ARTS UPDATE

25 May 2018

News

UC Arts at the Arts Centre

School of Music

On Monday night, Senior Lecturer Justin DeHart performed with Piano Teacher Tim Emerson in our New Music Central concert. They performed Percussion, Piano, and Electronic music from John Luther Adams, some of which were a New Zealand premiere, to an engaged and full audience.

UC Consortia Chamber Choir is performing a concert in the first of the UC Winter Series with the Arts Centre on Sunday afternoon, 27 May, from 2-3.30pm. This is kicking off with the concert UC Consortia Goes Kiwi!. This concert is ticketed, so please ensure you purchase your tickets via the link.

Classics & Teece

Last week saw a great turn out for Classoc's annual pot painting night, Attik Art in the Attic! With an equal show of Classoc members, committee, and general public, there was a veritable display of artistic creativity and enthusiasm. It was a fantastic evening to bring people out. A special thank you to our guest judge Ken Hall, who was presented with some tough judging.

We have been very lucky to host Prof. Christopher Smith of St. Andrews for two public talks this week. On Monday afternoon he spoke to an audience in the Teece Museum on ‘Thinking about Kings: The Sociology of Archaic Monarchy’. Tuesday evening, guests were invited to view the current exhibition in the museum, Beyond the Grave, before listening to Prof. Smith talk on New Light on the Etruscans. These were both captivating presentations and provoked thoughtful questions and discussions. Canterbury School for Continental Philosophy Canterbury School for Continental Philosophy Seminar Friday 1 June, 12:30-1:30 in 210 Puaka James Hight Everyone is welcome! Professor Henrietta Mondry (Head of Russian, University of Canterbury) "Metaphysical Suicide in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment" Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment (1867) contains a suicide scene where a phantom Jewish character tries to save a Russian protagonist from killing himself. Dostoevsky scholars consider this episode as one of the most enigmatic in his writing. Advancing the notion of metaphysical suicide, I analyse the dynamic between the symbolic meaning of suicide and the city space in St Petersburg where it takes place. The eschatological meaning of this space dynamic opens up through this interreligious and intercultural encounter. Henrietta Mondry is Professor in Russian and English at the UC and Fellow of the New Zealand Royal Society. She has published widely on 19th, 20th and 21st century Russian and European literature in the context of cultural and intellectual history. She is the author of ten books, including Exemplary Bodies: Constructing the Jew in Russian Culture and Political Animals: Representing Dogs in Modern Russian Culture.

Media and Communication

Ecuadorian Media Legislation and its Effects on the Reporting of Relevant Political Events

Photo source: https://globaljournalist.org/2015/01/ecuadors-gag-law-stifles-independent-press/

MONDAY, 28 MAY, 1.30PM IN LOCKE 611A Jorge Bolanos Lopez (MA Candidate, Media & Communication) This research project aims to explore the effects of the Ecuadorian Communications Law, which was enacted in 2013, on private and public press with a focus on major news stories related to Odebrecht Organization’s corruption scandal and the campaign for a national referendum to decide on the abolishment of a president’s ability to run for re-election an indefinite number of times. Koltay (2014) argues that free press is the channel through which governments can receive feedback and information about the needs and wishes of its citizens. Furthermore, he affirms that it is the marketplace of ideas, in which its diversity of expressions and debates will lead its citizens to the discovery of their own truth without state intervention. However, in South America, leftist leaders have accused the press of being the elites' tool to manipulate information in order to shape the public opinion towards what they need (Rousseff, 2018). Iglesias (2018) claims that news media plays an illegitimate political role in which, by claiming freedom of speech, distorts the truth, influences decisions and dictates judgments through its headlines. This animosity from South American left wing presidents towards the private press has led to the creation of legislation for the regulation of the media in terms of distribution, ownership and journalistic practices in Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina.

Political Science and International Relations

Philosophy

Professional and Community Engagement Arts Careers

This week Captain Chris Buerkeman from the New Zealand Defence Force and Inspector Hirōne Waretini from New Zealand Police spoke at the Arts Careers Series about the value of an Arts degree for careers in their organisations.

Captain Buerkeman stressed the importance of the wide range of Arts subjects being essential for a career in the New Zealand Defence Force, in developing quality recruits for the demands of the contemporary world. Captain Buerkman also stressed the wide variety of careers available in the Defence Force, explaining the opportunity and even expectation to grow and develop within the force.

Inspector Waretini, who heads recruitment for the Canterbury region, spoke about the ethos of the modern Police force and the emphasis on people, particularly engaging with communities. For Inspector Waretini, an Arts background provides new recruits with the ideal training for careers in the Police, providing the sound basis of communication skills, critical thinking and adaptability.

Next week we have speakers from Christchurch City Libraries and the Graffiti Team, talking about the wide range of opportunities open to Arts graduates in local government.

Research Centre News National Centre for Research on Europe MEP Internships Since 2003, the NCRE and EUCN, in conjunction with Members of the European Parliament and the New Zealand Embassy in Brussels, have coordinated a programme allowing New Zealanders to work as interns for a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Over these fifteen years, more than thirty postgraduates have been awarded these Brussels-based internships. The MEP Internship provides €5,000 to support return airfares to Brussels, accommodation and daily living costs during the internship. The internships provide post-graduates with an opportunity to experience working in a real-life setting, as well as to assist their own research and are designed to increase awareness and understanding of the EU, the inner workings of the European Parliament and EU institutions, and equip students with practical,

transversal skills relevant for professional careers. This year the successful applicants are Natalija Petrovic and Megan Fraser. Natalija is in her first year of the Taught Masters (MEURO) degree and is interested in the effect of the regulatory power of Europe on multi-national corporations. Megan is currently completing a Master of Laws (International Law and Politics) degree. In her dissertation she plans to explore the intersection of humanitarian law and the prevention of human trafficking within the EU. Upon their return a report of their experiences will be published on our website. Confucius Institute Chinese Bridge Speech Competition On Sunday 20 May, CIUC held the South Island Finals of the Chinese Bridge Speech Competition. The Chinese Bridge Speech Competition is an international competition for secondary and tertiary students. This year’s winner of the tertiary category was Cameron Page, who will travel to China with Sophia Kim, the runner up, to participate in the international finals. Cameron is a Chinese programme student at UC who started studying Chinese at the CIUC evening courses. The top five students in the junior and senior secondary school categories will participate in the national competition in Auckland in August.

Principals’ Delegation to China Five principals from South Island schools travelled to China with CIUC Director Phil Marshall-Lee and former Deputy Director Jing Jiang. They visited schools and universities in China, as well as the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing. They said that the time in China was valuable for forging relationships with Chinese schools and institutes, and gave them a better understanding of the progress China is making, and the unique challenges educational institutes there face.

Students’ Cultural Camp in China Forty-nine secondary students and teachers from South Island schools travelled to China with the Confucius Institute to participate in the 2018 Students’ Cultural camp. The students visited Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai. Students especially enjoyed each spending time with a Chinese family. They said afterwards that the camp had encouraged them to continue with the Chinese language studies. NEWS AND EVENTS http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/arts/arts-news/

UC Arts gives updates on news and events from across the College of Arts, with over 30 academic

programmes there are always interesting events happening, many of which are open to students and the

public for free. Follow us.