Magna Carta - Canterbury Christ Church University

inspire 

Canterbury Christ Church Magazine 

How 

Magna Carta 

changed the world 

Summer Winter / / 2012

Vice-Chancellor’s 

introduction 

02 

Welcome to the summer edition of Inspire. 

We have had a very busy start to the year with our 

Golden Jubilee celebrations now well underway. 

Highlights include a wonderful concert in Canterbury 

Cathedral, a ‘Battle of the Bands’ at Augustine Hall 

(a fabulous venue for rock music), a special visit by 

our Chancellor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and, 

most recently, hosting BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions? 

We look forward to many more events over the 

coming six months, including our alumni celebration 

day, when we welcome back past students, 

colleagues and friends in our biggest reunion to date. 

In this edition of Inspire you can read more about 

these events and, of course, other news and 

developments at Christ Church. We feature an 

interview with one of our academics, Dr Louise 

inspire / Canterbury Christ Church Magazine 

Wilkinson, who is working on a fascinating project 

to translate one of the most famous historical 

documents, the Magna Carta, for global access on 

the internet (page 14). 

Additionally, the University’s Students’ Union 

President, Silvia Rasca – the only international female 

SU president in the country – gives her perspective 

on major work we are undertaking to enhance our 

student experience. 

I hope you enjoy reading this latest issue. 

Professor Robin Baker, CMG 

Vice-Chancellor 

Inspire magazine has been designed and produced 

by the Department of Marketing, 

Canterbury Christ Church University

08 

14 18 

17 

Student News 

Students’ Union sabbatical 

officers 2012 - 13 ................................24 

Secret Lives 

12 

2o 

Letting your imagination 

take flight ....................................................21 

CONTENTS 

News .............................................................04 

FeAtUReS 

The Students' Perspective.........08 

Meeting students expectations and needs. 

Measuring up! .......................................12 

Helping independent hotels to succeed. 

How the Magna Carta 

changed the world .................................14 

Bringing the Magna Carta into the 

digital age. 

30 years of making music .........18 

We say goodbye to our Director of Music, 

Grenville Hancox. 

Faculty News .....................................22 

Books ......................................................25 

events .....................................................26 

If you would like this magazine in an alternative format, 

please contact the Corporate Communications Unit 

email: corporatecommunications@canterbury.ac.uk Front cover image courtesy of 

National Archives/Mary evans. 

Summer / 2012 03

News 

BBC ‘Any Questions?’ 

comes to Christ Church 

the popular BBC Radio 4 

programme ‘Any Questions?’ was 

broadcast live from Augustine House 

on 27 April as part of our Golden 

Jubilee celebrations. 

Are you in touch with your neighbour? 

the findings of a new research project to explore 

how people in Kent communicate in their local 

communities have been released. 

‘Neighbours Online’ a project led by Dr Agnes Gulyas from the 

Department of Media, Art and Design, focused on how new 

technologies, such as social media, are affecting and shaping local 

communication. 

Results show a growing gap between how different generations 

communicate within their communities. 

the survey also revealed that how people communicate locally 

is influenced by whether they have children. the location of a 

04 


Chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby, it attracted 

a capacity audience of 340 members of 

the public, staff and students, who put 

questions to a panel including: Iain Duncan 

Smith MP, Sir John Sulston, Anne Mcelvoy 

and Lord Adonis. 

community also had a significant impact on the communication 

activity and tools that people used. 

the research findings are the first part of a wider research project, 

funded by a national Higher education Innovation Fund, and is 

calling for local groups to participate in the next phase of the 

study. Groups will be provided with a social media toolkit to help 

them enhance their communication and improve the cohesion of 

their local communities. 

Any local community groups or organisations who are interested 

in having a social media toolkit by taking part in the second phase 

of the research, should contact Dr Gulyas at 

agnes.gulyas@canterbury.ac.uk.

Supporting the British 

Transplant Games 

Raising awareness of organ donation in a climate of rising demand and 

limited donors has never been more important. It can make life worth living 

for some and could mean the difference between life and death for others. 

the debate on whether one should opt out rather than in to the organ donor register 

continues, but boosting the number of people who do register is one of the aims of the 

Westfield Health British transplant Games, which have been staged annually since 1978. 

the Games incorporate a wide variety of sporting and leisure activities for all age groups 

over four days in the summer. they encourage transplant patients to regain fitness and to 

promote friendship, while raising public awareness of the importance of registering 

on the NHS Donor Register. A team to represent Britain in the World transplant Games 

is then selected. 

Canterbury Christ Church is sponsoring the 2012 Games, because of our strong health 

connections at Medway where the Games are going to be held from 23 to 26 August. 

For more information, visit: www.transplantsport.org.uk 

Christ Church hosts Puerto Rico 

competitors for London 2012 

the University will host up to 40 competitors from the Puerto Rico Olympic 

team during this summer's Olympic Games. 

Competitors in basketball, weightlifting, gymnastics, judo, boxing, athletics and freestyle 

wrestling will train at the University’s first class sporting facilities in the run up to 

London 2012. 

the announcement comes after an agreement was signed between the country's National 

Olympic Committee and Kent County Council for the athletes to train in Kent ahead of 

London 2012. 

Special Cathedral concert 

Canterbury Christ Church held a very special 

concert at Canterbury Cathedral in March, 

celebrating our 50th anniversary year. 

the University is a passionate supporter of the 

region’s art and culture and is putting music at the 

heart of its year-long celebrations. 

the concert, on Saturday 17 March, saw current 

and former music students and staff join up 

with professional musicians associated with the 

University’s Music Department. the four professional 

soloists, Paula Knox, emily Renshaw, Peter Wilman and Howard Wong, are all former 

students of the Music Department. the choir and orchestra were directed by Professor 

Grenville Hancox in his last concert for the University as Director of Music (see page 18). 

Archbishop 

of Canterbury 

makes Jubilee 

visit to Christ 

Church 

Canterbury Christ Church’s Jubilee 

celebrations continued with a 

special visit from the University’s 

Chancellor, the Archbishop of 

Canterbury, the Most Revd and 

Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams. 

In his meeting with Politics and International 

Relations students, the Archbishop spent 

time discussing the topic of toleration in 

liberal societies, before attending a question 

and answer session open to all staff and 

students. 

During his open session with staff and 

students, Dr Williams answered questions on 

the importance of religious education within 

the national curriculum and how it can help 

to build an understanding and respect of 

different religions; the role that the Christian 

faith can play in a new world order; and its 

responsibility in helping to promote religious 

tolerance and equal civil rights for all. 

Summer / 2012 05

News 

Michael Wood becomes Visiting 

Professor in Public History 

Acclaimed historian and broadcaster, 

Michael Wood, is one of the latest 

Visiting Professors to be appointed 

at Canterbury Christ Church. 

For over 30 years Michael, a Fellow 

of the Royal Historical Society, has 

made captivating programmes which 

have brought history alive and made 

it accessible to new generations. His 

television work includes the much admired 

and celebrated series In Search of the 

trojan War; Great Railway Journeys; the 

Story of India; and the Story of england. 

He is also the author of several highly 

praised books on english history including 

In Search of the Dark Age; the Domesday 

Quest; and In Search of england. 

this new role as Visiting Professor in Public 

History will enable Christ Church students 

to benefit directly from Michael’s vast 

experience and insight. 

earlier this term Michael presented to 

over 300 people as part of the University’s 

Public Lecture Series, giving a glimpse 

into his new eight-part BBC2 series: Story 

At the crossroads: 

new directions in 

teacher education 

to celebrate 50 years of educating and informing 

teachers, the Faculty of education is hosting an 

international teacher education conference from 

Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 July. 

the conference will also highlight the excellence of teacher 

education at Christ Church and reinforce our reputation for high 

quality research. 

At a time of great change, this conference focuses on major current 

issues. A special feature of this conference is the collaboration of 

06 


of the Nation. this series will trace the 

social history of the British people from 

the Anglo-Saxons to today and follows 

on from his highly acclaimed 2010 BBC2 

series, the Story of england, where he 

told the story of one community through 

the whole of english history against the 

backdrop of national events. 

practitioners and academics to forge a creative vision for the future 

of teacher education. 

the conference will include internationally renowned keynote 

speakers, seminars, workshops and an opportunity for researchers 

to present papers on the following six research themes related to 

teacher education: 

• Professional identity and development; 

• Curriculum innovation and creativity; 

• Inclusion, equality and diversity; 

• Auto/biography and narrative studies; 

• Children, families and communities; 

• Faith, beliefs and values. 

the keynote speakers will be Professor Kari Smith from Bergen 

University (Norway), Professor Robin Alexander from Cambridge 

University (Cambridge Primary Review), and Anja Swennen from 

Free University, Amsterdam. 

For more information or to book your place, visit www.canterbury. 

ac.uk/education/new-directions.

Launch of the MCh in Minimally Invasive Surgery 

New 

postgraduate 

course in 

keyhole 

surgery 

National and international surgeons 

seeking to specialise in minimally 

invasive ‘keyhole’ surgery began their 

studies on a new and innovative 

postgraduate course at Canterbury 

Christ Church’s Medway Campus. 

the launch of the Masters (MCh) in 

Minimally Invasive Surgery will train surgeons 

in orthopaedics, urology, gynaecology or 

general surgery in the quickly growing field 

of laparoscopic surgery. 

the course is led by consultant surgeons 

recognised internationally as experts in 

laparoscopic surgery: Professor Matin Sheriff, 

Consultant at Medway Maritime NHS 

Foundation trust, and Professor Anan Shetty, 

Consultant at the Spires Alexandra Hospital. 

the University has been supported by the 

healthcare company, Smith and Nephew, 

ensuring the trainee surgeons have access 

to the latest laparoscopic equipment. 

For more information on the Masters in 

Minimally Invasive Surgery, visit www. 

canterbury.ac.uk/studyhere/postgraduate. 

Olympians 

celebrate 

sports 

scholars 

A group of 16 talented sportsmen 

and women were presented 

with sports scholarships at an 

awards evening attended by local 

Olympians. 

the event awarded scholarships to 

students with distinctive talent in an array 

of sports, including Athletics, Boxing, 

Cricket, equestrianism, Golf, Hockey, 

Netball and Rugby. the scholarships will 

support the students’ sporting capabilities 

whilst studying at the University. 

the scholarships were awarded by Chris 

Hespe, Head of Kent Culture and Sport, 

in the company of the Lord Mayor of 

Canterbury, Cllr Ian thomas, as well as 

friends and relatives of the students. 

Past Olympians, Mel Clewlow (Hockey), 

Sean Kerly (Hockey), Michelle Robinson 

(triple Jump) and Jennifer Wilson 

(Hockey), also addressed the scholars with 

inspirational talks about their own Olympic 

experiences and the upcoming London 

2012 Games. 

Gold award 

for Olympic 

projects 

Professor Jan Burns (centre) receiving the 

Gold Award 

Canterbury Christ Church 

has been awarded two 

prestigious accolades at the 

Podium Awards, an inaugural 

celebration recognising the 

very best of London 2012 

projects across Further and 

Higher education. 

Professor Jan Burns received a Gold 

award for research that directly 

influenced the re-inclusion of athletes 

with learning disabilities in the 

Paralympic Games. 

A Bronze award was presented to 

Professor Mike Weed, Director of 

SPeAR, for its Olympic physical activity, 

sport and health (OPASH) legacy 

research, funded by the Department 

of Health, Sport england and the 

economic and Social Research Council 

for London 2012. 

Canterbury Christ Church University 

was the only institution in the UK to 

have two projects shortlisted within 

the same ‘exceptional Research 

Contribution’ category, which is 

sponsored by Research Councils 

UK. Both projects fought off stiff 

competition from over 230 nominated 

projects. 

Summer / 2012 07

Feature 

08 inspire / Canterbury Christ Church Magazine

The Students’ 

Perspective 

With significant shifts in the higher education 

sector, it is becoming increasingly important 

for universities to understand students’ 

expectations and needs in order to provide the 

best possible ‘experience’ for each of them. 

Silvia Rasca, President of the Students’ Union, 

looks into how Christ Church is responding. 

Summer / 2012 

09

“I am really pleased that this University 

has taken the decision to see students 

as partners rather than consumers”. 

the term 'student experience' means hugely 

different things to individual students. An 

18-year-old undergraduate leaving home for 

the first time has very different expectations 

and, therefore, experiences from that of a 

40-year-old student, with a mortgage and 

family to support whilst balancing a full-time 

job with part-time study. those experiences 

will be quite different from an international 

student, who is grappling with language as 

well as new customs and culture. 

As a University with just such a diverse profile 

(nearly 41% of our students are part-time 

and around 70% are mature students) Christ 

Church is making sure it listens to its students, 

working very much in partnership with them. 

to this end, it is working closely with its 

Students’ Union and student representatives 

to ensure they influence positive change in the 

University. 

Silvia Rasca, President of the Students’ Union 

(2011-2012), is actively involved on University 

committees as well as departmental meetings, 

putting the students’ view forward at every 

opportunity and level. Silvia came over to 

england in 2007 to study Film, Radio and 

television Studies with Media and Cultural 

Studies. In 2011, she became the first 

Romanian Students’ Union President in the 

country and is currently the only international 

female president in the country. 

“I am really pleased that this University has 

taken the decision to see students as partners 

rather than consumers,” Silvia comments. 

“the commitment to involve students is 

being seen very positively by the students 

and we are witnessing more of them than 

ever running for office and volunteering to 

be student reps, getting involved in extracurricular 

activities or in University initiatives, 

because they see that they can make a 

difference. 

“talking to lecturers and telling them what 

we would like does get results. For instance, 

when I was on my Media course, we asked if 

we could have one HD camera to work with 

to enhance our portfolio. When we arrived 

back in September, all the cameras were HD; 

we couldn’t believe how lucky we were. We 

also asked for more involvement in industry. 

10 inspire / Canterbury Christ Church Magazine 

there is now a dedicated module which 

brings alumni back to talk to students about 

their journey. each one has the potential to 

offer a student work experience. It is also 

great for networking opportunities. 

Realising the power to 

make a difference 

“Seeing how powerful our voice could be 

encouraged me to run for office whilst a 

student, then on to the Presidency of the 

Students’ Union. Others have also seen 

how we can have a direct impact on our 

own learning experience at every point. 

Student reps now sit on validation panels, 

which is really good as they have a better 

understanding of the rigorous controls each 

course has to go through. We also have a 

student rep on the new Change Board which 

has an enormous influence on the student 

experience. 

“those of us who have become involved 

are encouraging other students to do the 

same. We are actively telling new students at 

Freshers’ week not to wait but to get involved 

from the start. I have also given several talks 

on the student experience at open days this 

academic year, not just telling prospective 

students about what to expect from the 

Students’ Union, or living in Canterbury, but 

also giving practical advice on how we fit in 

with the community and the extra-curricular 

activity they can get involved in to enhance 

their CV and get paid at the same time. 

“We definitely feel that a lot of changes 

are student driven, which is very 

empowering. the management group 

does not just tick boxes, but actually 

listens to our views and puts them into 

practice. We are always consulted at 

crucial points, for example at the time 

of fixing the new tuition fees and in the 

formulation of the Strategic Plan.” 

Working within the 

community 

“We are trying to change the perception 

the local community has of students. We 

are working closely with the Kent Union 

and the Community Safety Partnerships, 

walking with them on nights when events, 

not run by the universities, are on to try and 

raise awareness of safety. We also go to 

Canterbury City Council community groups 

and resident association meetings, to work 

with them and point out that a lot of students 

work in the shops, pubs and restaurants 

or are mature students already living in the 

community. We have put on campaigns such 

as ‘I love my Canterbury,’ showcasing how 

many volunteering hours we put into the 

community in the past and want to re-launch 

these in the near future. 

“We have also been proactive in initiatives to 

improve living conditions, such as distributing 

the correct bin bags to students at the end of 

term to try and stop the build-up of rubbish 

when they leave and encouraging people to 

recycle by distributing stickers on bins in the 

local area.” 

The future 

“We still have a lot of work to do 

especially with communicating any 

changes at programme level, which is 

the most important area for students. 

We also need to know more about 

what is working well so we can roll that 

out across all departments, but I think 

the foundations are there for future 

generations to build on and to continue 

to work in partnership with the University 

to make the experience better for 

everyone.” 

Silvia stands down this year to pursue her 

career here in england and Stacey Hawes has 

been elected to replace her as President in 

September.

Shadowing on the front line 

What better way to gain an understanding 

of the everyday experiences of our students 

and colleagues than by shadowing them for 

a day? Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robin 

Baker, shadowed Senior Lecturer in Nursing, 

Karen Daniels, at the Queen elizabeth the 

Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in March 

to start the process rolling. 

“My professional background had not 

given me much exposure to education and 

training in Health and Social Care,” explained 

Professor Baker. “It is a hugely important part 

of the University’s work and contribution to 

our communities. 

“I was very fortunate to have the opportunity 

to shadow Karen for a day as she visited our 

nursing students, their mentors and ward 

managers at the QeQM Hospital. It was 

enormously interesting and enlightening to 

witness the progress of our students and the 

challenges and opportunities they face in 

practice, as well as heartening to see the high 

regard in which Christ Church, and Karen 

personally, are viewed by our NHS partners.” 

Karen Daniels shadowed the Vice-Chancellor 

on 1 May and was impressed with the 

openness in the meetings she attended with 

him. 

“I started my day with the Vice-Chancellor at 

an SMt meeting and all my pre-conceptions 

and past experience with board meetings 

were blown away by the amazing open 

communication and culture I observed. 

everyone’s skills, experience and views were 

respected and each member played an 

important role in the meeting. the meeting 

wasn’t just led by the Vice-Chancellor, but a 

truly round table approach was adopted. 

“this same approach was apparent at all 

the meetings I attended, including the 

employment and Staffing Committee. I was 

also impressed by the commitment of all staff 

to following best practice and guidelines. 

“Not all the meetings were about protocols 

and procedures – there were exciting 

meetings about increasing the use of live 

music at Augustine Hall and the History 

Department’s conference using lecture notes 

used by the 7th Archbishop of Canterbury, 

theodore, at the Canterbury School 1300 

years ago. 

“the day gave me a chance to see the bigger 

picture and showed me how versatile the 

Vice-Chancellor has to be. He is actively 

involved in academic developments as well 

as being a strategic lead and responsible for 

finance and policies. I also saw a very different 

leadership style which I think is very effective.” 

Meanwhile, Sarah Cant, Principal Lecturer 

in Social and Applied Sciences, shadowed a 

member of staff in Student Study Support. 

Sarah said: “One of the key findings of the 

staff survey was a perceived lack of mutual 

understanding across departments. therefore, 

as a GMS Programme Director, I welcomed 

the opportunity to shadow a member of staff 

from Student Study Support. 

“In the course of the day I witnessed intensive 

one-to-one sessions with students in which 

they were given effective and individualised 

assignment support – an extraordinarily 

valuable service. My day also prompted me to 

reflect on how better understanding between 

academic and Study Support tutors could 

enhance what we offer to students. 

“I learned that the portfolio of available 

services was wider than I had thought; I 

will certainly be requesting the bespoke 

group study interventions in future. I came 

to appreciate how frustrating it is for Study 

Support tutors when students fail to attend 

appointments, and that I could help here by 

stressing the value – and cost - of the services 

they give. 

“I also realised that academics could help 

reduce Study Support’s routine workload by 

anticipating common problems – for instance, 

by ensuring assessment guidelines are really 

clear and comprehensible. this would free 

up a lot of time for dedicated interventions, 

tailored to the needs of programmes.” 

“All my pre-conceptions 

and past experience with 

board meetings were 

blown away by the amazing 

open communication and 

culture I observed”. 

Summer / 2012 

11

Measuring up! 

Improving the chances of 

independent hotels 

12 inspire / Canterbury Christ Church Magazine

Measuring performance 

is endemic to the human 

condition. We measure 

everything: height, weight, the 

largest planet and the smallest 

particle. A truism in business 

is ‘what gets measured gets 

managed’. the key point is to 

ensure that the correct things are 

measured so that the business is 

properly managed. 

this has never been more relevant than 

in the present economic climate. the 

tourism industry is a sector which has 

been particularly hard hit with successive 

challenges: global recession, earthquakes, 

volcanoes erupting, airport strikes and cuts 

in funding to the regional tourism agencies, 

all combining to create a challenging 

market-place. Independent and small hotels 

are finding the results of these events 

particularly hard to face, as they do not 

have the luxury of a large chain behind 

them to cushion any lean times. How, then, 

can they improve their chances in a fiercely 

competitive environment? 

Suzanne O’Brien, Senior Lecturer in the 

Business School, hopes to address that 

question. Using information obtained 

through a combination of survey and 

in-depth interviews with independent 

hoteliers in Kent, she has established a 

Suzanne O'Brien, Senior Lecturer in the Business School 

unique list of 25 measures encompassing 

financial, customer, employee, operating 

and innovation perspectives. She intends to 

use this to develop a practical performance 

management matrix for independent hotels, 

tailored to accommodate their resource 

constraints, while delivering tangible 

benefits. 

“traditionally, performance measurement 

centred on accounting information. 

However, it is widely accepted that this is 

insufficient for the modern business entity, 

not least because it is historical – the story 

of past performance, not necessarily a 

prediction of the future,” explains Suzanne. 

“Furthermore, the accounting numbers are 

subject to distortion caused by accounting 

conventions such as provisions, depreciation 

and asset valuation. Business performance 

should be measured using a myriad of 

factors, not just financial. 

“there has been little management 

accounting focus on the small company 

with most of the literature and research 

concentrated on large corporations, 

ignoring SMes (small and medium 

enterprises). this is unfortunate as these 

entities have scarce resources – time and 

money can be in short supply, and they may 

not have the requisite in-house expertise.” 

As one hotelier, who participated in her 

research, stated: “Your questionnaire 

opened up my mind to all the things we’re 

not doing. It makes you question and think 

about what you should be doing, but then I 

“Traditionally, performance measurement centred on 

accounting information. However, it is widely accepted 

that this is insufficient for the modern business entity, 

not least because it is historical – the story of past 

performance, not necessarily a prediction of the future”. 

think that there are not enough hours in the 

day and not enough people in the office.” 

And yet, these enterprises could gain 

considerable benefit from focusing on 

the right performance indicators for their 

business. this view was supported by Robert 

Richardson, General Manager of the Grand 

Hotel in Folkestone. 

“A few years ago, it was thought that the 

London 2012 Olympic Games were going 

to be a huge boost for tourism in Kent, 

but that has now changed,” commented 

Robert. “People will be coming to see 

the Games, and because the High Speed 

train won’t be operating a full service 

during the games, sightseeing in the 

region is not as attractive as it could be, 

therefore the predicted boon for Kent is 

not now going to happen. We cannot 

rely on the undependable bonus of large 

events. We need to know our market for 

a sustainable future. In this industry it is 

crucial to use performance indicators to 

see what is working or not and to be able 

to understand our customers’ needs. If you 

don’t do this, you will not survive in an 

increasingly competitive market.” 

Suzanne believes that there is an appetite 

for a properly developed performance 

management matrix targeted to 

independent hotels. 

“I plan to use the research to develop a 

measurement framework with sufficient 

measures to effectively manage an 

independent hotel, but not so many that 

it is too resource-intensive to be practical,” 

Suzanne concluded. 

Suzanne is a qualified Accountant and tax 

Advisor and plans to use her framework in 

the setting of an independent hotel and to 

assess its performance. 

Summer / 2012 

13


Mary evans 

Picture Library

Feature 

How Magna Carta 

changed the world 

One of the most famous 

historical documents is about 

to be brought into the 21st 

century and made accessible 

to everyone on the web. 

this will be the first port of call for 

anyone interested in the document, 

which is the cornerstone of the United 

States' and Australian constitutions and 

the nearest thing Britain has to a written 

constitution. It will be totally digitised 

with photographs, clause by clause 

commentaries and a full translation, and 

linked to hundreds of other contemporary 

documents unearthed from the archives 

for the first time. 

Dr Louise Wilkinson, Senior Lecturer in 

Medieval History, is a co-director of the 

project which has secured £910,000 in 

funding from the Arts and Humanities 

Research Council. She will be working 

alongside colleagues from the University 

of east Anglia, which will host the website, 

All Souls College, Oxford, and King’s 

College London to digitise and translate all 

of King John’s surviving original acts for the 

first time and produce the first commentary 

since 1914 on the original 1215 version of 

Magna Carta issued by King John. 

Dr Wilkinson has had previous experience 

in translating medieval documents, as a 

co-director on the project to translate the 

Fine Rolls of King Henry III (1216-1272), 

which are preserved in the National Archives 

at Kew. they contain a wealth of material, 

including information on grants of markets 

and fairs, the exploitation of the Jews, 

the seizure of lands into the king’s hands 

because of rebellion, and even Henry III’s 

sense of humour. 

“It is very exciting to be part of the Magna 

Carta project, which will be ready to 

launch in time for the 800th anniversary 

celebrations in 2015. this important 

document has been interpreted down the 

centuries throughout the english speaking 

world and is renowned for establishing the 

crucial principle that the law was a power 

in its own right to which the king and law 

makers were subject, but few realise that it 

also helped to protect the rights of women 

and children,” says Louise. 

She continues: “For instance, in those days 

a woman was entitled to a third of her 

husband’s estate when he died and there 

was tremendous debate about whether or 

not she should inherit the property freely, 

whether the king had the right to marry 

her off as soon as possible or whether she 

should pay the king vast sums of money 

to stay single. Magna Carta laid down that 

a widow could not be expelled from the 

property immediately on her husband’s 

death, but should be allowed to stay put 

until her lands were handed over to her 

within 40 days and without any financial 

penalties. It also protected widows against 

the threat of forced remarriage. 

“Part of the reason for the barons’ 

rebellion against King John was because 

of his cruel treatment of their womenfolk, 

who were sacrosanct. He took women, 

as well as children, hostage against the 

repayment of debts owed to the Crown 

and to help ensure the good behaviour of 

their kinsmen. He went so far as to starve 

Matilda de Braose and her son to death in 

Windsor Castle after her husband fell out 

of favour with him and fled to Ireland and 

then Wales. 

Summer / 2012 

15

“the clauses relating to justice and the 

protection of the most vulnerable members 

of society have remained in each re-issue 

in 1216 and 1217, and in the final text 

of 1225, even when other clauses were 

watered down or disappeared altogether. 

“the other lasting legacy which was 

enshrined in Magna Carta is that freemen 

should be tried by their peers and royal 

justice should be freely available and 

equitable to all. 

“We don’t know who actually wrote 

Magna Carta as the original document 

hasn’t survived, but ultimately it resulted 

from the crystallisation of the grievances 

of baronial reformers, following years of 

harsh rule by King John. He had placed 

enormous financial demands on all his 

subjects to fund military campaigns to 

recover his lost French possessions. 

“He taxed the wealthy to the hilt and 

also put taxes on moveable goods and 

possessions which affected the peasantry 

and townsfolk as well. He even exploited 

the debts owed to Jewish moneylenders. 

the Jews were england’s bankers in this 

period and all the debts they were owed 

reverted to the Crown on a moneylender’s 

death. At one point in his reign, King 

John threatened a general foreclosure on 

all debts owed to the Jews whether they 

were alive or dead, which is the equivalent 

today of the Student Finance Company 

threatening to demand the repayment of 

all student loans immediately. 


“there was a code of conduct within the 

royal circle which he continually flouted. 

He was a very cruel person, even by the 

standards of his day, which made him 

disliked throughout the land. He pursued 

the wives, sisters and daughters of his 

barons, and was even accused of forcing 

his attentions upon them. He was also 

immensely suspicious, and it was very easy 

for his barons to fall from royal favour and 

suffer his wrath. 

“He agreed to issue Magna Carta when 

he realised the strength of the opposition 

he faced in 1215. By the time of his death 

in October 1216, lack of support for the 

crown was so great that in desperation 

he appointed one of the first ever woman 

sheriffs, Nicola de la Haye, a Lincolnshire 

baroness; there were no suitable male 

candidates in the region who had 

remained loyal to John.” 

the Magna Carta project will also be used 

by schools and will be part of a major 

exhibition at the British Library in 2015. 

“It is very exciting to be 

part of the Magna Carta 

project, which will be 

ready to launch in time 

for the 800th anniversary 

celebrations in 2015.” 

Dr Louise Wilkinson, co-director of the project 

Mark Hammond, Chief Executive 

of the Equality and Human Rights 

Commission and Visiting Professor, 

discusses the relevance of the 

Magna Carta today. 

“If only the internet had been around 

in 1215. then the barons could have 

organised an e-petition against King John, 

and gathered signatures demanding a 

return to the rule of law. And John could 

have responded on twitter to explain that 

he didn’t really mean to detain people 

without trial, or impose excessive taxes. 

"With deportation and detention so 

prominent in the news recently, it’s 

clear that the principles which underlie 

Magna Carta remain as important and as 

contested as ever. Barons’ rights might 

have given way to human rights, but 

the arguments still rage. Can anyone, 

king or parliament, lay legitimate claim 

to absolute power? How should power 

be restrained by the law and the courts? 

What rights do we have as citizens which 

no one can reasonably take away or 

trample over? How do we protect those 

who we might not like or approve of, but 

who still deserve fair treatment and the 

protections of a civilised society? From 

Magna Carta to a British Bill of Rights 

these are issues which are at the heart 

of political debate and struggle. eight 

hundred years on, it is still a struggle 

worth waging.”

News 

Theme GB for 

Sounds New 

Canterbury Christ Church is once 

again a partner of the popular music 

festival, Sounds New, which is held 

in various venues across Canterbury 

and at the Turner Contemporary in 

Margate, in May. 

theme GB is all about British contemporary music, embracing a wide 

range of British composers and styles. there is music from great British 

masters alongside new young musicians, in venues ranging from the 

Cathedral to the Whitefriars Shopping Centre and Canterbury Christ 

Church and the newly-opened Marlowe theatre. 

As always, it is about the ‘best’ of the music of our time in a melting 

pot of styles, including new and innovative work. 

Highlights included the Julian Joseph trio at the Gulbenkian theatre; 

Feedback, with evan Parker, Sam Bailey and Matt Wright with Simon 

Smith and David Herd at the Old Synagogue; and the King’s Singers at 

the new Marlowe theatre. 

For full information, visit www.soundsnew.org.uk. 

Photo: Peter Cook, Sounds New 

Battle of 

the Bands 

the Sounds New Contemporary Music 

Festival, Caravan, a successful english band 

which rose to fame in the late ’60s, and 

Christ Church joined forces in March for a 

spectacular weekend of rock. 

Caravan adjudicated the Battle of the Bands 

where up and coming groups fought it out 

to be declared the best and to be able to 

rehearse and perform with Caravan at the 

closing concert. 

Summer / 2012 

17

30 years of 

making music 

Professor Grenville Hancox MBE has been instrumental in 

many changes at Christ Church over the years, including its 

cultural direction. 

He first arrived at the University 30 years 

ago as a music lecturer in a then very 

small Music Department with around 50 

students out of a total of only 600 in the 

entire College. 

“We shared Coleridge House with a 

nursery, which my son attended, the 

department for teaching english as a 

Foreign Language and the Muslim Prayer 

Room. I joined Christ Church College, as 

it was then, at the start of the expansion 

of the Music Department. It has grown 

significantly since those days both in 

numbers – we now have ten times the 


number of students – and reputation. I am 

very proud to have played a part in this.” 

Determined to make every opportunity to 

expand students’ and his own horizons, 

Grenville set about forming ensembles, 

groups, choirs, bands and orchestras to 

perform outside, as well as in the College. 

In order to make music more inclusive, he 

invited the public into the College for the 

first time to perform alongside students 

in the Choral Society, which had its first 

concert in 1982. At the same time, the 

Department expanded academic portfolios, 

writing programmes for teachers of music, 

which raised the department’s profile and 

gaining it an outstanding reputation for 

music education. 

“I believe that music can change lives and 

this has been borne out by the research 

we have undertaken in the Sidney De 

Haan Research Centre, which came about 

because of my work with Roger De Haan 

and the Creative Foundation in Folkestone. 

the Centre is one of only a few in the 

country which is entirely self-funded.” 

Grenville thought that the most obvious 

place to start a research project would

e by observing the effects on people 

when they come together in groups to 

sing. Stephen Clift, Professor of Health 

education, collaborated on the research, 

which has since become the benchmark for 

studies worldwide. 

“Ours was the first study to identify what 

is potentially going on in the human being 

as we sing – not just the physiology, but 

psychologically and socially as well. We 

proved that bringing people together 

to sing, even when they had never sung 

before, had a substantial impact on their 

mental health after only three months. 

We have since established many singing 

groups and conducted further research of 

national and international importance.” 

Grenville has also been responsible for 

bringing leading names in music to the 

University. Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master 

of the Queen’s Music, is patron of the 

St Gregory’s Development Project and 

worked closely with the University when 

composing his landmark 10 string quartets 

for Naxos with the Maggini Quartet, our 

Quartet in Residence. Other high profile 

people who have performed here include 

Vladimir Ashkenazy, who led a concert in 

support of the St Gregory’s Development 

Project. Grenville has also attracted leading 

names in their fields to lecture here. 

“I feel privileged to have worked with some 

of the best musicians in the world and help 

raise the University’s profile nationally and 

internationally. I shall miss the day-to-day 

contact with students and colleagues, but 

plan to continue my work with making 

music accessible to everyone, whatever age 

or circumstance, both here and in France.” 

Grenville was appointed Professor of Music 

in 2000 and was awarded the MBe for 

services to music in the Queen’s Birthday 

Honours List in 2005. 

Summer / 2012 

19

News feature 

A new centre 

to encourage 

entrepreneurs 

The UK economy is still struggling to recover from the 

global recession and with the Government implementing 

drastic spending cuts, and large corporations downsizing 

their activity to deal with the economic realities, are 

entrepreneurship and innovation the drivers for future 

growth, employment and economic development? 

the Government thinks so and is 

encouraging universities to provide 

an infrastructure to create effective 

entrepreneurs. New start-ups, innovation 

and growth within small to medium-sized 

businesses (SMes) have never been more 

important as a driver of employment. 

Giving our students and local businesses 

the support, knowledge and access to 

the skills they need to be successful in the 

current economic climate, is the goal of 

the new Centre for entrepreneurship and 

Innovation, led by Dr Wim van Vuuren. 

“It is all very well providing our students 

with all the financial, marketing and 

management knowledge they need, but 

this doesn’t necessarily give them the 

confidence they need to go out and start 

up their own business,” Wim explains. 

“We need to make knowledge work and 

give students the skills which will equip 

them to seek funding from an appropriate 

source with a dynamic business plan, the 

ability to create a vision for the future of 

their business and how to drive it forward, 

how to network effectively and above 

all to build the foundations to make the 


business a solid and viable enterprise for 

the future. We are currently bringing in 

external experts to work with students 

in a dedicated skills clinic to give them 

this advice and on areas such as personal 

effectiveness and leadership.” 

the Centre, which has been set up with 

support from the Brabant Centre for 

entrepreneurship in eindhoven, is in its first 

year and is working across departments to 

bring existing expertise within the University 

together, working closely with the Research 

and enterprise Development Centre and 

employability and Careers Services. 

Research activities include a project 

looking at entrepreneurial learning and 

the role of business competitions, as 

well as an international project looking 

at the drivers of innovation in SMes and 

the impact of innovation on growth and 

employability. the Centre is also involved 

in several business support projects, 

including its work with the Folkestone 

Harbour Company, which has exciting 

plans to redevelop parts of the seafront 

in Folkestone. the Centre is also assessing 

the impact of the Folkestone triennial arts 

exhibition on the town and its economy. 

“We intend to develop our research 

capability and provide a platform for 

research which, in turn, feeds education 

and valuable knowledge exchange. the 

work experience the students gain on the 

business support projects helps to broaden 

their skills base and think about their own 

business future. We are continually looking 

for more creative ways to engage with 

local businesses and different ways we can 

give our students work experience. 

“We have some very bright students, with 

exciting business ideas they want to take 

forward, whom I hope we can support 

and help get started and possibly mentor 

through their first year. the internet and 

social media has transformed business 

possibilities and opened up opportunities 

which just weren’t there 10 years ago, so 

it is an exciting time to start the Centre.” 

the Centre hopes to be able to extend its 

business support to existing businesses in 

the future, possibly by offering innovation 

vouchers which can be used in exchange 

for business support. For more information, 

visit: www.canterbury.ac.uk/CeI

Letting your 

imagination 

take flight 

By day, Ian Hocking is a mildmannered 

academic who 

teaches Psychology. By night, 

he dons his 1950s silver 

spacesuit and writes science 

fiction novels while listening 

to early Bowie. 

“In my life pre-Christ Church, I was a fulltime 

writer,” Ian explains. “I lost weight and 

took very long baths in search of brilliant 

ideas. Now I'm a full-time lecturer and a 

one-time writer. My teeth don't wobble as 

much. I can afford professional hair-cuts 

but, tragically, no longer need them.” 

Exploring the 

dark arts 

When time allows, and not as often as 

he would like, Peter Vujakovic, Head of 

Geographical and Life Sciences, dabbles in 

the ‘dark arts’ of caricature and illustration, 

mainly of fantastic subjects such as 

pumpkin-headed hussars, monstrous 

vegetation, green men, and bird-headed 

knights in Maximilian armour. 

“I would describe my work as Dürermeets-Rackham-meets-Bosch, 

although 

certainly not claiming to meet their exacting 

standards,” Peter commented. “I don’t think 

of myself as an artist, but an occasional 

‘jobbing’ illustrator-cartographer.” 

He went to his first science fiction 

convention in 2005 and consequent 

conventions have inspired him to write 

novels which have become best-sellers. 

“I've published three novels so far. the first, 

'Déjà Vu', is a UK bestseller, and its sequel, 

'Flashback', is doing nicely. I've also written 

a coming-of-age comedy set in Cornwall 

called 'Proper Job', which contains tales of 

From his earliest years Peter has drawn and 

painted, and formed a natural link with his 

interests in geography and natural history. 

His main mode of drawing is black or 

sepia line-work, or sometimes pencil, with 

watercolour wash. He often includes animals, 

especially birds, in his work and regards 

himself as ‘the thieving magpie’. “I take 

images that interest me – often from books 

of old prints – and mix and match material 

to create something new, but often with 

clear associations to the original work. 

I am the inventor of ‘Düranga’ – a 

fusion of Japanese manga and the 

Düreresque!” 

Peter has had many of his illustrations 

published. One of Peter's illustrations 

is included in the London transport 

Museum’s summer exhibition ‘Mind the 

Map’ and the book of the exhibition. 

OuR PEOPlE 

my student employment as an ice-cream 

man that are so outlandish they could only 

be told under the guise of fiction. 

“I've also released a book of literary short 

stories called 'A Moment in Berlin' - chiefly 

to keep up my street cred when meeting 

other writers at book launches. If you see 

me around, ask me where I get my ideas 

from. I like that.” 

Summer / 2012 

21

Faculty News 

Faculty of Arts 

and Humanities 

Honorary Fellow 

receives seventh 

Oscar nomination 

for film ‘Hugo’ 

Canterbury Christ Church Honorary Fellow 

and three-time Oscar winner thelma 

Schoonmaker-Powell was one of five 

nominees for Best Film editing at this 

year’s Oscars®. 

Her work on Martin Scorsese’s film, 

Hugo, was the seventh nomination she 

has received in her long and illustrious 

career and underlines her reputation as 

one of the greatest film editors working 

in cinema today. 

thelma’s association with the University, 

specifically the Department of Media, Art 

and Design, goes back to 1999 when she 

was the guest of honour at the opening 

ceremony of the University’s Powell 

Building, named in honour of her late 

husband, the Canterbury-born film director 

Michael Powell. 

Canterbury Christ Church University 

awarded her an Honorary Fellowship in 

October 2008 and she regularly undertakes 

lectures with students about her experience. 

Lecture on 

Graham Greene 

Kevin Ruane, Professor of Modern History, 

has been invited to give a lecture at the 

Graham Greene International Festival, held 

at the writer’s birth-place in Berkhamsted. 

Kevin is currently finishing a book on 

Greene’s experiences in Vietnam during the 

French war in the early 1950s. Research for 

the book has so far taken him to libraries 


across the UK, to Georgetown University 

in Washington DC, where Greene’s diaries 

and journals are held, and to Boston College 

for additional Greene correspondence. 

Research in French archives is scheduled 

for the summer. 

the Graham Greene Festival is an annual 

event. Previous guest lecturers have 

included BBC correspondent Kate Adie, 

novelist Monica Ali, former MP and political 

diarist Chris Mullin, and ex-england cricket 

captain Mike Brearley. 

Faculty 

of education 

Psychoanalysis and 

Education 

the psychoanalysis and education 

conference in December 2009 has been 

a catalyst for a number of exciting 

developments. there is now a major 

collaboration between Christ Church 

and the Faculty of education Sciences 

at University of Paris Ouest Nanterre la 

Défense which has involved the publishing 

of a special edition of the French on-line 

journal Cliopsy, which contained various 

articles, comparing research into qualities 

of psychic and transitional space in varied 

educational settings. 

Dr Alan Bainbridge and Professor 

Linden West both serve on the scientific 

committee of Cliopsy. Additionally, Alan 

and Linden have published an edited 

volume, ‘Psychoanalysis and education: 

minding a gap’ for Karnac Books. 

Alan and Linden are looking to access 

further funding to support and increase 

the impact of their work. this includes 

international collaborative research with 

reference to biographical narrative and 

observational methods in ‘psychosocial’ 

forms of enquiry. 

Christ Church 

Academics help 

transform school 

leaders in Rwanda 

A group of academic staff from Canterbury 

Christ Church have held a workshop 

on behalf of the Ministry of education 

in Rwanda to help improve the skills of 

people who train the country’s secondary 

headteachers. 

Undertaken with over 40 trainers drawn 

from various learning institutions across 

Rwanda, ‘training for trainers’ comprised 

a five-day workshop in school leadership 

and management which aimed to help 

enhance and develop the training given to 

headteachers. 

the workshop was led by Dr Robin Precey, 

Dr Coleen Jackson and Les Craggs from 

the Centre for education Leadership 

and School Improvement, part of Christ 

Church’s Faculty of education. 

Faculty of Health 

and Social Care 

First peer broker 

training course for 

mental health service 

users 

Canterbury Christ Church has provided seed 

funding and business advice to Canterbury 

and District Mental Health Forum 

(CADMHF) to complete the nation’s first 

peer brokerage training for mental health 

users. this is a course to train people who 

have had mental health issues themselves to 

be trainers. 

the training saw a group of 15 mental 

health service users complete the first 

course of its kind where training was 

designed and led by mental health service 

users. the course provided the knowledge

and skills necessary to support other 

people with mental health needs to 

personalise their own care. 

the six-week training programme 

is aligned to the Government’s 

‘personalisation’ agenda that gives choice 

and control to any person needing social 

care support, the service user, by giving 

them the opportunity to manage their own 

personal budget and buy the social care 

that meets their needs. 

Peer Brokerage training has already been 

successfully developed and provided to 

people with physical disability and learning 

disability, but has not included mental 

health service users until now. the course 

was funded by Adult Social Services at Kent 

County Council. 

See the next issue of Inspire for more 

information about the training. 

University welcomes 

new Centre for 

Practice and Health 

Care Innovation 

Carolyn Jackson, Director of england 

Centre for Practice Development (eCPD) 

at the University has supported the launch 

of the new national Centre for Practice 

and Health Care Innovation at trinity 

College Dublin. 

the University’s eCPD focuses on 

transforming front line health services by 

supporting and facilitating work place 

development through research, engaged 

scholarship and work place learning for 

professionals in health and social care. It 

supports career development of the existing 

front line workforce, equipping them with 

the knowledge and skills to transform 

services through strong clinical leadership 

and create and sustain person-centred safe 

and effective care. 

Faculty of Social 

and Applied Sciences 

Advertising students 

get a taste of pitching 

a campaign 

Holiday extras’ marketing team travelled 

to Christ Church to give Advertising 

Management students in the Business 

School an opportunity to shape an 

advertising campaign. 

As part of their course work, the students 

formed mini agencies, and each pitched 

their proposal for an advertising campaign 

to the Holiday extras team. Led by their 

Marketing Manager, Simon Aglony, the 

Holiday extras team commended Kyle 

Palmer, Cassie Denman, eloise Hyatt-Green 

and Vlad Ciobotea for producing the best 

campaign. As a result of this collaboration, 

a select number of students from the 

Advertising Management course will be 

offered paid summer placements in the 

Holiday extras offices, near Ashford. 

Improving 

employability for 

students 

Accounting 4 Success is a competitive, 

voluntary, innovative internship scheme 

open to Year 2 Accounting and Finance 

students. Student Support and Guidance 

hosts a four-day preparation course before 

students begin work with employers. 

Successful participants receive a certificate 

of achievement. 

All students on the inaugural scheme 

recommended that the University 

continued with this scheme and 82% 

felt that participation had improved their 

employment prospects. 

If you would like to find out more about 

this scheme please contact Suzanne 

O’Brien, Senior Lecturer in Accounting 

at the Business School, email: suzanne. 

obrien@canterbury.ac.uk. 

Social disapproval 

not fear helps 

smokers quit 

Researchers at Canterbury Christ Church 

have found that smokers are more likely 

to stop because of anti-social attitudes 

towards them than from fear of ill-health. 

In 2008 the United Kingdom became 

one of the first countries in europe to 

make it mandatory for cigarette packets 

sold within the UK to display fearprovoking, 

graphic anti-smoking images, 

founded on the assumption that the use 

of fear is an effective method to encourage 

smokers to quit. 

However, in contrast to the assumed 

effects of fear on quitting intentions, 

a series of experiments conducted by 

Christ Church Psychologists Dr Caroline 

Wood and Dr Masi Noor consistently 

revealed that fear provoked by graphic 

images had no effect on smokers’ 

intentions to stop smoking. 

Instead the researchers found that smokers 

were more willing to consider quitting 

if they accepted non-smokers’ negative 

attitudes towards their habit. 

Summer / 2012 

23

STuDENT NEWS 

Students’ Union 

sabbatical officers 

2012 - 13 

Stacey Hawes, President 

Stacey studied Early Childhood Studies combined with Fine 

and Applied Arts. 

“I enjoyed both my subjects at University and would thoroughly 

recommend them to any future students,” Stacey says. “As of 

September I am the newly appointed President of the Students’ 

Union and I am really excited and nervous about starting my role as 

the leading voice of the students. 

“this voice needs to be heard and listened to. I really can’t wait 

to begin as I want the students to be represented in a way they 

deserve. Most of all I am looking forward to meeting lots of new 

people around the campuses and doing a job that I have a great 

passion for.” 


Left-right: Jo Bartson, VP Welfare and education; Stacey Hawes, President; 

Aidan Ainsley, VP Sports; Anca Popescu, VP Student Activities. 

Canterbury Christ Church Students' Union went to the polls again this year and elected 

two new Sabbatical Officers and re-elected two serving Officers to the top posts in this 

vibrant Union. 

the election was hotly contested with strong candidates coming forward. the two newly 

elected Officers are Stacey Hawes, President, and Aidan Ainsley, Vice-President (Sports). 

Anca Popescu was re-elected Vice-President (Student Activities) and Jo Bartson was 

re-elected Vice-President Welfare and education. 

Aidan Ainsley – Vice-President (Sports) 

Aidan Ainsley is in his final year of a Sport and Leisure 

Management degree. 

“I am fanatical about sport,” Aiden explains. “I have always been 

involved in a range of sports through school and continuing on to 

university. I am an active member of the Sports Federation’s Sports 

executive Committee and was also President of the Men’s Football 

Society this year. I have just begun a role on england’s first ever FA 

Youth Council. the nerve-racking elections evening was probably 

one of the most nail-biting situations of my life, especially with 

three very strong candidates running against me. However, being 

announced as the winning candidate filled me with excitement for 

the impending year. I hope I can give a lot back to Christ Church, 

after all that it has done for me.”

eleanor de Montfort: 

A rebel Countess in 

Medieval england 

Dr Louise Wilkinson 

As sister of Henry III and aunt of the future 

edward I, eleanor de Montfort was at the 

heart of the bloody conflict between the 

Crown and the english barons. At Lewes in 

1264 Simon de Montfort captured the King 

and secured control of royal government. 

A woman of fiery nature, eleanor worked 

tirelessly to support her husband's cause. 

But the family's political fortunes were 

shattered at the battle of evesham in 

August 1265 where Simon de Montfort 

was killed. the newly-widowed eleanor 

rose to her role as matriarch of her family, 

sending her surviving sons - and the family 

treasure - overseas to France, negotiating 

the surrender of Dover Castle and securing 

her own safe departure from the realm. the 

last ten years of her life were spent in the 

Dominican convent at Montargis. 

Drawing on chronicles, letters and public 

records this book reconstructs the narrative 

of eleanor's remarkable life. 

Recommended Retail Price: £25.00 

university Bookshop Price: £22.50 

louise Wilkinson is a Senior lecturer in 

Medieval History 

Crushed Mexican Spiders: 

And Possibly Forty Ships 

Tibor Fischer 

'Crushed Mexican Spiders' is classic Fischer. 

Don't be fooled by the title: the poet laureate 

of London grime is on home ground as a 

woman returns home to discover the key to 

her Brixton flat no longer works. Haunting 

images and crisp one-liners are about all that 

link it with the second tale, 'Possibly Forty 

Ships', the true story of the trojan War. In 

a scene straight out of a tarantino movie, 

an old man is being tortured, pressed to 

reveal how the greatest legend of all really 

happened. the stories are being illustrated 

by the work of the acclaimed Czech 

photographer Hana Vojakova. 



Tibor Fischer is a Senior lecturer in English & 

language Studies and Programme Director for 

the MA in Creative Writing 

International Student's 

Guide to UK education: 

Unlocking University Life 

and Culture 

Dr Martin Hyde 

BOOKS 

Honest and accurate, this book acts as 

an international student introduction and 

cultural guide to UK Higher education. 

It informs and guides students in their 

preparation for all aspects of UK He, from 

university selection and application through 

to participation, and provides a clear 

understanding of how British universities 

function. the International Student's 

Guide to University Life in the UK is a 

comprehensive guide that will help students 

to develop critical and reflective ability in 

order to become independent, well-informed 

and empowered decision makers. 



Dr Martin Hyde is a Principal lecturer in 

English & language Studies 

Adult Learning and 

La Recherche Feminine: 

Reading Resilience and 

Helene Cixous 

Dr Elizabeth Chapman Hoult 

Using Helene Cixous' notion of 'l'ecriture 

feminine' both as an analogy for 

transformational learning and as an 

investigative tool, Hoult explores why some 

adult learners are able to survive and thrive 

in the education system, despite facing 

significantly more challenges than the 

average student. these challenges include 

personal trauma, the lack of capital in every 

sense, or learners' own refusal to play by the 

rules of the academy. 



Dr Elizabeth Chapman Hoult is Director of 

Knowledge Exchange, Faculty of Education 

Summer / 2012 

25

EvENTS 

Art Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury 

BA Degree Shows 

26 May – 9 June 

Fine and Applied Arts graduates from 

Canterbury Christ Church showcase their 

work in the Gallery and painting studios. 

Work includes ceramics, painting, printmaking 

and sculpture. 

Street Photography 

workshop 

16 June, 10am – 3.30pm 

Sidney Cooper Gallery, St Peter’s Street, Canterbury | visit: www.canterbury.ac.uk/sidney-cooper 

Community, Arts and Education 


Aimed at participants keen, but apprehensive 

of working photographically in public spaces. 

No experience necessary. Suitable for ages 

16yrs+. 

£10 (£7.50 concessions). 

Booking essential, call 01227 453267, 

email: gallery@canterbury.ac.uk. 

the Science and Natural History of our Planet earth 

Tuesday 29 June: 5 sessions, 10.30am – 2pm 

Salomons, Tunbridge Wells Campus 

Week 1: How did it all start? Where did life come from? Current 

scientific thinking on evolution Week 2: Amphibians – the first 

vertebrates on land. Species and life cycles of British frogs, toads 

and newts. Week 3: How trees Work! Photosynthesis, transpiration. 

Samples and identification of British trees Week 4: Freshwater 

Habitats and all about pond invertebrates and plants. 

£42.50 | tutor: Lynne and Peter Flower 

In the Making PGCe 

exhibition 

28 June – 11 July 

Faculty of education students showcase 

their response to an intense experience of 

learning to become artist-designer/teachers 

in partnership with secondary schools in 

Kent and Medway. 

Creative Writing: Beginning a novel 

Friday 29 June – 1 July 


You might have a sketchy idea for a plot, some characters, or a place 

you want to write about, but is it enough to turn into a novel, and 

where do you start? this weekend will help you think about the 

techniques involved in writing a novel, looking at things like structure, 

characterisation, theme, atmosphere and imagery. 

£335 | tutor: tricia Wastvedt 

For more information, visit: www.canterbury.ac.uk/community-arts-education

Music 

First Year’s Showcase Concert 

Wednesday 23 May, 1pm 

St Gregory’s Centre for Music, Canterbury 

An opportunity to witness the talents of Christ Church’s first year 

students. 

end of Year Show Commercial Music 

Tuesday 29 May, 7.30pm 

Quarterhouse Theatre, Folkestone 

enjoy one of the regular gigs held by Christ Church’s Commercial 

Music students from the Broadstairs Campus. 

tickets: £5. to book, call 01303 858500 

email: info@quarterhouse.co.uk. 

For further information visit: www.canterbury.ac.uk/events/music 

Events 

Reading series – Up and coming writers 

Friday 1 June, 6pm 

Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury 

Students from Canterbury Christ Church showcase their writing, 

chaired by Dr Carolyn Oulton. 

talk – In an instant: creative practice through 

instant photography 

Wednesday 20 June, 6pm - 7pm 

Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury 

this illustrated talk by Karen Shepherdson, Principal Lecturer in 

Photography at Christ Church, will examine how instant film 

photography has been used in creative visual practice. Karen will 

consider in the digital age, what future role this mode of image 

making might have. 

For further information visit: www.canterbury.ac.uk/events 

A Midsummer Soirée with Kent Chorus 

Sunday 24 June, 4pm 


Join Kent Chorus on the south terrace for British folk songs followed 

by choral classics accompanied by the Welte Philharmonic Organ in 

the grandeur of the Victorian theatre. 

to book, contact: Kent Chorus, 07803 605820 

email: kentchorus@meridianvoices.org. 

Viennese Chamber 

Concert 

Friday 29 June, 7.30pm 

Augustine House, Canterbury 

'Viennese Conversations' offers a snapshot of chamber music, 

played on period instruments, thus opening up a window onto 

the sound of world classical chamber music as imagined by 

the composers themselves. Organised by Professor John Irving, 

Head of the Department of Music and Performing Arts, who will 

also be performing in the concert. 

tickets: £15.00 (students £7.50) 

For full details and to book, visit: www.canterbury.ac.uk/AboutUs/ 

GoldenJubilee/Jubileeevents.aspx 

Summer / 2012 

27

...at the 

number 1 choice 

for people in Kent * 

find out how we can help you 

take the next steps towards a 

bright future. 

open Day 

Canterbury Campus Sat 16 June 10am - 3pm 

broadstairs Campus Sat 23 June 10am - 2pm 

Folkestone Campus Sat 30 June 10am - 2pm 

medway Campus Sat 30 June 10am - 2pm 

register now at 

www.canterbury.ac.uk/opendays 

* 60% of local people looking to study at university in Kent applied to 

canterbury christ church university (based on 2010 ucaS figures).

Magna Carta - Canterbury Christ Church University

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