Critical Ecologies Spring Session on the IKON Slow Boat

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Ikon Slow Boat will be in Stoke-on-Trent throughout April and May, and provides an excellent space for our next Critical Ecologies Session.

https://www.ikon-gallery.org/news/view/ikon-slow-boat-stoke-on-trent-2025

For our next session we will be considering the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Staffordshire, and asking what we feel priorities should be for both rural and urban areas.

Given the significant loss of habitat we have seen across continents in the past 50 years, and the recent attack on the environment by the current US government, while closer to home reports of tree felling across cities and recent threat to the Dartington Forest – there has never been a more pressing time to think about what we as researchers might be able to do to advocate for nature.

In this session we will experience the new public art trail installed along the Caldon Canal, celebrating biodiversity, before a session aboard the Ikon Slow Boat, where we will consider the importance of our post-industrial water ways as nature corridors through urban landscapes – which then move out to more rural areas.

In the context of the LNRS for Staffordshire currently being prepared, we will hear from Nicola Lynes of Support Staffordshire, Chair of the Community Advisory Panel for the Staffordshire LNRS, who will share information about the Public Consultation underway and consider with us what we would recognise as priorities for Nature Recovery.

As always, this will also be an opportunity to discuss what you are working on currently, and an open discussion on potential for collaborations and information about our July Symposium, while enjoying the experience of the Slowness of Canal Travel on a boat ride.

We will share a reading list with those that sign up for the event, but for now a couple of relevant links:

Link to book a place: Critical Ecologies Spring Session on the IKON Slow Boat Tickets, Wed, May 14, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite

C3’s Prof Carola Boehm joins the Birmingham and West Midlands Conference Ambassador Network

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As Professor of Creative and Cultural Industries, Chair of Stoke Creates Cultural Compact, and as part of the leadership team of the C3 Centre: Creative Industries and Creative Communities at the University of Staffordshire, Prof Carola Boehm has been inmvited to join the Birmingham and the West Midlands Conference Ambassador Network.

She said: “As an academic and a cultural leader of our region, we regularly bring audiences, visitors and delegates to our city-region. Visitors contribute so much when joining us in our cultural and academic events that make our creative place what it is, the quintessential creative city with a deep and long history of producing creative products, services and creativity-underpinned knowledge & innovation. From medium-scale academic conferences to large-scale international festivals, from music concerts to boutique cultural gems, as a place with two universities and a multitude of vibrant creative and cultural organisations, we want to share our city with visitors.”

https://www.meetbirmingham.com/can/ambassadors

The West MIdlands Growth Company, under Chief Executive Neil Rami, set up the network to help reinforce the international reputation for excellence in academic research and contribute to our ongoing economic growth in the region.

“The Birmingham and the West Midlands Conference Ambassador Network has been created as a platform for the region’s greatest minds and leaders to work together in pursuit of a common goal – to contribute to our ongoing economic growth and reinforce our international reputation for excellence in academic research and business.”

“Ambassadors are influential in their field and play a key and active role in attracting their association conferences or connecting us with other people in the region who might be interested in working with us.”

The Birmingham & West Midlands Convention Bureau’s purpose is to promote the West Midlands and the wider region as a leading destination for events. The Bureau offers  support for large-scale event bids, and help win and deliver events, assisting also with accommodation booking for delegates and marketing support.

More information from: https://www.meetbirmingham.com/can

C3 Research Group Leads and Thematic Leads 2025

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Just a quick update on our C3 2025  line-up of C3 leadership team. If you have any questions about our research groups, do feel free to contact us on c3centre@staffs.ac.uk

C3 Lead – Agata Lulkowska

C3 Co-Leads – Rebecca Nunes, Agata Lulkowska, Andy Stubbs, Carola Boehm

Research Theme Leads (Horizontal):

  • C3 Impact Lead – Anna Francis
  • PGR – Andrew Stubbs
  • C3 Website – Carola Boehm

Research Group Leads (Verticals) :

  • Music and Sound – Mark Estibeiro, Dave Payling  (Themes a, d)
  • Art, Environment, Society – Anna Francis, Rebecca Nunes (Themes a, b, c)
  • Art and Design Research Group – Ian Brown   (Themes a, c)
  • Ceramic Cultures, Practices and Debates – Neil Brownsword (Themes a, c)
  • Philosophy & The Humanities – Phil O’Connor, David Webb  (Themes d)
  • Digital & Creative – Carola Boehm & Elhadj Benkhelifa  (Themes a, b, c, d)
  • Practice as Research – Agata Lulkowska   (Themes c, b, c, d)
  • (NEW) Film Research Cluster – Andrew Stubbs-Lacy  (Themes a)
Research Themes:a)        Creative Industries and Creative Communities (Music Sector, Ceramics & Film Cluster, Arts-led Regeneration)

b)       Co-creation & Co-production Processes for the Creative Sectors (Culture 3.0, Cultural Policy, Participatory Processes, Citizens as Researchers)

c)        Artistic Practices, Methods, Theoretical Frameworks & Identities (Audio-visual work, Media productions, Ceramics, Artworks, Performances, Compositions)

d)       Arts, Culture and Higher Education (Arts and Academia, Research Pedagogies in the Arts, Practice-as-Research Education Philosophy)

REBELLIOUS RESEARCH: Create Practice Research Seminar Series – Round 4

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Welcome to Round 4  of the Rebellious Research Seminar Series focusing on Creative Practice Research. The seminar series returns yet again, with some truly exquisite guests. As always, free and open to all (all sessions run online via MS Teams), this initiative aims at widening support and understanding around practice research in a friendly and inclusive manner, with some top experts sharing their experience and advice.

Download your Round 4 (2024/2025) PROGRAMME 

For more info and to be added to the mailing list please contact Agata Lulkowska (Agata.Lulkowska@staffs.ac.uk)

Download your Round 4 (2024/2025) PROGRAMME 

​All the past sessions are available on a dedicated YouTube channel

Any changes ot the programme will be announced on: https://www.agatalulkowska.com/seminar-series

Step Up to Research – Conferencing

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  • When: 01 May 2025 15:00 – 16:30
  • Where: Flaxman L518
  • Registration: Through MS Outlook Invite
  • For Who: University of Staffordshire Staff Only

After a short break the Step-Up-to-Research team is pleased to announce the return of the ‘Step up to Research’ programme, reimagined as a cross-department collaboration between the C3 and LEVELS research centres.  LEVEL’s Sharon Coleclough and C3’s Mark McKenna will be convening a packed programme of activity over the coming months that includes:

  • Beginning to Write – Book chapters and Journal Articles
  • Curating the work of Others: Edited Collections and Journal Special Issues
  • Developing Book proposals
  • Creative practice and alternative outputs
  • Studying for a PhD – what you need to know
  • Curating an exhibition or live event
  • Grant capture do’s and don’ts

The series is aimed at the research curious, but everyone is welcome to attend and even if you are further along on your research journey, we would welcome your input into the sessions as we grow a vibrant and connected research community here at Staffs.

We are keen to be as responsive to your needs as possible and plan to conduct a skills audit as part of these sessions, in order to ascertain where the gaps are and how we might best support you. We have designed these sessions to give you practical advice on the processes involved to enable you to grow your research profile.

Since conference season is almost upon us, we would like to begin with:

  • Conferences – a guide to attending and presenting

In this session we’ll cover everything from where to find the various call for papers requests in your area of expertise, to responding to those calls, and from preparing and delivering your conference paper, to networking and any post conference considerations. We understand that conferencing can be daunting, even for the more experienced among us, so consider this your one-stop-shop to get you ready for the summer season.

These are informal sessions in which a range of staff will share their experience and expertise of each of the topics providing the foundation for a broader discussion of how we might support you in achieving your own research goals.  The is an open forum for researchers to gain knowledge, get answers to questions and to feel supported in their research moving forwards.

We look forward to seeing you.

Mark and Sharon

If you have any queries or suggestions please contact:

Sharon as the representative of LEVELS: @Sharon Coleclough

or Mark McKenna as the representative of C3: @Mark Mckenna

Please note the session will take place in person in Flaxman L518, but we would encourage you to accept the Teams meeting so we can gauge numbers.

Philosophy Research Seminar Series – Life Matters: Thought, Nature and Technology

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  • When: 27th March 2025
  • Where: Online
  • Registration: Please contact Patrick O’Connor if you would like an invite to the meeting.

You are invited to Staffordshire Philosophy’s research seminar series. This time we will be speaking with Prof. Katherine Withy who teaches Philosophy at Georgetown University.

Paper: The World of the Kitchen

Abstract: When Heidegger introduces the notions of world and being-in-the-world in Being and Time, he speaks of the carpenter’s workshop.1 The carpenter’s workshop is both part of a world—namely, the world of a tradesperson in early 20th Century Germany—and a model for what it is to be in a world at all. As a model, the carpenter’s workshop has profoundly influenced how Heidegger’s concepts of world and being-in-the-world were developed and how they have been given uptake. You can hardly take two steps into Heidegger scholarship without running into a carpenter and their hammer. Using this example as a model for being-in-the-world makes certain features of us and the worlds we inhabit salient while obscuring others. Some of what this model obscures is crucial to the phenomenon of being-in-the-world, and it is made perspicuous by a different model. I want to suggest that a better model for being-in-the-world is being in the world of the kitchen.

Please contact Patrick O’Connor if you would like an invite to the meeting or if you are having trouble accessing the paper

Launch of a new Creative Industries Lecture Series

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  • When: 5th March 2025
  • Where: G027 Cadman Building / Cadman Yard, University of Staffordshire
  • Registration: Sign up for free through Eventbrite linke below

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staffs-creative-industries-lecture-series-tickets-1222599059699

Led by C3 Member Dr. Mark McKenna, the inaugural lecture in the newly established Creative Industries Lecture Series will be at 3pm on March 5th in G027 Cadman Building / Cadman Yard. Britain’s creative industries are world leading and they are the engine of our economic growth. In stark financial terms, in 2021 they generated £108bn in economic value and employed 2.3 million people. They are valuable and vital, but the importance of the creative industries goes well beyond the economy. Art, design, and entertainment enrich our lives and contribute to cultural identity and societal well-being. The works that these industries produce are the lens through which we understand the world.

This series of lectures will feature emerging and established speakers sharing their insights and experiences of the creative industries and, whether you’re a student, professional, or simply ‘creative industries curious’, the series is perfect for anyone looking to be inspired and to learn something new.

Mark has a forthcoming book with Routledge – Levelling Up the Screen Industries: Film and Television Production as Regenerative Strategy in Places Left Behind (2025), which grew out of a piece of work for Stoke-on-Trent City Council on the viability of a Film Office in the region and offers an assessment of the contribution that similar regions can make to the screen economy. The book considers the impact that various industrial and governmental devolution strategies have had or are having and explores the potentially transformative effect that this could have on the UKs screen economy.

 

 

Education Through Podcasting EPOD Conference Deadline coming up: Don’t miss the deadline!

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The deadline for submitting abstracts for EPOD 2025 Conference is fast approaching. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this year’s conference!

https://www.epod.org.uk

This conference cements a partnership of EPOD with Routledge. For this year’s conference Morley College London is partnering with the University of Staffordshire, Leeds University, and the University of South Florida. In this conference, academics, researchers and practitioners will share and disseminate research and experience of teaching, learning and training through podcasts.  

The focus of the conference this year will be Between entertainment and education: balancing media industry expectations within educational contexts. 

We invite you to submit a paper abstract of 300-500 words to be reviewed for inclusion in the conference programme. This should be submitted by 28/02/2025 and you can find the Call For Papers here.  Note that this is an in-person conference and it will not be possible to present online.

Presenting authors will be given the opportunity to submit a paper for peer review and consideration for the next Routledge publication.  

A publication from last year’s conference contributors is in press and will be published by the time this conference rolls around!

We would really appreciate it if you could help spread the word about EPOD over email to anyone who may be interested, and social media. You can follow, like and share our social media posts on Instagram, X and Facebook, as well as sharing the Call for Submissions to networks.

Many thanks again, looking forward to seeing you in June 2025!

Warm regards, 

The EPOD Team

 

C3 Creative Crumbs (Mini Virtual Writing Retreates)

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  • When: 2 sessions each month
  • Where: Online
  • Registration: Through C3 MS Teams Channel “C3 Ideas Space”
  • For Who: C3 Members Only

We are organising various monthly 60 minute mini online writing retreats for anyone who wants to pop in, and reserve some time for writing or getting some advice on

  • Drafting research bids
  • Writing articles
  • Idea creation for new bids
  • Reviewing article drafts
  • Or anything else that involved writing in the pursuit of research or enterprise activities.

Bring a virtual cup of coffee/tea and get those fingers warmed up. I (Carola Boehm) will be there, so if you want to

  • bounce of any ideas around publications,
  • get some first reviews of your funding-bid drafts, or
  • need some advice on how to put your output into STORE,
  • or have a quick chat about your research,

just feel free to pop in.

60 minutes will be divided into:

  • 5 minute intro, chat, committing to what to focus on
  • 20 minute writing
  • 5 minute chat break
  • 20 minute writing
  • 5 minute goodbye and plans for next steps

Link is available on our C3 Centre MS Teams Channel “C3 Ideas Space”

Carola

C3 Research Overview Sessions

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  • When: Several sessions, Spring 2025
  • Where: Hybrid
  • Registration: Through MS Outlook and C3 MS Teams Channel “C3 Ideas Space”
  • For Who: C3 Members Only

We welcome you to a Research Overview session which will take place on Teams and in two different slots to hopefully allow all staff who want to attend to do so. Ian Brown will lead on these sessions and they will take place on Tuesday 18th at 1:15 and be repeated on Wednesday 19th at 12.

The session is intended for those who are currently research active, those that are interested in becoming research active, or just curious about research, and want to know more. It is aimed at staff who would potentially be submitted to either Unit of Assessment 32 (Art & Design: History, Practice and Theory) and 34 (Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management) and so covers a diverse range of research from different disciplines and departments (from Philosophy to Games, for example). This overview will discuss the variety of forms that research can take, the roles of research centres (and how to get involved), institutional support, funding and REF. Further, more specific, sessions will take place at a later date.

Contact Ian Brown for further dates.