Spring 2004 - University of Kent

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Alumni life Events and Tourism Officer CLAIRE SALLEY R00 Kent is one of Britain’s top universities in graduate employment. For several years now, its rate of graduate unemployment has been around 3 per cent or less. Claire Salley, who graduated in 2003 with a BA in History and Heritage Studies, did a placement at Belmont Park, an elegant Georgian manor in the heart of Kent, and last summer worked at Buckingham Palace. Photo: David Ormrod Claire Salley in Buckingham Palace Gardens What I most enjoyed and did best in GCSE and A-level history studies were the ‘hands on’ elements, which involved visiting and reporting on key sites such as Gressenhall Rural Life Museum and Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk. Kent was the obvious choice of University for me, because it offered practical experience in the form of a finalyear placement and it focused on the heritage industry as a whole – not just museums or galleries, for example. Also, the course is flexible – permitting relevant modules from other departments, so I could tailor the degree to my own goals. With my interest in built heritage, I focused on architectural history and decorative art. I based my final-year dissertation on Belmont House. My main task was to produce an educational and entertaining script for an audio guide to the estate. This was part of a wider initiative to attract more visitors and increase income. Belmont House is fabulous – a fine example of the work of progressive neo-classicist Samuel Wyatt, with a unique imperial family history, and it houses the most superb horological collection in the country. During the autumn term, I interviewed as many people involved with the property as I could, as well as horological expert Jonathan Betts. I visited Maidstone and Canterbury county archives, and was given access to the oral history of the 5 th Lord Harris of Belmont House. My audio guide project is now in the hands of the Trustees of Belmont, where plans are to record the script and make this available in a CD format until it can be produced digitally. They are hoping to translate this to make the property more accessible to the many foreign visitors they get every season. As a warden during the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace in 2003, my Belmont House experience, as well as my degree, proved invaluable. I needed sufficient knowledge of the Royal Collection, the history of the building and the Royal Family to be able to inform a multicultural audience and answer their questions about these and related subjects. I was mostly in the magnificent State Rooms and the special display to mark the 50 th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation, where the exquisite Coronation Dress and Robes and the wonderful Topolski frieze were shown. Over 300,000 people visited Buckingham Palace that season. I now work for the Wayland Partnership, a regeneration charity based in my home county of Norfolk. My first major work has been to complete the Church Tours project, funded largely by the Local Heritage Initiative. So far, this has involved organising live monthly tours, editing and promoting the guidebook and – you guessed it – managing the production of an audio guide! I’m also developing special-interest breaks, large regional events and training opportunities for volunteers. The role has given me excellent experience and the chance to develop networks with such large cultural organisations as Creative Arts East and Common Ground. The heritage industry has not been an easy one to break into, but it has been worth every effort to do so! 16
Stage right JAMIE BEDDARD K85 A career in theatre and the arts seemed totally unfeasible when I was growing up. There were no role models and few, if any, positive representations of disability in the media. The idea of breaking through the misconceptions and barriers to become a performer seemed almost impossible. Following school, and a year travelling, I studied sociology at Kent. My limited academic pretensions were soon dashed as I indulged in late nights, cheap ales, and idle pleasure. More by luck than judgement, I gained a mediocre degree, and returned to London to set about earning an honest living. As a youth worker, I pitted my wits against the young people of northwest London. My standoff with the disaffected young was broken by a call from the BBC. They were casting Skalligrigg – a ‘groundbreaking film on disability’ and in the absence of trained actors with cerebral palsy, had stumbled across my name. With no previous acting experience or aspirations, and much truth bending, I managed to blag a role. The wayward young of Kilburn were ditched in favour of greasepaint, pink gin and professional pretence! A couple of years ago, I applied under an Arts Council Bursary Scheme to work as assistant director. I had run many workshops and had always been interested in directing. Working for Graeae in this new role offered new insights. As an actor your focus is on performance – learning lines and characters, preparing for shows, and fighting nerves – and you are largely unaware of the work that goes on behind the scenes. One of my main areas of responsibility as associate director is to work with emerging and established writers. As a writer myself, I understand the challenges of deadlines and finding inspiration. There is, however, a reservoir of emerging talent among writers with disabilities. Nurturing these voices is becoming as integral to Graeae’s work as its traditional support for performers. We also provide the ‘Missing Piece’ training course with London Metropolitan University. Starting again in September, this is an intensive eight-month training course for disabled people in Performing Arts, and has over the last four years generated a wealth of talent. I’m fortunate to be doing a job I enjoy, at a time when the representation of disability is evolving and the negative stereotypes of the past are becoming obsolete. A pool of great disabled performers now exists, and the industry can’t afford to ignore them. May the show begin! See: www.bbc.co.uk/ouch After Skalligrigg, I contacted Graeae Theatre. The company offered a completely new world that I found exciting, challenging and sociable. I attended various workshops and, inspired by many of the arts practitioners associated with it, tentatively decided on a career as an actor. I switched to the professional touring company and as a freelancer was involved in various Graeae productions, including Ubu, Flesh Fly and Fittings – the Last Freakshow. One of the main advantages of working for a company such as Graeae is that disability is not really an issue; most of the barriers of understanding and access have already been dismantled. Also, disabled people share many cultural connections, and Graeae is at the forefront with these. 'As a student, Jamie tackled everything with enthusiasm and resilience. I knew he had become an actor, but hadn't realised he was also a playwright and director. While at Kent he encouraged others to be positive about disability. It's clear he is still very much doing that!' - Michael Fuller, Senior Lecturer in Econometrics and Social Statistics This article was adapted from a piece in Disability Now. 17
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Spring 2004 - University of Kent

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