Chichester Literati to celebrate work of influential city poet 27/05/11

The work of a poet described as England's lost laureate will be discussed at a mid-summer event at the University of Chichester.

William Hayley has close ties to the city – he was born in 1745 in a house now part of the Pallant House Gallery, and also married the daughter of the Dean of Chichester in 1769.

Dr Diana Barsham, Head of English and Creative Writing at the University, will offer a reappraisal of the work of this important and influential local poet. Her talk will focus particularly on issues of selfhood in Hayley's poetry and the difference between his style of self-representation and that of his friend, William Blake and the other Romantic writers.

The second half of the evening will be an open discussion between a panel of writers and critics on the topic of 'the self in writing' to which members of the public will also be invited to contribute. The discussion will address autobiographical writing, the self as it appears in contemporary poetry and fiction, and the role of self-loathing in the writing experience.

The panel includes the distinguished novelist and memoirist Soumya Bhattacharya, currently a visitor to the university under the Charles Wallace India Trust scheme; award winning poets Stephanie Norgate and Hugh Dunkerley, and Dr Robert Duggan, a specialist in Contemporary Literature.

The event will be held on Wednesday 1 June from 6pm in the Cloisters Chamber at the Bishop Otter Campus. It is free entry for Chichester Literati members, non-member tickets are £5 (£3 concessions).

For more information on the event and membership to Chichester Literati, contact Fran Armitage on 01243 812171 or email f.armitage@chi.ac.uk.

Summer school project could discover musical stars of the future 27/05/11

Chart-topping musicians of the future have their chance to shine at an annual summer school project at the University of Chichester.

Students from six schools in West Sussex will spend three days on the Chi Rocks project working with musicians, business studies advisors and song writing students to produce a record that will be performed at a showcase concert at the end of the week.

Chi Rocks runs between 7-9 June, and features pupils from Thomas Bennett Community College, Littlehampton Academy, Felpham Community College, Bourne Community College, Manhood Community College and Westergate Community School.

It is organised by the University’s Widening Participation team, who work with senior lecturer Louise Jackson from the Music department to deliver the event. It is designed to give pupils an insight into University life and give them the confidence to continue with their education when they leave school.

Carole Nairn, Chi Rocks organiser and Widening Participation Manager at the University, said: “Music is a great leveller when it comes to group working. Whether you are a talented musician or never picked up an instrument before, the key theme is fun and creativity, and you never know where that can lead.

“Over the three days, pupils will learn about different aspects of the music industry, including song writing, marketing and performance. The culmination of the summer school will be the performance of their song by a professional band at the showcase concert, not something most people get the opportunity to do, and I hope the pupils make the most of the experience.”

The University of Chichester has partnered with the Campus of Performing Arts (COPA) in South Africa 19/05/11

The University of Chichester has partnered with the Campus of Performing Arts (COPA) in South Africa to offer South African students the opportunity to attain a Degree in Contemporary Music Performance, Music Production or Music Business.

This exciting international partnership parallels our Department of Music’s strong local collaboration with Platform One, on the Isle of Wight, to deliver the Foundation Degree Commercial Music and the BA (Hons) Commercial Music, as well as our more recent establishment of the MA in Contemporary Music Performance offered in partnership with the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in Guildford.

COPA was founded in 2004 to address a need for contemporary music education in South Africa and supports the aspirations of young South Africans from all walks of life who dream of making a career out of their passion for music.

Alongside COPA’s existing complement of Further Education and training courses, this development will enable students to study for University of Chichester’s new BMus (Hons) in Music Performance, BA (Hons) in Music Production and the BA (Hons) in Music Business.

For more information, visit COPA’s website: http://www.copasa.co.za/