I had a very enjoyable time speaking to a wonderful range of people at our open evening last night, all of whom were in the process of putting in (or seriously considering putting in) applications for BA, Grad Cert and MA programmes in the department, to start in a couple of weeks time. There is still time, so if you’re reading this and considering joining us, or re-joining us, don’t hesitate to put in an application, and to contact me (l.topp@bbk.ac.uk) or our admissions tutor Dorigen Caldwell (d.caldwell@bbk.ac.uk).
Some dates to keep in mind for incoming students – induction evenings are coming up as follows:
Weds 25 September, 6-9pm for BA History of Art, BA History of Art with Curating, BA History of Art with Film and BA History of Art and History
Thurs 26 September, 6-9pm for MA/PG Certificate/PG Diploma in History of Art, History of Photography, History of Architecture and Museum Cultures
Saturday 28 September, 10am-1pm for Graduate Certificate in History of Art and Architecture
Two posts ago I included a special bit for all our EU students, and had a nice message back from Lara, who’s joining us on the MA History of Photography: ‘As an EU citizen working in London and now studying I feel very supported and welcomed. Thank you.’ David Latchman, the Master of Birkbeck, recently wrote to all staff acknowledging that we’re all rattled by the national crisis and including this statement I wanted to share with you: ‘Birkbeck is proud of its inclusive and international outlook. Whatever course the UK ultimately takes in relation to Brexit we are committed to welcoming and supporting staff and students from the European Union and across the globe. We are committed to the breadth and scope of our international academic collaborations.’
The brilliant charity Art Fund has announced its 2019 Student Art Pass offer, which is a good one, especially if you’re eager to get to some of the great exhibitions coming up this season but are looking to defray the sometimes breathtaking cost of entry. Here’s the info, and note the December deadline.
Student Art Pass – a year of art and opportunities for a fiver
A Student Art Pass lets you dive into culture on a budget with free entry to hundreds of museums and galleries across the UK, and 50% off major exhibitions.
Plus, you’ll gain access to paid arts opportunities and grow your network by joining the #WeAreArtful #StudentArtPass community. All for just £5 a year.
Available for a limited time (deadline 15 December). Get your £5 pass today:
I can give one more sneak preview of a special event coming up this term, organised by our Architecture Space and Society Centre, which is a very active hub for research events related to architectural history from medieval to contemporary. They’ve collaborated here with the Birkbeck Institute of Humanities. (Note the date: it might be good to have an absorbing distraction…)
Factory World: Architecture and Industrialization over Time and Space
11.00-6.00, October 31, 2019, Keynes Library, Organized by Mark Crinson (History of Art, Birkbeck) and Claire Zimmerman (visiting scholar from University of Michigan), and featuring speakers from Technical University Berlin, and universities of Newcastle, Brighton and Rochester (NY). This one-day symposium explores new research on factory architecture and images of factories between the Industrial Revolution and the present day, and across several different countries. Factories offer distinctive ways to understand architecture as a globally interconnected phenomenon, intimately tied to urban change, visions of modernity and technological utopia. The event will offer speakers and audiences the opportunity to share ideas around questions of political economy in architecture.
Finally, another announcement of an exciting new book out from one of our academics. Dr Charlotte Ashby has co-edited Imagined Cosmopolis: Internationalism and Cultural Exchange, 1870s-1920s, published by Peter Lang. The book explores ways in which the arts operated internationally between 1870-1920s against a tide of rising nationalism. And how they helped to challenge national and nationalistic conceptions of citizenship, society, homeland and native tongue. Why does that sound familiar…
