Goldlink 47

Issue 47 Spring 2018

MADE IN GOLDSMITHS

Unlike you, I have never undertaken formal studies at Goldsmiths but as I come to the end of my tenure as Chair of Goldsmiths’ governing Council, I become increasingly aware of what I have learnt during my time here.

Many alumni I have met over the last 12 years describe their time here as transformative. It is often a period in your life that helped define your future, whether it was the relationships you formed or teaching that inspired your career aspirations. Whatever the particular influence, some aspect of you was ‘made in Goldsmiths’.

Reflecting this theme, in the following pages we place a spotlight firmly on Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, which opens later this year in a formerly disused part of the Laurie Grove Baths. The development will give students a unique insight into gallery practice, bringing world-class exhibitions right to the heart of campus and providing many new opportunities for interdisciplinary research.

Elsewhere, Tim Crook’s historical sketch celebrates our long tradition of doing things differently — and how Goldsmiths students don’t always stick to the rules!

We also open the doors on today’s Students’ Union and some of the projects you have generously supported. It is an issue bursting with the vibrancy and creativity of this very special institution, which I have been proud to serve. Whether you have studied at Goldsmiths or not, being part of the place changes you — and I am no exception!

Baroness Morris of Yardley Chair of Council Goldsmiths, University of London

Cover: Goldsmiths CCA under construction

1

Contents

2

News 02 Leading Women 1868–2018 02 New Chair of Council 04 Tackling poverty in Lewisham 05 Secret language of emoji 06 Our honorands 07 Editor’s picks

26

8

16

14

18

Making an exhibition Feature

Spotlight Alumni achievements

By the way Showcase

Community Student life

23

Goldsmiths students misbehavin’ Feature

30 Membership matters Alumni benefits

32

Celebrating teaching alumni Announcement

Roanna Fawcett A day in the life

Contact Development & Alumni Office Goldsmiths, University of London New Cross, London SE14 6NW alumni@gold.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7896 2619 Renew your membership www.gold.ac.uk/alumni/join Give to Goldsmiths www.gold.ac.uk/giving-to-goldsmiths

Facebook @GoldsmithsAlumni

Blog www.goldlink-online.com

Contributions may be submitted for consideration by email. We reserve the right to edit articles in the interest of brevity and clarity. The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the writers concerned and not necessarily of Goldsmiths.

Editor Minh Lam

Goldlink is printed on paper accredited by the Forestry Stewardship Council.

Twitter @GoldAlumni

Design Spy Studio

News

2

LEADING WOMEN 1868-2018 The University of London has launched a ‘Leading Women’ campaign to mark the 150th anniversary of women gaining access to university education for the first time in Britain. In 1868, nine women were admitted to the University of London and permitted to sit ‘special examinations’ — this was a significant moment for the University, women and society as a whole.

The ‘Leading Women’ campaign celebrates over 100 exceptional women from the University of London and its member institutions who, through their inspirational educational and professional achievements, represent the wider community of women who have graduated in the last 150 years. Among them are Goldsmiths alumnae Dame Mary Quant, Gillian Wearing OBE and Errollyn Wallen MBE, along with alumna and former staff Dr Mary Stiasny OBE and former staff Professor Pat Thane.

Fashion designer Mary Quant is an icon of the youth fashion movement of the 1960s and is widely credited with popularising the miniskirt. She came to Goldsmiths in 1950 at the age of 16, embarking on an art diploma course with a view to becoming an art teacher. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her outstanding contribution to the fashion industry in 1966 and became a Dame in 2015.

Dr Mary Stiasny is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) at the University of London and Chief Executive of University of London Worldwide. She completed her PhD in Education at Goldsmiths in 1999 and previously held roles at Goldsmiths,

the British Council and the Institute of Education. In 2013, Mary was awarded an OBE for services to Higher Education.

Gillian Wearing is a conceptual artist who won the Turner Prize in 1997. Gillian studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths from 1987 to 1990 and was elected as a lifetime member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2007. Her films and photographs explore our public personas and private lives and how we present ourselves to the world.

Errollyn Wallen MBE was the first black woman to have her work performed at the Proms and was awarded an Ivor Novello Award for Classical Music in 2013. Described as ‘the Renaissance woman of contemporary British music’, Errollyn studied Music at Goldsmiths between 1978 and 1981. She also studied at King’s College London, and later earned an MPhil at King’s College, Cambridge. She is an Honorary Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate by York St John University.

Professor Pat Thane is Research Professor in Contemporary British History, Department of Political Economy at King’s College London and Professor Emerita of the University of London. At Goldsmiths, Pat was Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Reader in Social History in the Department of Social Sciences.

She graduated in Modern History from Oxford, then gained her PhD at the London School of Economics.

A series of events and activities will take place throughout 2018 to mark the anniversary. More details at: www.london.ac.uk/ about-us/leading-women-1868-2018.

NEW CHAIR OF COUNCIL Dinah Caine CBE has been appointed the new Chair of Council at Goldsmiths. Dinah will bring a wealth of experience in the creative industries and education when she takes up her role on 1 September 2018.

The former CEO and Chair of Creative Skillset — which works with the UK’s screen-based creative industries — Dinah will take over from Baroness Morris of Yardley when she steps down at the end August. Dinah remains on the Board of Creative Skillset and is a member of the Creative Industries Council, which develops and implements industrial strategy, and chairs their work on education and skills.

She has previously served under two Mayors of London as an advisor on the London Skills and Employment Board, on the Joint Board of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, and as a Board member of the Northern Ireland Film & TV Commission.

Dinah is also a member of the British Academy of Film & Television Arts and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Television Society for her

outstanding contribution to the Television Industry in 2002.

Dinah was awarded the OBE for her services to the Media Industries in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Honours List in 2002 and was awarded the CBE for her services to the Creative Industries in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2013.

Her nomination as Chair was formally approved on 17 January 2018, following a full recruitment process for the role.

Estelle Morris continues as Chair for the remainder of this academic year. Estelle has spent the last six years leading Goldsmiths’ governing body, helping guide the College through huge changes in the higher education landscape.

Patrick Loughrey, Warden of Goldsmiths, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Dinah to Goldsmiths. Her experience and skills map directly onto so many of the challenges and opportunities we as an institution face over the coming years.

“I know Dinah will be a brilliant successor to our current Chair, who has led the Council so well and will continue her excellent work for the rest of this academic year.”

3

Above: Alumna and fashion icon Dame Mary Quant

News

4

TACKLING POVERTY IN LEWISHAM

Goldsmiths has pledged to support a new ‘Lewisham Deal’ designed to cut poverty across the University’s home borough, one of a number of proposals included in a landmark report by the Lewisham Poverty Commission published last October.

The move will see Goldsmiths explore creating more opportunities for local apprentices and ensuring that even more local businesses are given opportunities to compete for supply contracts.

Launched in February 2017, the Commission brought together Lewisham Councillors; key figures from the local community; and national experts, including Dr Simon Griffiths, Senior Lecturer in Politics at Goldsmiths, to look at the nature of poverty in Lewisham and develop innovative approaches to reducing poverty.

The ‘Lewisham Deal’ is envisaged as a partnership of public sector employers across housing, health and education who would work together to provide more local apprenticeships, promote the Living Wage and create more opportunities for local businesses to trade.

The University has paid its staff and contractors the London Living Wage since 2011 and around 40% of Goldsmiths’ suppliers are based in London, with over £8 million being spent annually

with suppliers based in South East London. Goldsmiths will now develop plans for encouraging more local business to join the register of suppliers, enabling them to bid for contracts at Goldsmiths and other London universities.

Patrick Loughrey, Warden of Goldsmiths, said: “Goldsmiths is proud of our deep roots in the Borough of Lewisham and we are determined to play our part alongside other local partners to help alleviate and eradicate poverty in the area.

“As an employer of around 1,500 people, many of whom live locally, Goldsmiths makes a considerable contribution to Lewisham’s economy, but this report encourages us to go further to boost local businesses and create opportunities for young people to learn work skills. It is a challenge I relish as a way of reinforcing our foundations as a place of learning that belongs to local people, and serves to enrich our community.”

The aims set out in the report will feed into the University’s new institutional strategy for 2018–2023, to be published this year.

Above: SE by Ewan Munro (www.flickr.com/ people/55935853@N00) is licensed under CC BY 2.0

5

SECRET LANGUAGE OF EMOJI

I love you

Coffin

People create their own ‘secret languages’ by attaching lasting alternative meanings to emoji unrelated to what they are designed to represent, according to a new study from Goldsmiths.

In people’s ‘secret languages’, emoji of or mean ‘I love you’ (because these are foods people love), a emoji means a coffin (because it resembles the shape of a coffin) and a means ‘lesbian’ (because the position of the thumb and forefinger on the chin means ‘lesbian’ in American Sign Language). These alternative meanings can be assigned randomly but become permanent and are used consistently over time between partners, friends or family members.

The study, by researchers from Goldsmiths and the University of Birmingham, is due to be presented at the Computer Human Interaction 2018 conference in Montreal, Canada in April.

The Goldsmiths-led team launched an online survey to investigate how individuals personalise emoji to create ‘secret’ meanings. Those responding reported repurposing 69 different emoji for secret communication, with the most common emoji for an affectionate name being a and the most common category of emoji used ‘Animals & Nature’.

Lesbian

Affectionate name

Dr Sarah Wiseman, Lecturer in Computer Science at Goldsmiths and co-author of the study, said: “While we know some fruit and vegetable emoji have been repurposed by many people to mean something else, we were intrigued to find out about personal instances of this — examples of emoji that have a special meaning for just two people. Often this was about more than just typing something more quickly: people found that by using emoji they could convey very complex meanings and thoughts with them that could not be described in words.

“Our study shows that people use emoji in a similar way to nicknames or slang, as a handy shortcut to what they mean, which through consistent use creates an intimate ‘secret language’ others don’t understand. Creators of emoji need to bear in mind the subtle way that people repurpose them and the impact even small visual changes to them could have on these alternative meanings.”

News

6

OUR HONORANDS

Prominent figures from the worlds of entertainment, journalism, art and technology were honoured as part of the December graduation celebrations at Goldsmiths in recognition of their achievements and contributions to the College, community or wider world.

This includes Sir Lenworth George (better known as Lenny) Henry, one of Britain’s best-known comedians as well as a writer and award-winning actor. As a co-founder of Comic Relief, he was delighted to announce last year that the British public has donated over £1 billion to the charity over the last 30 years. Lenny previously starred in ‘The Comedy of Errors’ at the National Theatre and has recently made his Donmar Warehouse debut in ‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui’.

Journalist and author Gillian Tett is US Managing Editor of The Financial Times. Her previous roles at The Financial Times included assistant editor, capital markets editor, Tokyo bureau chief and a reporter in Russia and Brussels. In 2014, she was named Columnist of the Year in the British Press Awards.

Goldsmiths alumnus Keir Simmons is a Foreign Correspondent for NBC News in the United States. In 25 years of journalism, Keir moved from radio to local television, becoming the UK Editor of ITV News. In recent years he has

covered almost every major world story, including Europe’s wave of terror attacks, the Trump Russia scandal and the selection of Pope Francis.

Gillian Moore MBE, current Director of Music at the Southbank Centre, has worked to bring music and the arts to the London community for over 35 years. In her previous role as Head of Education at the Southbank Centre, she developed an approach that integrated educational and artistic activity.

Musician Dennis Bovell moved to south London at the age 12 from Barbados. Dennis was a member of prominent 1970s British reggae band Matumbi. As a producer, songwriter and sound engineer, Dennis revolutionised the sound of reggae and dub music in Britain and has collaborated with poet Linton Kwesi Johnson as well as artists from Janet Kay to Joss Stone.

Hugo Manassei is a British designer who applies innovative design thinking and digital technologies to build new types of services. In the last 12 years, Hugo has focused on transforming healthcare, developing ground-breaking tech-enabled services that radically change people’s lives. He is currently Global Head of Service Design at Publicis Health.

Above: Honorand Sir Lenworth George Henry

7

EDITOR’S PICKS 1 Artist Dave Charlesworth (BA Fine Art, 2004) appeared in Forbes for the launch of KitMapper, the UK’s first peer-topeer equipment rental network for the creative industries. Dave, who is the founder of project space South Kiosk, aims to put high-quality photography and audio-visual kit in the hands of creators and let owners earn money from lending out their equipment.

5

2

3

An interview with photographer Mahtab Hussain (BA History of Art, 2005) appeared in The Financial Times in which he discusses representation and masculinity in Asian Muslim communities and his book ‘You Get Me?’. The book of portraits taken in London, Birmingham and Nottingham between 2008 and 2017 is centred on the experiences of young workingclass South Asian Muslim men in contemporary Britain.

Petra Marko (MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, 2010) was the author of one of the winning submissions in a contest seeking ideas for how the UK government can aid growth in the Cambridge-Milton KeynesOxford corridor. She was featured in architecture and design magazine Dezeen. Petra is part of a team of architects, planners and engineers whose proposal focuses on developing six villages to the southeast of a new railway station on the route between Oxford and Cambridge.

4 Buddhist nun and author Emma Slade (BA Fine Art, 1993) featured in TIME magazine after the release of her book ‘Set Free: A Life-Changing Journey From Banking to Buddhism in Bhutan’.

In the interview, Emma discusses how she overhauled her life after she was taken hostage in a hotel on a business trip. She left the banking world and her unusual path took her to the Himalayas where in Bhutan she met a spiritual guide who inspired her to study Buddhism.

Students studying on the MA in Television Journalism course went home with three awards in the annual Broadcast Journalism Training Council student awards — the largest number of wins for any university. Vicky Double, Lo-Chi Tseng and Katriona Thompson won Best TV Documentary while Simisola Jolaoso won the Steve Harris Award for Best Original Story. The MA in TV Journalism students also won Best TV Newsday for the weekly ELL+ programme shown on the East London Lines website.

6 Sara Whyatt, a student on the MA in Cultural Policy, Relations and Diplomacy course, spoke at an event launching the UNESCO 2018 Convention report in Paris in December 2017.

Sara is an established consultant and previously worked as a director of PEN International’s Freedom of Expression Programme and as a coordinator in Amnesty International’s Asia Research Department.

Keep in touch by email to stay updated on alumni, student and staff news and research coming out of Goldsmiths throughout the year: www.gold.ac.uk/alumni

MAKING

8

AN

Feature

EXHIBITION

9

In September, a brand new centre for contemporary art will open on campus, contributing to learning and research, and providing the local community with a world-class gallery. Sarah McCrory, Director of Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, introduces the new space.

Feature From this autumn, South East London will have a new landmark on the arts scene. The first opening of a major new exhibition space in south London for 125 years, we will be launching Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art (Goldsmiths CCA) on 8 September 2018 and are very excited about what lies beyond.

I joined Goldsmiths last year to lead the development and launch of the gallery — the project seemed like an unmissable opportunity to work in an institution with not only an amazing reputation but also an incredible faculty of thinkers, teachers and practising professionals. We hope that the gallery will be a resource that is open and generous well beyond the immediate College audience and that it will inform and inspire local residents of all ages.

The College was ambitious in their appointment of the lead architects. Turner Prize-winning architecture collective Assemble won the competition to design the gallery — their first major building commission. Housing eight gallery spaces across just under 700m², the gallery will sit in the space previously used by the plant-works and water tanks for Laurie Grove Baths.

Assemble’s design concept sees as many of the original features preserved as possible, and elements that play off the materiality of the site. As building work has been under way, we’ve discovered features that had been hidden for years — visitors can expect to see exposed brickwork, industrial piping and even the roller mechanism originally used to hang out the laundered towels used in the baths. One of the cast iron tanks will also form an outdoor terrace space, while another will be roofed over to create an exhibition space.

Our vision for the gallery is to host major exhibitions alongside a faster-paced programme exploring themes and ideas drawn from those shows. Key to this is the Oak Foundation Project Space, situated in the centre of the building, where diverse shows, performances, collaborative projects and events will be hosted.

For today’s Goldsmiths students, the gallery represents a new draw for global artists to visit campus, providing opportunities for coaching about both theoretical knowledge and technical craft. It’s not just art students who will benefit: Goldsmiths CCA will unlock inter-disciplinary opportunities, with departments across the College considering how their teaching and research will be enriched by the presence of a public gallery on campus.

10

Goldsmiths CCA takes the College into an international league of creative arts institutions with their own world-class galleries, such as the Hammer Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Portikus at the Städelschule in Frankfurt. I’ll be interested to look at how we can share and exchange knowledge and ideas through partnerships with international spaces, and our first exhibition will be a co-production of new work with institutions in Bologna and Bregenz.

We are also beginning to recruit the team who will host a creative outreach and educational programme for young people from the Borough of Lewisham, providing a local focal point for field studies in the arts and a place where young artists can seek inspiration and challenge.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, admission to the CCA will be free for all exhibitions, from the smallest fleeting projects to the most significant surveys and installations.

We have only just launched our programme for the first six months, and are showing a range of artists from different places, of different ages and who work across very different genres. Something they will have in common though is a timely and important discourse that sits at the centre of their work, and we’ll be looking at ways to draw those subjects out, providing opportunities for debate and discussion.

As time goes on we’ll add more to our agenda, so keep your eyes peeled on the website and sign up for the newsletter.

FOR TODAY’S GOLDSMITHS STUDENTS, THE GALLERY REPRESENTS A NEW DRAW FOR GLOBAL ARTISTS TO VISIT CAMPUS, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COACHING ABOUT BOTH THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNICAL CRAFT

11

12

Feature Here is how our first six months will look: Mika Rottenberg (September – November 2018) will present new and existing work in an exhibition that will run throughout seven of our galleries. Featuring two new films, co-commissioned with Kunsthaus Bregenz and Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna, Rottenberg will respond to the new building, incorporating purpose-built installations alongside sculptural objects. Two new works have been commissioned for the exhibition, examining the human body’s physical and psychological limits.

Kris Lemsalu (November 2018 – February 2019) will take over three spaces for her first solo exhibition in London.

Lemsalu often performs within her works by inhabiting sculptures as costumes, playing with the line between human, creature and object. Through her style of humorous and absurd storytelling, Lemsalu poses questions about the hierarchies we set up between life and death, beauty and revulsion, merit and mediocrity.

A posthumous exhibition of work by Alexis Hunter (November 2018 – February 2019) will be the first solo presentation of Hunter’s work in the UK since 2006 and first in London since 1981. An influential figure in the feminist art movement in Britain in the 1970s, Hunter is best known for her staged photographic works in which she used the medium as a tool to manipulate normative power dynamics within society through gender role-play and fetishised objects.

And last but certainly not least, in March 2018 we will present the first significant exhibition in the UK in almost 40 years of work by the Chicago Imagists. As many readers will know, in the mid-1960s Chicago saw an explosion of artistic activity centred around a small group of artists whose distinct and lively visual style would go on to influence some of the most important artists of the 20th century. Co-curated with Rosie Cooper (De La Warr Pavilion, where the exhibition will travel in Summer 2019) and supported by Hayward Touring, this exhibition will focus on 15 vibrant and energetic artists, including Christina Ramberg, Barbara Rossi, Jim Nutt, Gladys Nilsson and Karl Wirsum. It will feature painting, objects, drawings, prints and ephemera, highlighting their individual styles as well as their shared references and moments of connection.

I hope you will stay in touch with our programme as it develops — you can register online to receive email updates from us and find out lots more about what we have planned at www.goldsmithscca.art. See you in September! ○

p8, top: Alexis Hunter, The Model’s Revenge I 1974, Silver gelatin print 50.8 � 61 cm. Copyright the estate of the artist, courtesy of Richard Saltoun Gallery p8, bottom: Goldsmiths CCA under construction p9, top: Goldsmiths CCA under construction, ceiling view of the Bridget Riley Gallery p9, bottom: Kris Lemsalu, 3 of Life, 2017, Courtesy of the artist and Tatjana Pieters Gallery p11: Goldsmiths CCA under construction, view of water tank Top: Kris Lemsalu and Tiit Pääsuke, 2016, courtesy of Tallinn Art Hall, photo by Katel Koplimet Right: Mika Rottenberg, Lips (study #3), 2016, Single channel video installation, mixed media.

Dimensions variable, courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, photo

by Pierre Le Hors

13

OUR THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS MADE GOLDSMITHS CCA A REALITY Goldsmiths CCA has been established within the context of our ambition to ensure that — in spite of the many challenges facing higher education — the creative arts, humanities and social sciences are subjects not only sustained but championed and developed.

We could not have realised our vision for Goldsmiths CCA without many individuals, trusts, foundations and companies giving generous donations.

As at March 2018, £3.2 million has been raised through philanthropy towards the capital building costs and the artistic programme.

Fundraising started in 2015, with 33 Goldsmiths alumni artists donating works of art that raised almost £1.3 million at an auction generously hosted by Christie’s.

In 2017 we launched a capital campaign and are delighted, so far, to have raised a further £1.09 million. Five of the eight gallery spaces have been named in recognition of exceptional gifts from Dimitris Daskalopoulos; Candida Gertler OBE and Zak Gertler; Oak Foundation; the Bridget Riley Art Foundation; and The Roden Family Foundation.

We are now inviting donors to join a new programme called Goldsmiths CCA Founders, which will help us close our capital funding gap, as well as support the artistic programme during the CCA’s first year. Donations to CCA Founders will be generously matched by Oak Foundation, effectively doubling the amount of the gift. More information at: www.gold.ac.uk/ goldsmithscca/ccafounders We would be delighted to hear from you if you would like to get involved.

Please contact Alison Woolley, Director of Development and Alumni, via development@gold.ac.uk

SPOT LIGHT Alumni achievements

14

15 Goldsmiths’ alumni make a positive impact on society, and inspire passion and creativity. They include leaders in the creative industries, pioneers in teaching and social work, and renowned artists, musicians and filmmakers.

They are recognised for their work in every imaginable field, and throughout the year they win awards, receive nominations and are selected for prestigious positions. Here are some of their recent achievements: Anthropology Les Back PhD Social Anthropology, 1991 Achievement: Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences Sky Neal, Kate McLarnon and Elhum Shakerifar MA Visual Anthropology, 2006 Nomination: British Independent Film Awards for the Discovery Award Art Jenny Alderson BA Fine Art, 2017 Nomination: Cheeseburn North East Young Sculptor of the Year shortlist Maeve Brennan BA Art Practice, 2012 Award: Jerwood/FVU Award

English and Comparative Literature Kate Tempest BA English, 2008 Nomination: Mercury Prize Media and Communications Maria Court and Rosemarie Lerner MA Screen Documentary, 2011 Award: Mette Jansen Innovation Award at the International Association of Women in Radio & Television Awards of Excellence Psychology Bill Kilby BSc Psychology, 1978 Honour: OBE for services to international development Theatre and Performance Kate Kerrow MA Creative and Life Writing, 2017 Award: Pat Kavanagh Prize Ana Mendes MA Writing for Performance, 2011 Award: Jerwood Drawing Prize Hikaru Toda MA Performance Making, 2008 Award: Best Picture Award at the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival

Djofray Makumbu BA Fine Art, 2017 Award: ALUMNO/SPACE award for young artists Educational Studies Raymond Antrobus MA Writer/Teacher, 2014 Achievement: Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship John Cale Teaching and Music Honour: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

Right: Robin Haigh © Alex Hill-Knight, 2015

Robin Haigh BMus Music, 2015 Award: British Composer Award in the Small Chamber Category Robin Haigh is a composer from London.

This year, he won a British Composer Award for his recorder quintet ‘In Feyre Foreste’. His opera, ‘The Man Who Woke Up’, was premiered at Goldsmiths in 2015 and went on to receive further performances in Louisville, Kentucky.

His piece ‘Zorthern’ was premiered by the Royal Northern Sinfonia in 2018, and released on NMC Recordings. Current projects include pieces for the LSO Chamber Ensemble and the Berkeley Ensemble. After studying at Goldsmiths, Robin attended the Royal Academy of Music, where he won the Eric Coates Prize for his orchestral piece ‘Movado’.

Showcase

BY THE WAY

by Patricio Forrester

The Marquis of Granby is both a local institution and a local landmark. Situated between New Cross Road and Lewisham Way, it has for many years served as a popular haunt for students and locals alike.

In July 2017, the Marquis of Granby received a new coat of paint from Artmongers, a local art collective founded by artists Patricio Forrester and Julian Sharples, who met during their time studying on the MA in Fine Art programme at Goldsmiths in the 1990s.

Over a six-week period, with help from 30 volunteers, Artmongers brought a mural entitled ‘By the Way’ to New Cross. The title offers itself to multiple interpretations: firstly, as a reference to its location on a major junction, and secondly, highlighting the incongruity of such a large mural having such an unassuming name. Also, if you look closely at the top of the building, you may see an alternative title.

The mural was a collaboration with Punch Tavern and Kelly’s Bar, and was commissioned by Anthology. Artmongers were first tasked with identifying the most visible space in New Cross to create a new artwork. For Artmongers, art is something that we live, share and interact with every day.

The Marquis of Granby was selected because of its location: it sits in a space where there are a lot of interactions due to the heavy road and foot traffic — this is the product of the one-way system and the many Goldsmiths students who continuously go back and forth between home and study via the three crosswalks situated there.

For Patricio, this junction is important because of how busy, noisy and polluted it can be, especially during peak hours. He wanted to use the mural as an opportunity to interrupt the space with something still.

“We wanted to help with a dose of visual breathing space, created by the curves of the design countering the perspective of the old building — like a plough opening spatial lines in front of you. The rich colour palette adds a sense of complexity to an otherwise simple idea. The landscape is empty and still — an effective antidote to the pressured passer-by.”

If you live locally you will find other examples of Artmongers’ work. Keep your eyes peeled in Brockley and Deptford, or further afield, if you happen to be passing through Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan, or the streets of Buenos Aires. www.artmongersaction.org

Right: Marquis of Granby ©Goldsmiths

16

17

Student life

18

Alongside their studies and part-time work, many students are involved in activities that support the local community, breathe life into their curriculum or provide much-needed outlets, whether they be social or sporting. Many of these activities are channelled via the Students’ Union.

COMM

19

MUNITY

Student life

THE STUDENTS’ UNION TODAY Today the Students’ Union continues to be a student-run organisation that represents and supports its members at Goldsmiths whether through sports, societies, campaigns, entertainment, advice or supplies. The Students’ Union currently supports 71 societies and 30 sports clubs that enable 2,000 students to actively participate.

Societies are student-led groups where like-minded individuals have an opportunity to get together and share their interests. They include music interests such as the A Cappella, Bass and Composers Collective Societies as well as regional groups, including the African Caribbean, LatinX and Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi Societies.

Other societies focus on student wellbeing, including Dedicated Listeners, which was supported by donations from alumni and friends in 2016. The society runs a drop-in service for students to talk to a trained listener about any issue affecting them.

Dedicated Listeners provide a nonjudgmental outlet — they do not give advice but a way for people to speak freely for as long as they want to.

Joseph Tema ( JT), currently the Campaigns and Activities Officer and newly elected Students’ Union President for 2018-19, spent much of his time engaged with the Students’ Union while studying Politics, including as Captain of the Men’s Rugby team in his second year and as part of the Wired Radio team in his final year.

He says: “Being involved in a society gives students a huge range of skills and experience during their time at Goldsmiths. Our societies create a network of students and volunteers who come together to arrange a massive variety of events every week, from allnight hackathons and immersive theatre to knitting groups and club nights. These events create a sense of community on campus and give students something to bond over beyond their courses. For some of our students, being part of a society can ignite a passion that can be the start of a career.”

Sport is also a significant part of the Students’ Union. Whether students are beginners or experienced players, they are encouraged to participate to improve wellbeing, meet people and develop skills such as team building. Clubs, including football, fencing and many others, play competitively in the British Universities & College Sport (BUCS) and the University of London’s Sports League as well as in local and national competitions. For students interested in non-competitive sports, the Students’ Union provides a range of alternative clubs, from yoga to snowboarding.

30 SPORTS CLUBS 11 ACTIVISM SOCIETIES 10 REGIONAL SOCIETIES 9 MUSIC SOCIETIES 6 RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES 5 THEATRE & DRAMA SOCIETIES 5 WRITING SOCIETIES

20 JT tells us more about the importance of sports clubs: “Sports at Goldsmiths have a huge impact on those involved with them. As well as establishing a camaraderie between teammates and creating a support network for people, sports also keep students healthy and active during their studies.

“Research commissioned by BUCS in 2013 also suggests that participation in university sports provides leadership qualities that graduate employers are looking for; over 90% of those questioned identified a clear link between university sports participation and valuable skills and strengths in potential employees.

“Many of the friendships that students form while playing sports at Goldsmiths go on to last a lifetime.

Annual matches against alumni teams make it obvious that players remain close after leaving Goldsmiths.”

From religion to gaming to wrestling, joining a society or club is key to how students get involved with the community, University and their Union while making a difference locally and meeting new friends.

21

STUDENT PROJECTS TODAY Goldsmiths works closely with colleagues and the Students’ Union to fund projects that enhance the student experience, develop confidence and make a difference to the Goldsmiths community. Many of the Students’ Union societies and sports clubs also receive generous support from alumni and friends.

From supporting student wellbeing to launching publications and showcasing events, and from projects that help us to engage with the local community and improve Goldsmiths as a whole, here is some of the inspiring work our students have undertaken in the last year:

Helena Miles BA History Walking for Wellbeing Helena’s project won the Universities UK’s Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Award 2018. ‘Walking for Wellbeing’ is a walking tour that aimed to help students with their physical and mental health. Participants included undergraduate and postgraduate students and the tours took place throughout the Summer term, a time that can often be lonely for students.

As the mental health of university students has become an increasingly pressing issue, the project was important to Helena who said, “engaging walking with thinking about mental wellbeing can be really helpful for people”.

The focus of the walks was community and history, with tours happening locally around Greenwich as well as branching out further into London, including Brixton, Hampstead Heath and Highgate Cemetery. The most popular locations included visiting Richmond and Karl Marx’s grave at Highgate Cemetery.

Dami Hope Lawal MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship Listen: Giving a Voice to Refugees ‘Listen’ was a pop-up sound installation dedicated to giving a voice to refugees whose voices are often not heard, by allowing students, staff and the wider community to listen to stories from a migrant’s perspective.

The aim of the project was to give hope and aspiration to people who are affected by the refugee crisis, and was also inspired by Dami’s own background as a first-generation British Nigerian.

She wanted to dispel the negative connotations associated with refugees and “help people understand the stories and experiences of a group of people who are often ignored”.

Dami reached out to local charities and interviewed refugees and asylum seekers, aged five to 84, from a wide range of backgrounds. Their stories were then transmitted through 20 suspended headphones, allowing listeners to hear multiple stories.

22

Student life Extracurricular projects are an important part of our students’ experience. Donations given by alumni and friends enable students to explore their potential. The following students secured funding for projects taking place this year: Tom Powell BA Drama and Theatre Arts Written by Goldsmiths Historian Tim Crook, ‘Devils on Horseback’ shares the secret history of Deptford’s conscientious objectors during World War One. First performed in Deptford Town Hall, the play will tour across the UK to mark the centenary of the end of the Great War. Laura Dixon MSc Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience ‘Quest for Rest’ is a project that will introduce pop-up rest spaces throughout campus via a series of events. It aims to raise awareness of the need for permanent rest spaces on campus and bring together students who are overwhelmed, struggling to cope with stress or feeling the need to find balance in body or mind.

Kevin Lewis BSc Creative Computing Hacksmiths’ weekly Code & Craft workshops, which support students with their tech projects or help them learn new skills, will go out to the local community, visiting schools, community centres and employment centres, with the aim of fostering a community of makers within the local area.

Students’ Union societies and clubs Along with providing vital equipment for sports clubs from Women’s Basketball to Mountaineering, many societies benefit from the support of alumni and friends this year. The Musical Theatre Society held a production of ‘Our House’ a collaboration with academic departments, including Theatre and Performance, Media and Communications and Music. ‘Our House’ opened to the local community.

The Italian Food and Media Society hold cooking classes for students giving its members the opportunity to develop leadership and public speaking skills, and giving students the confidence to cook ○

p20: Goldsmiths Women’s Football Team

by Nicolas Camero p21, top: Joseph Tema © Christian Sinibaldi p21, bottom: Goldsmiths SU © Christian Sinibaldi Left: Anime Society at Welcome Week

23

A day in the life

ROANNA FAWCETT

24

A day in the life Ever wonder what kind of careers our alumni go into? Curious about the day-to-day of a fellow alumnus who works in a different industry? ‘A day in the life’ follows alumni during a typical working day and gives readers a snapshot of the interesting and varied work experienced within the Goldsmiths alumni community.

Roanna Fawcett (BMus Music, 2014) started out as Venue and Events Manager of Goldsmiths Students’ Union before becoming Operations Manager of the newly opened community project Peckham Levels. Set across seven floors of the Town Centre multi-storey car park, Peckham Levels is an experimental cultural destination designed to bring local people together and support independent businesses. The members (who rent the space) are emerging artists and grassroots creators working in art, design, food and drink, music, events, fitness, beauty, fashion, crafts and all fields of modern culture. It’s a hectic job, but Roanna still finds time to play music and football, see some gigs and do a bit of travelling.

08.00

I am not a morning person. I live in a busy and loud house with my girlfriend, five other housemates and two cats, but I still set at least five alarms to make sure I get up on time. I’m lucky to be usually woken up with a cup of coffee and am only a 15-minute cycle away from work, so I still have time to make breakfast while I check the end-of-shift report from the night before.

09.00

Our members have access 24/7, but we don’t open to the public until 10am so before the front door opens I do a quick recce to make sure everything’s in working order. My main responsibility is the health and safety of everyone in the building and I work with a large site team; security, hosts, cleaners and maintenance persons to make sure everything’s good to go. Being a brand new site, and also a former car park, there is normally something that needs fixing or changing, so a huge part of the job is about being reactive and finding solutions to whatever the day might throw at you. A great example of this is the day after we’d installed planters on our Level Six terrace and the police showed up responding to a tip-off that we were growing cannabis. (We weren’t!)

25

13.00

I’m really busy so a full lunch break is a treat for me. But when I do take it, I hit up the amazing food on offer from our members — they include Nandine, which is a family-run business that pairs western and Kurdish foods, or Picky Wops, who do incredible vegan pizzas.

I’m allergic to almost everything but the members look after me really well.

I’ve also started walking some of their dogs at lunch, which I love. I’m a little obsessed with dogs.

14.00

Every afternoon is different. One day I’m fixing a broken tap and the next I’ll be organising a photoshoot or helping a member launch their space — I help them think through everything they might need for the launch, then organise and manage the staffing (security, hosts, cleaners) to make sure it runs as smoothly as it can. I’m a big music fan and loved the chance to see Sampha and Kate Tempest (who is also a Goldsmiths alumna) at the opening night of our event space Ghost Notes. The variation continues when it comes to our members. From a ceramic workshop and violin maker to a hair salon and social enterprises like Gal-dem, Peckham Levels has such a great mix of people and purposes. With over 40 members, it’s a balancing act getting the space to work for everyone, but the members are definitely the best part of the job.

p23: © Christian Sinibaldi Left: The Kiln Rooms at Peckham Levels Above: Ghost Notes at Peckham Levels © Luke Curtis Right: Peckham Levels

16.00

We have a scheme that supports us and all the members into giving at least one hour a week to offer our skills and time to local community projects.

The talent and potential in the space are what motivates the whole team and it’s something we want to share with the community.

21.30

I might need to stay for the evening or come in on a weekend as there are a variety of events held by members or locals in the auditorium space, including panel talks, workshops, exhibitions and socials. Between that and Ghost Notes, who host live music and DJs all week, and Near & Far, who provide DJs and cocktails at the weekends, there’s a lot to manage on the top two public floors especially when full. We’ve hit capacity every weekend this year so far, a good problem to have. If I’m not needed, I might make use of our yoga studio or I’ll probably be heading out to football training. I love Peckham and regularly go for dinner locally or head downstairs to PeckhamPlex. It is an institution ○ www.peckhamlevels.org

Goldsmiths students misbehavin’ Is there a spirit connected with being a Goldsmiths student that is somewhat distinctive, radical, questioning and protesting? Something that is made in Goldsmiths? Beyond any desire to ‘brand’ and make distinctive something about Goldsmiths, it is a question with no easy answer.

While it might be foolish to generalise, there are events and evidence of a tradition that there exists something radical and protesting. This is true of former students in the 1960s (and the examples to come), Ross Chesterman, Warden from 1953 to 1974, rang the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Robert Mark, and informed him that some of ‘our students occasionally got into mild trouble with the police, usually because of demonstrations’.

Professor Tim Crook is currently writing a new book on the history of Goldsmiths. As part of this project, Tim is a regular contributor to Goldlink, with previous features on alumnus Graham Sutherland as well as the comedian Spike Milligan’s connection with the College. In this edition, Tim chronicles the life of former students from the early 20th century, from rules to mischievous behaviour to punishment.

by Professor Tim Crook

28

Feature The Student Handbook It is not generally known that up until the early 1930s, Goldsmiths’ College students were issued with a student handbook in which they were instructed on rules of gender segregation and strict behavioural standards. As stated in the Student Handbook 1914–15: ‘The entrance for Men Students is by the right hand (or Western) door, that for Women Students by the left hand (or Eastern) door.’ Men and women also used separate corridors — men use the western corridor (closest to the Library) and women the eastern corridor (closest to the nursery).

But first, in the handbook, the upstairs were out of bounds. It was exclusively reserved for the staff, apart from the gymnasium gallery — what is now the part of the first floor of the refectory.

Men and women also dined at different times. Women had the first luncheon at 12.15pm, and the men had two sittings afterwards. For some reason, the handbook states categorically that ‘Women students may not absent themselves from dinner without permission’. No such stricture applied to the men.

Men also had priority over the main lower playing field for cricket and soccer. Women had the upper and smaller playing field. Each had different pavilions. The men’s was bigger.

Neither could be seen using each other’s field. The men and women students had separate common rooms too. Men could smoke in their common room. Nothing was said about whether women could smoke in theirs. So perhaps they did! There was even more discrimination in the evening: men had to be in their hostels by 10pm, but for some reason, women had to be confined two hours earlier at 8pm.

Landladies and landlords of private lodgings were contractually obliged to report the comings and goings of Goldsmiths students according to this timetable. And no early morning jaunts were permissible before 6am for any student.

It has to be said that where there are rules, there are rule-breakers and you do get the impression from the names they adopted, ‘The Not Innocents’, ‘The Dears!’ and ‘Swanky Swotters’, that the students of yesteryear had their own ways of living and breathing the necessary freedoms to develop as young adults in the early part of the 20th century.

The notoriety of the Goldsmiths rags In 1926, Goldsmiths students were arrested for being somewhat over-boisterous with the College donkey outside New Cross Gate station. The incident took place during rag week when a procession of one hundred Goldsmiths students ‘led by a young man in particularly wide Oxford bags and wearing a long black coat’ surrounded police officers on traffic duty with the chant of ‘Ring-a-Ring o’ Roses’.

Historically, rag week included processions of floats and side-shows organised by students to raise money for charities of their choosing. It was known as a week of mischief and boisterous activities so it is not surprising that the procession was accompanied by the loud and aggressive rattling of collection tins! The local community lived in fear of impromptu false imprisonment on Lewisham Way or New Cross Road during rag week.

The College donkey played a major part in the procession.

Its origin was recorded in the College’s first history, The Forge: ‘It was on the ostensible ground of economy that in May 1920, a donkey was purchased to replace a horse for the roller on the playing field.’

The notoriety of the Goldsmiths rags continued until 1930.

The third Warden, Arthur Edis Dean, decided enough was enough when an entire tram of passengers had been captured by a ring of students outside the College main building while the College song ‘The Old ‘Smiths Hymn’ was being sung at morning assembly.

The incident was followed by the students bursting into the Great Hall with their ill-gotten gains and the over-excited donkey during the National Anthem. Goldsmiths students of the early 20th century show us how to misbehave.

ONE HUNDRED GOLDSMITHS STUDENTS… SURROUNDED POLICE OFFICERS ON TRAFFIC DUTY WITH THE CHANT OF ‘RING-A-RING O’ ROSES’ So far it’s been all men looking naughty and mischievous Well, the women during this time had their own way of showing how smart and quick of wit they were. You would not want to be pitched against the ‘Swanky Swotters’ of 1910 in an Edwardian University Challenge, or indeed a pub quiz at the Rosemary Branch or Marquis of Granby.

And as for dancing, the Eurythmics of the 1900s could cut a rug as well as their present-day counterparts.

It is understood Goldsmiths was one of the first British colleges to pioneer this expressive movement art, which became quite popular during the early part of the 20th century.

It was primarily a performance art, and students were encouraged to develop a movement repertoire relating to the sounds and rhythms of speech, to the tones and rhythms of music, and to ‘soul experiences’, such as joy and sorrow.

By 1916–18, Eurythmics were still thriving and dealing with the darker times of the Great War when female students dominated the student cohort and were coming to terms with continual reports of student and staff casualties from the Front.

An irregular mode of life While there were rules and mischievous behaviours, there is not much evidence of punishment and sanctions being applied to Goldsmiths students in the College’s early history.

It is possible that any documents relating to most disciplinary processes may well have been destroyed. But just occasionally it is possible to identify the traces of action that were taken to terminate a student’s participation.

For example, Goldsmiths’ College Delegacy minutes for the University of London disclose that, in 1923–4, ‘Two men students have been dismissed in consequences of grave misdemeanour since the opening of the session. One woman student returned in January to complete her interrupted course.’

In December 1924, there is a very sad record of the College reporting that a teaching student had to be dismissed after

29

IN 2018 WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT WAS MEANT BY ‘IRREGULAR MODE OF LIFE’ IN 1922

p26: ‘The Not Innocents’ of 1908, courtesy of the Goldsmiths archive Above: The ‘Swanky Swotters’ of 1910, courtesy of the Goldsmiths archive

suffering ‘seizures’ while at the College. The indication is that the student concerned was epileptic. It transpired that when the College’s medical officer checked with his general practitioner, the student had previously concealed his condition to apply for a grant. It was a reflection of the prejudiced values of the time that the minutes declare he ‘… was not, therefore, a suitable person to be trained as a teacher’.

Those records that have survived ask many more questions than they answer about students whose unusual lifestyle did not necessarily conform to the norms of the time.

Certainly, more research is going to be undertaken in respect of a named student whose dismissal was recorded in February 1922: ‘The Warden stated that an ex-service student of the training department had been under suspicion of leading an irregular mode of life for some time; that after this was proved to be the case, and after having obtained the sanction of the Board of Education, he had dismissed him, acting on behalf of the delegacy, on the ground that he was not a proper person to be enrolled as a certificated teacher.’

In 2018 we want to know what was meant by ‘irregular mode of life’ in 1922, what was the nature of the ‘suspicion’ and whether it is possible to find out how the student had been judged as ‘not a proper person’ to be working as a teacher ○ Read the full blog: www.sites.gold.ac.uk/goldsmithshistory

30

Alumni benefits

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

As a former student, you can access exclusive member benefits. Membership is free and lasts a lifetime. All you need to do is let us know how you would like to stay in touch. Please visit our website to join or update your contact preferences: www.gold.ac.uk/alumni/join

31

DID YOU KNOW? Goldsmiths alumni are eligible for benefits offered by the University of London.

With alumni membership of Senate House Library, you can borrow ten books and have off-site access to a range of e-resources. Membership is £70 for three months or £210 for one year.

WHAT’S NEW

If you recently left Goldsmiths, you’re also eligible for an Associate Membership of Student Central, which gives you an exclusive discount to the Energybase Fitness Centre, allows you to join University of London sports clubs and societies and access Student Central’s services and facilities after 6.30pm.

There is a new and more affordable rate for joining the Goldsmiths library.

Reference membership remains free, and you can now borrow books for three years for a one-off payment of just £30 — this is free for alumni who left Goldsmiths in the last three years.

Alumni now have 24/7 access to the building and can make use of the guest Wi-Fi. Alumni also receive a 10% discount when subscribing to The Economist, which offers insights and opinions on international news, politics, business, finance, science and technology.

NEW ALUMNI PROGRAMME If you left Goldsmiths in the last three years you will be eligible for benefits specially designed for new alumni.

New alumni can use the online platform, CareerSPACE, to search for jobs, register for a careers event or book an appointment with a Careers Consultant.

This is a free service offered by the Graduate Careers Coaching Service.

New alumni will be invited to keep your Goldsmiths email account to use professionally for CVs and job applications.

New alumni will be invited to attend exclusive events to reunite and make new connections.

GET INVOLVED ACCESS ANYWHERE Goldsmiths reunites with alumni in London, the UK and across the globe to celebrate our vibrant alumni community based all over the world.

Use Goldsmiths Connect to contact alumni directly. Perfect for anyone interested in networking or getting careers advice.

Receive the latest news from Goldsmiths throughout the year via the alumni mailing list.

POPULAR PERKS Our on-site cinema offers discounted tickets for alumni, and Club Pulse also offers a 25% discount on your monthly gym membership.

If you are interested in coming back to Goldsmiths, a 30% alumni discount is available on our taught Masters programmes, and for most of our short courses you can also take advantage of a 15% reduction in fees.

Alumni gave back over 670 hours to Goldsmiths last year. Some shared insights with current students and others organised Goldsmiths events around the world, enabling us to reach alumni globally. There are many ways for alumni to get involved and we are especially interested in hearing from alumni who might be able to provide students with an internship or work placement.

For more information about membership benefits visit: www.gold.ac.uk/alumni/benefits

32

Announcement

CELEBRATING TEACHING ALUMNI I have had the good fortune to get to know many alumni since I joined Goldsmiths in 2002: I’ve taught some of you and I have taught alongside you too. Some of you will know that last year I became the Head of the Department of Educational Studies, which is both an honour and a considerable responsibility. Our Department is a special one. Its history correlates with the history of education in the UK itself. It has witnessed many significant moments and I am pleased to be announcing another one.

Of course the first of these milestones took place in 1904 when the Goldsmiths’ Company gifted the Technical and Recreative Institute to the University of London. They did so on the condition that the buildings should always be used for educational purposes, and this has been the case.

On 29 September 1905, the new Goldsmiths’ College formally opened and that same year marked the first intake of students into what would become our Department of Educational Studies.

More than a hundred years later, Goldsmiths is home to many more academic departments and although growth is part of our future we have not forgotten our past.

We are immensely proud of those who went on to teach and to serve education over the decades. Thousands of them did so without receiving a degree, which only became mandatory in 1981. We want to do something about that.

If you gained a certificate in education from Goldsmiths before the degree became compulsory, we would like to offer you an honorary degree in recognition of the contributions you and your peers have made to society throughout the course of your careers. I taught Drama and English, and latterly Media Studies, in London secondary schools for some 24 years and know first-hand how much teachers give to their profession.

To register your interest in taking part in a ceremony later this year, please complete a short online form at explore.gold/education2018 or email alumni@gold.ac.uk.

I would urge you to share this news with anyone you are in touch with who may also be eligible. As you can imagine, we’ve lost touch with many alumni over the years and so there is every possibility they will not find out in time unless you help us to spread the word.

I’d like to say a special thank you to the alumni who have been in touch to raise this opportunity with us. You’ve helped make it possible and we hope you will be able to take part.

IF YOU GAINED A CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION FROM GOLDSMITHS BEFORE THE DEGREE BECAME COMPULSORY, WE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU AN HONORARY DEGREE

Maggie Pitfield Head of the Department of Educational Studies Goldsmiths, University of London Right: Education books from the 1960s

47