Centres for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL)
CETLs of interest
In this area we profile the 4 CETLs of most interest to English.
CETH | CAPITAL Centre | ArtsWork | C4C
C4C: Collaborating for Creativity
Who are we?
C4C is a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at York St John University focusing initially on the excellence of York St John’s teaching within the Arts, especially Literature and Theatre. C4C consists of a pyramid of projects, with opportunities across the curriculum by 2010.
Working from the central concept that creativity is enriched through participation in collaborative activity, C4C projects create enhanced learning opportunities for students. This is achieved by enabling them to meet with excellent practitioners within their study area and by providing contexts and diverse environments in which to build and practise high level skills.
C4C is based within a dynamic learning space incorporating a refurbished and renovated Chapel Studio and workshop wing, linked by a contemporary glass foyer which provides a reception, exhibition space and focal point for the project.
What kind of activities are we involved in?
C4C has six existing projects within the English subject area. Each project is led by a C4C Fellow and is implemented at module level.
- Literature of Childhood, led by Roger Clark, (Head of Programme: Post-Graduate English) interrogates creative processes involved in the present and past production of texts about childhood, including researching York St John’s important Victorian children’s literature archive. C4C funding enables extensive knowledge exchange with, and reciprocal visits to, new regional archive and museum developments, specifically the Newcastle Centre for the Children’s Book, which opened in 2005. Students’ critical reading and writing skills will be enhanced through a web-publication of little-known historical material from the York St John archive. Regional children’s authors such as David Almond and Jackie Kay will be invited to run writing workshops leading to publication, with students from BA to PhD on ‘Creative Days’.
- Living Writers in the Curriculum, led by Elizabeth Sandie, (Senior Lecturer, YSJ Teacher Fellow) enables students to understand literature as a process of creative engagement with lived experience in the world, as well as an academic subject, by regular encounters with writers (e.g. Mark Doty, Jean Binta Breeze and Jane Hirshfield), reading monthly at Riverlines (www.riverlines.org). C4C funding significantly extends student opportunities to work collaboratively with practising writers by funding authors to run a series of comparative themed writing workshops, and consequent collaborative publication, for undergraduates studying contemporary fiction.
- Arts insights into health, illness, disability and social care led by Louise Larkinson and Nick Rowe (Senior Lecturers in Dramatherapy). A medical humanities approach enables students to explore health and social care related issues through autobiography, fiction, poetry, film and/or theatre, with emphasis on students’ creative responses to the art works. C4C funding allows the involvement of ‘expert patients’ to comment on student work, critique findings and enrich understanding of the issues raised by the art works. Funding supports production of an integrated DVD/web-based teaching and study resource which demonstrates: students engaging with the art works captured through interviews and footage of group interactions, performance pieces, interviews with ‘expert patients’ and extracts from student writing.
- 21st Century interpretations of Renaissance texts, led by Professor Gweno Williams, (National Teaching Fellow, YSJ Teacher Fellow). Students contribute to original research and pioneering scholarship through digital productions of early modern plays with no previous recorded performance history. These become learning resources for other students world-wide such as the 3.5 hour educational DVD published in 2004. C4C funding enables teams of student actors and production crew to develop new and more wide-ranging productions filmed at historic Yorkshire sites such as Bradford museum Bolling Hall. Students’ problem-based learning skills are significantly enhanced through the production challenges of extended filming in heritage environments.
- Tanka Collaborations, Creative writers and Fine Artists respond to Tanka Poetry led by Martell Linsdell (Head of Programme: Contemporary Fine Art Practice). The third development of the Tanka Project at York St John enables creative writers and fine artists to work in an interdisciplinary and collaborative process in response to Tanka Poetry. It provides an opportunity to bring together the students’ creative thinking and practice with contemporary images and words informed by a fusion of Western Art, education and Japanese aesthetics. Tanka Poetry and its translation has been brought to York St John as part of Dr Hisashi Nakamura’s research and practice where he is the Japanese Project Officer since 2005.
- Thinking Creatively, Writing Critically: Led by Professor Judy Giles, this project will begin in January 2007, following a recent round of team fellowship applications. Other team members include Stuart Page and Dr. Sunil Manghani from the Faculty of Arts. This project will foster the skills of creative and critical thinking of Level 1 BA Hons Media students, and work in partnership with business.
- Other ‘festival style’ activities include the annual Writers’ Festivals which celebrate World Book Day. York St John Writers’ Festivals are designed to offer a rich programme of workshops and readings, with the opportunity to hear published writers talk about the processes involved in writing. The 2007 festival will feature workshops led by Royal Literary Fund Fellows Michelene Wandor, Jane McNulty, Helen Lamb, Eva Salzman, Gerry Cambridge, Debjani Chatterjee and Linda Hoy.
How are we working with the English community?
Constantly looking for collaborative opportunities within the English Community, C4C currently facilitates the following initiatives:
C4C Fellow Elizabeth Sandie organises monthly riverlines readings at City Screen in York. This programme of events brings the best of contemporary writers to the Basement Bar at City Screen, where they read / perform / discuss their work with an audience of York's residents, students and visitors. To find out more about riverlines and forthcoming events, visit www.riverlines.org
York St John is proud to host two Royal Literary Fund Writers in Residence. This scheme was conceived by the Royal Literary Fund, with the intention of placing professional writers in higher education institutions to offer writing support to all students. The principal aim of Fellows' work is to foster good writing practice across all disciplines and media. For more information about the scheme and the Royal Literary Fund, visit www.rlf.org.uk
Debjani Chatterjee, who joined the University in September 2006, and Linda Hoy, who has been part of York St John since 2004; help students and staff to put their ideas onto paper effectively, improve their writing skills, improve their writing style and develop confidence in their writing ability.
Who are the key contacts?
For further information please visit the C4C website: www.c4ccetl.ac.uk
C4C CETL
York St John University College
Lord Mayor’s Walk
York
YO31 7EX
c4ccetl@yorksj.ac.uk
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