Sports students coached by former England footballers 15/07/11

Sports students from the University of Chichester have taken part in coaching

sessions run by former England football stars Nicky Butt and Jamie Carragher.

19 students who are studying for various sport-related degrees acted as participants in sessions led by coaches who are looking to obtain their UEFA A coaching licence, allowing them to coach at professional football clubs.

Ex-Manchester United and Newcastle player Butt and current Liverpool defender Carragher were among the coaches, as was Shaun Goater, best known for his time at Manchester City where he scored over 100 goals between 1998 and 2003, finishing as the club’s top scorer for four consecutive seasons.

It was the first time the University had been contacted to supply students for the sessions, and it is hoped there will be further opportunities in the future.

Perry Northeast from the Sports Activity and Research Centre at the University of Chichester said: “As well as the opportunity to play alongside the current and ex-professionals, each student has taken valuable experience away with them of what the professional side of football is all about. The FA was very accommodating, and every England coach was willing to give their time in offering advice to the students.”

International cricket call-up for University student 15/07/11

University of Chichester student Sarah Fogwill has been chosen for the England Women’s team for the 2011 Indoor Cricket World Cup.

The tournament will be held in South Africa between 9-15 October, with Australia the defending champions, and Sarah will be one of eight in the England squad who will take part in the competition.

Sarah, who is studying to be a PE teacher, only started playing indoor cricket last year after being asked to play in a league game by a friend because they were short of players. Sarah plays outdoor cricket for Hampshire, and found that her strengths could be easily transferred to the indoor game, which she now enjoys playing at club level for Portsmouth.

Indoor cricket is a shorter version of the game, eight players on each side and matches consisting of two innings of 16 overs each. All players are required to bowl as well as bat, meaning both sets of skills need to be of high quality. Rather than the obvious difference that the game is played indoors, other differences are that it is played on specifically designed courts covered in an artificial surface and enclosed by tight string netting, and bonus runs are scored by hitting the ball in certain areas of the netting.

Describing how these differences affect the play of the game, Sarah said: “As the playing area is tiny compared to an outside pitch, players need to be fearless in the field and whilst batting. Although there are many comparisons, indoor cricket requires quicker reactions, team work and more risks than outdoor cricket. The only protective gear used is gloves for batting, and although the ball is light, it is still lethal!”

Sarah is now focused on preparing herself for the tournament, combining it with her studies. She said:

“The tutors have been excellent; they are always there if I need them and are keen to help me get to the World Cup even though it is during term time. When on teaching placement, I was placed near home where I could train and still play my cricket.”

Major European sporting organisations spend the summer at University of Chichester 06/07/11

Two major sporting organisations have chosen to work with the University of Chichester this summer, taking full advantage of the facilities and expertise on offer at the West Sussex institution.

Spanish football club Real Madrid is currently holding a Soccer Language School at the Bishop Otter Campus in Chichester, providing participants with a chance to improve their football skills with coaching from Real Madrid coaches, along with language classes to enhance and broaden their linguistic skills.

Meanwhile, PE teachers and students from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (TF) at Semmelweis University in Hungary are currently taking part in an exchange programme which sees University of Chichester students working in Budapest at the same time.

The Faculty is the largest, most comprehensive and oldest centre for education and training in sport in Hungary, while the University of Chichester has a strong, established reputation for sports research, as well as extensive experience of working alongside elite Olympic athletes.

Links between the two have been established through a senior lecturer from the University of Chichester, Dr Laszlo Nemeth, who previously worked at Semmelweis.

The two groups of students are simultaneously experiencing new sports that are not offered in their respective institutions. Hungarian students are taking part in sports including netball, Ultimate Frisbee, hockey, cricket, golf and rugby, while Chichester students are trying out handball, fencing, track and field events, water polo and wrestling among their activities.

This is a pilot exchange programme, which was open to all PE and sports coaching students. Early feedback has been positive, and it is hoped to repeat it in future years. As part of their trip, the Hungarian teachers and students taught Year 7 pupils from Felpham Community College about water polo, opening up future possibilities of linking with local schools. They have also taken part in Adventure Education taster sessions in climbing and kayaking.

Jane Lomax, programme co-ordinator for sports coaching and PE courses at the University of Chichester, said: “Both our students and the Hungarian teachers and students appear to be learning a lot about new sports in a short period of time. There is also a cultural aspect to the trip – Chichester students have visited the Hungarian Parliament, while the Hungarians have taken the opportunity to visit London as well as the historic cities of Chichester and Arundel, and taken part in sports-related language classes.

“We hope this will be the first of many exchange trips, with the possible expansion to include our teaching staff as well. The Hungarian University of Physical Education has a high international reputation in its field, and there are numerous potential research opportunities that the two institutions could work on for the benefit of both sets of students.”

University students give generously to homeless charity in end-of-term recycling drive 05/07/11

Students at the University of Chichester have for the second year running focused on making their campus a greener one as they leave their halls of residence at the end of term.

In a repeat of last year’s efforts, students have been determined to cut down on the waste produced at the end of the academic year, when typically a lot is sent to landfill.

Thanks to the continuing efforts of the University’s Green Campus Group, led by environmental officer Margaret Field, and the Students’ Union, students had made available for them a number of recycling and charity donation facilities at both its Bishop Otter and Bognor Regis Campuses.

2010 was the first time a targeted effort had been made to reduce waste at the end of term, and the enthusiasm continued this year, students were persistent in their endeavours to recycle old items and unwanted food which they would no longer need.

As a result, large amounts of tinned food were donated to the charity Stone Pillow and their St Joseph’s Night Refuge project. Stone Pillow, which is organising a Big Sponsored Sleep Out fundraising event at Chichester Cathedral on 29 October, will use the food, which would have otherwise been thrown away by the students as they move back home for the summer, towards the charity’s aim of offering shelter, information and support to empower homeless and vulnerable people to make positive changes in their lives.

Celica Douglas, University of Chichester Students’ Union Vice President, said: “Amazing progress has been made from two years ago, when the University offered little in terms of recycling and the majority of waste was simply binned. We are now making small but sure steps towards a greener campus.”

The University will now turn its attention to the start of the next academic year when advice will be given to new students concerning recycling as they move into their halls of residence. The University hopes to make even more progress in terms of recycling and a stand will be included at the Freshers’ Fair to provide more information to new students.

Great strides up the Green League table underlined University’s environmental commitment 14/06/11

The University of Chichester has moved up 41 places in the People and Planet Green League 2011, published this week.

The institution, which has campuses in Chichester and Bognor Regis, rose from 82nd to joint 41st place, recognition of the University’s commitment to environmental sustainability and the success of initiatives introduced in the past 12 months.

All universities were judged across a range of criteria, such as whether it has an environmental policy, whether it participates in the Fairtrade scheme or other sustainability programmes, and how engaged staff and students are with the environmental aspirations of the University. The results were then published in the Guardian newspaper on 7 June and on the People and Planet website.

Ian Child, Chief Operating Officer at the University of Chichester, said: “We are delighted to have made such a dramatic rise up the league table, a significant reward for our staff and students who have put in so much hard work on environmental projects.

“We take our responsibilities seriously, not only to our staff, students and visitors, but as part of the local community and the environmental impact we have on the area as well. There is a strong commitment to this issue from the senior management team – environmental sustainability is one of our key priorities, placing it at the heart of University operations.

"With the active support of the Students’ Union, the importance of becoming a greener university has been embraced across the institution, and is beginning to become part of the day-to-day business rather than seen as a stand-alone initiative. However, we want to be higher in the league table, and we know there is more to do. Therefore, we shall be using this success as the stepping stone for further improvements in the way we work, and we hope to see a further rise up the table next year.”

Measures that the University undertake include a Student Departure Day recycling programme, which reduces the amount of end-of-term rubbish that is sent to landfill, improvements to the environmental performance of our buildings, and a new sustainable travel plan has been introduced, encouraging staff and students to car-share or use public transport when travelling to campus. The University has also recently received re-accreditation as a Fairtrade University for a further two years.

Performing without Fear: Exploring techniques to cope with musical performance anxiety 01/06/11

A performance anxiety course for musicians at the University of Chichester is being run for a second year following its successful debut in 2010.

The one-day course, run by the music department, offers musicians the chance to conquer their fears of performing. The course, which attracted participants from as far as Gloucester, Bournemouth and London last year, will be running twice during the summer period at the University’s Bishop Otter Campus in Chichester.

Performance anxiety in music is a subject that is often ignored, but it affects many musicians at various stages of their career. The course has been developed as a result of course tutor Nick Reynolds’ experience of teaching and research into the subject.

The course is part of a programme of summer schools and explores introductory approaches for developing individual strategies to regain the enjoyment of performing music. Anyone who has a love of music but suffers from nerves is invited to attend.

During the course of the day, attendees can expect to explore the ‘whys’ of getting nervous before playing, survey different approaches to learning and playing music that may help beat the nerves, and take part in a practical explorations of techniques.

Louise Jackson, Senior Lecturer of Music at the University of Chichester, who organises Summer School events for the music department said: “The buzz from last year’s day course demonstrated this was an issue that many musicians wanted to tackle. Nerves can be a real problem, one that can damage people’s enjoyment of music. We are pleased to be able to continue to support musicians in dealing with this particular issue.”

The courses will be run on Tuesday 19 July and Tuesday 9 August between 10am-3pm. Places cost £30. For more information, contact the music department by calling 01243 816205 or email music@chi.ac.uk.

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/

Announcement of student support package and proposed tuition fees for 2012/13

We recognise, and accept enthusiastically, the responsibilities we have as a modern university working to raise aspirations in surrounding communities and to regenerate a regional economy.

Our mission for widening participation is based in our local communities. We are now amongst the most successful institutions for the recruitment and retention of students from low participation areas. Our success has involved engaging positively with our local community – demystifying higher education and reducing the barriers towards attending university by active engagement with schools and colleges over many years.

Our student finance and support package reflects the fact that we are an organisation that is passionate about widening educational opportunity and the commitment that this agenda carries to social justice, equality and diversity.

With this in mind the Board of Governors of the University of Chichester has approved a fee level, to be submitted to the Office of Fair Access, of £8,500 per annum in 2012/13 for all undergraduate courses.

Our generous student support package empowers students by allowing them to decide, based on their needs and circumstances, whether to receive their support package as a fee waiver or a maintenance bursary:

•Students with a household income of less than £25,000 will be entitled to £2,500 each year of their degree course as either a bursary or a fee waiver.

•Students with a household income of between £25,001 and £42,000 will be entitled to £1,000 each year of their degree course as either a bursary or a fee waiver.

This financial package will provide support for 60% of our students and as a result our average fee will be below £7500 with students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds receiving a support package that reduces the fee equivalent to £6,000.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Clive Behagg stated: “The key to our success is the community feel of a small institution and this differentiates us from other, larger, providers. Raising aspirations and providing value for money are deeply embedded into the mission and values of the University. In these activities we offer something different and we punch above our weight. We have set our fee level at a point that will enable us to continue this important mission.”

Ever dreamed of making a living as a writer? 20/04/11

Anyone who has ever embarked on the lonely mission of writing a novel or a play will know how difficult it can be. However, writing that great work of art is only half the battle – getting it published can often take just as much time and effort.

Help is now at hand for all those writers who have gazed nervously into the huge maze of the book trade, for experts from the mysterious world of publishing and broadcasting are to converge on the University of Chichester to reveal the secrets of their art.

A panel of agents, editors and publishers will gather in Cloisters Chamber, Bishop Otter Campus, on Wednesday 27 April between 6.30pm and 8.30pm to talk about, and answer questions on, getting published.

All students, staff and members of the public are invited to attend the annual free event, which has been organised by English and Creative Writing Department lecturer Karen Stevens.

The panel will include the literary agents Clare Conville, co-founder of Conville and Walsh Literary Agency, which represents 150 authors, and Charles Viney, founder and literary agent at The Viney Agency, one of the UK’s most successful independent literary agencies.

They will be joined by Helen Garnons-Williams, the editorial director for fiction at Bloomsbury, twice voted UK Publisher of the Year. Also on the panel will be Kate Whitehead, Head of Interactive Products at Harper Collins, a publisher with nearly 200 years of experience which is now blazing a trail with cutting edge technology.

England’s oldest literary periodical, ‘The London Magazine’ – established in 1732 – will be represented by its current editor, Steve O’Brien. The University is also delighted to announce the participation of BBC Radio 4, the world’s biggest single commissioner of short stories, in the person of Di Speirs, editor of readings at BBC Radio Drama.

Organiser Karen Stevens said: “This is a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of the publishing industry – and to hear experts pass on the secrets of their trade. We hope that anyone who is interested in seeing their name in print will come along to support the event.

“In previous years, similar events have proved very useful for many of our students, who have later gone on to get published.”

The event is part of the English Department’s successful MA Programme in Creative Writing.

Chichester retains position as leading modern university for student satisfaction 20/04/11

The University of Chichester continues to be the top publically-funded modern university in the UK for student satisfaction, according to the latest version of the Complete University Guide, published on 18 April.

The institution is 14th out of 116 higher education establishments in the whole country in the same category.

The Guide also shows that Chichester spends more money per student on academic services and student facilities than other, larger, higher education providers in the region, underlining its strong commitment to the student experience.

More details can be found by visiting: http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/.

Film award success for music lecturer 18/04/11

A senior music lecturer at the University of Chichester has won a top communications award for his role in producing a film for two charity organisations.

Crispin Ward, Head of Orchestral Studies, won a gold award at the International Visual Communications Association (ICVA) awards, described as Europe's largest and most prestigious celebration of the best in corporate and public sector communication.

He was recognised in the Best Original Music and Sound Design category, where he worked with Simon Thompson to write and produce music for a short film for Reivers 12, a charity rowing team who raise money for Children with Leukaemia and Chase Hospice Care for Children.

Crispin said: “I was approached to do the music by the producers of the film, Seamless Media, as I already do a good deal with them. I wrote the piece, but it is in fact computer generated as there was no budget to have it recorded live. However, Channel 4 is doing a documentary on the Reivers 12, and there is a budget to record the same music with a live orchestra. As a result, I hope to use the University of Chichester Symphony Orchestra, as it is one of the finest orchestras of its type in the country.”

The award holds a great deal of weight in the communications industry, and Crispin has recently worked for global advertising agency M&C Saatchi following recognition at the awards ceremony.

To view the film and listen to Crispin's music, visit: http://www.oneshotstudio.co.uk/portfolio/reivers-12/

New video game features soundtrack from Chichester lecturer 18/04/11

Players of 'Shift 2 Unleashed', the new video racing game released this month, will be treated to a soundtrack produced with the help of a University of Chichester lecturer.

Music department senior lecturer Dr Stephen Baysted has recently completed work on the music score and sound design for the game, which is produced by Electronic Arts and Slightly Mad Studios.

The game, released worldwide on 1 April, features a unique, ground breaking score concept, according to Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for Electronic Arts. He said: “EA brought together some of the most cutting-edge composers from various film, TV, trailer and gaming backgrounds in entertainment to re-imagine the music of ten absolutely distinctive bands and sonically encapsulate the driver’s emotional journey.

“The composers tapped into chart topping songs from Rise Against, Hollywood Undead, Escape The Fate, The Bravery, Anberlin, 30 Seconds To Mars, Stone Temple Pilots, Switchfoot, Biffy Clyro and Jimmy Eat World to create the soundtrack.”

Stephen worked with Grammy award winning composer Ramin Djawadi (Iron Man, Clash of the Titans), games industry legend Charles Deenen, and Grammy award winning film music producer Steve Mclaughlin amongst others to transform popular music tracks into an epic cinematic score.

A number of other exciting projects are also on the horizon for 2011 and beyond after announcing his film, TV and games composition activities are being represented worldwide by The Max Steiner Agency in Hollywood.

World championship win puts Chichester student on track for Paralympics success in 2012 12/04/11

A University of Chichester student has become a double world champion by winning the World Judo Championships in Turkey for a second consecutive year.

Ben Quilter (29), who is studying for a masters degree in sport and exercise physiology, won gold in the 60kg weight category, a result which makes him the number one seed going into next year’s London Paralympic Games.

Ben combines his training at the British Judo Performance Institute in his home town of Dartford with studying for a masters degree at the University’s Bishop Otter Campus in Chichester.

Last year, he became Britain’s first visually impaired judo champion for 12 years, but he said he found retaining the title a different experience.

“While I am pleased to have won the event, I have not experienced the same euphoria as when I won first time around,” he said. “I did not perform as well as I know I can, but I think that is because my opponents knew I was world champion and concentrated on being defensive against me rather than trying to beat me. Having said that, if I can win a World Championship when I am not at my best, that can only be a good thing!”

The final major competition before next year’s London Paralympic Games is the European Championships, which is being held in Crawley, UK, in November. Ben claimed silver last year and will be hoping to go one better this time around.

In the coming months, he will also be spending time working with fellow athletes from GB Judo as part of his masters degree. He said: “I am doing a weight manipulation study, which will involve working with judo players to monitor their fluid balance, how this affects their ability to make their weight, and how to maintain their hydration status once they have made their weight.”

Definitive collection of the works of Robert Louis Stevenson to be published 11/04/11

A University of Chichester Professor has been given permission for a literary injustice stretching back nearly 120 years to be put right.

Robert Louis Stevenson is most famous for writing the novels Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde but also penned some fairy tales while living in Samoa. He hoped to have a volume of these fairy tales published together prior to his death in 1894. However, back in London his literary agent Sidney Colvin colluded with Stevenson's publisher, Cassell, to disregard the author's wishes, and the fairy tales appeared with other material, and in a form contrary to Stevenson's explicit instructions, in Island Nights' Entertainments, which has remained the standard edition ever since.

However, Bill Gray, Professor of Literary History at the University of Chichester, and Director of the Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy, has convinced Edinburgh University Press to publish a new volume of Stevenson's fairy tales. This will be the closest publishers have ever got to what Stevenson actually planned, but was never able to complete because of distance, editorial interference and ultimately his death.

Professor Gray said: “Stevenson wanted to publish a volume of fairy tales, but living in Samoa, with letters taking months to get a reply from London, he was at the mercy of his literary agent, who effectively stitched Stevenson up by publishing his fairy tales together with another realistic story that the author had never intended to appear alongside his stories of magic and the supernatural.

“I'm delighted Edinburgh University Press has agreed to the publication of a new edition of Stevenson's fairy tales. ‘The Bottle Imp' and ‘The Isle of Voices' will be supplemented by another tale, ‘The Waif Woman', which Stevenson wrote for the collection but was ditched by his agent. It will be the first time they have been published together as a group, just as Stevenson intended.”

Professor Gray's edition will also publish for the first time all of Stevenson's Fables collected in one volume. Some of Stevenson's Fables were published in 1896, but Professor Gray's edition will be the first time they have all been published together and in the order that Stevenson wanted, based on the original manuscripts housed in the British Library and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

Professor Gray's volume of Stevenson's Fables and Fairy Tales is scheduled to appear in 2013, as part of The New Edinburgh Edition of Stevenson's Works, planned as the definitive collection of the works of Robert Louis Stevenson to be published by Edinburgh University Press in conjunction with Edinburgh University, of which Professor Gray is an alumnus.

Head of Voice takes to the world stage for concert tour 11/04/11

Following the release of their highly acclaimed new CD Heaven-Haven – The Songs of Peter Pope for Nimbus Records, mezzo soprano Susan Legg, Head of Voice at the University of Chichester, and pianist Ann Martin-Davis have been invited on several international tours and have just returned from their first - a highly successful recital tour of Mexico, organised by the Anglo-Mexican Foundation.

The duo performed three song recitals including song cycles by Ravel, Poulenc, Pope and Ferguson. The tour began with a flight to Mexico City and an internal flight to Alamos, Sonora, which nestles on the edge of the desert. The Alamos Music Festival is extremely well established and attracts a wealth of major international artists. Performing to a full house of over 700 in the stunning Palacio Municipal Theatre, the duo were given a standing ovation and hailed as ‘exquisito’ in the National Press.

The second concert took place in the Instituto Italiano de Cultura in Mexico City, in support of AMISTAD, a vital force who work in disaster zones, rebuilding the infrastructure when emergency services have left. With the Prince of Wales as Patron, AMISTAD also strives to establish links between schools in Mexico and the UK.

Susan and Ann completed their tour with a lunchtime recital in the stunning neoclassical style Anfiteatro Simón Bolívar in the heart of Mexico City to a capacity audience. The recital was recorded for future transmission.

Chichester lecturer delighted to make national award shortlist 05/04/11

A book by University of Chichester lecturer Dave Swann was chosen from hundreds of publications to be shortlisted for the 2011 Ted Hughes Award, a national competition organised by the current Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy.

Dave’s book ‘The Privilege of Rain’ (Waterloo Press, 2010), a collection based on his experiences as Writer in Residence at HMP Nottingham Prison, was among five books chosen for the shortlist for the prize, which celebrates ground-breaking attempts to fuse poetry with other art-forms.

With its mixture of poems and stories, and its inclusion of haunting wood-cuts by the artist Clare Dunne, Dave’s book caught the eye of the judging panel.

In an awards ceremony at the Savile Club in London, the chair of judges, Welsh poet Gillian Clarke, awarded the £5,000 first prize to Kaite O’Reilly for ‘The Persians’, her re-telling of Aeschylus’s ancient play of the same name.

Afterwards Dave, who is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and Creative Writing, spoke of his excitement at being shortlisted for the award, which was made possible when Carol Ann Duffy donated her annual stipend in honour of one of her predecessors as Poet Laureate.

“It was incredibly generous of the Poet Laureate to give up her wage to set up the prize,” said Dave. “As a result, there is now a valuable space for brave and experimental small publishers to capture the attention of a wider public.

“It’s a real honour for any writer to be mentioned for a few seconds in the same breath as the legendary Ted Hughes. He was my hero when I was growing up, one of the first poets who showed me the magic of images and language. I feel incredibly happy to have my work recognised in this way.”

Dave described the awards ceremony as “quite a nerve-racking experience”. “It’s strange to walk into a room that contains so many talented writers, many of whom you’ve admired for years. At times, I had to pinch myself!

“When the award was announced, I was disappointed for a few minutes, but I got over it pretty quickly. It’s important to remind yourself that you write for the joy of writing, not for the end result. That’s what I tell my students, and it’s what I believe at the bottom of my heart.

“When I was teaching in prison, I discovered that reading and writing have the power to calm the mind. I saw this happen to some of the prisoners I taught, and it’s what I’ve found in my own life.

“Although writing can be very hard and lonely, it’s also an activity which allows you to go really deep into your life and the lives of others. That’s part of what I wrote about in my ‘The Privilege of Rain’. I wanted to try to show how writing can help to heal scars, and build empathy. That seems really important with all the current talk of cuts to arts funding, including literacy schemes in jails.

“To my mind, the arts make a more peaceful world. Money isn’t the bottom line – peace of mind is. Life without that is horrible. ‘The Privilege of Rain’ is an attempt to look at those issues, and to try to find stories that illustrate my belief that education has the potential to transform lives.

“Of course, it isn’t easy to change a life, and sometimes you’re bound to fail. Also, I’m not in the business of romanticising outlaws. Some of the poems in the book are about the victims of crime, including the wives and girlfriends of offenders. I wanted to show that their peace of mind is important, too. It seemed important to go beneath the skin of the issues.”

Effects of diversity on educational achievement explored by Chichester academics in new publication 04/04/11

Two University of Chichester academics have teamed up to produce an essential guide for teachers and education students to aid their understanding of the factors impacting on achievement in the classroom.

Diversity, Equality and Achievement in Education (Sage Publications) has been published by Gianna Knowles, senior lecturer in educational studies, and Dr Vini Lander, principal lecturer with overall responsibility for primary education provision.

Most classrooms contain children from a variety of backgrounds, where home culture, religious beliefs and the family’s economic situation all impact on achievement. This needs to be recognised by teachers in order to establish fair, respectful, trusting and constructive relationships with children and their families, which will allow every child to reach their full potential.

The book looks at real issues that affect teachers in the classroom, and examines a variety of influences affecting child development. It will provide teaching professionals with the theoretical and practical information they need to ensure they understand the complex factors which affect the children in their care, encouraging good, thoughtful teaching.

The book is on sale via the Sage Publications website, http://www.sagepub.co.uk/.

Tables turned in music department as lecturer to be assessed by students 30/03/11

Music students are being given a new way to engage with their assessment process this weekend when they are invited to ‘mark’ a performance by one of their lecturers.

The University’s Chamber Orchestra will be presenting a virtuosic programme of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony, Sibelius Finlandia, and Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, which will feature senior lecturer Laura Ritchie as soloist on cello.

Meanwhile, the music students in attendance will have the chance to ‘mark’ Laura’s performance using the university criteria that are used to assess their own performances.

Laura said: “This concert gives students a chance to engage with assessment from a different perspective as I, the teacher, am in the 'hot seat' with the tables turned on me. The purpose of the exercise is give increase the students’ awareness and understanding of examination processes. By having the chance to reflect on the marking criteria and writing comments for someone else, it will hopefully give them a new appreciation of the importance of feedback for their own development.”

Tickets for the concert on Saturday 2 April, which takes place in the Chapel of the Ascension at the University’s Bishop Otter Campus in Chichester beginning at 7.30pm, are available to purchase on the door priced £5/£3 concessions. University staff and students admitted free of charge on presentation of a student/staff card.

The concert is also being held on Friday 1 April at Haslemere Hall, Haslemere (call 01428 642161 for details) and on Sunday 3 April at St Joseph’s Church in Havant (01243 432342).