Impact Report 2023

2023

IMPACT REPORT

Enabling Growth

All of us at Bath Spa University want to thank you for your support over the past three years (2020-2023), you have made an incredible impact on our community, and we are delighted to share what you have helped our students to achieve.

Although the past few years have not been a typical university experience our students have still required support, and due to your generosity, they have been able to exceed their own expectations.

Your donation funding has helped students to travel to new countries, create performances, and obtain that extra piece of equipment, allowing them to grow in unimaginable ways. In 2023 we have changed the name of two of our awards, simplifying the application process and helping students to choose the relevant funding for them. The Harbutt Fund has become The Student Opportunity Fund and The Enterprise Showcase Fund is now The Final Year Project Fund.

OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS...

237 STUDENTS WERE SUPPORTED

£131,381 32 PROJECTS WERE CROWDFUNDED

HAS BEEN GIVEN IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND PRIZES

RAISING

£27,029

STUDENT PROFILES The best people to tell you about the impact you have made is our students themselves below are just a few examples of the ways funding has been used.

E.W Received funds from the Doris Southcott Bursary helping to support them with costs of the course.

M.L used funds from the Taunton Maids Bursary to gain some extra lessons for their musical practice.

‘It has been during the tailoring and portfolio modules that this funding has provided me with a great help to cover costs of fabrics, sewing and drawing equipment, printing/presentation costs and buying a professional portfolio, which I will use for many years to come and help me secure career opportunities now and in the future.’

‘As a result of these extra lessons, I have also been able to prepare solo and ensemble pieces for performances at the university in lunchtime concerts, and at other venues, like Bath Abbey and the Holburne Museum. Without these extra lessons, I’m not sure I would have been as well-prepared to perform under such pressures, but the lessons improved my confidence greatly. They have also expanded my repertoire — I have been able to not only work on required performances like the technical exam.’

Final Recital link: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Ogl8u_ij-Dk

B.M used the bursary to invest in their materials.

‘The Doris Southcott bursary has allowed me to begin creating more experimental work within my sketchbooks as well as enabling me to get more materials to make my products for my course’s third brief. This has assisted in my future career by allowing me to produce more products to show prospective buyers as well as creating a stronger portfolio of work to present myself professionally.’

B.D used the money from the Taunton Maids bursary to improve his home studio, improving both his university work and personal compositions.

‘There has been ‘a clear leap in quality from my previous work, which I can definitively say is mostly accredited to the award I received in November, as my mixing and mastering has massively improved. I truly believe this will open new doors for me in the music industry and [allow me] to reach my full potential not just as a producer, but also as a musician.'

You can see her current works on her Instagram page here: www.instagram.com/bethanyalicedesigns

M.R was awarded the High-Performance Sports Award to allow her to pursue her ambitions in the field of ice hockey, travelling to participate in tournaments.

R.F was able to study jazz music in Chicago as a result of the International Travel Fund.

‘This feels like a huge opportunity for me to study in a city that is renowned for its art heritage and cultural diversity.'

‘This scholarship will help me when I represent the Great Britain University team in New York, Lake Placid, where I will play in the winter world games.’

PORTHLEVEN PRIZE The Porthleven Prize is now in its 10th year at Bath Spa University, offering an interdisciplinary experience allowing for unique collaborations and insight into the work and practices of our creative community.

Jessica Angwin said ‘whilst attending Porthleven I allowed myself to dive into the means of collaboration with students I had not before. We were all able to exchange thoughts and creative ideas, whilst responding to the theme of ‘Provenance’ in workshops. I was particularly interested in Lucy English’s Creative Writing workshop which made us think about the details we see, the noises, taste and smell that was going on around us.’

This whole experience has benefited me as a person, and allowed for progression with my practice. The Porthleven Prize could not have arrived at a better point in my practice.’

VOLUNTEERING We also want to thank those of you who volunteered time and came to speak at events throughout the year: whether this was at our Graduate and Final Year Growth Summits or writing an Alumni blog. Your gift of time and experience is incredibly important to us, it ensures the current students to learn about life after university and the community that surrounds Bath Spa.

ALUMNI BUSINESS INTERNSHIP Over the course of 2022-23, our Alumni Business Internship Scheme has placed eight graduates in roles which allow them to enter fields of work and gain experience.

A.W Creative Facilitator, Creativity Works

M.W Arts Gallery and Studio Assistant, 44AD

This opportunity ‘has opened up a number of other potential career paths I would like to explore. I have been considering how services similar to the ones offered here would be useful where I'm from. I believe the experience has been great so far and has opened up career ideas for me in areas of helping the community.’

‘My experience doing the 44AD ArtSpace Gallery and Students Assistant programme has been hugely beneficial to me. I have learned a lot and have developed my skills in curation, marketing and events. This internship has given me real-life experience of how a busy art gallery operates. After initially struggling to find a job in the arts and culture sector after university this extension of the internship gave me more relevant experience. This has since resulted in being offered a full-time job at another major local business in the arts sector in Bath, which I am delighted at.’ https://jessicaangwin.co.uk/ The-Porthleven-Prize

CULTURAL PARTNERS All of us at Bath Spa University also wish to extend our thanks to our Cultural Partners: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Bath Cultural Education Partnership Bath Festivals Bath Fringe Creative Bath Creativity Works Fairfield House The Forum The Holburne Museum House of Imagination Komedia Bath Ledbury Poetry Festival Little Lost Robot Mentoring Plus Music Workshop TEDxBath Theatre Royal Bath Youth Connect South West

They expand our inclusive and participatory ethos and our shared missions, helping to enhance our wider community.

You can find out more here: www.bathspa.ac.uk/about-us/ networks

A GIFT IN WILL We hope you might consider leaving a gift in your Will to help encourage and support the growth of future students.

A gift can be left by writing a Will or by amending an existing one. By doing so you become an essential part of our students future, allowing them to achieve goals, previously out of reach.

Thank you!

We would like to thank the following organisations for their support: • • • • •

The Freelands Foundation The Trevor Osborne Charitable Trust The Talbot House Trust Ellucian Foundation Royal Commonwealth Society Bath and District • First Bus A big thank you to all of our individual donors, your contributions make a huge difference to the University and our students.

To find out how you can transform the lives of Bath Spa students, please visit: www.bathspa.ac.uk/alumni/how-you-can-support-us To contact us: Development and Alumni Relations Office, Bath Spa University, Newton Park, Bath, BA2 9BN daro@bathspa.ac.uk