh, this has been renamed the Freedom and Independence Theatre Festival.
The themes in the title have inspired the plays and events that make up this year’s programme. We are delighted that we are continuing to profile British Bangladeshi theatre as an important way to spotlight key events of 1971, tell untold stories, and reach out to new audiences.
The variety of plays on offer cover topics including the plight of women, the tales of freedom fighters, the journeys of refugees such as the Rohingya and Vietnamese, as well as the power of protest.
There will be a fringe programme of events including a Bengali heritage walk, film screenings, an international youth writing project, talks and exhibitions.
The festival will also provide opportunities for audiences to participate through Q&As, and to be immersed in the richness of poetry, music and dance.
This is a fantastic way to learn about the history, legacy and impact of what unfolded half a century ago.
For the full programme listings, please visit our What’s On page.
To celebrate the publishing of his new book The Unbreakable Student: 6 Rules for Staying Sane at University Nic will be sharing some of his best hints and tips with our student ambassadors before giving you the chance to ask your own questions. The free live event will be happening on Wednesday 10th November at 2pm.
To book your free space follow this link
Are you interested in getting into the field of factual television production? #ProductionUnlocked has a day packed with all the tips and tricks you need to create great factual content
Click the link to secure your place! https://bbc.co.uk/academy/events/production-unlocked
Sign up now for the award-winning We Speak Employment online programme. Improve your speaking confidence and employment opportunities with mentors from companies including Just Eat, Investec and Google.
Your place would be fully funded by our corporate partners. During live weekly online sessions, you’ll build your confidence around how to contribute to discussions, speak comfortably at job interviews and speak in front of groups.
The programme take place once a week over 4 weeks. You can choose from dates starting in mid November. Participants will receive a Certificate of Achievement. It’s a friendly and relaxed environment so perfect if you feel less confident speaking.
Sign up as soon as possible at www.wespeak.co/apply (2 minute form). The opportunity closes on Monday 8 November but places may run out earlier.
Rehearsed readings at The Albany, Deptford, Wednesday 10th November 2021
While commonly associated with hedonism and excess, the word ‘decadence’ has a much richer set of connotations, including a taste for decay, delight in uncommon sexual and cultural practices, and the upturning of moral hierarchies. For this event, we’ve selected some of the most innovative scenes from Remy de Gourmont’s Lilith (1892), in a new translation by Dan Rebellato; the first act of Jean Lorrain’s Ennoïa (1905), translated into English for the first time by Jennifer Higgins; Djuna Barnes’s brilliant one-act play The Dove (1923); and a little-known text that was well ahead of its time by Izumi Kyōka called Kerria Japonica (1923). The curators and translators will also be offering short introductions to each of the performed texts.
Expect an unusual and expansive evening filled with femme fatales, sadomasochistic pleasures, queer desires, and the fall of humankind.
Curated by Dr Adam Alston and Professor Jane Desmarais | Directed by Jonathan Meth | Performers: Lauren John Joseph, Georgia Sansom, Sadao Ueda, Yuriri Naka, Eric Stroud and Adam Alston.
– Develop your enterprise idea
– Work out what you need to start and grow a high street business.
– Develop your entrepreneurial skills
– Plan market research
– Develop a marketing & sales plan
– Prepare a budget
– Learn about customer service and
– Manage cash flow and finance
Discussing how creativity and arts can engage with climate change and action
From Fri 5 – Fri 12 Nov Sama Arts Network will bring us concerts, talks and panel discussions – all focused on women in music and the arts.
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Welcome to November in the School of English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London.
REDISCOVER: FEMINISM: We are hosting an exciting free study day event for year 12 students to take a fresh look at feminism to help with their studies.
Year 12 students and teachers can sign up early here
OFFER HOLDER DAYS: We will be hosting offer holder days for applicants who apply and get an offer from us.
Ask a question about your offer or applying
INSTAGRAM LIVE Q&A: Every Thursday at around 2pm we host a live Instagram Q&A. So far we have had a ball with Karina Lickorish Quinn, Michael Craske (and honey his pug!), Isabel Waidner and Martin Welton. Want to take part? Email us or DM on Instagram.
TIKTOK: We’re excited to launch our new social channel which we hope to give a platform to many students voices in the coming months.
OPEN DAYS
3 ways to connect with us until our new events are announced…
1. Watch our recent events on demand:
MA Theatre and Performance Event
2. Book a 1-2-1 with Rupert to discuss the course you’re interested in.
3. Read our 21 Reasons to Apply before the UCAS Deadline
FREEDOM & INDEPENDENCE THEATRE FESTIVAL
The Freedom & Independence Theatre Festival runs from 5-28 November 2021 and will comprise an intercultural programme marking the 50th anniversary of Bangladeshi independence. Activities will include 12 theatrical performances, exhibitions, curated talks and seminars. Queen Mary is a proud partner and one of the highlights on campus is:
Freedom and Independence: People Speak by British Bangladeshi Poetry Collective
A (bilingual) poetry-play event where audience members are invited to join BBPC poets on stage.
Get some highlights in our blog post
See the full programme
BEYOND HUMAN FESTIVAL
‘Projected Books for Veterans of the Second World War’
13 November 2021 | 2-4pm | Royal Hospital Chelsea
Join historian Matthew Rubery for a live demonstration of an invention from the Second World War that projected books onto the ceiling.
Stepney Words Fifty Years On
14 November 2021 | People’s Palace, QMUL Mile End
The remarkable story of 1971’s Stepney Words, with Chris Searle, Stepney Words poets, historians, activists and today’s young voices.
The Laboratory of Psychical Research
13-16 November | 4.30pm | Senate House
The wooden panelled Court Room at Senate House will play host to a reimagining of the historic National Laboratory of Psychical Research 1925-1930 by the celebrated paranormal investigator Harry Price.
Book here
See more events from Queen Mary in our New Perspectives Series at Being Human
LISTINGS
Anna Harpin on ‘Being a Mess: Performance and The Tender Loneliness of Kim Noble’s You’re Not Alone’
9 November
In the second paper in the Solitudes project 2021/22 seminar series, Anna Harpin from the University of Warwick examines ‘being a mess’ as not only personal catastrophe but political, public event. Follow Pathologies of Solitude on Instagram
Film London Jarman Award Weekend 2021
14 November | Whitechapel Gallery Online
Nisha Ramayya (English/Creative Writing) will be reading poetry alongside a talk by Adham Faramwy one of the six artists shortlisted for the 2021 Film London Jarman Award. This weekend gives you the opportunity to view their films alongside a special live online programme that explores their different practices through talks and performances.
Shane Boyle: “Waiting for Ships to Die”: Ever Given & Salvage Spectacles
Tuesday 16 November | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
“This talk considers Ever Given within an extended history of salvage spectacles so as to consider the continuity of our logistical present with the empires of the past.”
Diaspora Speaks × Peach Magazine Creative Writing Workshop
16 November 2021 | 6-8 pm | St Benet’s Chaplaincy – QMUL Mile End
An amazing creative writing workshop is around the corner. A Diaspora Speaks x Peach Magazine collab. All welcome.
Sign up here
Working With Machines
17 November | Online
‘Are we just feeding machines our own biases as we “train” up living machines?’ An online discussion of the Living With Machines project at the Alan Turing Institute. Prof. Ruth Ahnert is Principal Investigator on the flagship Turing project ‘Living With Machines’, and a Professor of Literary History and Digital Humanities at Queen Mary University of London.
Alumni Angles Podcast featuring FAB Website Editor, Editorial Assistant at Faber & Faber, and the voice of the world’s first digital model, Ama Badu (English BA, 2018), is joined by Founder of The History Hotline podcast and Oral History and Project Officer at Wesley’s Chapel, Deanna Lyn Cook (English and History BA, 2018).
Dominic Johnson (Drama) was commissioned to write an essay to accompany Cassils’s solo exhibition at HOME in Manchester. Read his essay and those of our friends here: Cassils – Who By Fire by Dominic JohnsonThe Statuesque in the Headlights by Jay BernardShowstopper by Libro Levi BridgemanCassils Cuts: A Traditional Sculpture: Time Lapse (Front), 2011 (detail) Courtesy of the artist
Madeleine Levy (English and Drama graduate 2011) Madeleine talks about her new book, When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Cat: Surviving the education system with Asperger’s, where she and others share their experiences of navigating the education system with autism. Madeleine also talks about why she started her own theatre company for people with autism and the important lessons she learned and shared during her time at university.
Pathologies of Solitude Project Update
Artist-in-residence, the award-winning illustrator Sophie Burrows, has created a series of artworks in response to research stemming from our project. An online exhibition of her work, as well as sketchbooks and notes on the process, can be found here.
The Astronaut Alone In our latest blog, researcher Jeffrey Mathias writes about NASA’s isolation chamber, used to put astronauts to the test in the 1950s. Read the post
kitt price (English) and Aleksander Kolkowski recreate the experience of ‘thinking-in’, when thousands of listeners engaged in radio telepathy experiments during the 1920s and 30s on Resonance FM. Listen here
Nisha Ramayya (English/Creative Writing) and Akshi Singh Wellcome-funded project on experiences of solitude in relation to race and migration. his project is part of the bigger Pathologies of Solitude project led by Barbara Taylor. With poet Rachel Long and coordinator Tasha Pick, the team has organised a series of creative writing workshops in association with Hackney Migrant Centre and Praxis, featuring inspiring sessions on names, spaces for sleeping, and collective processes of recollection & documentation.
Nisha will also be performing as part of an encounter between poetry and music Treble Heaven at Café Oto on 30 November with sonic dramaturg MJ Harding. Find out more
Morag Shiach (English/Director, Network: QMUL Centre for the Creative and Cultural Economy) has published a key report with the British Council on Mapping the Creative Economy around the Durga Puja.
Follow us on Instagram for the latest
Whilst we try our hardest to make sure listings are accurate, we recommend contacting the event organiser or registering before attending any events.
Mistakes and omissions can be made with this volume of information and we apologise for these.
If you have any news or events for our final newsletter in 2021 please reply to this email.
Warm regards
Rupert
Rupert Dannreuther
Marketing Manager
School of English and Drama
Queen Mary University of London
The Freedom & Independence Theatre Festival runs from 5-28 November 2021 and will comprise an intercultural programme marking the 50th anniversary of Bangladeshi independence. Activities will include 12 theatrical performances, exhibitions, curated talks and seminars.
It will facilitate a dynamic cultural exchange between youth, elders and marginalised groups across the UK Bangladeshi, Palestinian, Rohingya, Somali, Vietnamese and London’s East End communities, celebrating in diverse modes and media the themes of freedom and independence.
Queen Mary University of London has been a key partner on the festival since its inception with events happening on campus in our ArtsOne Building.
Freedom and Independence: People Speak by British Bangladeshi Poetry Collective A (bilingual) poetry-play event where audience members are invited to join BBPC poets on stage
Bengali History Walk by Swadhinata Trust A poet will be joining this year’s Banglatown walk to add a new dimension to this engaging, interactive slice of local history
Film: ‘A Very British History: British-Bangladeshis’ The film explores the migration history and experiences of the British Bangladeshi community
Future 001 Xuriyo by Numbi Arts Future 001 Xuriyo is an Afro-Futurist project that tries to imagine the possibilities of a Somali future
Use Your Words by Arts Without Borders Come along and hear how young writers have got creative and honed their craft using the themes of independence and freedom
Ummsiyah by Arts Without Borders This is a celebration of Palestinian arts and culture as well as the lived Palestinian experience
Sunday is Saree Day by Mohila Ongon This is a female only event to celebrate womanhood through sarees, heritage and Bangladeshi delicacies
When Madonna was Dying by BSK This play tells the story of the women activists in 1971 in the UK who were the forerunners in raising voices for freedom
I’d been wary, coming in. Of course, visiting a new place alone is almost inevitably nerve-racking, and this is certainly the case during my visit to The Yard Theatre, where I’m set to watch Athena, a story by American playwright Gracie Gardner. But there’s more to my hesitancy than the simple novelty of The Yard, for all its gentrified millennial aesthetics.
As an American student in the UK, I was curious to see British theatre-makers handle the Americanisms embedded in Athena’s text. Upon arrival I wasn’t sure what to make of the company, but I’m happy to report this production has successfully snuck into my heart.
Starring Millicent Wong as titular Athena and Grace Saif as friendly rival Mary Wallace, the show pushes audiences right into the deep end of American teenage girlhood, with the added edge of high school sports—in this case, fencing.
The story unfolds mostly through the girls’ training sessions, and while they seem to have little in common outside the sport, Athena and Mary Wallace manage to build a steady rhythm toward friendship. Featuring the most realistic teenage girl dialogue I’ve heard in a long time—brava to Wong and Saif’s delivery, and special compliments to voice coach Rachel Coffey for honing some impressive American accents from the performers—it became easy to lose myself in the show’s pleasant authenticity.
The production’s staging is effective, for all its no-frills dramaturgical choices. Taking place on a mostly bare stage, our only clue to any concrete environment is a long blue rectangle painted diagonally through the stage floor—the piste, fencing strip—and most scene changes are signaled with lighting cues. The choreography is thrilling to watch, too. Fight director Claire Llewellyn does a brilliant job molding the physicality of fencing into rich and meaningful movement that is reflective of the characters.
The play culminates in an epic, real-time fencing match between the two girls, a wordless 12-minute face-off. But this grand finale is quiet—eerily so. With no dialogue (save for an occasional disembodied ‘en garde!’), all we hear are the shuffling of feet and the clanking of sabres. Part of me wishes there had been something to underscore this: music, or maybe muted cheers from spectators. But on the other hand, the quiet makes for a thoroughly tense experience. It’s a deliberate risk, but one I’m still not sure is entirely worth it.
Athena also tentatively approaches themes of class. Although this is not explored much further than mentions of suburban morning routines and the woes of commuting, I find the subtle scratching of these topics a poignant reflection of adolescence itself—at this age, you’re wary of showing off those most vulnerable parts of yourself, including the intricacies of class. For two young fencers, letting your “garde” down is the bravest thing you can do.
If you’re the kind of theatregoer who finds value in the mundane, and value in even the most ephemeral relationships, watch Athena. It really is a gem.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions for next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
I’m excited to share my latest profile for Black History Month, featuring freelance writer and critic, Tomiwa Owolade (English BA, 2018). (Thank you to Suzanne, who bumped into Tomiwa at a book signing recently and told me about him!)
In his profile, Tomiwa explores the idea of ‘pride’ and talks about how his degree helped to develop his skills as a writer, how lucky he feels to have a job that aligns so much with his interests, and why he’s been inspired to begin writing a book about black British identity.
“[My book] is a critique of a tendency to conflate the experiences and cultures of the black British population with the black American population. Obviously, there are instances when comparisons are valid, but the assumption, which I found pervasive after the Black Lives Matter protests last year, that we can analyse black Britain through an American lens, is reductive.”
For the full interview, visit: https://bit.ly/TomiwaOwolade.
Please like and share the social media posts if you can:
Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook.
Calling all lovers of reading and literature! Join Wasafiri’s Malachi McIntosh and your favourite international writers including Daniel Mella, Chen Chen, Bernadine Evaristo, and Raymond Antrobus to take you on a journey behind the scenes and unpack the often-hidden side of how their work was created.
We have the opportunity for you to engage with some specialist mentoring.
Unlock your Talent, build confidence and tackle any difficulties you are facing whilst being at university and identifying from a Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Background.
If you are interested please sign up here or via the QR code in the email.
18th – 28th November 2021 At Stanley Arts & Online A Bit Of A Do, our annual festival of theatre, dance and cabaret, featuring work by disabled and non-disabled artists is back! Everyone is invited! We will be returning to Stanley Arts – a community arts venue in South Norwood, from the 18th to 28th of November. This year there will be two ways to experience the festival: this can be in person or online, so you can choose which you prefer. All events include British Sign Language interpretation and some events include enhanced access for visually impaired audiences. We have a range of amazing performances and digital experiences including work from Bert & Nasi, Forced Entertainment, Moxie Brawl, GymJam, Ellen Renton, Jack Dean & Company and Aby Watson. As well as an evening of Cabaret Performance, an inclusive club night and a Scratch Night that will showcase brand new performance ideas from disabled artists. As always all events are Free to attend – you just need to book a ticket so that we know how many people will be with us! You can find all of the festival information and book tickets by following the link below. We can’t wait to have ‘A Bit Of A Do’ with You! Learn More
Friday Late takeover, this month gal-dem and friends are back for a night of live performances, workshops, installations, talks and screenings. As we enter the Roaring Twenties, this Friday Late, we’re asking you to remake with us, using your hands, minds and imagination to radically change the times we live in. 29 October, 18.30 – 22.00
Featuring live readings from two of the UK’s most exciting literary voices, Inua Ellams and Nikesh Shukla, a long-overdue Social performance from the incredible 4 BROWN GIRLS WHO WRITE and finally, Musa himself in conversation with Ian Wright (can’t believe we’ve actually just written that…
We’ll also have music from DJ Pierre Nedd, and the usual array of Rough Trade Books merchandise for sale. So get down to the best bar in town for what promises to be a classic night.
We spotlights gems of the indie publishing world — great books that are often overshadowed by big bestsellers. As a reviewer, you can contribute as much or as little as you like, and great reviews will be featured in our newsletter, sent weekly to 300k readers.
What do you need to apply? At least 1-2 book review examples.
Interested students can apply here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/reviewers/apply?source=uni
If you have any further questions, you can drop me an email at victoria@reedsy.com and check out our FAQ here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/reviewers-faq
WebCrafters is a student-led project aiming to enable students to access the hidden job market through the power of the personal website. Whether you are a student, a graduate, or looking to have a change of career, we are here to help you promote your personality and achievements in the best possible light. How? By teaching you to code your own personal portfolio website and showing you how to interface that site with LinkedIn and other key employability sites to maximise your online presence. These will enable you to gravitate towards the hidden job market and showcase yourself in the best possible light to prospective employers.
What do Computacenter do? In simple terms, you’d be joining a company who delivers digital tech solutions to some of the biggest organisations in the world. They have opportunities across Business Management, Project Management, Technical Consultancy, and Sales.
Placement Years – £17k, Locations across the UK, Add real value from Day 1, Hands on experience and the opportunity to learn and work on innovative solutions for our customers.
Graduates – £30k starting salary, Locations across the UK, Structured support programme designed to fast track your learning and development in a business that really cares about it’s employees.
Interested? Follow the link below to their Future Careers page to find out more.
http://ocply.co/am-computacenter21
The Uni Bubble regarding our free weekly careers newsletters where we’re equipping students to move into industries of the future after university. We’ll be guiding you on the opportunities available to you, the free skills and qualifications you can gain to increase your employability and other specific advice on each industry weekly.
Our 7 industry-specific newsletters you can choose from are: Digital, Technology, Creative, Business, Green Jobs, Entrepreneurship and Exploring Opportunities.
It can be overwhelming navigating the career paths available to you so we’re here to guide and prepare you to find work in an industry you’re interested in, regardless of your degree background.
Find out more about us on our website or sign up now using this registration form – it’ll take 5 minutes and you won’t regret it!
Next week sees an all-new festival taking place at the Royal Albert Hall, celebrating 150 years of immigration via a series of inspiring talks, performances, and interactive events, featuring an array of artists, musicians and speakers from immigrant backgrounds.
Part of the Hall’s 150th anniversary programme, Journeys is curated by prolific musician, producer and broadcaster Nitin Sawhney, who will headline the festival with a concert in the main auditorium on Friday 29 October.
Nitin will also be on hand to lead panel discussions covering the relationship between diversity and creativity, and evaluating the meaning of being an immigrant in society today. He will be joined by such names as Andy Serkis, Sonita Gale and YolanDa Brown. Limited £5 tickets for these talks are available for students, under 26s and unemployed.
Find out more and book tickets at: royalalberthall.com/journeys.
Wednesday 27 October 2021: 5.00-6.00pm UK time (BST)
Online via zoom
Rivka Galchen’s novel, published this summer, about the witchcraft trial of Katharina Kepler was described by the Wall Street Journal as “a very beautiful work of fiction” and the LA Times as “a smart book that investigates the power of narrative… while being funny and deceptively easy to read.” Galchen re-imagines the world of the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years War, concentrating on the herbal remedies, troubled friendships, and worldly tribulations of the mother of the astronomer Johannes Kepler. To discuss the book and the case, as well as the challenges of rendering difficult histories in artistic forms, Galchen will be joined by Professor Ulinka Rublack of Cambridge University, whose book on the trial and its implications for the history of science and magic, the Reformation, and women’s lives, was an important source. Rublack also created an opera, Kepler’s Trial, on the subject.
Rivka Galchen is the author of the novel Atmospheric Disturbances, the short-story collection American Innovations, the essay Little Labors, and the children’s book Rat Rule 79. She is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards and is a regular contributor of essays, reviews, and fiction to The London Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, and The New Yorker. She lives in New York and Montreal and teaches in the writing program at Columbia University.
Ulinka Rublack, FBA, is a professor in early modern European history and a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge. She is editor of The Oxford Handbook of the Protestant Reformations; her other books include Dürer in the Age of Wonder and The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler’s Fight for His Mother, which won the Deutsche Historikerpreis. Her current project, The Triumph of Fashion, charts the rise of fashion in different parts of the globe from 1300 onwards. During the academic year 2021-2 she is a Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg, Berlin.
Free to attend. All welcome. For booking see: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/directors-galchen-rublack
Recently launched podcast series called The Amplify Project is committed to supporting Black British writers and amplifying the Black British literary cannon. We’ve invited writers for the stage, page and screen to tell us about themselves, their work, what inspires them and why they write.
You can find our website here which also has links to our social media handles.
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Early career researchers seeking support for their application to the Leverhulme Trust’s Early Career Fellowship scheme are invited to get in contact with us from now [deadline 12 noon, 5 January 2022].
The School of English and Drama invites early career researchers seeking support for their application to the Leverhulme Trust’s Early Career Fellowship Scheme to submit to us:
Please send the above to Dr Huw Marsh, Research Manager, at: sed-research@qmul.ac.uk by no later than 12 pm on 5 January 2022.
Full scheme details including eligibility criteria can be found on the Leverhulme Trust’s website: https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding/grant-schemes/early-career-fellowships
All outline proposals will be considered by a School committee and applicants will be notified of the shortlisting outcome in the week of Monday 24 January 2022. Shortlisted candidates will be put forward for approval by the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Executive, who will report their decisions by 27 January. Decisions will then be communicated to candidates, and the School will work with successful applicants to finalise their applications. The final deadline for submission of approved applications is 4pm on 24 February 2022.
The School recommends that applicants make clear the following in applications (CVs and proposals):
Pink Lemonade follows Mika on their journey navigating romantic relationships and living as a trans masculine person. Whether it is because trans stories often go unheard or due to the fact that this is an entirely innovative piece of theater, I was left with the powerful impression that this was unlike anything I had seen before. Mika combines movement with monologue, utilizing rap and spoken word to tell their profound story. It is a testament to Mika’s storytelling skills that this incredibly personal narrative is so natural to empathize and connect with. The plot, like many other aspects of the show, is unconventional. In lieu of a traditional three-act structure, Mika instead floats through time and space, taking us back to life pre-transition and breaking the fourth wall to tell us directly their experience through the lens of memory. This experimental mode of storytelling so closely reflected Mika’s lived experience, and I found myself entirely caught up in Mika’s world and words from start to finish.
When my friends asked me what Pink Lemonade was about, I had a hard time articulating the magic that I saw. “It’s about sexuality, identity, life…” and they looked at me with curiosity and confusion. Though there is a plot – the show is essentially told through the parallel romantic experiences Mika had with two women, respectively – the show transcends the limitations of a traditional plot-driven play. As Mika raps, moves, or speaks, we are left with the feeling that this isn’t just dialogue, but is philosophy. There is something so enlightening about the way Mika tells their stories, and it also speaks to the power of live theater in general. I attempt to do so here, but it would be impossible to perfectly generate through words what we as a joint audience saw take place in the Bush Theater.
Pink Lemonade takes place in the black box studio, and the glowing, colorful lights illuminate not just Mika but also the audience members that surround the stage. I had the feeling that this was a communal experience, and it was absolutely fitting that this was live theater, because the show, space, and most significantly, Mika, were just teeming with life.
I can understand how Pink Lemonade may not be for ‘everyone’ – it is bold and liberated and empowered, and though in my opinion those are amazing qualities, I wouldn’t be surprised if some disagreed. However, I would urge anyone with the opportunity to see Mika’s work to do so. The one note I wrote down in my notebook immediately after the play was, “Mika is an artist in every sense of the word.” Artistry like this is rare, and when it does present itself, we would be remiss in missing it.
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