Our offer holder days are a great chance to meet students and staff from the course to get a feel for the course and inspiring community you could join.
DateTimeVirtual/on-campus Saturday 12 March 10:30-15:30 In Person – Last few places Wednesday 14 April 10:30-15:30 Virtual – Booking Now Live
The PGRS Committee is delighted to invite you to our final three online talks of the semester, featuring Oscar Wilde’s stories for children, the ‘cognitive ecologies’ of reconstructed theatres like Shakespeare’s Globe, and the original food, drink, and pamphlets of early modern theatre. 17 March – Prof. Michele Mendelssohn (Oxford)
‘Nasty, Brutish Short Stories: Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince Reconsidered’Register
24 March – Prof. Evelyn Tribble(UConn)
Reconstructions and Reunions: Cognitive Ecologies, Space, and Skill Register
7 April – Prof. Tiffany Stern (Birmingham)
Product Placement and Marketing in the Early Modern Theatre Register
Rediscover: queer + trans – Year 12 Study Day for Schools and Colleges
Wednesday 23 March 2022 – 2-5pm – In Person A-level/BTEC study day for year 12s to help bring in queer + trans ideas as tools to discover English literature, drama and creative writing in fresh ways.
Tuesday 5 April 2022, 17:00 – Online via Zoom In the final paper in our 2021/22 seminar series, Sarah Knott from Indiana University discusses histories of motherhood and solitude.
Witnessing: Readings and Conversation, with Andrea Brady and Rachel Zolf
Wednesday 27 April – Online via Zoom with Live Captioning
Join us online for readings and conversations about witnessing. Featuring Andrea Brady and Rachel Zolf. Rachel Zolf, in No One’s Witness: A Monstrous Poetics (Duke University Press, 2021), ‘activates the last three lines of a poem by Jewish Nazi holocaust survivor Paul Celan—“No one / bears witness for the / witness”—to theorize the poetics and im/possibility of witnessing.’ Andrea Brady, in The Blue Split Compartments , ‘draws on chatroom logs, military policy manuals, pattern of life archives, and accounts by witnesses around the world to document the consequences of the perpetual and ‘everywhere war.’
Listen to the latest Craft podcast by Wasafiri Magazine
Catch English television presenter, photographer and author of Afropean: Notes from Black Europe Johny Pitts on the next episode of Craft Podcast launching very soon. Follow @craft_podcast on Twitter for episodes and updates.
Hugo Aguirre (Drama) is a contestant on Sky Arts’ new series, The Big Design Challenge. This competition will see eight creatives battle different design challenges across five episodes to be crowned “Britain’s next design superstar”. Follow @hugoaguirre_design on Instagram.
Edie Edmundson (Drama) is in Robert Icke’s puppet Animal Farm touring round the UK.
Figs in Wigs (Drama) are presenting their work Little Wimmin as part of WOW – Women of the World Festival on Sunday 13 March 2022.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala CBE (English MA) is Booker prize-winning novelist, short story writer and two-time Oscar winning screenwriter and is celebrated on Instagram here.
Open Calls for Students, Staff & Alumni
2022 is shaping up to be an amazing year of events. Take part in the following:
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.
A live online panel of English alumni working in editing, librarianship, creative writing, media and law. This event will allow you to hear how graduates have progressed in their careers since leaving Queen Mary. You’ll also gain valuable advice and tips about entering the world of work. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about different roles/sectors, make connections, and have your questions answered in an informal and friendly setting. book your place
Tomiwa Owolade – graduated with a BA in English (2018), went on to study an MA in English at UCL and is now a Writer, Critic and Contributing Editor at Unherd
Nikita Saini – graduated with a BA in English (2012) went on to complete a GDL, LPC, LLM at The University of Law and is now a Solicitor for Axis Capital
Tasha Mathur – graduated with a BA in English (2014) and now works as a Picture Editor at Sky UK.
Phoenix Alexander – graduated with a BA in English (2012), went on to a Masters in English (2013) and a PhD in English and African American Studies at Yale (2019). Now works as a Science Fiction Collections Librarian at the University of Liverpool.
Elliott Daley – graduated with a BA in English and Drama (2007) and is now an Author, Actor, Playwright, Director, Poet and Teacher at V&A, Olympics, Lyric Theatre, Brit School and TedX
Outside QMUL
Interested in journalism? BBC News workshop on careers in journalism as part of the #BBCYoungReporter Festival!
Calling 15-25 year olds living in and around Tower Hamlets!
As part of When We Speak’s volume series we are hosting The Rights Collective and their workshop on Building a Movement. During this volume, a London-based South Asian collective will share their experiences of organising and building an activist movement and the challenges of this. Sign up here now! The Rights Collective, is a feminist space for members of the South Asian community commited to collective liberation.
When We Speak is an activist course supporting young people to run their own social change projects. We provide training, specialised coaching, youth led spaces and funding opportunities
28 Feb–21 Mar, The Curve Bishopsgate Institute stage a take-over of The Curve with an archive installation of objects, ephemera and media highlighting 40 moments and stories in London’s LGBTQ+ history.
On the 8th of March, Stanley Arts in South London is holding a creative networking events for women and non-binary people bringing together creatives from across Croydon and further afield. Featuring speeches from industry leaders including Carolyn Forsyths from one of the UK’s most preeminent Black theatre companies, Talawa, the event will allow artists, leaders, and creative organisations to network in a safe and inclusive space. Expect ‘speed-networking’, feedback sessions, and buffet style tasty treats! The event is free, but we will be taking donations on the day for Ella’s, an amazing charity that helps survivors of trafficking and exploitation.
Want to learn about how theatre is made? Do you have a burning question about dramaturgy, like what is it? Do you want to know how artists incorporate technology or activism into their work? Join one of our free Zoom events aimed at catalysing debate in the theatre sector.
CLOSING TODAY: Last call for the Aziz Fellowship with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. It pays London Living Wage and is a full-time, six month contract for someone from a Muslim background.
A live online panel of English alumni working in editing, librarianship, creative writing, media and law. This event will allow you to hear how graduates have progressed in their careers since leaving Queen Mary. You’ll also gain valuable advice and tips about entering the world of work. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about different roles/sectors, make connections, and have your questions answered in an informal and friendly setting.
Tomiwa Owolade – graduated with a BA in English (2018), went on to study an MA in English at UCL and is now a Writer, Critic and Contributing Editor at Unherd
Nikita Saini – graduated with a BA in English (2012) went on to complete a GDL, LPC, LLM at The University of Law and is now a Solicitor for Axis Capital
Tasha Mathur – graduated with a BA in English (2014) and now works as a Picture Editor at Sky UK.
Phoenix Alexander – graduated with a BA in English (2012), went on to a Masters in English (2013) and a PhD in English and African American Studies at Yale (2019). Now works as a Science Fiction Collections Librarian at the University of Liverpool.
Elliott Daley – graduated with a BA in English and Drama (2007) and is now an Author, Actor, Playwright, Director, Poet and Teacher at V&A, Olympics, Lyric Theatre, Brit School and TedX
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.
Friday, 25th February 2022, 19:30-21:30 (doors 18:45)BT
Come and celebrate LGBT History Month with a showcase of some of the UK’s finest queer comedians. Hosted by Mark Bittlestone (@poofsrus) the line up includes Andrea Hubert, Victoria Olsina and Fatiha El-Ghorri. We hope this will be the first of a regular comedy night for Queen Mary students and staff.
AHRC Boucicault 2020: Circuits of Skill Research Network
– led by Aoife Monks and Nicholas Daly invites you to a series of online workshops and events to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Boucicault’s birth (delayed by Covid 19). These events will investigate the relationship between entrepreneurial values and performance skill, asking how one relates to the other in the theatre by considering the legacies of Boucicault’s theatre practice now.
FRIDAY 25TH FEBRUARY 2020
10am-12.30pm (GMT) Online Stage-Irishness: A Public Inquiry This inquiry investigates the legacies of Stage Irishness, and whether it should finally be banished from the Irish stage once and for all. Taking evidence from ‘witnesses’ such as historians, critics and performers, this inquiry’s appointed jury will try to come to some conclusions, making recommendations for the casting and performing – or not – of Stage-Irish roles in the future. Jury and Witnesses include: Nicholas Daly, Tanya Dean, Rosaleen McDonagh, Brian Singleton, Kirsten Smith. Click here, to book your place and for further information. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stage-irishness-a-public-inquiry-tickets- 260192551927
2.30-4pm (GMT) Online Museum of Celebrity and Virtuosity Workshop Join Aoife Monks, Nicholas Daly, Tracy Davis, Matthew Knight, Simon O’Connor, Marlis Schweitzer, Paul Rae, Mary Ann Bolger, and Sarah Meer among others, to explore the relationship between celebrity and virtuosic performance onstage, and the material cultures that emerge from it. Click here, to book your place and for further information. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/museum-of-celebrity-and-virtuosity-workshop- tickets-262276795957
5-6.30pm (GMT) Online Dion Boucicault: Legacies of a Theatre Producer Join Jen Coppinger, Head of Producing at the Abbey Theatre Dublin, Alexandra Araujo Alvarez, Peoples Palace Projects, London and Róise Goan, Artistic Director, Artsadmin, London to explore the residues of Boucicault’s approaches to producing, asking ‘what would Boucicault do?’ in the face of the challenges facing theatre producers across the world today. Click here, to book your place and for further information. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dion-boucicault-legacies-of-a-theatre-producer- tickets-262278280397
Boucicault 2020: Circuits of Skill Research Network is a research project exploring what the nineteenth-century stage has to teach us about the sort of art we get when the entrepreneurialism of artists is emphasised, as it is today.
This project is supported by:
Arts & Humanities Research Council, Queen Mary University of London, University College Dublin, Rutgers University, New Jersey, Museum of Literature Ireland.
Tuesday, 8 March at 5.30PM (GMT) – Face to Face and Online
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, barristers from Field Court Chambers including Rupert’s sister Anna Dannreuther, will consider a hybrid case study with the audience. The aim is to highlight how the law deals with gendered issues and, crucially, where it can go further.
Producers of the Future: From Keighley to Karachi is a ground-breaking international collaboration between Bradford Literature Festival, UK, and Adab Festival in Pakistan, with the aim of developing female talent and leadership in the arts and culture sector. The development programme featured 10 women selected from Pakistan and Bradford who collaborated digitally to produce a series of online events.
You can watch these films on our YouTube channel by clicking the titles below. Don’t forget to like the videos and subscribe to our channel for more BLF content.
To find out more about our collaboration with Adab Festival, which was part of our 2021 festival programme, visit the Producers of the Future event page. Keep your eyes peeled for our 2022 programme, which we’ll be releasing in the coming months.
Phakama 25 Years
2022 kickstarted with our wonderful Environment Day in Brighton, led with students at the Institute of Contemporary Theatre. We engaged artists Mary Chater (Shakespeare in Italy), Rez Kabir (Mukul and the Ghetto Tigers), and Young Creatives Bhavini Sheth and Caterina Tucker. Rez also led on our Café Conversation at Curzon Aldgate where we again explored our place in the world and in the context of climate and environment. Check out this lovely little film to get a sense of what the day entailed!
We also have a small Phakama 25 Years and Beyond Party on February 24th in East London to mark the end of the celebrations and to strengthen our connections with each other through a small evening event. If you are interested in attending this event, please contact Anna, annag@projectphakama.org, stating whether you are an artist or organisation. This event has limited capacity so we will let you know if a space is available.
Constellations – A Creative Get Together
Following Associate Artists Melanie Hering and Ella Fleetwood’s successful project Constellations as part of our Creative Get Together, we are offering the online workshop again and this time in partnership withSheba Arts. This art and dance/movement-based workshop is aimed at women. To take part, please register on Eventbrite.
WOW London’s artist-in-residence Miss Baby Sol and international artist-in-residence Indonesian rock band Voice of Vaceprot
Multi award nominated Laura Mvula and Mercury Award nominated jazz composer and saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi will perform as part of Angela Davis autobiography launch
Palestinian singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Rasha Nahas
Spoken word artist Rakaya Fetuga performing with Maslaha Muslim girl fencers
Pop punk performances from The Tuts frontwoman Nadia Javid and diy band Breakup Haircut
The festival will also host two DJ nights featuring female talent in the booth, in collaboration with Spiritland
‘I will be reading from a new novel that gives a twentieth-century queer spin to Great Expectations, after which Dr. Mullan will be engage in discussion of the novel and its Dickensian roots. The event will be of especial interest to students interested in issues of race and sexuality in literature.’
Why does Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations continue to inspire readers and authors today? In this event, John Mullan, Professor of English at UCL, is in conversation with Joseph Boone, the author of a new novel, Furnace Creek, which is inspired by Dicken’s masterpiece. Furnace Creek teases us with the question of what Pip might have been like had he grown up in the American South of the 1960s and 1970s and faced the explosive social issues—racial injustice, a war abroad, women’s and gay rights, class struggle—that galvanized the world in those decades. Advance copies of the novel have garnered high praise from readers. This promises to be a riveting discussion between the novelist and one of our most distinguished literary critics.
Build your speaking confidence with mentors from top companies like Just Eat, Investec or Google
Apply now for the We Speak Employment programme and improve your speaking confidence and employment opportunities with Mentors from companies like Just Eat, Investec or Google.
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. Participants who complete the 4-week programme will receive a Certificate of Achievement.
We encourage applications from anyone who feels less confident about speaking, and we create a relaxed and friendly environment for participants. You can apply to join one of our 4-week programmes with online sessions taking place once a week, starting from w/c 7 March.
Tower Hamlets based artists and arts organisations are invited to our annual sharing event. This year this free event will be held online on Thursday 3 March.
Speakers include East Bank, Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, Bow Arts Trust, Queen Mary University of London, artists Rahemur Rahman and officers from Tower Hamlets Council’s Arts & Events Team. There will also be time for Q & A.
Interested in artist development? @RTYDS in #Manchester nurture early-career theatre makers. They’re seeking a trainee programme producer to gain skills in marketing, social media & project management. Apply by 27/02 via @_CreativeAcccess
Learn how you can use our library to access Wellcome Collection materials in the open stacks and Rare Materials Room. Four researchers will tell you about how they work with items from the collections to produce artwork, podcasts and academic research papers.
Hugo Aguirre is one of the contestants on Sky Arts, which aired the first episode on Valentine’s Day 2022. Watch the series hosted by Lauren Laverne via the button below.
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.
Two updates this week eh! We’re just catching up with our inbox but always love hearing from you.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions for the next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
From QMUL, Partners & Friends
Queen Mary Internships
Please login to Target Connect to apply for these roles:
Theatre Management/ Assistant Producer Intern – Told by in Idiot
1 day a week, 10 weeks | Pay: £11.05/hr
Arts Admin Intern – Theatre Peckham
2 days a week, start from March onwards | Voluntary
Academy Production Intern – Theatre Peckham
2 days a week, start from June onwards | Voluntary
Please contact Melanie Christou, the Placements team leader, Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) to register your interest in these: m.christou@qmul.ac.uk
In this third exclusive SED careers workshop, Career Consultant Charlotte Brown will share insight into how best to present yourself when job hunting. CV, cover letter, interview and networking tips will be discussed to improve your job search strategy and help you achieve career success.
This session aims to help you explore how to present yourself to potential employers, clients, and contacts in a variety of ways. We’ll cover:
Day 1: Music-ology – Monday 14th February at Hackney Empire, Empire 2 12- 4:30pm
A music workshop where you can get vocal tips, boost your confidence, nail your stage presence and connect with other young artists!
5- 6pm
A sit-down Q&A with music industry professionals including a manager, video producer and more.
Day 2: The art of being DRAMAtic – Tuesday 15th February at Hackney Empire, Empire 2 11am – 1pm
Creative writing workshop with gal-dem
2- 5pm
Brush up on your acting abilities with the help of a professional director in this exclusive drama workshop.
5:30 – 6:30pm
A sit-down Q&A with TV, Film and Theatre specialists including an agent, writer and more. Day 3: Careers Collide – Wednesday 16th February at Hackney Empire, Empire 2
Get exclusive access to creative gamechangers, ask the important questions you want and get the answers you deserve! Hear their journeys – start yours.
1:00 – 2:15pm
Collective Power: creating community in the industry
2:45 – 3:45pm
Don’t stay in your lane: the creatives who do it big
4:15 – 5:30pm
True to self: how authenticity creates change
Day 4: Pure Vibez gig – Thursday 17th February at EartH
A night of pure talent and pure energy. Pure Vibez is back with another gig to end the week off! Sign up below if you would like to perform.
You are welcome to attend Q&As in the evening even if you don’t want to attend the workshops.
Camden People’s Theatre have a call-out for their feminist festival: Calm Down, Dear. The festival is curated by our very own drama grads Figs in Wigs!
In 2021 we acquired over 25 years’ worth of papers, documents, cast notes and programmes from the archives of Joan Littlewood and Theatre Royal Stratford East. As part of our Theatre Season, delve into these archives to explore both of these histories.
Wednesday, 16 February 2022 14:00 Boosting Your Employability With Ease with Felicity Becker Register
Volunteering Opportunity: Make Education Fairer!
CoachBright is a social mobility charity and we are desperately looking for QMUL students to work with school pupils from low-income backgrounds and help them to improve grades, confidence, and access to university.
As we navigate life in a post-covid world, it’s more important than ever that London’s most disadvantaged pupils are getting the support they need. Join us to help make education fairer!
Our programmes are typically 1hr weekly for 12 weeks or 90min/week for 9 weeks. You’ll receive full training on safeguarding and coaching strategies before being paired with pupils to work together on a subject of your choice.
By volunteering with us, you will…
Gain transferable skills in leadership, communication and relationship building,
Gain experience in education and working with young people,
Get a formal student leadership accreditation to show for it,
Gain points towards university student awards,
Choose to work with Primary school, GCSE or A level students,
We can also give you references to help with your future steps.
Tell us about An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love’. What should we expect?
In ‘An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love’ I have a conversation with a machine-learning algorithm about love, dating, and my life as a single queer mum. The algorithm’s responses range from the funny and surreal, to the poetic and poignant. When I ask the algorithm questions about love it tells me: ‘I’d suggest that you find out how to answer these questions. This is not just about writing. It is about real life. The answers are in your life.’
What inspires you to write stories like this?
I always enjoy finding ways to generate material to work with. In the past I’ve used cut up writing methods a lot, where I splice together existing texts and subvert their meanings. Working with an algorithm is an extension of these procedural writing methods.
I wanted to think about love with this project because in the past I didn’t think about it, I just fell in it. I wondered what a machine-learning algorithm might be able to teach me about love.
What advice would you give to emerging writers at Queen Mary?
Prioritise reading, writing and thinking, and don’t give up.
Welcome to our first digest of 2022, full of interesting events, opportunities and schemes that may help you meet collaborators, improve their career prospects or simply broaden your horizons.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions for the next edition via sed-web@qmul.ac.uk
From QMUL, Partners & Friends
Phakama have a new project for 16-21 year olds this February: Our Stories
Rise Up is a FREE opportunity for young people aged 16- 21 to create, learn, collaborate and express themselves. This is a unique experience for up to ten young people, who will be led by Phakama’s Young Creatives, to take part in a one-week cross-arts project. Using different art forms such as drama, music, creative writing and movement, you will have the opportunity to create your own show and share it with a live audience at Graeae Theatre in East London. No previous arts experience necessary.
Are you interested in being a writer or journalist? Or in working as a freelance practitioner in the arts? Perhaps you have thought about setting up your own production company?
If so, come along to this session to get an overview of working for yourself, including:
In this third exclusive SED careers workshop, Career Consultant Charlotte Brown will share insight into how best to present yourself when job hunting. CV, cover letter, interview and networking tips will be discussed to improve your job search strategy and help you achieve career success.
This session aims to help you explore how to present yourself to potential employers, clients, and contacts in a variety of ways. We’ll cover:
Our friends at Theatre Peckham are seeking show submissions for their new performing arts festival Peckham Fringe, which runs Monday 2 May – Sunday 5 June. Everyone is welcome to apply. Submission deadline: Monday 14 February.
The purpose of this internship is to provide a learning opportunity to the intern by spending time with several departments within the organisation. Before starting the internship, you will be invited to express what areas interest you and the organisation will endeavour to match these with current projects or areas of work that are taking place at the time. Areas include: administration, fundraising, academy, venue operations, assisting the CEO/ Associate Director/ Producer, finances, research, archive and reporting. Each role will be designed to reflect the needs of the student and will be discussed with each successful candidate. This internship is on a voluntary basis and it takes place in a registered charity.
The purpose of this internship is to provide a learning opportunity to the intern by providing support to the production team whilst the theatre is hosting shows as part of the National Theatre’s Connections Festival. Theatre Peckham (TP) is a cultural flagship venue that champions artistic excellence and supports young people (YP), particularly those from low economic backgrounds to engage with the arts. You will be expected to undertake a range of duties relating to the support of production and running of a theatre show and working closely under the guidance of the Academy Manager.
Interested applicants are encouraged to consider booking an application appointment in Careers & Enterprise before applying for these roles.
Are you thinking of starting your own podcast? Apply within!
Acast Amplifier is podcast platform Acast’s first initiative designed to help find and nurture the next generation of audio creators in the UK via grants and training. There’s no better partner for your pod’.
Rich Mix arts centre and cinema are looking for Visitor Services Assistants to join our Operations team, delivering excellent customer service for all visitors. You’ll work in a variety of roles, ensuring people feel well looked-after and leave with positive memories.
Stratford East’s brand-new initiative, the Future Leaders programme is for East London-based 16-25 year olds who are interested in learning about different types of leadership, how cultural organisations are run, and want to have their say in the future of our creative industries.
This programme of workshops is offered exclusively to people who identify as women, trans and non-binary, and are interested in developing a career in backstage roles. The sessions will be free to attend.
ZU-UK are holding a series of 3 public workshops – THIS IS HOW I DO IT, BABY – in February & March
We would love to see you there.
Each session consists of a practical deep-dive into the methodology and ethos of an invited guest artist – this year’s guests are Silvia Mercuriali (https://www.silviamercuriali.com), Kelly Green (https://www.kellyg.net) & Action Hero (http://www.actionhero.org.uk). The series is aimed at emerging artists, practitioners and researchers, and also serves as a taster for those with an interest in the MA Contemporary Performance course.
The sessions are FREE, but have a small capacity and require sign-up here:
Main Image from:Danielle De Leon from our English class of 2021 and Founding Editor & Digital Media Team Member at Wonderer Journal.
Open Events
Queens’ building on our Mile End Campus, Nisha Ramayya from our creative writing team, our housing team, Michael McKinnie from drama and a student in Shoreditch.
Undergraduate Offer Holder Days
Our offer holder days are a great chance to meet students and staff from the course to get a feel for the course and inspiring community you could join.
Saturday 12 February 10:30-15:30 In Person – Limited availability
Saturday 13 March 10:30-15:30 In Person – Good availability
Wednesday 14 April 10:30-15:30 – Virtual – Booking opens soon
For a few years now, I’ve been reading and re-reading six particular pages of the Babylonian Talmud, which confront some confounding questions of messianism. I’m not a scholar of Talmud; I really have no business digging around in this foundational tome of rabbinic Judaism. And yet, these six pages persist in their invitation – again and again – to consider catastrophe, caesura, mourning, and morning joe via dialogue, debate, parable, mathematical calculation, geopolitical commentary, conspiracy theory, and seemingly dadaist non-sequitur. T.MUDD is a performance-lecture with new music that moves back and forth between these varying Talmudic registers and modes of address in the hopes of moving us just a little bit closer to (or perhaps way further away from) answering the persistent questions: Just what are we waiting for? And what should we do while we wait – for the end without end?
Brandon Woolf is a theater artist and clinical associate professor at New York University, where he directs the Program in Dramatic Literature. www.brandonwoolfperformance.com
‘Vegetable monsters and curiosities’: Plant Horror in the Palm House at Kew
Thu 10 February 2022, 17:00 – Zoom
Dr Kate Teltscher
Completed in 1848, Kew’s Palm House was associated with both plant magnificence and plant monstrosity. From the start, the Palm House attracted considerable attention from journalists and the popular scientific, educational and religious press.
Dyspraxic Approaches to Teaching Live Art in a ‘Neurodivergent’/ ‘Normodivergent’ classroom
Mon 7 March – Online via Zoom with Live Captioning
a talk by Daniel Oliver and Sumita Majumdar
In this session Daniel and Sumita will be reading from, and expanding on, their co-authored chapter ‘Dyspraxic Approaches to Teaching Live Art in a ‘Neurodivergent’/‘Normodivergent’ classroom’, published in Petronilla Whitfield’s edited collection Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training: Teaching and Learning for Neuro and Physical Diversity (NY: Routledge, 2021). They will share their experiences, detailed in the chapter, of neurodivergent/normodivergent teaching and learning, and build on their argument that these experiences and approaches are ideal when working with Live Art and experimental performance practices.
BLOC – New Research a new Film & Drama Practice research facility at QMUL
The project will create an integrated suite of facilities that support our research into Film, Drama and associated post-production activities.
We’re calling it “BLOC” to speak to building blocks, the grid, connectivity.
One of our aims is to create the most accessible Cinema in a London University, that will make it inclusive for everyone, whether they require physical or neurodiverse support or not.
We now have a dedicated page for Craft on the Wasafiri website! Go to http://wasafiri.org/article/podcast/… for all things Craft including full transcripts of every episode and exclusive bonus outtakes.
Phakama have a new project for 16-21 year olds this February: Our Stories
Rise Up is a FREE opportunity for young people aged 16- 21 to create, learn, collaborate and express themselves. This is a unique experience for up to ten young people, who will be led by Phakama’s Young Creatives, to take part in a one-week cross-arts project. Using different art forms such as drama, music, creative writing and movement, you will have the opportunity to create your own show and share it with a live audience at Graeae Theatre in East London. No previous arts experience necessary.
In February, for Valentine’s Day, a dance film that Julie Rose has sound designed (dir. Jo Bannon for Candoco Dance Company) is going to have its international debut at Sadlers Wells Digital Stage. Candoco are a disability-inclusive dance company and she has written about my approach to creating a tactile sound design and cultivating an inclusive sound practice for Performance Research’s forthcoming issue ‘On Touch’. This is a very beautiful and erotic piece exploring relationships with objects. My sound design has an ASMR aesthetic and features innovative use of contact microphones.
From counselling to talk through issues you face to money advice Queen Mary has lots of support on offer and the people who run these services. A first port of call might be to download the QMUL app so you have key services on your device:
SED Student Support Student support queries (for example, when your wellbeing is affecting your studies) Email: sed-studentsupport@qmul.ac.uk
Togetherall A safe, online community where people support each other anonymously to improve mental health and wellbeing.
Staff
Counsellingvia Workplace Options Employment Assistance Programme. You can ask for counselling sessions through this service for all staff. How to access:
Freephone: 0800 243 458 (username and password not required)
Tower Hamlets Mental Health Crisis Line The mental health crisis line is available 24 hours a day and callers will be given support and advice from mental health professionals. It has been designed as a ‘first port of call’ for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis and to remove the need for those people to seek help via hospital A&E services. How to access: The 24 hour Mental Health Crisis Line is: Free Phone 0800 073 0003
Welfare Advisors via Advice and Counselling Service Free 4 week counselling for students and welfare advisors who can talk housing/money/immigration etc. How to access:Apply on MYSIS
References: We ask you to provide two academic references (but usually can accept 1), and there is a space on your application form to upload these. If your referees are willing to send you their references, you can upload them directly with your application. If your referees would rather not send you their references, they can send them directly to sed-admissions@qmul.ac.uk. If your referees do decide to send their references themselves, you will still be expected to upload a file in the references section of your application. This can be a simple Word document stating ‘References will be sent separately’.
Academic Qualifications (e.g. Degree transcript (or interim transcript): If you don’t have this documentation please contact your university to request it. If you are a Queen Mary graduate you can get Graduate Documents here.
Statement of Purpose: Your Personal Statement is an important part of your application and should identify why you want to study the course and how your experience thus far makes you a suitable candidate.
CV/Resume: Please include an up to date CV.
If you have any trouble uploading or submitting documentation we can help via email: sed-admissions
Funds are available for English and Drama Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught (MA) students in the School of English and Drama (SED) to cover costs associated with the organisation of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives.
EDI ensures fair treatment and opportunity for all. It aims to eradicate prejudice and discrimination on the basis of an individual or group of individuals’ protected characteristics. The SED EDI Student Initiative fund has been made available in response to requests from undergraduate students for support to organise activities that promote inclusivity and challenge ableism, homophobia, racism, sexism, xenophobia, and discrimination based on religion, class or age. We encourage applications from individual students or groups of students who are requesting financial support to design and deliver such activities. Examples of possible activities include:
Payment of visiting speakers or mentors (£100 is the usual maximum payment for a salaried visiting speaker; £200 is the maximum for an unsalaried speaker – likely an artist – please note, this is not an hourly rate, but the rate per visit or session by the speaker). Payments can only be made when the speaker has a Right to Work in the UK.
Modest hospitality e.g. taking the speaker to lunch, catering for a student event.
Reasonable reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by the guest speaker.
Materials for performance/practice.
Theatre tickets, field trips, gallery or exhibition visits, trips to book launches.
There will be two deadlines for funding to support student-led events planned between 1st March 2022 and 30 June 2022:
The first deadline is 11.59 p.m. on Sunday 27 February 2022
The second deadline is 11.59. p.m. on Sunday 3 April 2022
To apply for EDI funds of up to £200 please complete this form using your QMUL email account.
Your application will be considered by a small panel comprising: Nadia Atia (SED EDI Co-Chair); Suzanne Hobson (Head of English); Dominic Johnson (Head of Drama); and a student representative from the SED EDI Committee.
If your application is successful, you will be informed within two weeks of the funding deadline(s).
Welcome to 2022 in the School of English and Drama.
We’re excited to welcome our students back to campus for our second semester later this month and to meet so many potential new students at our offer holder days and events.
January UCAS deadline for equal consideration is 26 January 2022. We would love to receive an application from you before this deadline. Please contact sed-admissions@qmul.ac.uk if you need help with undergraduate admissions.
PhD application deadline January 19 for QMUL and January 28 for LAHP. Please contact sed-research@qmul.ac.uk if you need any help with these.
Our offer holder days are a great chance to meet students and staff from the course to get a feel for the course and inspiring community you could join.
Martin Welton (Drama) featured issue of Ambiances Just published – co-edited by Chloé Déchery (Paris 8 Vincennes) and Martin Welton (QMUL), the second volume of a special issue on Staging Atmospheres in the journal Ambiances: The International Journal of Sensory Environment, Architecture and urban Space.
Tobi Poster-Su (Drama) writes onSculpting China: Critical Puppetry and the Formation of Diasporic Identity for Critical Stages
The article explores the ways puppetry might resist and disrupt racial constructions of identity in Tobi Poster-Su’s performance as research project Chang and Eng and Me (and Me).
Award-winning writer and historian Professor Jerry Brotton (English) and journalist Shafi Musaddique explored Tudor links with the Islamic world with the British Library.
Links and Opportunities
Student Opportunity
I Am You Anthology Project – working with young people on the Equality Act
Happy new year and we hope you are well. We are writing to you about an exciting upcoming student opportunity. The Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre (QMLAC) http://www.lac.qmul.ac.uk/ are bringing together an inter-disciplinary student working group to run an exciting project with 9 and 10 year old children. The project will build on the current work of the QMLAC I Am You project (http://www.lac.qmul.ac.uk/clients/community-projects/i-am-you/) which runs workshops in local primary schools on the Equality Act.
This opportunity will teach students about the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010, and support and empower them to write personal reflections (poems / stories etc.). These reflections will them be compiled into a hard copy anthology with a launch event in the spring where we will host a recital for the young people to present their work to their families.
We are looking to bring together a group of:
3 Law students
4 English students
3 Drama students
2 Marketing students
Students can be from any year of studies (post graduate or undergraduate) as long as they are committed, engaged and available for the entirety of the project.
Together the team will be trained to design and deliver;
a training video and document to launch the competition to local 9 and 10 year olds,
a judging panel to select the best contributions to for the anthology,
The first compulsory meeting for this project will be held online from 3-5pm on the 19th January where the team will come together and plan the project.
How to get involved?
If you are interested in being involved in this unique interdisciplinary opportunity please send a CV and cover email explaining why you are interested tolac@qmul.ac.uk by Monday 17th January at 10.00am. We will aim to let applicants know if they have been successful noon on the 18th January. Please be aware that the first session is compulsory and so we encourage all applying to ensure they are free 3-5pm on the 19th January.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the QMLAC team at lac@qmul.ac.uk.
LAHP 2022/23 Collaborative Doctoral Award Projects Recruiting
Performance-based co-creation with young people as political activism: contextualising and disseminating the work of Fevered Sleep
Collaborative Doctoral Award in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London and Fevered Sleep
