Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities Newsletter 

Image credit: Yellow House, by John Devane

CAMC Curates is the Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities newsletter with suggestions and news from our expert and engaged researchers.

New Simulations Special Interest Group

Hosted by the Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities, a new Simulations Special Interest Group has recently been launched and is open to staff and students from across the University group who are interested in the design and implementation of both non-digital and digital approaches to simulation. The group will explore collaboration opportunities and further understanding of how simulation work can feed back into our research informed teaching priorities. Please send an expression of interest or further questions to Dr Samantha Clarke: ab4588@coventry.ac.uk.

Meet Our New Colleagues At CAMC

I have been at Coventry University for the past 8 years, first at the Serious Games Institute and then the Disruptive Media Learning Lab. Before that, I worked in the entertainment games industry and then moved across into serious games/gamification and playful learning, where I felt I could make a positive change using creative methods of user engagement. I am particularly interested in trans-media, simulations and interactive theatre experiences and how curiosity plays a part in engaging people via different mediums. I feel that CAMC provides a unique opportunity for developing practice-led research within a talented multi-disciplinary team.

I come to CAMC with research interests in design with a focus on its capacity to improve people's experiences and well being. Coming from a multi-disciplinary background with experience from industry and academia, working at CAMC provides an opportunity to transfer my knowledge and skills, and to develop and succeed whilst working with highly motivated and enthusiastic people. Prior to joining CAMC, I held specialist and leadership roles for Geely Design Automotive in the area of Design Quality, and in Jaguar Land Rover in the areas of Perceived Quality and Material Innovation Research - CMF Design. I have also held postdoctoral academic positions at WMG, University of Warwick and Oxford Brookes University.

Place Settings Project update

I am now working with invited participants who are sending me photographs of table settings using items that they have in their homes. I found this one particularly interesting as it is the first time that someone has responded with a place setting that focuses on the material remnants of faith. The image features chapel china from the Wesleyan chapel in Blaenau Ffestiniog and a souvenir of Penmachno jug, both around 1910-20, and a Victorian toast rack. This china comes from a set that was shared out to all the remaining Wesleyan chapels for members when the chapel in Blaenau closed. The respondent recalled: “When I was young and until well into my teens our social and community lives revolved around the chapel and associated activities such as Band of Hope, the ‘Seiat’  (a debating society around religion for adults). Funeral teas, Children’s Christmas party, Eisteddfods and concerts at which tea, cake, sandwiches (meat paste, mashed banana, egg) as we were still in ration until ’54, and jelly would be served and tea poured from what we call a big chapel teapot. Until the late 60’s they were in common usage regularly and in some chapels still get used but probably mostly for funeral teas now”.

Jill Journeaux

CAMC PGR Community  

Interview with Christopher Lillington-Martin on The Battle of Dara

CAMC PGR Christopher Lillington-Martin is interviewed on the Battle of Dara, AD 530, the subject of his PhD. This conflict was fought between the Eastern Roman army of the Emperor Justinian (builder of Hagia Sophia) and the Sasanian Persian army of Shah Kavad on the border between two great empires. The interview covers the sources, geography, tactics and the archaeological implications in roughly that order.