Radio discussion on Cultural Decline

Dr Ruth Adams made a guest appearance on the BBC Radio programme Good Morning Wales on Friday 14 August 2009.

Dr Adams and Peter Finch, poet and Chief Executive of Academi, the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society of Writers, were asked to comment on some controversial statements made by Jonathan Mills, the director of the Edinburgh International Festival. Mills had been quoted in an article in the Times, claiming that coherent ideas and intellectual rigour had lost their value for much of society, to be replaced with a consumer emphasis on simplification and entertainment for its own sake. Mills argued that the trivialisation of British life had left millions of people subsisting on a cultural diet of “white bread without the crusts”.

Dr Adams and Peter Finch agreed that there was little conclusive evidence to support this, not least because many people are still engaging with challenging culture, and also because the notion of cultural decline is rooted in the idea of a ‘golden age’, when the majority of the population were consumers of ‘highbrow’ culture, which arguably has never been the case. However, they also agreed that this was a debate worth having, and that Jonathan Mills had secured himself some useful publicity for his event.

The Nobel Corinne

Congratulations to current MA CCI student Corinne Mathieu on turning her internship in to a full time job with the Nobel Foundation’s official website.

Nobel Web is the London-based subsidiary that manages and maintains the Nobel Foundations official website, Nobelprize.org. This features information on every Nobel Prize since 1901, including the winners, lectures, interviews, photographs, articles, and even video clips, all aimed at: “inspiring young people to learn more about the achievements of the Nobel Laureates.”

King’s College London itself boasts eight Nobel Laureates so far, the prizes being awarded annually in Stockholm for: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace. Corinne is thoroughly looking forward to going to Sweden to work on ceremony later this year. She is pictured here on the day of her internship visit by Centre Director Dr Richard Howells and Arts and Media Liaison Officer Fernanda Fain-Binda.

The centre will be further strengthening its relationship with the Nobel Foundation next month when Henrik Lindén, the Librarian the Nobel Museum in Stockholm begins his Doctoral research at CMCI under the supervision of Richard Howells.

Corinne, who comes from Wyoming in the United Sates, starts her Nobel job on completion of her MA this autumn.

The Problem With PowerPoint

As we celebrate 25 years of PowerPoint, there’s a terrific article on the BBC news magazine website that reminds us that there’s a problem with the ubiquitous presentations: “They’re often boring”.

To read more -and especially in avance of MA CCI internship presentations- go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8207849.stm

There are lots of tips -and painfully frank comments too.

Now excuse us while we “talk to some slides….”

Doctor in a Spin

Our friends and collaborators at the Radio Academy have announced a special event on spin doctors that should appeal to our more media savvy students.

Looking ahead to a general election, and mindful of cuts in newsroom numbers, the academy wonder how we as listeners will be able to “sort the puff from the policy”.

Panellists include blogger Guido Fawkes and PR “guru” Mark Borkowski. The host is Jeremy Vine.

Date: 9 September. Time: 6:30 pm; venue The Gibson Building, 29-35 Rathbone Place W1; members free, others £10. Register at events@radioacademy.org

Welcome, Fernanda

We are delighted to welcome Fernanda Fain-Binda as new member of the CMCI team. Fernanda, a Londoner whose family come from Argentina, has already brought enthusiasm and dedication to the new post of Arts and Media Liaison Officer, a role that will build on our existing strong relations with the cultural and creative industries. She’ll be working especially on our internship programme.

Fernanda was previously Administrative Assistant for the London Region of English Heritage, based at Kenwood House. A graduate of University College London, she is also a keen follower of music, fashion, film and cultural events. When not at work, Fernanda admits that she can be found: “marveling at Lady Gaga on YouTube and being hopelessly malcoordinated at yoga classes”.

Fernanda says: “Please feel free to drop me an email at cci-internships@kcl.ac.uk to discuss your internship experiences or to arrange a meeting to discuss future opportunities”.