Arts and Humanities around the OU
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Courses, links, polls, discussion, articles and news from the Arts Faculty for those with an interest in, or studying, Art History, Classical Studies, English and Creative Writing, Ethics, Heritage Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Music, Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Harry Potter star considering studying with the OU
Is Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe hanging up his cape for a gown?
That is a possibility with the 21-year-old multi-millionaire suggesting he is thinking about doing an OU course in archaeology.
Daniel was talking to Hello! Magazine prior to the release of the final instalment in the wizard saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 when he said he liked to watch: “a huge amount of stuff on Discovery Channel” and revealed he is considering doing an Open University course.
“I am becoming more and more fascinated by archaeology,” he said.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is in cinemas nationwide from July 15.
(1 vote)
Is Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe hanging up his cape for a gown? That is a possibility with the 21-year-old multi-millionaire suggesting he is thinking about doing an OU course in archaeology. Daniel was talking to Hello! Magazine prior to the release of the final instalment in the wizard saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 when he said he liked to ...
Berlusconi hangs on but will his allies maintain their support?
Weakened by recent political defeats, Silvio Berlusconi's future as Italian prime minister depends on the secessionist Northern League, writes Dick Skellington.
If a week is a long time in British politics, it must seem like an age in Italy. Having advised his electorate to boycott the June referendum – widely seen as a mandate for his continued legitimacy in office – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi received a very bloody nose as the Italian people rejected his ideas on four government plans, including nuclear power and ministerial immunity from prosecution (see Society Matters 21 June postcard from Sardinia), with a turn-out far above anything seen in Italy in modern times.
One week later, Berlusconi won a vote of confidence in the Italian parliament, retaining the support of the influential Northern League (NL) by 317 votes to 293, and members of his own People of Freedom party gave a huge sigh of relief (it's the first time he has obtained an outright majority since the summer of 2010). Berlusconi is now going cap in hand to the small, secessionist Northern League, a party ferociously anti-immigration in stance, about as right to the far right as you can get in European politics.
So, despite a crippled and ailing economy, a series of electoral defeats in Italy's urban mayoral elections, a referendum rebuke, criminal charges of sex with an under-aged prostitute, plus the minor inconvenience of impending court appearances for corruption, remarkably Berlusconi remains in power, albeit with a grip that hangs by a thread. In Britain. with such a record, he would have had to resign (well one would have hoped so).
'despite an ailing economy, electoral defeats, criminal charges and impending court appearances for corruption, Berlusconi remains in power'
What do the NL want in return for keeping Berlusconi in power until 2013? Its leader, Umberto Bossi, told the NL's annual rally in June. "Dear Berlusconi," Bossi barked into the microphone, "your leadership is at risk in the next elections if you don't make some changes."
Bossi wants Berlusconi to decentralize government, move some ministries to the north, end Italy's role in the NATO attacks against Libya and cut taxes if he wants to last until election time in 2013. But on at least one of these Berlusconi cannot deliver, since the country is struggling with a public debt running at 120 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti will lay out an interim budget with the goal of reducing debt, not offering the tax breaks the League wants in exchange for backing the government. Since the speech Italy's President, Giorgio Napolitano, has stood firm by Italy's involvement in the NATO alliance's high- risk Libyan military strategy.
At the end of June, Berlusconi's popularity rating dipped below 30 per cent. Social tensions seem just below the surface. Already police and teachers have clashed in Rome, and Italy may be heading for a summer of discontent. It is expected that Berlusconi's government will change the income tax system to try and satisfy an increasingly critical electorate, but in the present volatile political context, he may be forced to act sooner, especially if the economic trends do worsen.
There are risks here for the NL too. While it has the votes to keep Berlusconi in power, it also risks losing its supporters if it stays aligned to Berlusconi for too long. But it could risk losing its root and branch support if none of its demands are met.
Meanwhile, however precariously, Berlusconi hangs on.
Dick Skellington 5 July 2011
Useful Links
BBC: Italy's Northern League reviews support for Berlusconi
Cartoon by Gary Edwards
(5 votes)
Weakened by recent political defeats, Silvio Berlusconi's future as Italian prime minister depends on the secessionist Northern League, writes Dick Skellington. If a week is a long time in British politics, it must seem like an age in Italy. Having advised his electorate to boycott the June referendum – widely seen as a mandate for his continued legitimacy in office ...
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Jonny Saunders leaves Radio 2 to teach with help from the OU
Radio 2 sports reporter and Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show sidekick Jonny Saunders is leaving the show after revealing he is studying for an OU degree to become a teacher.
Jonny has been with Chris Evans for more than five years, on the Drivetime and later the Breakfast shows and the pair are known for their rivalry in the regular Sporting Challenge slot.
The 36-year-old told listeners last month he had taken time out from the show for an OU exam and it has since been confirmed he will leave on Friday July 8 to fulfil his ambition of becoming a teacher.
In his Radio 2 profile Jonny says he enjoys English Literature in his spare time along with playing with his children and cheese.
(1 vote)
Radio 2 sports reporter and Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show sidekick Jonny Saunders is leaving the show after revealing he is studying for an OU degree to become a teacher. Jonny has been with Chris Evans for more than five years, on the Drivetime and later the Breakfast shows and the pair are known for their rivalry in the regular Sporting Challenge slot. The 36-year-old told listeners ...
OU professor joins Crusoe debate
On Friday (July 1) Professor Owens, a Defoe scholar, discussed a new book by Katherine Frank which strengthens claims that Robert Knox, shipwrecked and imprisoned in Ceylon in 1659, inspired the classic desert island tale. Professor Owens, former Head of the Department of English at the OU, asserted the case for Alexander Selkirk, abandoned for four years on an island off Chile in 1704. But he accepted that Knox was among the influences on Defoe’s writing of Robinson Crusoe published in 1719.
Listen to the Today programme debate here
(1 vote)
OU Professor Emeritus Bob Owens (pictured) has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme debating who was the true inspiration for the hero of Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe. On Friday (July 1) Professor Owens, a Defoe scholar, discussed a new book by Katherine Frank which strengthens claims that Robert Knox, shipwrecked and imprisoned in Ceylon ...
Honorary degree for author Rose Tremain
Author of 12 novels, Rose Tremain CBE is awarded an honorary degree by The Open University in recognition of her services to literature and contribution to the teaching of creative writing.
(5 votes)
Author of 12 novels, Rose Tremain CBE is awarded an honorary degree by The Open University in recognition of her services to literature and contribution to the teaching of creative writing. Study with the OU - Creative writing 2.2 Average: 2.2 (5 votes)
Huw Edwards to tell story of Wales in landmark OU/BBC series
The Story of Wales, a six-part series, is the first direct collaboration with BBC Cymru Wales to receive OU funding. The series will be produced by Green Bay Media and is due to be shown on BBC One Wales early in 2012, and across the BBC network later in the year.
Presenting the series is "a dream come true for me", says Huw Edwards (pictured). "How could any Welsh broadcaster not be energised by the challenge of telling the nation’s story?
“I am aware that working on this series – a once-in-a-generation event – is a real privilege. Above all, The Story of Wales needs to engage audiences in Wales and beyond. After all, we have a great story to tell.”
Rob Humphreys, director of the Open University in Wales said: “This series will open up our nation’s history to a new audience, enthusing people to learn even more about what shaped today’s Wales.
“The Open University in Wales is delighted to work with BBC Cymru Wales and Green Bay in developing this landmark series, which comes at a time of significant public interest in the history of Wales and our nation’s place and role within a United Kingdom that is being challenged and re-shaped.
“Through the contribution of my colleague Professor Trevor Herbert, who is the Open University’s senior academic consultant on this series, and other colleagues, the Open University in Wales is committed to opening up our nation’s past, and present, to informed debate, scrutiny and study.”
The Story of Wales follows the successful A History of Scotland produced in 2008 by the OU and BBC Scotland.
Useful Links
(3 votes)
BBC News at Ten presenter Huw Edwards is to tell the story of Wales from prehistory to modern times, in a landmark television series made by BBC Cymru Wales in partnership with the Open University. The Story of Wales, a six-part series, is the first direct collaboration with BBC Cymru Wales to receive OU funding. The series will be produced by Green Bay Media and is ...
History of English fills all top 10 track slots on iTunes U
The History of English – in 10 minutes , voiced by Clive Anderson and scripted by Jon Hunter of Mock The Week and The News Quiz, is a light-hearted look at 1,600 years of the language.
The History of English has also been picked up by The Washington Post's Ezra Klein blog and the Guardian's Internet Picks of the Week. The series is also being used as a teaching resource by the British Council.
It is the first cross-platform commission for the Open University's YouTube and iTunes U channels with LTS Media working closely with the Open Media Unit.
The one-minute long episodes look at well-known phrases and how the influence of Shakespeare, the King James Bible and the internet helped transform a small nation tongue into a major global language.
Philip Sergeant (FELS) was academic consultant and the idea was inspired by the course U214 Worlds of English.
(12 votes)
Learning about English in fun bite-size pieces has proved a hit on the web worldwide with more than 250,000 hits on YouTube since its release and filling all top 10 track slots on iTunes U. The History of English – in 10 minutes , voiced by Clive Anderson and scripted by Jon Hunter of Mock The Week and The News Quiz, is a light-hearted look at 1,600 ...
The Humanities Under Threat? The British Academy lecture
The Humanities Under Threat?
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
6.30pm – 8.30pm, followed by a drinks reception
Organised by the University of Cambridge and Arizona State University
Venue: The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH
Maintaining a first-class Higher Education system presents many problems: funding and management, ensuring the continuation of graduate studies, maintaining the integrity of scholarship and research in the face of distorting pressures and showing the wider public the value of academic work. The distinguished panel will discuss these and other problems in a wide-ranging and informed discussion of threats that particularly affect the humanities, but may also undermine the universities as a whole.
About the Speakers:
- Simon Blackburn (chair) is Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. His many books include Think, Being Good, and The Big Questions of Philosophy.
- Jonathan Cole is former Provost and Dean of Faculties of Columbia University and author of The Great American University: Its Rise To Preeminence, Its Indispensable National Role, Why It Must Be Protected.
- Stefan Collini is Professor in English Literature at the University of Cambridge and the author of Absent Minds: Intellectuals in Britain; his new book, What Are Universities For? will be published in January 2012.
- Michael Crow is President of Arizona State University and the architect of the New American University.
- Robert Post is Dean of the Yale Law School and author of the forthcoming Democracy, Expertise, and Academic Freedom: A First Amendment Jurisprudence for the Modern State.
- Martin Rees is former President of the Royal Society and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. He was appointed to the House of Lords in 2005. In 2010 he gave the BBC's Reith Lectures, now published as From Here to Infinity: Scientific Horizons.
- Adam Roberts was elected President of the British Academy in 2009. He is Senior Research Fellow, Department of Politics and International Relations, Oxford University, and an Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford
The event is free but space is limited. Those wishing to attend should register at http://thehumanitiesunderthreat.eventbrite.com/
This panel discussion is the public event of a conference on Threats to the Universities, Humanities and Science. The main part of the conference is an invitation-only workshop at the University of Cambridge. The conference is sponsored by the British Academy; the Centre for Public Law at Cambridge University; the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona; and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University; in association with Royal Society and the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.
(1 vote)
The Humanities Under Threat? Wednesday, 20 July 2011 6.30pm – 8.30pm, followed by a drinks reception Organised by the University of Cambridge and Arizona State University Venue: The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH Maintaining a first-class Higher Education system presents many problems: funding and management, ensuring the continuation ...
The First Actresses: Nell Gwyn to Sarah Siddons (Exhibition, London)
About The First Actresses exhibition
The First Actresses will explore the vibrant and sometimes controversial relationship between art, gender and the theatre in eighteenth-century England. Combining much-loved masterpieces with newly-discovered works, the exhibition will look at the ways in which actresses used portraiture to enhance their reputations, deflect scandal and increase their popularity and professional status.
The exhibition features portraits by artists such as Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, John Hoppner and James Gillray, with highlights including Reynolds’s famous portrait of Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse, Hogarth’s The Beggar’s Opera and Gainsborough’s portrait of Elizabeth Linley. Visitors will discover the fascinating stories of actresses including Nell Gwyn, Kitty Clive, Hester Booth, Lavinia Fenton, Sarah Siddons and Dorothy Jordan.
Starting with the emergence of the actress’s profession in the late seventeenth century, The First Actresses will show how women performers were key figures in celebrity culture. Fuelled by gossipy theatre and art reviews, satirical prints and the growing taste for biography, eighteenth-century society engaged in heated debate about the moral and sexual decorum of women on stage and revelled in the traditional association between actress and prostitute. The exhibition will also look at the resonances with modern celebrity culture and the enduring notion of the actress as fashion icon.
Gill Perry, co-curator of the exhibition and professor of art history at The Open University, who has been studying the lives and reputations of the stars, says there was always endless ribald speculation about their sex lives - illustrated by many cartoons in the show - and a widely-held belief that most of them had worked their way up from very low origins if not outright prostitution. In fact, many came from irreproachable backgrounds, some made spectacular marriages, and others saved and invested their earnings and became producers and playwrights when their looks faded.
The First Actresses will run from 20 October to 8 January 2012 at the National Portrait Gallery in London
Useful links
The National Portrait Gallery, London
start date:
Thursday, 20 October, 2011 (All day)
end date:
Sunday, 8 January, 2012 (All day)
About The First Actresses exhibition The First Actresses will explore the vibrant and sometimes controversial relationship between art, gender and the theatre in eighteenth-century England. Combining much-loved masterpieces with newly-discovered works, the exhibition will look at the ways in which actresses used portraiture to enhance their reputations, deflect scandal and increase their ...
AA100 - The Arts Past And Present
Hello! Anyone else starting this module in October? I am and I'm quite excited about it - ready to give the old degree another shot after dropping out of regular Uni. Twice.
I'm Kirstie, I'm (nearly) 24 and I sit at a desk and process prescriptions for a living, which is what's spurred me to try and better myself. That and I heard something somewhere about 'third time's a charm' or something? Probably read it in a fortune cookie or something. I also like books and writing, which helps! I'm very excited at the prospect of learning things again; menial admin work tends to kill brain cells.
Anyway, I've introduced myself so now I'd like to know that I'll have some other chaps and lasses on the course, otherwise the tutor's going to have a very light workload. Feel free to add your similarly excited thoughts/trepidations about the course and maybe, just maybe, we can help each other along with all the learning. Or you can just say hello, if you'd rather. Don't be shy!
Hello! Anyone else starting this module in October? I am and I'm quite excited about it - ready to give the old degree another shot after dropping out of regular Uni. Twice. I'm Kirstie, I'm (nearly) 24 and I sit at a desk and process prescriptions for a living, which is what's spurred me to try and better myself. That and I heard something somewhere about 'third time's a charm' or ...
The story of the creative writing tutors who blog
There are more than 200 tutors teaching Open University creative writing courses across the UK and Europe. These tutors are practising writers and this is a news blog which aims to let people know about some of their writing activities – their publications, readings, performances and academic presentations.
- Read the blog - Creative Writing Tutors
(4 votes)
There are more than 200 tutors teaching Open University creative writing courses across the UK and Europe. These tutors are practising writers and this is a news blog which aims to let people know about some of their writing activities – their publications, readings, performances and academic presentations. Read the blog - Creative Writing Tutors 2 ...
'Y180 Making sense of the arts' Sept 2011
Anyone starting this course in September? :)
Anyone starting this course in September? :)
Arts degree for Emily, 89
At 89, Emily Chapman is proof that it's never too late to learn - after graduating with a degree from The Open University.
Mrs Chapman, who will be 90 next month, collected her Bachelor of Arts certificate at Ely Cathedral in June 2011 after studying since 2002.
She said: “The Open University have a wonderful system and help is always there. It is one of the finest institutions for education that I know of.”
And while she's not considering using her degree to get a job, she does hope to be an inspiration to her great grandchildren.
Read her story in the Bury Free Press.
Posted: June 2011
(5 votes)
At 89, Emily Chapman is proof that it's never too late to learn - after graduating with a degree from The Open University. Mrs Chapman, who will be 90 next month, collected her Bachelor of Arts certificate at Ely Cathedral in June 2011 after studying since 2002. She said: “The Open University have a wonderful system and help is always there. It is one of the finest institutions for ...
Win a copy of Professor Ruth Finnegan's book on quotation
Open University sociologist Professor Ruth Finnegan has been asking these questions and come up with Why do we quote? The culture and history of quotation – possibly the first comprehensive account of this subject.
She finds quotations coming from many different sources: song lyrics ('I'm a rock standing out in an ocean of doubt'), family sayings ('She looks just like a monkey dressed up in blotting paper'), poems ('See the happy moron he doesn't give a damn, I wish I were a moron. My God! Perhaps I am'), TV catch-phrases (Am I bovvered?), old proverbs ('More haste, less speed') and newer ones ('There's no such thing as a free lunch'). Snippets from the Bible, Shakespeare, Romantic poets and figures like Oscar Wilde, George Orwell and Winston Churchill are found alongside quotes from films and advertising jingles.
Do you have any favourite or unusual quotations? Share them here on the Platform website and we'll enter you into a prize draw, at the end of July, for a free hardback copy of Ruth Finnegan's book. (But remember to comment in the Platform comment box, not the Facebook one, or we won't be able to contact you if you win)
The text of why Do we quote? The culture and history of quotation is available free on line from Open Book Publishing here. Professor Ruth Finnegan blogs about online academic publishing on Society Matters.
(2 votes)
"Like a dying duck in a thunderstorm" was my mother's expression for anyone looking under the weather. We all use quotations – a string of words borrowed from other people – but most of the time we don't think why we do it or where they come from. Open University sociologist Professor Ruth Finnegan has been asking these questions and come up with ...
New OU module, Inside Music, starting Autumn 2011
The Music Department is excitedly awaiting the first group of students to begin studying the new Level 2 music module, A224 Inside Music, this Autumn.
The planning and writing of the module has taken several years, with its popular predecessor, A214 Understanding Music, providing hard act to follow. However, the new module will reflect recent changes both in music education and the OU more generally. The module team hope that students that have already studied A214 might be interested in taking A224, especially as this is not an excluded combination.
In common with recent OU music modules and Arts interdisciplinary modules which include music (such as AA100 The arts past and present), Inside Music covers a wide range of musical styles.
The journey ‘inside music’ begins by breaking it down into its constituent elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony and timbre (sound quality – for example, the difference between playing a melody on a stringed instrument such as a violin or a brass instrument such as a trumpet) and considering these individually. The early stages of the module compares how these elements are used in different musical traditions including western art and popular music, but also in music from India, Indonesia and Cuba.
Wide variety of music styles
The module has plenty for lovers of classical music, including in-depth study of a Mozart Piano Concerto and Elgar’s Enigma Variations, but also involves other styles throughout, such as the jazz works of Duke Ellington, popular songs by George Gershwin and Jerome Kern, classic pop tracks by the Beatles and Stevie Wonder and a range of contemporary music including pieces by the minimalist composer Steve Reich, tracks from the singer-songwriter John Mayer and Daft Punk’s electronic dance music. All the music discussed in the module is provided to students on CD and online as mp3 files. These examples are used as a basis for students to continue to learn about the elements of music and the ways in which they are combined together – understanding this gives us some insight into how music has the powerful emotional effect on us that it does. By the end of the module, students will be able to write a detailed essay about a piece of music which is new to them.
Students get to write their own composition
As well as listening to and analysing this massive bank of examples, one of the most innovative aspects of the new module allows students to apply their newly-acquired theoretical knowledge in a series of composition exercises, leading towards writing a complete song for voice and piano at the end of the module. In this strand, students will work with Sibelius music notation software – just like a standard word processing software but for music! Sibelius includes a playback function so that you can listen to what you have written and make adjustments – so it is possible to write and hear quite complicated music without being able to play it yourself on an instrument. The composition exercises begin with writing simple rhythms and melodies, but later on students learn how to structure longer sections of music and write stylish piano accompaniments. Students will choose to specialise in a particular style – classical, jazz and pop – towards the end of the module and for their final assessment.
The module team hope that students with a variety of musical interests and experiences will consider studying A224. It is not necessary to have a high level of musical skill before embarking on the module, but some knowledge with music notation is required - roughly that of Grade 3 Theory of the Associated Board (ABRSM) music syllabus. If you have played an instrument, or sung in a choir or group, you may well have the experience that you need.
To help prospective students to find out if they are at the right level, to revise certain topics or learn new ones, the Music Department has produced a freely-accessible OpenLearn unit entitled ‘An introduction to music theory’. Whilst providing an ideal introduction to A224, this may be of interest to anyone who is interested in finding out a little more about how music works.
Useful links
Sibelius music notation software
(2 votes)
The Music Department is excitedly awaiting the first group of students to begin studying the new Level 2 music module, A224 Inside Music, this Autumn. The planning and writing of the module has taken several years, with its popular predecessor, A214 Understanding Music, providing hard act to follow. However, the new module will reflect recent changes both in music education and the OU more ...
Creative writing degree for former detective Sharon
An award-winning entrepreneur and former detective has overcome a health disorder to earn a first class honours degree in creative writing with the OU.
Sharon Birch, 46, is already a double winner when the Footprints Day Nursery – which she set up five years ago – took two titles at the Hartlepool Business Awards in May 2011.
But Sharon now has another reason to boast as she has graduated from the Open University.
Read the full story here.
(5 votes)
An award-winning entrepreneur and former detective has overcome a health disorder to earn a first class honours degree in creative writing with the OU. Sharon Birch, 46, is already a double winner when the Footprints Day Nursery – which she set up five years ago – took two titles at the Hartlepool Business Awards in May 2011. But Sharon now has another reason to boast as she ...
New podcast series: Bio-Ethics Bites
A podcast series of 10 interviews with leading influential thinkers on bio-ethics - called Bio-Ethics Bites - has been produced.
This series of interviews, representing various ethical perspectives and tackling controversial subjects arising out of recent scientific advances, is freely available.
The Wellcome Trust has provided specific funding to the Oxford Centre for Neuroethics to enable David Edmonds and the OU's Nigel Warburton (of Philosophy Bites) to produce the series.
Useful links
(1 vote)
A podcast series of 10 interviews with leading influential thinkers on bio-ethics - called Bio-Ethics Bites - has been produced. This series of interviews, representing various ethical perspectives and tackling controversial subjects arising out of recent scientific advances, is freely available. The Wellcome Trust has provided specific funding to the Oxford Centre for Neuroethics to ...
Philosophy captured in words and pictures
But now philosophy has joined forces with art to sum up leading thinkers in a more succinct and memorable fashion.
The National Portrait Gallery has asked Nigel Warburton, senior lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University, to create verbal pictures of less than 100 words each, to accompany the portraits of eight well-known philosophers which hang on its walls.
The result – Picturing Philosophers – is available as an illustrated pamphlet at the Gallery or as a pdf download here.
The philosophers are: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Thomas Paine, Edmund Burke, John Stuart Mill (pictured), Dame Iris Murdoch, Bertrand Russell, John-Paul Sartre.
Useful Links
- Philosophy bites podcast
- Nigel Warburton's Interesting Philosophical Links
- The virtual philosopher
- Art and allusion
- Philosophy bites on Twitter
- Philosophy courses at the OU
(1 vote)
Millions of words have been poured out in the effort to understand and explain the ideas of the great philosophers. But now philosophy has joined forces with art to sum up leading thinkers in a more succinct and memorable fashion. The National Portrait Gallery has asked Nigel Warburton, senior lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University, to create verbal pictures of less ...
Student wins creative writing award
But having written scenes and sketches in the past during his 10-year career as a performer in Scotland, Kris soon yearned for something more creative and embarked on a series of writing modules beginning with Start writing plays (A176) and Start writing fiction (A174) which is leading towards a BA (Hons) in Literature.
It was in October 2010, that Kris’s Creative Writing (A215) tutor Dr Irene Hossack posted a notice in the Tutor Group Forum highlighting details of a creative writing competition being run by 'see me' Scotland – a national campaign to end the stigma and discrimination of mental ill-health – with the required theme being ‘support’.
“Irene encouraged our group to consider entering, even though our writing was still in its infancy at the beginning of the course. I decided to rise to the challenge and wrote a piece in my native Dumfriesshire-tongue based on a number of ideas I had been sketching in my writer's notebook”
Kris says that while some of the ideas for Ronnie's Story are drawn from personal experience, it’s not a biographical piece and wrote and edited the story in one afternoon. Having forgotten about the entry, it was in February that Kris learned that he had received a letter from the 'see me' organisers informing him that he had made it to the final four and was invited to the national award ceremony and winner's lunch to be held in Edinburgh.
“After recovering from the initial shock and breaking the exciting news to Irene and the rest of my A215 tutor group, I had two months of agonised waiting to go through before the big day in April.
“The prize was £250 of Amazon vouchers, which I've used to buy practically all of the set books I need for the remaining courses of my degree, as well as treating myself to a few volumes of collected works by my favourite authors such as Arthur Miller, Christopher Brookmyre and the Oxford Book of War Poetry
“After these articles ran in the press I received interest from theatre professionals I've worked with in the past and have been encouraged to adapt the piece as a dramatic monologue for future performance.”
Since the event Kris has had a separate piece of writing accepted by the National Theatre of Scotland, which will be performed on 22 June at 2.35pm, and viewable live online, as part of their Five Minute Theatre festival – a 24-hour event in which more than 230 short plays will be performed in one day to celebrate their fifth birthday.
“I'm hoping that these are only the first steps in my writing career,” he says. “I know that without my OU studies and the subsequent encouragement I have received from my tutor Irene, I would probably still be sitting thinking ‘I wonder if I could have been a writer’.”
(4 votes)
It was in 2009 that part-time actor Kris Haddow decided to brush up on his writing skills, initially attracted to the OU to “study some business and psychology courses to keep me motivated in my day job as a training consultant and life coach,” he says. But having written scenes and sketches in the past during his 10-year career as a performer in Scotland, Kris soon ...
Mum to collect Stacy's posthumous degree
“I would really like people to know about the support that the OU gives disabled students, which I have not been able to find anywhere else,” said Stacy Adams, 27, in December 2010.
Stacy had approached the student and alumni magazine, Sesame, to enquire about writing an article that revealed her positive experience of studying with the OU during a seven-year spell in which she was terminally ill. Unfortunately, this was not to be as a couple of months later Stacy died.
Stacy first came to the notice of Dr Lynne Blanchfield, Education Faculty Co-ordinator, in February 2010: “Stacy informed us that she had an ECA deferral in the October but was unsure whether she would live long enough to submit it,” explained Lynne. “Stacy suffered from Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic condition that attacks the major organs – particularly the lungs.
“The OU gave dispensation for her to submit her ECA whenever she was able to, but as October drew near it became a matter of great concern that she was simply too ill to do so, even though passing The art of English (E301) module would have given her the degree she had worked so hard for during the previous seven years.
The OU decided to grant Stacy an Aegrotat degree, which is awarded when it is clear that a terminally ill student would have achieved the correct standard had they been able to submit their final assessment.
“Stacy was thrilled to receive the news before Christmas, as she had been so afraid that the last seven years of gruelling study would be ‘wasted’ if she didn’t achieve at least the open degree,” said Lynne.
Stacy’s ultimate ambition of achieving an Honours degree and then Masters was not to be fulfilled, but through a triumph of will, determination, and sheer stubbornness she had made a fantastic achievement.
Tragically, Stacy died peacefully during her sleep on 24 February – the day her degree certificate arrived. Her award will be presented to her mother, Ruth, at the Ely graduation ceremony on 4 June.
“Stacy is a prime example of how the OU can help someone achieve the excellence they strive for in life, however short that life might be,” said Lynne. “If Stacy’s story has inspired even one student to keep going, to re-motivate themselves despite difficult circumstances, and to keep focused on their goal, we would be very pleased to hear from you.”
Useful links
(5 votes)
“I would really like people to know about the support that the OU gives disabled students, which I have not been able to find anywhere else,” said Stacy Adams, 27, in December 2010. Stacy had approached the student and alumni magazine, Sesame, to enquire about writing an article that revealed her positive experience of studying with the OU during a seven-year spell ...
Administrators
Who's your favourite TV expert on British TV (current or of all time)?
David Attenborough
55% (399 votes)
Mary Beard
5% (33 votes)
Martin Lewis
3% (24 votes)
Jo Frost
2% (15 votes)
Brian Cox
21% (150 votes)
Maggie Aderin-Pocock
0% (1 vote)
The Hairy Bikers: David Myers & Simon King
2% (18 votes)
The Two Fat Ladies: Clarissa Dickson Wright & Jennifer Paterson
1% (8 votes)
Gareth Malone
2% (18 votes)
Monty Halls
0% (3 votes)
Other
7% (52 votes)
Total votes: 721
David Attenborough 55% (399 votes) Mary Beard 5% (33 votes) Martin Lewis 3% (24 votes) Jo Frost 2% (15 votes) Brian Cox 21% (150 votes) Maggie Aderin-Pocock 0% (1 vote) The Hairy Bikers: David Myers & Simon King 2% (18 votes) The Two Fat Ladies: Clarissa ...
Do you agree with Professor Tim Chappell that if a cashpoint overpays you, you should keep the money?
Yes, the banks take a lot of ours
21% (8 votes)
No, it's dishonest
72% (28 votes)
No, you might get into trouble
8% (3 votes)
Total votes: 39
Yes, the banks take a lot of ours 21% (8 votes) No, it's dishonest 72% (28 votes) No, you might get into trouble 8% (3 votes) Total votes: 39
Do employers favour Science and Technology degrees over Arts and Humanities?
Yes
75% (220 votes)
No
25% (75 votes)
Total votes: 295
Yes 75% (220 votes) No 25% (75 votes) Total votes: 295