Category Archives: Public Events

PaTHES Online Social Meets – Season 4

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PaTHES Online Social Meets – Season 4

Hosted by Carola Boehm, the International Society for Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education organising virtual social meets, where we come together and chat informally about topics around current challenges for Higher Education and for our Higher Education Futures.

Homepage is at https://pathes.org/pathes-online-social-meets-season-4/

SEASON THEME: Colonisation, Coloniality and Whiteness in the Academy

Led by Dr Thushari Welikala, St. George’s, University of London, UK & facilitated by Prof Carola Boehm, Staffordshire University, UK

Season 4 Online Social Meets focus on how the continuing processes of colonisation, coloniality and whiteness are being utilised by the geo-political Centres to create a particular type of ‘global’ higher education. Colonisation and coloniality are processes that perpetuate the hegemony and the supremacy of whiteness within higher education systems across contexts. Whiteness reflects a set of “narrative structural positions, rhetorical tropes and habits of perception” (Dyer, 1997, p. 12) that enable power structures to continue different forms of coloniality of knowing within higher education institutions, despite the absence of white bodies (Shahjahan and Edwards, 2021).

Audre Lorde (2007) identifies whiteness as a mythical norm that enforces the supremacy of whiteness over others’ life and thought, maintaining the core of white dominance brought on by colonization and enslavement. Whiteness, as the colonial superstructure (Quijano, 2000), operates within current higher education under the guise of global university rankings, globalisation, internationalisation and projects on decolonisation and inclusion, shaping our social and educational imaginary and futurity through colonial ontologies and epistemologies (Christian, 2019).  

The global higher education magnifies white supremacy through racial neo-liberalisation, capitalism and competition, constructing particular values and beliefs about what is meant by learning, teaching and Being human. In question here is, how the often invisible and uncontested whiteness moulds the social- cultural and intellectual imaginaries within higher education and their impact on the process of maintaining and continuing the coloniality of knowing, supressing alternative ways of perceiving the world.

References

Christian, M. (2019). A Global Critical Race and Racism Framework: Racial Entanglements and Deep and Malleable Whiteness. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 2019, 5(2) 169–185

Dyer, R. (1997). White. Routledge.

Lorde, A. (2007). An Open Letter to Mary Daly, in Sister Outsider. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press, pp.57-62.

Quijano, A. (2000). Coloniality of power, Eurocentrism, and Latin America. Nepantla: Views from South, 1(3), 533–580.

Shahjahan, R.  A. and Edwards, K. T. (2021). Whiteness as futurity and globalization of higher education, Higher Education 10.1007/s10734-021-00702-x

For your time zone check on https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/

Friday                15/10/2021                   4.30pm-5.30pm (BST, UK Time)   LINK

Friday                22/10/2021                   4.30pm-5.30pm (BST, UK Time) 

Thursday (!)      28/10/2021                   4.30pm-5.30pm (BST, UK Time)

Friday                05/11/2021                   4.30pm-5.30pm (BST, UK Time)

Friday                12/11/2021                   4.30pm-5.30pm (BST, UK Time)

 

Beyond Preservation

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Endangered Ceramic Skills Symposium

Saturday 16 October 2021, 9am to 5pm
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

Bethesda Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3DW

Beyond Preservation: re-evaluating Intangible Cultural Heritage in the UK Ceramic Industry

Global economics and advances in automation technology have radically
transformed the landscape of the UK’s ceramic industry in recent decades.
Whilst these transitions have facilitated greater productivity, once
commonplace skills associated with ceramic manufacture have now been
displaced, threatening the continuation of much traditional knowledge.
Should such practices, deemed outmoded or economically unviable for
contemporary ceramic production be simply relegated to history or the
trails of heritage tourism? What value is there in safeguarding this
knowledge for the future? How can traditional practices be revived through
new modes of thinking and creativity in a digital age?


This symposium builds upon these questions, and highlights specialist
skills at significant risk of being lost from the industry, surveyed through
recent research for the Heritage Craft Association’s Red List of Endangered
Crafts. Making particular reference to North Staffordshire’s intangible
cultural heritage*, scholars together with former employees and current
representatives from the ceramics industry, will explore a variety of
perspectives concerning a re-evaluation of the industrial crafts and their
revitalisation through contemporary exchange and adaptation.


Although the symposium will be taking place within a cultural event, it will
discuss ways to connect with the local community beyond cultural
institutions, so that they can develop, engage and participate in ‘their’
intangible heritage. It is hoped that this event will introduce new ways of
valuing industrial ceramics skills that are not influenced by the immutable
heritage discourse of experts, by facilitating those that were and are still
involved in the industry to articulate the value of their own heritage.

More details at https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/c3centre/files/2021/10/Beyond-Preservation-programme-v1.5.pdf

 

 

Staffordshire University Arts Collection Exhibition

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Staffordshire University Arts Collection

Our Fine Arts department has the pleasure of inviting you to the ‘Staffordshire University Arts Collection Exhibition’ and an exhibition of two of our MAns Fine Art students ‘ Loss of information’

The Staffordshire University Art Collection exhibition showcases some of the work from the University Arts Collection in the Cadman Fine Art Space, featuring the work of past students, staff and even some of our current technical team. Michael Branthwaite and Fine Art Students Eve Travis and Lorna Lakin have been combing through the collection gathering the names and dates and creating a new archive of the collection. To extend their life, and find new locations to share this diverse range of artworks, this exhibition will allow university staff to ‘loan’ artworks from the collection, they will then be installed in their new location and recorded in the archive. As well as the physical collection there is also an entire slide collection and degree show catalogues stretching back to the 1980’s. This project is very much the beginning of a longer-term ambition to track the history of Fine Art at Staffordshire University back to its inception at the Bartlem School of Art in the early 1900’s.

How it works, firstly please come and enjoy the exhibition! 10-17:00 22-25th September. On the 28th September you are welcome to the closing event 17:00-18:30 to enjoy some refreshments as well as the MAns exhibition. At the event we will be on-hand to take details of the work University staff want to loan and will then work with estates to have it brought to you and installed.. ( We will need full name, email and a room number.)

If you require further information please get in touch with: M.branthwaite@staffs.ac.uk

 

Staffordshire University Arts Collection

NoiseFloor 2019 Call for Works and Proposals

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We are pleased to announce that NoiseFloor will once again be hosted by the Music and Sound department in our Cadman Studio Complex at Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.

  • Dates: May 7th and 8th 2019
  • Deadline for abstract submission: 18th January 2019
  • Deadline for Registration: 15th March 2019

NoiseFloor is an interdisciplinary event with a focus on experimental composition. This year we are pleased to announce our KEYNOTE PRESENTATION from SIMON EMMERSON, professor in Music, Technology and Innovation at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Our theme this year is Engagement.

“Who cares if you listen” is the title of an article from 1958, famously misattributed to the American composer Milton Babbitt. (Babbitt wrote the article, but the title was imposed by an editor).

60 years after Babbitt’s article, experimental or contemporary music is still often perceived as being “difficult”, “irrelevant”, or “out of touch”. To what extent are these conceptions and stereotypes merited? Should we as practitioners make more effort to engage with wider communities? Can this be achieved without diluting our work? Or is there an argument that our work should be governed by purely academic or aesthetic concerns? More generally, how can “challenging” art works or academic outputs reach wider audiences while still retaining their integrity? To what extent should our work engage with our social and environmental surroundings?

Works (compositions and performances) and proposals (for papers, lectures/recitals, panel discussions, workshops and other ideas) addressing this theme are particularly welcome. Of course, proposals for other relevant topics will also be considered. Submissions are invited from composers, academics, practitioners, individual researchers, postgraduates and any other interested parties.

Submissions should fall into one of the following categories:

  • 20-minute paper presentation (with 5 minutes for questions)
  • Fixed acousmatic works (up to 8 channel)
  • Acoustic instruments and electronics
  • Popular music and interactive systems (2 channel audio with video)
  • Fixed audio visual music (2 channel audio with video)
  • Workshop
  • Panel discussion

Please submit details of your composition, performance or proposal in the form of an abstract of between 250-300 words, together with brief biography (150 words), programme notes, and, where relevant, any links to audio/video examples of your work to our online submission form at:

http://staffordshire.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57Tlg8B2e90P6At

Registration: The fees are £60 for presenters and for attendees, £35 for students. Concessions will be available for students of Staffordshire University. There is no submission fee.

Please note that you will need to provide your own performers and instruments and that contributors will be required to attend the event. More information is available at http://noisefloor.org.uk/ or by contacting a member of the organizing committee:

Noisefloor Festival 2018

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The experimental music and moving image Festival, Noisefloor, hosted by the music and film departments, begins next Tuesday 8th May. All events are taking place in our purpose built TV studios in the Cadman Studios complex, College Road, Stoke on Trent.

Noisefloor has become an important annual event in the experimental music and moving image calendar and attracts submissions and artists from around the world. It’s a chance for our own students to perform with other local and international artists and showcases some of the best talent around.

All events are open to the local community and we’re keen for people to take the opportunity to attend and experience some excellent concerts the see great facilities we have here.

See the full press release here: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/news/international-music-festival-comes-to-staffordshire-university-tcm4296364.jsp

The full concert programme is on the Noisefloor website here: http://www.noisefloor.org.uk/

Staffordshire University / Factory Programme for the Creative Sector in Stoke-on-Trent

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As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the Creative Sector, Staffordshire University in partnership with Factory has developed a series of diverse talks, sessions and practical workshops that support the exploration of small and big challenges facing the creative sector. This unique series of events will be of interest to micro-cultural producers and artists, small and medium creative businesses, social enterprises and individuals interested in the potential of creative placemaking in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Research informed events by national and international experts will have a local focus, a local relevance and hopefully a local impact

Event Flyer

Events are focused on the Creative Sector but are open to any businesses or interested parties operating in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

Booking is advised for all events.  All events take place from 6:00 – 7:30pm.

Parking is free for the evening. (Press intercom and let them know you are coming to the Factory event)

Date Expert Event Title and Location
25/04/2018 Sandy Kirkham Putting the muse into business: the importance of the creative perspective in organisational change

 

Venue: Staffordshire University, College Road, The Digital Kiln Breakout Space, 5th floor Mellor Building.
02/05/2018 Carola Boehm  The creative industries are dead. Long live the creative industries.

 

Venue: Staffordshire University, College Road, The Digital Kiln Breakout Space, 5th floor Mellor Building.
16/05/2018 Keith Smy Mentoring and Coaching for SMEs  

 

Venue: Staffordshire University, College Road, The Digital Kiln Breakout Space, 5th floor Mellor Building.
30/05/2018 Paul Williams Making our mark in the world? You can bet your arts we are

 

Venue: Staffordshire University, College Road, The Digital Kiln Breakout Space, 5th floor Mellor Building.
06/06/2018 Si Waite, Marc Estibeiro Hands-on workshop on what it takes to create a podcast for your business. A podcast will be created while we learn.

 

Different Venue! Cadman Recording Studios, Meet at Cadman Studio Gate, College Road
13/06/2018 Peter Twilley Growing your Social Enterprise

 

Different Venue! Staffordshire University, College Road, Ground Floor Mellor Building, room SO11
27/06/2018 Rob Marsden Acting skills for Business Professionals: Voice and Presence Workshop

 

Different Venue! Staffordshire University, College Road, Ground Floor Mellor Building, room SO11

This opportunity is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund’s England Operational Programme 2014 – 20

Summary Descriptions

25/04/2018   Sandy Kirkham

Putting the muse into business: the importance of the creative perspective in organisational change

Leading successful organisational change continues to challenge business and industry leaders, but many recommended approaches focus on functional and operational aspects, or on technological change, with little attention paid to accommodating human creativity. A socio-technical approach may be more appropriate for the creative industries. This talk will demonstrate how one such approach, the soft systems methodology, could be used to align organisational change more closely to business environments which are driven by artistic creativity and innovation.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/putting-the-muse-into-business-the-importance-of-the-creative-perspective-tickets-44252797308

02/05/2018   Carola Boehm

The creative industries are dead. Long live the creative industries

A talk with on how the consumption of culture and arts is affording the creative industries to adapt as users desire personalised, immersive experiences rather than mass produced products or services. This shift in how we consume and participate in cultural and creative activities has wide reaching consequences for the industry, and specifically opportunities for the micro- and SME cultural producers able to take advantage of the underpinning paradigm turn.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-creative-industries-are-dead-long-live-the-creative-industries-tickets-44323999275

16/05/2018   Keith Smy

Mentoring and Coaching for SMEs

Coaching can provide an array of benefits for organizations of all sizes, especially small businesses, when conducted in an efficient and productive manner. Business coaches generally focus on developing the business owner or entrepreneur as a person, and the primary goal of the coaching is usually to achieve a positive and significant revenue increase for the business. In this workshop local business coach Keith Smy will explain what coaching is and what it can do for individuals, teams and businesses. He will give some pointers on how to get the best return from coaches and coaching and what help there is out there if you are thinking of engaging coaching services.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mentoring-and-coaching-for-smes-tickets-44324355340

30/05/2018   Paul Williams

Making our mark in the world? You can bet your arts we are.

This presentation will explore how renewed interest in culture is helping to re-write the city’s story and drive up our creative reputation.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-our-mark-in-the-world-you-can-bet-your-arts-we-are-tickets-44324462661

06/06/2018   Si Waite, Marc Estibeiro

Hands-on workshop on what it takes to create a podcast for your business. A podcast will be created while we learn.

The podcasting workshop will be held in the University’s state-of-the-art recording studios. Working with Music & Sound academics and technicians, participants will be shown how to record and edit audio using industry-standard hardware and software as well as source royalty-free music to enhance the finished piece. Content will be generated by recording conversations between participants on themes agreed at the start of the session.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-develop-your-own-podcast-for-business-tickets-44365546544

13/06/2018   Peter Twilley

Growing your Social Enterprise

This workshop will look at inspiring examples of where people, or organisations have set up businesses that are about making money to do good. A social enterprise is about making money but is also about responding to a social or environmental issue that people are facing in their neighbourhoods or communities or at a wider global level. The workshop will consider what a social enterprise is and what is isn’t and will also provide an opportunity to share examples and dream dreams about what could be possible. It will also point you in the direction of potential support that is available to support social enterprise in Staffordshire.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/growing-your-social-enterprise-tickets-44365928687

27/06/2018   Rob Marsden

Presence and Communication Skills Workshop

How can we effectively communicate to (and with) an audience? By learning techniques that you can apply to interview, presentation and pitches scenarios, this workshop will equip you with the confidence and skills vocally and physically to communicate. This practical workshop will be led in an informal and non-pressurised environment. Robert Marsden is a freelance theatre director and an Associate Professor at Staffordshire University.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/voice-and-presence-workshop-skills-for-business-professionals-tickets-44366325875