Postgrad Post Issue 2

POSTGRAD POST ISSUE TWO

In this issue

EMERGE POSTGRAD PROFILE ON ... CLIVE HIGGLETON POSTGRAD PETS

STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME ASK AN ALUM ... LUCY CUTHEW

plus much more..

In this issue 01-02

Postgrad Profile on ...

MSc Criminology student Clive Higgleton

03-04

Postgrad Pets Meet Sophie Turner and her cat, Meg

05-10

Study, Support, Succeed Keeping you in the loop with all things Student Wellbeing Services, Careers and Employability and Library and Learning Services

11-12

EMERGE Discover Bath Spa University’s creative graduate studio

13-14

Ask an Alum Catching up with MA Writing for Young People graduate Lucy Cuthew

On the cover

Textile artist Mateja Perosa’s beautiful fabric that was recently part of the EMERGE Showcase. instagram: @perosa_design www.perosadesign.com

EDITOR Shannon Barrett-Clayton DESIGNER Helen Bollen Say hello!

Bath Spa University @BathSpaUni bathspauni

| CONTENTS

Hello

Postgrads!

After the success of the last edition we are happy to bring you the second issue of the Postgrad Post.

Inside, you will find a profile on one of your fellow students, another fabulous Postgrad Pets edition, an interview with an alum and much more!

If you would like to be featured in the next edition of the Postgrad Post then email us at studentcomms@ bathspa.ac.uk. Maybe you think you’d be the perfect fit for one of our features or perhaps you have an idea for a new article. We are always happy to listen!

WELCOME |

POSTGRAD PROFILE ON ...

Clive Higgleton Every issue, we’ll bring you an interview with a postgraduate student or member of staff so you can find out about another member of the postgrad community. This issue we interview Clive Higgleton, a MSc Criminology student who is studying parttime alongside his full-time job.

WHAT COURSE DO YOU STUDY AND AT WHAT LEVEL? I am pursuing the MSc Criminology course as a part-time, distancelearning student.

IF YOU WERE EXPLAINING YOUR COURSE/RESEARCH TO A CHILD, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? In its simplest form, our course looks at the characteristics of different crimes, why people commit crime, how societies respond to crime and how they try to control crime.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR COURSE? I particularly like my course as it complements my full-time job as a uniformed member of staff in an old Victorian, London prison. My role, which takes place during the night from 8:45pm till 7am, primarily revolves around making sure prisoners are safe and secure.

It is a unique job and I have certainly seen things that I will never forget, but my postgraduate course has given me a broader outlook on why the prison system behaves as it does and why it broadly fails in its objectives.

HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON ANYTHING EXCITING? I am about to start writing my dissertation that will focus on prison architecture and how it can affect prisoner wellbeing, safety and rehabilitation.

I am excited to see how an old Victorian prison, such as the one that I work in, is incapable of providing the productive environment to meet the objectives of rehabilitation; and how alternative designs can be a material force for change. It will involve reference to multiple disciplines such as environmental psychology, carceral geography and organisational theory – all of which are new territory to me!

IF YOU WENT ON MASTERMIND, WHAT WOULD YOUR SPECIALIST SUBJECT BE? Considering the amount of books I have read on prison – from Dostoyevsky, to Papillion and Jeffrey Archer – I would hedge my bets on this subject.

Special thanks to Clive Higgleton for being a part of this issue of the Postgrad Post. All the best to him in his unique job and for the remainder

his MSc! Fancy 1of| POSTGRAD POST being interviewed for the next Postgrad Profile? Email us at studentcomms@bathspa.ac.uk

ISSUE TWO | 2

POSTGRAD PETS Meet Sophie and Meg PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF I’m Sophie Turner, and I’m on the MA for Writing for Young People. My furry roommate is Meg the cat.

WHERE ARE YOU BASED? I’m based at Corsham Court.

WHAT BREED IS MEG? Meg is a pure short-haired moggy.

HOW OLD IS MEG AND HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN PART OF THE FAMILY? Meg’s going to be 12 this July, and we’ve had her since she was a kitten. She was a family pet, but came to live with me when I moved out to complete my Masters so she didn’t have to contend with stairs and the dog.

(She has a bad leg, and a dislike for dogs!)

IS MEG A RESCUE CAT?

We did buy Meg, but we say we rescued her as the family that bred her seemed a bit odd.

They fed her rice pudding!

Do you have a furry buddy that keeps you company while you work? Let us know at studentcomms@bathspa.ac.uk and you and your pet may be featured in the next issue!

3 | POSTGRAD POST

HOW DID MEG HELP YOU DURING THE PANDEMIC?

Whilst I was working from home, Meg kept me company. She always sat behind my desk, and jumped up on the bed for strokes.

(Normally whilst I was trying to sleep.) She’s a good work companion, but cuddles are on her terms and not mine!

HAS MEG EVER MADE AN APPEARANCE IN A LECTURE OR SEMINAR?

Only if it’s dinner time! Then she’ll sit just off from the camera and whine.

HAS MEG PROVIDED INSPIRATION FOR ANY OF YOUR WORK? Yes. She’s the inspiration for a children’s chapter book all about a pirate cat.

IS MEG A HELP OR HINDRANCE TO YOU WHILST YOU’RE WORKING?

Both! When I’m writing creatively, she’s great to play with or stroke (James Bond villain style) and think of new ideas.

Whenever I’m researching or writing essays, she decides that she must go out right now!

And is starving! And wants to attack my legs!

AND FINALLY, ARE YOU MEG’S FAVOURITE HUMAN?

Definitely! She’s always liked me (or my pillow) and treats both family and friends with scorn when they visit.

An extract from Sophie’s book, inspired by Meg ...

Peg-Leg-Meg was Captain Redbeard’s cat.

She was smaller than most cats, and her tail was crooked at the end, as if it had been caught in a door. Oh, and she had a limp.

She’d always had a limp. It was how she got her name.

Peg-Leg-Meg was half white, and half tabby cat. Not directly down the middle.

Some splotches were white, and some splotches were tabby. Captain Redbeard’s crew thought she gave them bad luck.

Captain Redbeard said that was, “Stuff and nonsense!”

It was not, “Stuff and nonsense.”

The trouble began when their ship, The Scurvy Secret, pulled out of the harbour.

Peg-Leg-Meg lay on the deck, on her back, so the sun could warm her belly. She liked the sun almost as much as she liked Captain Redbeard.

Suds was the new deckhand. He was only a boy, and not used to being on the ship yet. The others laughed and teased him, for not being able to swab the deck very well.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t see Peg-Leg-Meg from over the crate he was carrying across the deck. His boot came down on her tail.

This was very uncomfortable for her, so she jumped up and attached all four paws to Suds’ leg.

Although she was small, her claws were sharp. Sharp enough to make Suds yelp and hop on one foot – calling, “Help! Mutiny!”

Peg-Leg-Meg bit him, for good measure. She was missing three teeth, but it still hurt.

Suds dropped the crate he was holding onto his other foot. That pain was much worse.

He gave a howl, and then fell back, landing with a thump on his bottom.

Another pirate, Scuttle, plucked Peg-LegMeg off his leg, and plopped her safely on the deck. She twitched her crooked tail, miffed, and glared.

Suds sat in her prime sunbathing spot.

ISSUE TWO | 4

STUDY••SUPPORT••SUCCEED Welcome to ‘Study, Support, Succeed’, the section of the Postgrad Post that keeps you in the loop with all things Student Wellbeing Services, Careers and Employability, and the Library and Learning Services.

STUDY

LIBRARY AND LEARNING SERVICES We understand it is important for you, as a postgraduate student, to engage deeply with academic literature. The Library is here to support you throughout your academic journey and can offer advice and guidance should you need it.

We have gathered together the following information which will be of interest to you as postgraduate students. Find out more about the Library and its services in our online Library Brochure.

YOUR LIBRARY — MASTERS OPEN EVENT Tuesday 26 April 4:00-6:00pm, Newton Park We would like to invite our Masters students to an open event at the University Library on Tuesday 26 April. We will start with a full tour of the Library itself, including highlighting our new range of study spaces and giving you a unique opportunity to see some of our Special Collections.

You will have the chance to meet with subject librarians and to ask any questions you may have about our services and how we support you. The event will end with a tour of the student spaces in Main House and an opportunity to network with other Masters students over some complimentary drinks and nibbles in the Common Room.

If you are not a Masters student and would also like a tour of the library then please contact library@bathspa.ac.uk and we can arrange this for you.

5 | POSTGRAD POST

WRITING AND LEARNING CENTRE (WLC)

The WLC helps students at all levels with a range of academic skills including essay and report writing, referencing, time management, presentations, maths and statistics and preparing for exams.

All appointments (including Maths & Stats) are available in person and online. You can book an appointment slot with an advisor to discuss and find ways to improve your work. Find a time that suits you from our available appointments. You can also find information about our workshops through the link. These are available to all students and cover a wide range of academic and digital literacy skills.

If you have any queries about your work then please email us at: wlc@bathspa.ac.uk.

YOUR SUBJECT LIBRARIANS Our subject librarians work to support your studies and aid you with your research. You can book 1:1 tutorials and they will also provide in-person group sessions in collaboration with your lecturers.

Melissa Collier-Baker

Lis Elliott

If you would like to contact them or book an online appointment, you will find their details on the Library’s subject pages.

Melissa Hamdani

Helen Rayner

INTER-LIBRARY LOANS Did you know that if we don’t hold the book or article you need then we can get books and journal articles through our extensive network of major academic and research libraries in the UK including the British Library? This video shows you how to make a request to borrow books, as well as how to request digital copies of chapters and journal articles using this service.

Although It is difficult to predict precisely how long it will take for these to come through, it is a fairly speedy and efficient service. Digital articles will arrive directly to your bathspa.ac.uk email address and you can pick up book loans from us.

Katie Rickard ISSUE TWO | 6

STUDY••SUPPORT••SUCCEED SUPPORT Student Wellbeing Services understand how important it is to look after yourself, alongside your academic studies. Here’s how we can help you and enable you to thrive during your time at the University.

• • • • • • • • • •

Money Advice Support to Study Medical Service Mental Health Wellbeing The Chaplaincy Young Adult Carers Care Leavers Estranged Students Accessibility and Disability

Alongside this, we also offer a range of out-of-hours services and you can access our 24/7 digital services here.

If you need to get in touch about anything relating to your wellbeing please email us at: studentwellbeing@bathspa.ac.uk

STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME The Student Assistance Programme enables 24/7 access to ‘in the moment’ support and advice from qualified mental health practitioners who are experienced in personal and university-related issues, and can support students struggling with depression, anxiety or stress, as well as provide guidance on addiction, relationships, grief and much more. You can request to speak with a female or male practitioner, someone from a diverse community or someone with specific LGBTQ+ knowledge.

The service is available to all Bath Spa University students; it’s free, confidential, and available 24/7 by telephone, online chat function and WhatsApp. Find further information on how to access the services.

How to access the Student Assistance Programme • • •

UK Freephone: 0800 0318227 Download the Spectrum.Life app in your app store Online: https://app.spectrum.life/login • Organisation code: bathspa

If you have any questions on this new student wellbeing service, please contact: studentwellbeing@bathspa.ac.uk

7 | POSTGRAD POST

BATH SPA’S CARE DOGS Did you know you can book to meet one of our Bath Spa care dogs? Meeting one of the dogs can be a big help if you’re having a particularly stressful day, or if you feel like you just need a cuddle from a four-legged friend.

These accredited care dogs have adopted members of Bath Spa University staff and when they are able, come to campus to hang out with students. You can book 15-minute slots to meet the care dogs outdoors on the Newton Park Campus by choosing a slot that suits you.

This is Bath Spa care dog, Wanda



ISSUE TWO | 8

STUDY•SUPPORT•SUCCEED SUCCEED

CAREERS ADVICE FOR ACADEMIA Vitae is packed with lots of useful resources to support you in your career development as a researcher. The careers section provides advice and guidance on pursuing an academic career, hosts a database of career story case studies, provides an insight into what researchers do, and supports your career management.

Jobs.ac.uk is an international higher education recruitment website for those wishing to work in academia. The PhD Careers Advice section includes useful career development tools as well as practical advice on applying for academic opportunities.

Join the Graduate Support Unit team on Thursday 5 May, from 4:30pm-7pm at Locksbrook Campus, for the Graduate Growth Summit. Alongside Aardman Animation as a guest speaker, there will also be professionals from Future Publishing for you to rub shoulders with, entrepreneurs from companies like Dopplle, Bath Spa University alumni, and even some fab prizes courtesy of Komedia, Currys and more.

Book your place on MyCareer.

9 | POSTGRAD POST

ALTERNATIVE GUIDE TO POSTGRAD FUNDING BUSINESS AND ENTERPRISE SUPPORT AND FUNDING AWARDS Creative Enterprise is at the heart of all we do at Bath Spa and we want to encourage our students to innovate and develop sustainable, scalable enterprises for the future. Bath Sparks is part of Careers and Employability and provides dedicated support for your business and enterprise start-up at every stage.

Through our partnership with Santander Universities we run a number of funding opportunities throughout the year. Details can be found here on our Start-up and Enterprise webpage. We also offer 1-2-1 business support and advice and workshops to help your ideas grow. You can book these through MyCareer.

You may be eligible for grant and bursary funding from charitable trusts and foundations to support your postgraduate study.

The Alternative Guide to PG Funding enables you to search a database of charitable trusts and foundations, check eligibility criteria and apply for funding.

Free access to the database is currently available for Bath Spa students using a Bath Spa email address. To register, go to the Funding Gateway page.

SUPPORT FROM BATH SPA CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY To find out more about how we can support you, go to our Careers and Employability webpage for an overview of our service.

You can also access workshops, events, freelance or career appointments, and search opportunities using your student career portal MyCareer (log in using your Bath Spa login details).

Check out the Careers and Employability YouTube playlist, put together by your Careers Team for advice on CVs, interviews and applications. It also features interviews with different industry professionals.

ISSUE TWO | 10

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CREATIVE PRACTICE GRADUATE STUDIO EMERGE is the creative graduate studio for Bath Spa University, based at the Sion Hill campus. Through a 10-month graduate residency offer, EMERGE provides a free space for working, collaboration, collisions and opportunity, bringing together creative practice across four disciplines; art, design, music and performance and creative media — all working alongside and with each other. We're here to support, encourage and celebrate new, brave ways of working and thinking across creative practices, with a focus on emerging creatives and building economically sustainable practices within the region.

We are also really lucky to have a team of established creative professionals working across creative practices as ‘creative mentors’, as well as scholars and fellows who all work alongside and support the graduates, helping to create a dynamic, creative and cultural hub in Bath.

EMERGE offers eleven artist studios and eight design stations, along with co-working, meeting and rehearsal space, to support our emerging creative practitioners as they transition from graduates to professionals within their chosen pathway.

There can occasionally be opportunities to join EMERGE throughout the year, but our main residency call will open for applications over the summer of 2022.

EMERGE is managed by the Careers and Employability Dept with support from the Research and Enterprise Office, Knowledge Exchange Champions and External Affairs.

11 | POSTGRAD POST

ISSUE TWO | 12

13 | POSTGRAD POST

ASK AN ALUM Lucy Cuthew In this edition of ‘Ask an Alum’ we are talking to Lucy Cuthew, a former MA Writing for Young People student who now works as a lecturer for the same course. Every issue we will bring a new interview with a Bath Spa postgraduate alumnus. These will highlight what they’ve been up to since graduating and how their time at the University has helped them to achieve their goals.

WHAT COURSE DID YOU STUDY AT BATH SPA AND WHAT YEAR DID YOU GRADUATE? MA Writing for Young People, 2018 WHAT IS YOUR JOB NOW? CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IT INVOLVES? I am now a Lecturer on the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa. Like many writers, I work part-time and write part-time. As a lecturer, I teach postgraduate students, have 1-1 tutorials with them as they are writing their manuscripts, carry out my own research, review PhD applications, organise speakers and events for the course. It’s a wonderful job and I love it. The best part is reading the students’ creative work and workshopping their writing to help them find their voice, and get the best out of their writing.

HOW DID YOUR MA IN WRITING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS? I started the MA back in 2016 after I’d written a young adult novel that wasn’t working. I wanted to develop a better methodology for writing an

extended piece, explore the form and genre, and I hoped to leave the course with a strong novel. The novel I wrote on the course got me my literary agent, and a two-book deal with Walker Books for Blood Moon (2020) and my next book, which I am writing at the moment. The course was the place where I found my voice, was given the confidence to be bold in my writing, and learned so much about the craft of writing for young people.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO CURRENT POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS? It can be hard graduating from a course like the MA in Writing for Young People, where you are in a really supportive environment for writers. It’s not always the first, second or even third book that gets published so try not to get dispirited.

There are many reasons to write, and only one of those is to get published.

Find other writers to work with and create your own workshop group.

Writing is solitary by its nature, and it can be lonely so a supportive

group of writers is a great way to stay motivated and on track. If in doubt, write what makes you happy.

FINALLY, WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER ARE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE GRADUATING? Blood Moon was published in July 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, but there have been some amazing things that have happened with it since. It was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, was shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year and won an Amazing Book Award. However, I think my proudest moment was probably opening the box of freshly printed copies when they came from my publisher. The MA itself was such a journey, but life since has been pretty great too – I’m so grateful for the skills the course gave me, which I have taken on into my career as a writer.

ISSUE TWO | 14

A massive thank you to all our contributors for this issue of the Postgrad Post.

We hope you’ve found it a fun read and that you’ll stick around for the next issue.

Want to give us some feedback?

We’d love to know what you thought about the Postgrad Post and if you would like to be featured in the next issue, either in one of the current features or maybe you have an idea for a new one, then drop us a line at studentcomms@bathspa. ac.uk Would you like to include your short story, poem, or any other creative work in the next issue? Let us know, we’d be happy to consider your work!

See you soon!

The POSTGRAD POST team

www.bathspa.ac.uk