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Reflections on Black History Month at BGU
Throughout October, Bishop Grosseteste University hosted a month-long programme of free events to celebrate Black History Month. The events included academic lectures, story-telling session and exhibitions that highlight the contribution of Black poets, educators, activists, athletes amongst others during this global month of celebration. Each of these sessions were designed to be educational, but also to engage and entertain in different ways while challenging received ideas and knowledge and were available to staff, students, guests and the wider public via live-stream where applicable. Dr Sheine Peart, Reader in Access, Equality and Inclusion and Project Lead for Black History Month at BGU, said: “As we reach the end of October I would like to offer some personal reflections on Black History Month at Bishop Grosseteste University 2021 which has been a resounding success in countless different ways. “The month-long programme of events was planned by a multidisciplinary University wide team and from the outset the ambition was (borrowing words from the BBC charter) to entertain, educate and inform while at the same time celebrating the multiple ways the global community has been enriched by contributions of people’s from the African diaspora. Benefiting from the skills and knowledge of University colleagues and invited contributors, each event fed into this ambition and provided new insights to the participating audiences while simultaneously honouring the common bonds which unite us and engaging with the challenges which confront us. “Through poetry, music, song, film, thought-provoking talks and story-telling sessions the audience learned of the ways Black peoples had enriched local, national and international communities including the innovative education strategies of Beryl Gilroy (the first Black Headteacher in London) and the ways the Reverend Sonia Baron in her work with the national government is currently challenging inequalities in work based and other spaces to provide better opportunities for everyone. “BHM at BGU will return in 2022 with another programme of events which will be open to students, staff and the wider public. We look forward to welcoming you to our next celebration and invite you to keep watching for future announcements.” -
Second BGU Participatory Autism Research Symposium - October 2021
On 13th October, BGU hosted the second in its series of Participatory Autism Research Symposia, which featured presentations from members of the current BGU community and alumni. Attendees joined in with the online event from as far afield as Sweden, Canada and Malaysia, and heard presentations from four researchers. The first presentation described the artistic and academic journey taken by a current BGU staff member and an autistic BGU alumnus who created a short film called “Broken” (Rimmer, 2020) to detail an autistic pupil’s experience of trying to communicate with his teacher that his glasses were broken. This film has been used as a tool to support trainee teachers’ understanding of fluency issues in autistic pupils in the mainstream classroom. It can be viewed here. Sophie, a BGU alumnus then shared details of her participatory PhD research project which focuses on autistic women's experiences of university, with specific regard to wellbeing. As she is particularly interested in the use of creative methods as a research tool, Sophie asked project participants to create creative pieces such as poems or artwork which expressed barriers to university and a desire for universities to be more inclusive. In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop published an essay outlining the importance of children’s books as both ‘windows’ and ‘mirrors’: books that are windows enable children to learn about the lives of others, and those that are mirrors support children to see themselves reflected. Clare, a PhD candidate at Cambridge University who is supporting three members of BGU’s academic staff with a research project into the representation of black autistic characters in picture books provided information on the study, which critiques this representation both from a Black and from an autistic perspective and investigates how these books work both as windows and mirrors. Finally, Dan, a PhD candidate at BGU gave a short presentation on the BGU Autism Resources Community Hub (ARCH), which aspires to be a one-stop starting point for all members of the BGU autism community (autistic students and staff, family members, friends and allies) to access information about autism at BGU. This community-based, exploratory work aims to build a positive resource that emerges from our autistic community. The ARCH web pages can be found here. If you missed the first Participatory Autism Research Symposium, you can view the recording on the Participatory Autism Research Collective Website here. -
Revd Canon Professor Leslie J Francis
Leslie Francis holds the part-time post of Professor of Religions, Psychology and Education. He works with doctoral students in fields that connect religious studies, theology, psychology, and education. Before joining Bishop Grosseteste University he held chairs in Pastoral Theology at Lampeter, Practical Theology at Bangor, Religions and Education at Warwick, and Religions and Psychology at Warwick. Currently he holds visiting positions in universities in Pretoria and Newfoundland and serves as Canon Theologian at Liverpool Cathedral. -
International Men’s Day 2021
To celebrate International Mens Day, academics from across the University have highlighted influential men within their fields that have made a difference in their subject area. -
Mathematics & Covid 19
How Mathematics has helped fight Covid-19, and the importance of understanding the data. -
The Sandford Award for high quality heritage education awarded to 47 new sites
The Sandford Award is provided by the Heritage Education Trust in partnership with Bishop Grosseteste University and is the only body in existence to provide independent quality assurance for heritage education. Over 500 organisations from across the British Isles have received the award since the scheme began in 1978 and it is currently held by over 200 museums and heritage sites. This year, the Sandford Award will once again celebrate high quality in heritage education provision from a broad range of heritage sites and services across the wider UK heritage sector including Lincoln Cathedral, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Royal Air Force Museum London, Stonehenge and Wessex Archaeology. The award focusses on formal, curriculum-linked education opportunities, although recognition is also made of informal learning such as family programmes and outreach. The awards are made annually and are non-competitive. The newly awarded sites are set to be recognised for their heritage education work at the Trust’s very first virtual event on Wednesday 8 December at 11am; a joint celebration of 2020 and 2021 Sandford Award recipients. The Sandford Award supports heritage learning professionals to be strong advocates; improving provision and partnership working within their organisation to benefit diverse audiences. The Heritage Education Trust developed a new online approach to the assessment of the Sandford Award in response to the pandemic and will be adopting new ways of working in order to do so effectively. To achieve the rigorous assessment criteria, organisations must demonstrate the delivery of high-quality heritage education. Applicants for the award carry out a reflective self-assessment of their work, consult with their service users and present evidence of achievement against six assessment criteria. This is reviewed by an experienced peer volunteer assessor and followed up by an assessment of the education service, mentoring, and a report with advice for improvement. Organisations benefit from the process and particularly value the opportunity for constructive, critical review with an experienced peer, and the opportunity to learn through sharing good and effective practice. John Hamer OBE, Chair of the Heritage Education Trust, said: “The last two years have posed immense challenges for all of us. This year’s Sandford Award ceremony – for the first time virtually – celebrates the success of the heritage sector in general, and the 2020 and 2021 award winners in particular, in overcoming the many difficulties resulting from the pandemic. They are to be warmly congratulated on their achievements. Professor Scott Fleming, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Bishop Grosseteste University said: “After what the heritage education sector has been through since the spring of 2020, on behalf of Bishop Grosseteste University, I’m delighted that we’ll be able to celebrate the successful Sandford Award recipients for 2020 and 2021. “It’s always a super event – online this year – when we recognise sector-leading organisations of different kinds from Britain and Ireland.” The establishments that received the awards in both 2020 and 2021 are as follows: 2020 award winners Amersham Museum Chelmsford Museum Colne Valley Museum EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum Holdenby House Hopetoun House La Hougue Bie Museum of Jersey Heritage Lincoln Cathedral Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre Pontefract Castle St Albans Museum + Gallery Wirksworth Heritage Centre World Rugby Museum 2021 award winners 1066 Battle of Hastings Abbey and Battlefield Alnwick Castle The Battle of Bannockburn Beeston Castle and Woodland Park Blists Hill Victorian Town Bristol Museum & Art Gallery Carlisle Castle The Collection Conisbrough Castle Crich Tramway Village Discovery Museum & Tyne & Wear Archives The Dorman Museum Durham University Library and Collections, Oriental Museum Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre Haslemere Museum Head of Steam: Darlington Railway Museum Jarrow Hall: Anglo-Saxon Farm, Village and Bede Museum Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden King Richard III Visitor Centre Knebworth House Layer Marney Tower National Maritime Museum Cornwall National Museum of Scotland Osborne House Parliament Education Centre Royal Airforce Museum London The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Stafford Castle Stonehenge Tatton Park The National Museum of Computing Tower Bridge Wessex Archaeology Worcester Cathedral A full list of current Sandford Award Holders: https://www.heritageeducationtrust.org/award-holders The 2022 Sandford Award opens for entries on Monday 13th December. Find out how to apply at: https://www.heritageeducationtrust.org/how-to-enter -
International students bring Festive Cheer to BG Futures
BG Futures, the Careers, Employability and Enterprise department at Bishop Grosseteste University, are now full of yuletide spirit thanks to international students Danling, Jianxin and their friend Rongrong. -
Christmas 1914 at Bishop Grossteste University
Since opening as a teacher training college for Schoolmistresses in 1862, Bishop Grosseteste University has celebrated over 150 Christmases. This year, History Alumni Ambassador Abigail White has explored the BGU archive to learn more about past Christmas celebrations at the university. One of the student magazines contains a detailed description of Christmas in 1914 and the impact of the First World War on festive celebrations. ‘It was thought better owing to the great distress caused by the present war not, to have the usual dance at Christmas, so the members of the staff kindly invited us to tea in the dining hall at 5 pm on Wednesday, December 16th’. Students and staff then engaged in various forms of entertainment. ‘The rest of the evening was devoted to games in the Drill Hall. No trouble was spared to make the evening enjoyable. The programme provided for all kinds of amusements. We began with an Advertisement Competition. How we had to rack our brains to discover the missing names of the gay placards that we see every day in the street! We were in the midst of this when suddenly we found that certain figures arrayed in the familiar red blanket were marching in procession around the room, led by a young lady resplendent in ermine muff and fur, made from a pair of white stockings with the help of a few threads of black cotton. This was the Adaptation Competition. Then followed dances of various kinds. Miss Bibby very kindly sang an old folk song which was greatly appreciated and which caused much amusement – ‘Oh no! John!’ But what of the Staff Competition. Every member retired during the Highland Schottische behind the green curtains on the platform. The curtains were drawn. Oh the horror! We were greeted with the awful vision of mummies and were given papers and told to name them! Some the girls evidently forgot that although deprived of their human appearance, the Members of the Staff had not lost their powers of hearing. The ‘Silent Cat and Mouse’ game caused much fun. At 10 o’clock we joined hands and sang ‘Alud Lang Syne’. Afterwards, we all tried to show our appreciation of one of the most enjoyable evenings of the term with a hearty cheer.’ To find out more about how you can uncover new adventures on a History or Military History course at BGU, visit our website, book onto one of our Open Events or speak to a member of our Enquiries Team. -
On this week in 1873, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte died
On this week (9th January) 1873, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, former French Emperor Napoleon III, nephew of Emperor Napoleon I, died at Camden Place in Kent, now the site of Chislehurst Golf Club. It was a rather ignominious end to a very eventful and impactful life. -
‘Plotting New Worlds’ creative writing competition launches
The English Department at Bishop Grosseteste University is pleased to announce its 2022 Short Story Competition for all year GCSE and A-level students who are passionate about writing creatively.
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