York International Shakespeare Festival: Coriolanus

By Rachel Atkin

York International Shakespeare Festival works to bring worldwide celebrations of Shakespeare and his plays into one city, where England’s most recognisable writer can be experienced through a diversity of cultures.

On Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th, I had theCoriolanus in Iran, Titus Company 2017 pleasure of being invited to see an Iranian production of Coriolanus, performed by the Titus Company from the University of Tehran. Though the company themselves were absent, due to the British Embassy’s decision to not provide visas, we were provided with a recorded version of an alienating, experimental, and yet hugely emotive piece of theatre.

Continue reading “York International Shakespeare Festival: Coriolanus”

Review: Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel

Review by Tilly Martin

Station ElevenSetting her story in the decaying environment of a post-apocalyptic earth, Emily St John Mandel details the journey of several characters, all somehow intertwined, who are trying to make it in this new world. One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is that, unlike the custom in books of this genre, most aspects of the story are very realistic. There are no zombies and no individuals with semi-magical powers to save the day; every character is a hero in their own way, surviving on their own.

Continue reading “Review: Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel”

‘In Search of Our Mother’s Kitchens’ : Culinary Cultures at YSJ

By Jess Osborne

 

Anyone in York St John’s Quad South Hall on the 5th May (and possibly a few days after) will have noticed the soulful smell of fresh, exotically spiced food lingering in the curtains of the chapel: a perfect metaphor for the cultural synergy explored in the Culinary Cultures event held by Dr Sarah Lawson Welsh. The event was filled to the brim with excellent speakers whose papers and presentations all seemed to complement each other and help attendees develop a well-rounded understanding of food in literature, advertising, feminism, as well as every other facet of life. It did seem towards the end of the event that food permeated every aspect of existence, of course it would be hard not to think that when discussing the problematic masculinity of barbeque culture over the loveliest fried plantains I have ever eaten.

The day began with an eye-opening look at barbeque culture in America, focusing mostly on the one word that will pop up multiple times in this post as it did throughout the event: authenticity. You may have seen signs on restaurants claiming to deliver true flavours of their cuisine’s country of origin, or even claiming that they have the most authentic ingredients, we have all definitely been to an Italian restaurant that makes use of their mother’s/grandmother’s/any matriarch’s recipes from back home. But as the day progressed those of us in attendance began to unpack the problematic nature of these claims, making many of us simultaneously want a barbeque and not want a barbeque!culinary cultures 1

Thankfully after all this talk of food, we actually got to eat some! Food educator Sharmini Thomas cooked up a feast of wonderfully spiced foods for us to sample over lunch, whilst patiently answering any question thrown her way. Throughout the cook-up Sharmini chatted about spices and where they come from, the origins of certain dishes, as well as some interesting Indo-Caribbean history we definitely weren’t taught in school. But most interestingly, whilst chatting, we touched back on the idea of authenticity. When someone asked about whether or not coconut should be added to rice and peas Sharmini silenced us all by reminding us those cooking would cook with what was available, if there was coconut growing nearby, it would go in, but if not the recipe would go without. This begs the question: can the authenticity of these recipes really be replicated? And even should recipes made for survival be appropriated and lay any claim to authenticity in the face of luxury?

culinary cultures 3The answer is: yes probably. It’s unfortunate, but true, that some post-colonial cultures are in danger of dying. After lunch we explored the food of Palestine. Although the promotion of Palestinian agriculture through fair-trade as a means of raising awareness was fascinating, I found myself drawn to the discussion about Joudie Kalla’s cookbook Memories From my Mother’s Kitchen as a means of preserving Palestinian culture. As a literature student I find myself looking for importance in books, primarily in fiction, but cookbooks offer an insight into life just as deep as those in fiction, and they should definitely be allowed more close readings. Food, after all, is the point that our lives revolve around, so why should books dedicated to it not have an important place in our society?

 

Whilst discussing recipes and cookbooks, during in one of the many coffee breaks, I noticed quite a few attendees were speaking about family recipes that have somehow never found their way onto paper and as a result are cause for argument at family gatherings. Spookily, this was perfectly mirrored in the final discussions on the nostalgia of food, and maternal inheritance in the culture of family recipes. And it is there, with everyone fondly remembering their mothers and grandmother’s kitchens, that one of the best events I have attended at YSJ came to a close. Full of food for both body and mind, we all went home remembering the lingering smells of the spices.culinary cultures 2

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Sarah Lawson Welsh for organising one of the most academically fulfilling events I have attended throughout my degree. Those wanting to attend any more of these food related events should drop Sarah an email to get on the mailing list, it will definitely be worth it.

Bradford Literature Festival Volunteer Opportunities

An invitation for YSJU students to volunteer for the Bradford Literature Festival, 30th June – 9th July.

The Festival writes:

Bradford Literature Festival offers a programme of events like no other, creating exceptional discussions and debates and inviting audiences to engage directly with world renowned authors and speakers to share thoughts and opinions. Our Festival wouldn’t be possible without a group of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers. From the 30th June – 9th July, over 100 volunteers will help us run and deliver our festival. Whether you have a passion for literature and the arts, are looking to gain real working experience, or you’re simply an outgoing person looking for a fun way to spend your spare time, we want to hear from you!

The roles we have available include:

Venue Assistants

You would be an essential part of the Bradford Literature Festival. The role will involve assisting the Venue Manager in all aspects of event co-ordination including greeting the audience, taking tickets, assisting with seating and audience requirements as well as a whole host of other tasks.

Festival Runners

Reporting directly to the core team, Festival Runners are the problem solvers and key support network of the Bradford Literature Festival, so therefore vital for the Festival! This role is varied and can involve anything and everything from standing in for other volunteers and setting up events to transporting equipment and even escorting festival guests.

Guest Assistants

Stationed at one of our partner hotels, Guest Assistants will manage a dedicated guest liaison desk, assisting guest authors, speakers and artists. You would help guests check in and provide any information about the festival or Bradford itself. You would need to know Bradford excellently and a passion for literature is a must, you never know which esteemed guest you might meet!

If you are over the age of 16 and can make our training meeting on the 16th June at Bradford University, we would love to hear from you!

If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/volunteers

Preparing for Life as a Graduate

Life after university can be a daunting prospect, as the challenge of securing employment and developing a career looms large. Thankfully, plenty of support is available from the Careers Team at York St John.

The team provides students with careers guidance and connects them with employers in Yorkshire and beyond. In this post, two third-year students explain what motivated them to attend the Yorkshire Graduate Fair in Leeds on Wednesday 3rd May 2017. Below are details of two more sessions being run by the Careers team, as well as details of how you can sign up.

Niamh Meehan

Meehan Niamh

I decided to attend the Yorkshire Graduate Fair as I can say, with the collective unease of all students about to embark the minefield of adulthood post university, I don’t really know what I want to do. What I do know is that I want to keep all of my options open in the next few months, and henceforth apply for everything and anything that strikes me as a possibility. So the next step was to get informed about the opportunities out there, part of which included a trip to the University of Leeds, where the Yorkshire Graduate Fair was being held.

As over 90 companies were due to attend, the fair was spread across 2 large sports halls on the campus. At first it was overwhelming, but I had come to the fair with a few companies in mind, so I planned my route around the rooms and took advantage of the freebies available. Often the thought of networking is worse than it actually is and I found this to be the case throughout the fair; many of the employers were open, friendly and welcomed my questions. I came away from the event with a greater insight into the opportunities around graduate schemes, internships, full-time and part-time roles and postgraduate courses. I managed to make a few contacts in the companies I was interested in and got a better understanding of what those companies are looking for in their potential employees.

I would encourage anyone who is in doubt about attending careers fairs to go for it and stay informed – the Careers team will tell you when the next events will take place. I had a really positive experience and hope others will too.

Holly Pawlitta

Pawlitta Holly

In the midst of writing my final assignments, and the aftermath of my dissertation, I found it difficult to gather the courage to search for a job. However, when I found out that the Careers team at university were offering a trip to Leeds for a graduate jobs fair, I felt that I finally had a starting point in my search for employment.

Prior to attending the fair, I felt nervous about meeting so many professionals, but my fears disappeared when I arrived at the fair. There were many employers at the fair, each offering exciting job opportunities for graduates. All of the employers were friendly and more than happy to answer my questions regarding the jobs they had available for English Literature graduates. The atmosphere was casual, yet informative. Many employers explained what job roles they typically offer to those with degrees in English Literature, for instance publishing, editing, marketing and consultancy. Some employers offered to look at my CV, whereas others asked for my contact details.

Attending the fair really put into perspective how valuable my degree is in the eyes of employers. Having the opportunity to meet so many employers in person was a much more informative and enriching experience than searching for jobs online. I now feel that I have the confidence to speak about the skills and knowledge which attending university has given to me. I highly recommend that other graduates make the most of such opportunities.

Upcoming Events 

It’s the Final Countdown! (15-18th May)

We are filling the last week of term with a series of workshops designed to help students develop their core job-seeking skills, including Kickstart Your CV, LinkedIn Lab, Interviews and Assessment Centres and Personal Branding.  We’ll also be running transferable skills workshops on Commercial Awareness, Project Management, Negotiating and Influencing and Personal Effectiveness, to make sure our graduates are absolutely ready to hit the ground running.

Leadership Bootcamp Open Badge (15-18th May)

Students who attend all the transferable skills workshops and at least one careers skills workshops will be able to complete the Leadership Bootcamp Open Badge.  This includes a full-day’s project management training run by Sarah Wilson of 54 Degrees.

The Leadership Bootcamp and Final Countdown sessions are aimed at final years, but open to all years.  Please point them out to any students who you think will benefit!

More information

Iranian Production of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus comes to York St John

GVG_2749After our very successful involvement with the first York International Shakespeare Festival two years ago, YSJU’s English Literature team will again be putting on two events as part of the second YISF programme this May in conjunction with the University of Tehran and YSJU’s Drama and Theatre team. Both events are free but ticketed. Please check the external link regularly as they will be available shortly as the York Theatre Royal adds events to its system. If you would like to get involved as a volunteer, please email Saffron at s.walkling@yorksj.ac.uk

 

Shakespeare’s play is a significant demonstration of the deployment of the state apparatus, which never discloses the strategies through which power is imposed. When Coriolanus reveals these strategies, the state, together with those who think order is the only guarantee of survival, literally delete him from society. Hence, Coriolanus reflects the current democratic crisis in our region.

-Adaptors Hamed Asgharzadeh and Javad Ebrahiminezhad

Coriolanus performed by Titus Theatre Group, Iran

Coriolanus 3Temple Hall, York St John University 2pm – 3:15pm, Monday 15 May 2017

After the performance of Coriolanus there will be a short Q&A session.

Performing Shakespeare Workshop

QS/015, York St John University 11.00am – 1.00pm, Tuesday 16 May 2017

Titus Theatre Group, in collaboration with Drama and Theatre at York St John University, offer a workshop based around their production of Coriolanus. The workshop will be led by Hamed Asgharzadeh from Tehran, and David Richmond from the University of York St John.

GVG_2980

The York St John student production, Coriolanus “and they hunt for the truth that is ‘behind it all’” (Brecht 1957, text by William Shakespeare, Kurt Cobain, Charles Olson and the company) will be presented on 11 and 12 May 2017 at the Stained Glass Centre at St Martin-cum-Gregory, Micklegate, York.