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The free magazine for The University of Manchester 5 November 2012 Issue 2 Volume 10 uni life Manchester arts: reaching around the world
The free magazine for The University of Manchester
5 November 2012Issue 2 Volume 10
unilifeManchester arts:
reaching around the world
ur aim, initiated in ‘Project Unity’ in 2004and clearly restated in our Manchester2020 vision, is to create a world-leadinguniversity which will compete with the
best universities in the world.
Part of this vision was that we would occupy asingle, outstanding campus where: “Our beautifulhistoric buildings sit alongside new, state-of the-artstructures and facilities and where we integrate withour City and with our local communities.”
Our future success will depend primarily on ourpeople, but they need outstanding infrastructure.Great progress has been made in the developmentof our campus. We have invested £750 million innew buildings and major refurbishments since 2004.
The latest, a testament to our inaugural Presidentand Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Gilbert, is theLearning Commons, dedicated to student learning,which we already hear from the students is:“Fabulous, amazing, brilliant!”
We are already creating a beautiful campus, withopen and welcoming spaces and outstandingbuildings. Now is the time to build on theimprovements to our estate, which will coincidewith major developments along Oxford Road.
There is still much to do if we are to achieve ourambitious goals. Most importantly, we still occupytwo campuses which we refer to as our ‘NorthCampus’ and our ‘Main – or South – Campus’.
A real priority must be to bring the Universitytogether onto a single site, where our staff andstudents can integrate, collaborate and share thebest facilities. The costs of remaining on the NorthCampus in the long term would be extremely high,both financially and for our carbon footprint.
After extensive discussions amongst senior staffover recent months and remarkable achievementsby Diana Hampson (Director of Estates andFacilities) and her team, we have developed acomprehensive plan for the University estate forthe next ten years, with an estimated cost ofapproximately £1 billion.
This will lead to a transformational change to ourcampus which not only delivers a single site campus,
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Contact usNews and story ideasMikaela Sitfordtel 0161 275 2112email [email protected]/staffnet/newsDeadline 14 November 2012
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Next issue 3 December 2012
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Message from the President
NewsHonour for iconic author
NewsMultimillion pound funding boostfor cancer research
Our University is to invest £1 billion over the next ten yearsto create a world-class campusfor our staff and students. Herethe President and Vice-Chancellorcomments on these plans.
At the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons
Meeting Staff Volunteer of the Year Lenox Green
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but also includes a programme of estatesdevelopment that will impact on almost every areaof the University for staff, students and visitors.
Planning for ten years ahead is always difficult -never more so than in the current climate of changeto universities and the wider economy.
Hence, we have developed more detailed plans andfunding for the first five to six years of our vision,including the relocation of the North Campus anddevelopment of many other priorities for thedevelopment of our estate and ongoingmaintenance.
This first phase of our Estates MasterPlan, requiresfunding of about £700 million, and includes acontinuing investment in the North Campus during
the transitional period. Our Estates MasterPlan andthe more detailed plans for the first six years werereviewed and approved recently by our Board ofGovernors and by the Board Finance Committee. So,we will now proceed.
We always have to make very difficult choicesabout how we deploy our limited resources, nevermore so than in this current period of widereconomic uncertainty.
But to ‘sit tight and wait’ will certainly not achieveour goals. Hence we must move forward with ourEstates MasterPlan. We have, of course, built inmajor points of possible ‘pause’, which may beneeded, should our financial circumstances change,but the plans presented to the Board were based
on conservative estimates about income andassumed no income from disposals of vacatedbuildings or land.
Even these ambitious plans cannot deal with all ofour estates needs, but they do take us forward in atime of economic difficulty with plans that I believeare not only deliverable, but are also essential forthe next phase of achieving our ambitious goals.
Further details of our Estates MasterPlan can beseen on page 5 of this issue of Unilife and are beingcommunicated across the University.
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor
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Contents2 Message from the President
4 News
12 Research
14 News Feature
18 What’s On
20 Treasured
ResearchThe 16 million-year-oldstowaway
FeatureLaunch of our new School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
Visiting the teaching labs in the James Chadwick Building
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his is the UK’s first monument to ClockworkOrange author Anthony Burgess – and it’sright here on campus.
Burgess, whose iconic tale of gang violence andretribution celebrates its 50th anniversary this year,studied English Literature here from 1937 to 1940.
The son of a music-hall dancer and a shopkeeper,Burgess grew up in Harpurhey and Moss Side.Some of his earliest poems were published in theUniversity student magazine ‘The Serpent’, includinga love poem to his first wife and fellow student,Llewela Jones.
However, other than a plaque outside his flat inMonaco – where he lived for 17 years – no other
monument exists to the world-famous author, whodied in 1993.
Dr Andrew Biswell, Director of the InternationalAnthony Burgess Foundation, said: “AlthoughBurgess was one of the great English-languagewriters of the 20th century, he has always beenneglected in the country of his birth.
“So I’m delighted that the University has decided toinstall the first British public monument to him.”
The plaque – unveiled by Professor Jeremy Gregory,Head of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures,to mark the launch of the School – can be found onthe Samuel Alexander Building.
• Read our special arts feature on page14.
Honour for iconic authorT
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n oil painting by British master JMW Turnerhas been ‘rediscovered’ at the WhitworthArt Gallery.
The Margate seascape was bequeathed to theGallery by prominent North West industrialist Sir Edward Tootal Broadhurst in 1922, and enteredinto the catalogue as a Turner.
However the authenticity of the painting wasthrown into doubt by art world experts whobranded it a fake.
Now, thanks to an investigation by ‘Art Detective’and authority on British art, Philip Mould, andongoing research by leading Turner expert IanWarrell, the painting can reclaim its former glory asan authentic work by one of the world’s greatestpainters.
The painting bears a striking resemblance to otherlate works by Turner in the National Museum Walesin Cardiff, which were re-authenticated as part ofthe BBC’s ‘Fake or Fortune’ programme broadcastlast month.
It will be put on display in the near future, and canbe viewed by appointment by contacting theWhitworth Art Gallery on 0161 275 7450.
Turner masterpiece reclaims glory
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University lands globalambassador roleManchester and Cambridge have become thefirst two UK institutions to receive the SiemensGlobal Ambassador award.
This prestigious status was given in recognitionof the two universities’ wide-ranging researchcollaborations across business sectors and also their efforts to engage graduate talent with Siemens.
Welsh MinisterappointsManchesterprofessorProfessor Mel Ainscow CBE is to lead a teamwhich will 'challenge and support' the wayAnglesey’s schools are run.
Mel is Professor of Education and Co-Director ofthe Centre for Equity in Education.
J.M.W Turner, Figures on the Beach at Margate (The Phantom Ship) c.1840. Whitworth Art Gallery.
ur University is to invest £1 billion overthe next ten years to create a world-classcampus for our staff and students.
The Estates MasterPlan, which was approved bythe University’s Board of Governors on 10 October,will create a single campus and will involve theconstruction of new teaching and researchbuildings, student facilities and majorimprovements to the public realm.
The first phase of the plan, costing around £700 million, will be delivered over the next sixyears. It includes the building of a new engineeringcampus, new centres for the School of Law andManchester Business School, a major refurbishmentof the University Library, a bigger and betterStudents’ Union and a new Medical School for ourstudents in Dover Street. There would also beinvestment in a Combined Heat and Power Facility,as well as a new car park and the refurbishment ofthe telescope at Jodrell Bank.
The University will also spend several millionpounds to improve the public realm andlandscaping in order to capitalise on the futureimprovements to Oxford Road, which will seewider pavements, tree-lined boulevards and theremoval of all cars during 2015. Students willbenefit from major IT upgrades, a new teachingblock, refurbishments of several teaching roomsand extension to the Students’ Union Building.
Outline plans have been drawn up for a secondphase which is expected to cost a further £300 million and would begin in 2018 and end in2022. This second phase would create a BiomedicalCampus around the existing Stopford Building, anew health centre for staff and students, andincludes refurbishments in the Schools ofComputer Science, Earth, Atmospheric andEnvironmental Sciences, Mathematics andChemistry.
Director of Estates and Facilities Diana Hampsonsaid: “Since the merger of the two universities in2004, it has been our ambition to bring all of theacademic activity together on a single site south ofthe Mancunian Way, which will improve efficiency,improve the student experience and reduce theUniversity’s carbon footprint.
“This visionary building programme will give usone of the most modern campuses in the world,where the vast majority of our students will bestudying in brand new or refurbished buildings.”
The new investment is in addition to the £750 million spent since 2004 which has alreadyseen the completion of ten new buildings andmany large scale refurbishments.
The completion of Phase One of the MasterPlanwill see the University moving out of most of thebuildings on the North Campus, although it willretain some of the buildings to the west ofSackville Street, including the ManchesterInterdisciplinary Biocentre. The University is alreadyworking with partners from the City Council andNew Economy to identify a suitable use for thebuildings on the North Campus, which will bevacated by 2018.
The majority of Schools will not move out of theirpresent base on the North Campus until the newengineering campus is completed in 2018 and theUniversity will continue to invest in and maintainthe North Campus to a high standard, withsignificant investment over the next six years.
Manchester 2020 Vision leadsto £1 billion campus MasterPlanO
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tudents have embraced their “awesome”new learning space, the £24 million AlanGilbert Learning Commons, with gusto.
The Learning Commons – named after theUniversity’s inaugural President and Vice-Chancellor –has been designed to give students a focal point forlearning.
It boasts more than 1,000 study spaces, 400 PCs,30 bookable group study rooms, Skype area andmedia screens for group work.
Students who are using the Learning Commonshave described it as: “Amazing…well designed…nice and bright.”
One student summed it up best by saying: “I’mproud to be at Manchester – great work!”
Amazingspace
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ne youngster summarised his visit to theWorld Heart Day event run by Universityresearchers as: “It’s extra awesome here!”
The event, hosted by the Museum of Science andIndustry (MOSI), involved a series of interactive –and often messy – activities designed to inform andenthuse both young and old about thecardiovascular system.
The event was organised by staff from the Institute ofCardiovascular Sciences, in the Faculty of Medical andHuman Sciences, and the Faculty of Life Sciences.
Visitors began by donning surgical gloves andgetting to grips with a display of real animal hearts.
Organiser Clare Austin said: “Despite the initialreactions of many, this was perhaps the mostpopular part of the event and was an excellent wayof explaining cardiac anatomy.”
Co-organiser Ann Canfield added: “All in all it wasan exhausting, but extremely enjoyable andworthwhile day. Our feedback confirmed that manyof the 2,383 visitors to MOSI that day left with anenhanced knowledge of the cardiovascular system.”
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New health chiefProfessor Martin Gibson has been appointedChief Executive of leading e-health softwareprovider North West e-Health (NWeHealth).
NWeHealth, is a not-for-profit collaborationbetween the University, Salford Royal NHSFoundation Trust and Salford Primary Care Trust.It’s one of the leading software developers forhealthcare data and has deployed severalground-breaking products to revolutionise theway clinical trials are set up and run in the UK.
For more information visit: www.nweh.org.uk
Unique devicebrings the house downIt’s exciting when a big parcel comes to yourdoor – and even more exciting when it’s so bigyou have to take the back wall down to get it in.
That’s what happened at the Dalton CumbrianFacility (DCF) when it’s new Pelletron device forirradiation research arrived.
Not only that, the £3 million ion accelerator –which is used for nuclear energy research – isunique to the UK.
The DCF purchased the Pelletron with fundingfrom the Northwest Development Agency.
Having a great time, hands on hearts…literally!
ormer chair of the Treasury Select CommitteeLord McFall was just one of four importantvoices at a discussion outlining how our
University can contribute to Government policy.
The event was part of a week of free sessionsorganised by the University’s new academic network‘Policy@Manchester’, directed by Professor ColinTalbot from the Manchester Business School.
The other speakers included Financial Times‘Undercover Economist’ Tim Harford, former FTpublic policy editor Nicholas Timmins and formerScience Editor of The Times and Director ofCommunications at the Wellcome Trust, MarkHenderson.
Professor Talbot said: “One of the things thatdistinguishes top universities around the world isthat, certainly in democracies, they are usuallypowerhouses of public policy ideas.
“Manchester is trying something a little different.We surveyed staff last summer and found we hadaround 350 colleagues engaged externally in variousareas of public policy.
“Manchester as a city has upped its profile. Thearrival of ‘Media City’ means there’s suddenly lots ofmedia folk discovering there is intelligent life outsideof the M25.
“Policy@Manchester will seek to capitalise on all that.”
A quartet of big hitters
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ancer research in Manchester has beengiven a £12.8 million funding boostfollowing a successful bid by the University
to the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF).
The funds – announced by the Higher EducationFunding Council for England (HEFCE) – will partfund the construction of the new ManchesterCancer Research Centre (MCRC), on The Christiesite in Withington and pay for new researchequipment.
The MCRC is a partnership between the University,The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and CancerResearch UK, and the new building has beendesigned to help researchers and clinicians work
together to make sure that discoveries made in thelabs can be used to develop new personalisedtreatments for cancer patients.
Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Medicaland Human Sciences Professor Ian Jacobs said: “Thisfunding recognises the excellent quality of cancerresearch in Manchester.
“The new MCRC research building will facilitate plansfor expansion of our cancer research effort andprovide an exciting opportunity in Manchester toaccelerate our personalised medicine plans in cancer.”
The University’s successful bid was made possibledue to external funding from business, charities andphilanthropists, including AstraZeneca, The WolfsonFoundation and The Oglesby Charitable Trust.
Multimillion pound boost for cancer research
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An artist’s impression of the new cancer research centre
Kostya’scarbon storyNobel Prize winner Professor Sir Konstantin(Kostya) Novoselov is to give the inauguralManchester Signature Lecture this month.
The lecture – The Story of Carbon in England,which discusses the illegal trade in graphite – isthe first in a series of three hosted by theUniversity College of Interdisciplinary Learning.
The lectures aim to showcase the talent,innovation, and knowledge of the University to adiverse audience, including students, staff,alumni and the local community.
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Faculty of Life Sciences PhD student Liz Grangerhas won the Society of Biology and WellcomeTrust Science Communication Award 2012, in the‘New Researcher’ category. Liz was honoured forher projects during Science Week and CommunityOpen Days.
Dr Erinma Ochu, also from the Faculty of LifeSciences, and who led the mass sunflowerplanting as part of Manchester Museum'scelebration of Alan Turing, has been awarded aWellcome Trust Engagement Fellowship. Thefellowships champion and develop upcomingstars in public engagement with science.
Jodrell Bank has a double celebration. Its PlanetPavilion Cafe has been named by The Guardian as
one of Cheshire's ten best budget restaurants.And its 2011 Live from Jodrell Bank Festival wonthe Best Outdoor Event at the Event Awards. Theevent, headlined by The Flaming Lips, was theinternationally renowned astronomical researchcentre’s first ever music festival.
A team including the University, Nowgen,Contact Theatre and the Manchester ScienceFestival has scooped a European prize for bestinnovations in university outreach and publicengagement. ‘Seeking Perfection’ – a creativeproject which explored human enhancement andinvolved 15 young people working withresearchers – received the ‘Recognition ofDistinction’ award as part of the ‘EngageU’programme.
Alumni hear frog’s taleUniversity alumni in the United States learnt all about frogs and their conservation, thanks to a visit from the Manchester Museum’s Curator of Herpetology Andrew Gray.
Andrew spoke to a group of alumni in the heart of Silicon Valley, California, telling them about the endangeredspecies he and his team are working to conserve here at the University.
He recalls: “It was a real pleasure to meet everyone and was a wonderful opportunity to present my work to anew audience.”
For more details see: http://frogblogmanchester.com/
Awards and successes
he University recognised the great and thegood – from a mathematician celebratingher 100th birthday, to a pop star who
provided the soundtrack to many a date – when itpresented them with honorary degrees.
As part of our Foundation Day celebrations,honorary degrees were presented to:
• Mathematician Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw
• Simply Red lead singer Mick Hucknall
• Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder andChairperson of development organisation BRAC
• Sir Philip Craven, President of the InternationalParalympic Association
• John Timpson, businessman and owner of theTimpson retail business
Foundation Day also featured a lecture by formerbarrister and TV personality Clive Anderson, whoasked “Is it time to have TV cameras in court?”
The School of Mathematics hosted a lecture inhonour of Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, the formerUniversity academic celebrating her centenary andreceiving one of the honorary degrees. Professor SirMartin Taylor, of Merton College, Oxford, discussed
the oddity of parity, in tribute to Dame Kathleen’sresearch on mathematical ‘magic squares’.
Born in Manchester, Dame Kathleen took her degreeat Oxford University and has since combined her
research with politics as Mayor of Manchester. Sheis passionately committed to encouraging interest inmathematics amongst young people. Deaf since theage of eight, she is an inspiring role model to many.
Honours frommaths to music
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Top (l-r) John Timpson, Mick Hucknall, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. Bottom (l-r) Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Sir Philip Craven
Andrew Gray and the Splendid Leaf Frog
hen Kamran Hussain was little, hewanted to be a binman. But – of course– his mother knew best.
She hadn’t been to university and wanted her son tohave that opportunity. Ten years on, he is here atour University studying Criminology – thanks to theManchester Access Programme (MAP).
“My mum always tells me the story of how I wantedto be a binman and it makes me laugh,” Kamranrecalls. “I had no hopes of going to university beforethe Manchester Access Programme, but whensomeone came to school to tell us about it, I couldsee it was a great opportunity.”
MAP is the University’s flagship initiative for talentedlower-sixth form students from less advantagedparts of Greater Manchester, who attend a stateschool and whose parents didn’t go to university.
This year MAP is behind a University doublecelebration – the programme received a recordnumber of students, while the University admittedthe highest ever proportion of students from ‘lowparticipation neighbourhoods’ - postcode areas inthe country where few people progress intohigher education.
More than 9% of young students enteredManchester from areas with the lowest rates ofparticipation in the UK. This was achieved despitethe well-publicised increases to undergraduate fees.
First-year Kamran, who is 18 and from Longsight,says: “The programme was hard work but I’m glad Idid it. I met lots of nice people and it gave me theconfidence and skills to apply to Manchester. I feellike I have a headstart through my time on MAP andthe additional financial support I receive.”
Kamran is receiving financial support from theUniversity’s North American Foundation, whichsupports a number of students on the programme.
Julian Skyrme, Head of Social Responsibility andWidening Participation, says: “I am delighted thatwe have set these two new records in what hasbeen a challenging year for undergraduaterecruitment.”
Double firstfor accessW
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he School of ChemicalEngineering and AnalyticalScience (CEAS) has opened
the doors to its new home, the JamesChadwick Building.
The five-storey building, on the cornerof Booth Street East and Upper BrookStreet, is part of a £30 million projectto further expand the School,boasting outstanding researchfacilities and teaching laboratories.
Named after Sir James Chadwick, theManchester alumnus and NobelLaureate in physics, awarded for hisdiscovery of the neutron, it alsohouses a sophisticated industrial pilotplant.
Head of School Professor MikeSutcliffe said: “I would like to saythanks to our fantastic team, withinthe School and in the Directorate ofEstates and Facilities, who have beenworking very hard to make thishappen.
“This ambitious and modern buildinggives chemical engineering staff andstudents the environment theydeserve. As one of a small group ofelite chemical engineering
departments within the UK, it is vitalwe have the facilities to match.
“Our broad research base in whichengineers and scientists workseamlessly together enables us tostudy the design, operation andintegration of different complex
systems – particularly industrial,biological and instrumentation – andapply chemical engineering in a 21stcentury context.
“The new building will significantlyenhance the student experience –allowing us to further develop cutting
edge teaching methods underpinnedby state-of-the-art laboratoryequipment coupled with a modern,enabling learning environment.”
School opens the doors on new home
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Kamran Hussain in the lecture hall
President and Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell takes a tour
Meet...What is the best part of your job?Being in the University LanguageCentre is a bit like the United Nationsin that we meet people from all partsof the world.
What is the hardest part of your job?We provide a wide range of foreignTV through TVoIP, and whenchannels disappear it’s a bit of aheadache to get a permit for roofaccess, due to health and safetyissues.
Which teacher inspired you themost at school?My history teacher. He encouragedme a lot during my early educationand he had a lot of patience.
What is your proudest moment?The birth of my granddaughter,Amelia.
What’s your favourite karaoke song?It’s Elvis Presley’s ‘Always On MyMind’. Although I must say I haven’tyet had the courage to perform thesong live!
If you could give any advice toyour 16-year-old self, what wouldyou say?Pick the subjects you enjoy most andwork hard to accomplish your goal.
What’s the one gadget you can’t live without?My mobile phone – I feel lostwithout it.
What’s your favourite film?I love all the James Bond movies, butthere’s also a Bollywood classic called‘Jodha Akbar’ that’s my favourite.
What is on your ipod?I don’t have an ipod, but if I did itwould have my Arabic lessons on it.
Your bookcase?I like to read knowledge-based orfactual books, particularly those byJābir ibn Hayyān (Geber), aprominent polymath, andMuhhamad Al Ghazali, a greatphilosopher.
Your TV?I particularly enjoy BBC4documentaries about the planet andwildlife.
Who would you invite to yourdream dinner party?I would invite Mohammed Ali andNelson Mandela.
What law would you repeal?I’m not happy with the anti-terrorlaws which seem inconsistent and Ibelieve this is probably why AmnestyInternational opposes them.
And what law would you bring in?I would bring in a law against NHSprivatisation, and prosecute bankdirectors if they are found to abusepublic funds.
What’s your favourite holiday destination?I love India: it’s a very colourful place,the people are great, the food’samazing, and everything is cheap.
What three things would youneed if you were stranded on adesert island?I’d say a prayer mat, a fishcookbook, and a satellite mobilephone.
What’s your biggest vice?Getting up late in the morning! Irun on Abdul Standard Time.
How would you like to beremembered?I hated no-one and helped anyone inneed.
Tell us the secret to life – in six words.Be content, thankful and not regretful.
If you could have any job in theworld, what would it be?Believe it or not, this one. I’m a‘techie’ who works with AVtechnology all day – what could be better?
Abdul Pathan, Multimedia Technician,University Language Centre
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News
he Manchester Museum has unveiledAncient Worlds, a major re-working of itsinternationally important ancient Egyptianand archaeology collections.
The highly anticipated, re-designed galleries openedto the public on 26 October, marking the centenaryof the original opening of Egyptology galleries inManchester in 1912.
The new galleries reveal the people and the storiesbehind the objects, bringing them to life. They givea sense of how we find out about people in the pastthrough the things they left behind.
And the old is backed up by the new – digitalinterpretation gives access to different levels ofinformation, research and additional objects viavisitors’ own mobile devices.
The £1.6 million project included a major awardfrom the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Visit: www.ancientworlds.co.uk
Fresh look atAncient Worlds
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hese are just some of the spectacular images which touted for yourvote as part of the University’s involvement in the ManchesterScience Festival.
One is a rather pretty picture – showing the bacteria living on our hands. Itwas entered by Peter Eliot, from the Faculty of Life Sciences, who used aUV gel moisturiser to demonstrate the cracks of the hands are especiallyprone to housing bacteria.
Another picture shows a farmer using one of his two mobile phones deepin the mountains of Colombia’s coffee region. It was entered by AngelicaValeria Ospina, in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and wastaken during the fieldwork of a PhD focused on the role of information andcommunication technologies in developing countries’ adaptation.
This year’s theme ‘Making a Difference’ had images demonstrating howUniversity research is affecting the wider world and benefitting society.
See www.manchesterimagesofresearch.co.uk andwww.manchestersciencefestival.com
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Picture thisT
cientific tests using replicas of twoancient Egyptian artificial toes suggestthey’re likely to be the world’s first
prosthetic body parts.
Dr Jacky Finch made replicas of the two toeswhich date from before 600BC. She then askedtwo volunteers, who were both missing their righttoe, to wear them, both with and without shoes.
The results showed that both volunteers were ableto walk using the toes, and they did particularlywell when they wore replica ancient Egyptiansandals.
The Egyptian toes predate what is currentlythought to be the world’s oldest prosthetic, aRoman leg, by 300 years.
The graphene-paved roadmapWonder material graphene could not onlydominate the electronic market in the nearfuture, it could also lead to a huge range ofnew markets and applications, a landmarkpaper by Professor Kostya Novoselov claims.
Writing in ‘Nature’, the Nobel Prize-winner hasproduced a ‘Graphene Roadmap’ which for thefirst time sets out what the world’s thinnest,strongest and most conductive material cantruly achieve.
The paper details how graphene has thepotential to revolutionise diverse applicationsfrom smartphones and ultrafast broadband, toanticancer drugs and computer chips.
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CT scan of a 16 million-year-old mayfly inamber has revealed the first evidence ofany creature using an adult mayfly for
transport.
Using the scan, Dr David Penney from the Facultyof Life Sciences was able identify the animal as a
tiny springtail that appears to have been riding onthe back of the mayfly.
Due to the nervous nature of springtails, it’s verydifficult to observe their behaviour, but evidenceof them using a mayfly for transport explains whyspringtails are so widespread today.
The 16 million-year-old stowaway
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The mayfly and its springtail passenger
Walk like an EgyptianDr Jacky Finch
Research
Asteroid fragmentshint at the origin ofthe solar systemUniversity scientists are among the few in the worldselected to analyse minute asteroid fragmentswhich could shed light on the origin and evolutionof the solar system.
The tiny pieces of rock – at 50-100 micrometers,smaller than a human hair – have been capturedfrom asteroid Itokawa by the Japanese missionHayabusa, and now delivered to School of Earth,Atmospheric and Environmental Sciencesresearchers.
It is the first time samples from an asteroid havebeen returned to Earth. Only about 70 samples havebeen released for international analysis – seven ofthese are being studied at the University.
hey are quiet and rather ordinary buildings,and now largely lost to the hustle and bustleof modern life.
But Methodist Halls – once “the best venue in town”– boast a colourful history.
And now a University researcher, Dr Angela Connelly,from the Manchester Architecture Research Centre,has documented the decline of these halls.
The Methodist Church built 99 around Britain at anequivalent cost of £90 million in today’s terms. It nowowns only 18; 27 were bombed in the war ordemolished; 19 are protected as listed buildings;others are theatres, bars or flats.
Dr Connelly says: “Because they do not look likechurches or cathedrals, the public aren’t aware ofthose that remain at all – especially those whichhave been converted into other uses such as barsand pubs.
“It’s sad how many of these important buildings areno longer standing – quite moving when you read ofthe struggles the Methodists had to keep them going.
“But I would rather these buildings are used by thepublic – even as a bar – rather than lose themaltogether as they are such an important part ofBritain’s urban history.”
Did you know…• Film shows warning people of the dangers ofdrink, held in Methodist Halls, inspired themovie giant J Arthur Rank. His father JosephRank, of the famed baking business RankHovis, provided much of the capital to buildthe Central Halls and the film producer, also aprominent Methodist, became interested inthe movie industry after seeing thepioneering use of religious films at theMethodist Missions in the 1920s.
• The wife of the Methodist Times founder andreformer Hugh Price Hughes established thenation’s first ever crèche for working girls atthe West London mission in the 1880s.
• The Kingsway Hall in West London was thefirst place where Pavarotti’s voice wasrecorded, back in 1964. The Hall wasconsidered to have the finest acoustics inLondon for recording orchestral music.
• The UN Declaration was signed inWestminster Hall
Plain façade hides a colourful history of high notes
Manchester leadsheart attackdetection trialPatients at two Manchester hospitals will betaking part in the trial of a heart attackdetection system, led by University researcher Dr Richard Body.
Richard has pioneered the Manchester AcuteCoronary Syndromes (MACS) decision rule tohelp emergency department staff decide ifsomeone needs to be admitted and treated fora heart attack.
If successful, a larger trial across the NHS mayfollow.
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Fashion industry blamed for horrors of Italian sweatshopsThe appalling conditions of up to 25,000 migrantclothes workers and their families in northern Italycan be blamed on the fashion industry, according toUniversity researcher Dr Jerónimo Montero Bressan.
Dr Montero Bressan, from the School ofEnvironment and Development, says the stateauthorities are more concerned about Italy’seconomic problems than the conditions of theworkers, who produce clothing for well-known
brands on the British high street as well as ‘highend’ fashion houses.
Mostly trafficked from China, the workers can belocked up for months, working up to 17 hours aday and earning as little as £240 a month.
He called for new laws in Italy to force companiesat the top of the production chain to be madelegally responsible for the working conditions intheir subcontractors' workshops.
Sample prepared for analysis
Arts Feature
he city of Manchester has alwayshad a strong arts scene, one thathas time and again taken the restof the world by storm.
Its hall of fame includes writersElizabeth Gaskell, Anthony Burgess
and Jeanette Winterson; poets John Byrom andLemn Sissay and painters Wynford Dewhurst, LS Lowry and Chris Ofili. In film, TV and theatrethere’s John Thaw, Mike Leigh and Danny Boyle;while musicians range from The Hollies andHerman’s Hermits to The Smiths, Oasis and theMadchester scene.
It’s also home to both the Hallé and BBCPhilharmonic orchestras, while Top of the Pops –and Coronation Street – were born here.
As broadcaster (and former Chancellor of ourUniversity) Brian Redhead once said, “Manchester ...is the capital, in every sense, of the North ofEngland, where the modern world was born.” Or, asIan Brown of The Stone Roses put it, “Manchesterhas everything except a beach.”
And our University has more than matched theinspirational output of its hometown…
From the streets of Gorton to the Hollywood hills and the war-torn refugee camps of Kosovo, arts at our University aremaking a difference to the outside world in a myriad of ways.Here, as the University opens its new School of Arts, Languagesand Cultures, Unilife celebrates the arts here in Manchester…
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Celebrating thearts in Manchester
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or a stark, and indeed,heartrending example of howthe arts can make adifference to the world, look
no further than ‘In Place of War’,which supports people and artists inwar-torn communities.
“I have seen people in warzones riskingtheir lives to keep participating in thearts,” says founder Professor JamesThompson. “This is not some nice‘extra’; it is a sense of being alive.”
James founded the project in 2004after working with children affectedby the war in Sri Lanka for Unicef in2000. He was “shocked” to find athriving arts scene, which included achildren’s theatre group, such was thecommunity’s determination to find asense of happiness and normalityamong the chaos.
This inspired James to developsupport for the arts in Sri Lanka andother areas of conflict, such asKosovo, Rwanda, Israel and Palestine– bringing artists from variouscountries together, ending their senseof isolation and allowing them to gainrecognition and share expertise.
More than that, the supported projectshelp the people themselves addressissues such as access to education,women’s rights and HIV, as well assimply allowing them – and theirchildren find enjoyment in their lives.
Now, inspired by the Arab Spring, itaims to develop social medianetworking for artists in Egypt.
Sometimes the war cuts back in, alltoo brutally. James has lost people hehas grown close to twice – once when24 former child soldiers in Sri Lankawere killed when their rehabilitationcamp was attacked; another timewhen aid workers were shot as theytravelled to the eastern Congocommunity where they and Jameshad set up an education project.
One of them, Antoine Munyiginya,survived and James called on hisHumanitarian Conflict ResponseInstitute colleague, Professor TonyRedmond at the Faculty of Medicaland Human Sciences, to arrangesurgery for Antoine’s wounded arm.
Antoine – now able to use his arm – isback at work in the DR Congo.
“People want to celebrate their lives,”James says. “They want to forgeteverything going on around them:despite everything they want to singand dance on stage.”
he Martin Harris Centre –which celebrates its tenthanniversary next year – helps
to make a difference to people closerto home.
Famous names such as Colm Toibin,John Hegley, Martin Amis and Clive James have graced this venuewith its 350-seat concert hall, 150-seat studio theatre andelectroacoustic music studio.
It aims to make sure our studentshave a great learning experience, aswell as being a well-used venue forUniversity staff, students and visitors.
Manager Mark Woolstencroft says:“We have built strong relationshipswith Manchester Science Festival,Psappha, the BBC, the Hallé,Manchester International Festival,Manchester Pride and ManchesterLiterature Festival to name a few.Building relationships with these bodiesmeans students get to work with and'rub shoulders' with professionals.
"My ambition is to bring more of ourlocal community into the Centre toboth perform and watch and listen towhat we do."
The premiere of Professor of MusicBarry Cooper’s reconstructedmovement of a Beethoven stringquartet – written when the composer
was 28 and lost in 1799 – is a greatexample of the Centre hitting both itsacademic and outreach targets.
Barry worked hard to bring thefragments together to produce“something like – not exactly like, butpretty similar to – what Beethovenwrote.” The audience experiencedthe music for its beauty and soundaesthetics, perhaps not knowing theresearch that it had taken to bring itto the concert hall.
Again closer to home, we have theManchester Histories Festival (MHF),of which the University is a majorpartner.
Its 10,000 visitors at this year's 108events, performances, talks, tours andexhibitions mainly came from GreaterManchester (84%) with others fromaround the North West, London,Bristol, Glasgow, Dublin, Exeter, Walesand Norwich.
Many were new audiences forheritage events and over 90% of thevisitors gave their events four or fivestars.
Festival Chairman Professor HannahBarker says: "Festivals like this helppeople engage with theircommunities and the world aroundthem. It gives them a sense of
identity and belonging that is crucial,particularly to marginalisedcommunities. They may think thathistory is not for them, that it's for'posh' people, but these eventsshow people there are otheropportunities and other things theycan do in their lives.
"One event, the Community andSchools History Prize in the Town Hall,had kids from Gorton andWythenshawe performing onstage, which was reallyexciting for them and theaudience as well. That's whatthe city's venues are for."
The arts aremightier thanthe sword…
Closer to home
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Widows’ performance in DR Congo
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Music at the Martin Harris Centre
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nother way the Universityengages with the local,national and international
communities is through our students.
The Institute of Cultural Practicesstudent placement scheme has seen 90postgraduates a year working with 50different arts venues and organisations.
They have assisted all sorts of people,from curators, archivists and librariansto producers, directors and eventorganisers, in art galleries, theatres,museums, libraries, educationalprogrammes, festivals and communitygroups.
Programme Director Dr Simon Parrysays: "The students get a feeling forthe sector, how differentorganisations work and how they canapply their academic knowledge,while the venues get energetic
students with lots of ideas and accessto some of the research being carriedout at the University.
“For example two students worked atthe Pankhurst Centre last year andwith just a couple of events, and verylittle supervision, let alone resources,increased the number and breadth ofits visitors.
"This is a very concrete way of workingwith the people across the region. Andstudents have been offered jobs on thestrength of their work.”
The University's students go on tohave an even greater impact whenthey enter the world of work.
Toby Jones, who was presented withthe Faculty's Outstanding AlumnusAward this year, is one of the UK'smost successful and acclaimed actors.
He has appeared in more than 20 films,alongside stars such as SigourneyWeaver and Robert de Niro, havingstudied drama here from 1986 to 1989.
Toby says the University had “a lastingimpact on both my career and my
general outlook”, which has helpedhim overcome the doubts and fearsassociated with showbusiness.
Languages alumnus Sophie Raworth issimilarly pleased she chose Manchester.Sophie, who graduated in French and
German in 1991 and is nowanchorwoman for the BBC's leadingnews programmes, recalls: “I choseManchester for the course, the city andthe social life. I'm very glad I did.”
Our impact inthe workplace
he University is continuing to build itslegacy in the arts.
Its new School of Arts, Languages andCultures is one of the largest groupings of students,teachers and researchers in the arts and languagesanywhere in the world.
Head of School Professor Jeremy Gregory says: "Webelieve that the range and diversity of our interestsand expertise bring real benefits to everyone whoworks and studies here.
“The School provides an exceptional intellectual andpractical space in which to foster interdisciplinaryand cross-disciplinary work between our seventeensubject areas, and offers all our studentsopportunities to take courses outside their corediscipline."
Our new School
Arts Feature continued
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he University'sLanguage departmentshave enjoyed their fair
share of public engagementtoo.
The Confucius Institute wasbehind the North West's firstChinese lessons for primaryschool children. The Institutewas set up in 2006 todisseminate and promotelearning of the Chineselanguage. Two years later, 90children at St Paul's PrimarySchool in Withington werespeaking their first words - and
able to communicate moremeaningfully with their sisterschool in Beijing.
The classes started young - halfan hour every week, for yearsone and two - and the projecthas now expanded to afterschool clubs for years three tosix at that school and others inthe region.
The Institute's Deputy DirectorKaren Wang says: "Not only dothe children get a lot out of it, itmakes links with sister schoolsin China more fruitful as we aregiving practical help with theircommunication. This gives thoselinks substance."
And it's not just Chinese - theSchool's work includesMultilingual Manchester, a web-based archive to
document, protect and supportmore than 100 languagesspoken in what is one ofEurope's most diverse cities.Languages spoken inManchester include Yoruba,Urdu, Yiddish, Kurdish, Romani,Aramaic, Armenian, French,Punjabi, Bengali, Somali andPolish.
Project co-organiser ProfessorYaron Matras also runs theRomani Project, which hasworked with the travellingcommunity for 20 years, againaiming to protect and supporttheir language.
He says: "I am very happy withthe continuity and longevity ofthe Romani Project. In thatperiod more than 50 peoplehave contributed to that project,reaching an audience of200,000."
His ambitions for MultilingualManchester are just as strong,thanks to the supportiveworking conditions inManchester.
"Manchester has always beenculturally and linguisticallydiverse," he explains. "Not onlyare there lots of communitieshere but also local authoritiesand services who haveembraced cultural diversity. Ihave worked closely with theseand between us we haveachieved a lot."
From localvoices toglobal
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Youngsters enjoying their Chinese classes
Actor Toby Jones
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Whitworth Art Gallery Building on Things: Images of Ruin andRenewal until 6 Jan 2013Featuring works by Piranesi, Canaletto andWhistler alongside Tacita Dean, PatrickCaulfield and Anne Desmet.
Jane and Louise Wilson until Jan 2013Featuring the world premiere of their newfilm The Toxic Camera alongside Atomgrad(Nature Abhors a Vacuum).
Hockney to Hogarth: A Rake’s Progressuntil Feb 2013
Aisha Khalid: Larger Than Life until Jan2013Examining the relationship between handand machine embroidery.
ADULT EVENTS
Each Tues, 11 – 12.30pm, FreeTuesday Talks
Every Thurs, 8.30 – 9.45am, £3, (bookingessential) Yoga
Thurs 8 Nov, 6.30pm; (booking essential)Andrew Graham Dixon LectureCaravaggio: A Life Sacred and ProfaneLecture £12.50 (students free with ID card).Lecture and Dinner £48.
Sat 10 and Sun 11 Nov, 11 – 4pm, £35(booking essential)Serious About Art Weekend CourseTextiles as Contemporary Art
Sat 10 Nov, 2.30 – 4.30pm, FreeCuillin Sound in ConcertPart 1: 2.30 – 3.15pmPart 2: 3.45 – 4.30pm
Sun 11 and Sun 25 Nov, 12.30 – 1.15pm,FreePerformance by RNCM Students
Weds 14 and Sat 17 Nov, 1 – 3pm, £5,(booking essential)Crafternoon Tea
Fri 16 Nov, 6.15pm, £6 (students free withstudent ID)Movie Night: West Side Story
Sat 24 Nov, 1– 3pm, FreeAlternative Camera Club
Sat 24 Nov, 2.30pm, FreePoets and Players
Tues 27 Nov, 11 – 12.30pm, FreeTuesday Talk with Jane and LouiseWilson
Weds 28 Nov, 2 – 5pm, FreeApocalypse Now: Thinking About Ruinsand Radiation
Fri 30 Nov, 6.15pm, £6 (students free withstudent ID)Movie Night: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
FAMILY EVENTS
Every Weds, 10.15-11.15am and 11.30-12.30pm, Free Art Baby
Every Mon, 10.30 – 11.30am and 11.30am– 12.30pm, Free Toddlertastic under 5s
Every Sun, 1.30 – 3.30pm, FreeColourful SundaysFun drop-in creative workshops.
For more information on our exhibitionsand events, please visit our website.
Opening timesMon-Sat 10am – 5pm, Sun 12 – 4pmFREE Admission. Booking line 0161 275 7450The Whitworth Art GalleryOxford Road, Manchester0161 275 7450email [email protected]/whitworth
ManchesterMuseum NEW ANCIENT WORLDS GALLERIES
Discovering ArchaeologyEgyptian WorldsExploring Objects
SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS
All exhibitions at The Manchester Museumare FREE
Alan Turing and Life’s Enigma,until 18 Nov
Breed: The British and Their Dogs, until April 2013
Building on Things: Images of Ruin andRenewal, until Jan 2013
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Every other Tuesday, 13 and 27 Nov, 12.15-1.15pm and 1.45-2.45pmBaby ExplorersSensory play for babies
Sat 17 Nov, 11 – 4pm, drop-inBig Saturday: Ancient Worlds
Fri 30 Nov, 10.30 – 11.30am and 11.30 –12.30pm, FreeMagic Carpet: Egyptian TalesFor under five’s and their carers
MUSEUM MEETS: MANCHESTERMUSEUM’S ADULT PROGRAMMEWeds 7 Nov, 6 – 8pm”Senwosret is Satisfied”: Life at KahunThursdays 8, 22 Nov, 6 Dec, 10, 12 Jan, 7 Feb, 6-8pmWildlife Recording in GreaterManchester (6 week course)Thurs 15 Nov, 6.30 – 9pm, drop-inAfter Hours: Ancient WorldsWeds 21 Nov, 3 - 4.30pmShowcase Lecture: Chemical Imaging of Art, Archaeologyand Palaeontologywith Phil Manning
Sat 24 Nov, 2 – 4pmUrban Naturalist: Building StonesScavengerSat 24 Nov, 10-5pm and Sun 25 Nov, 10-4pmWildlife Photography CourseOpening times Open: Tues-Sat 10am-5pmSun-Mon (and Bank Holidays) 11am-4pmFREE admission
The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 2648www.manchester.ac.uk/museum Follow us on Twitter @McrMuseum www.facebook.com/ManchesterMuseum
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What’s On
Listings
Mummy mask made of gilded and paintedcartonnage (linen and plaster), to beplaced over the head of a wrapped
mummy. Ptolemaic Egypt. c Paul Cliff
Gig GuideManchester Academy 1, 2 and 3 Tues 6 Nov Rock Sound Riot 2012 feat. Billy Talent + Awolnation - £17 Punch Brothers - £15Weds 7 Nov Claudia Brucken - £18.50 Gorira + Klone + Trepalium - £14Thurs 8 Nov 30H13 - £13.50 Live Evil “Into The Dark 2012” feat Ange Witch + Enforcer + Age of Taurus - £15Fri 9 Nov And So I Watch You from Afar - £9 (POSTPONED) Tech N9NE - £17.50Sat 10 Nov JJ Grey + Mofro + David Ford - £15Sun 11 Nov Devlin + Krept & Konan + Saving Grace - £11.50Mon 12 Nov Architects - £15 Alabama Shakes - £15 (Sold Out)Tues 13 Nov Ryan Bingham - £15 Ladyhawke - £14Weds 14 Nov The Revival Tour 2012 feat. Chuck Ragan + Jay Malinowski + Cory Branan + Rocky Votolato + Emily Barker - £14 Blood on the Dancefloor + It Boys - £8Thurs 15 Nov Royal Republic - £8 Parkway Drive - £16Fri 16 Nov Seether - £14.50 Sham 69 - £12 Passion Pit - £13.50Sat 17 Nov Absolute Bowie - £12 Jake Bugg - £8 (Sold Out) Levellers feat. Citizen Fish - £22.50Sun 18 Nov The Bank Perry - £13.50 Tyler James - £12 Feeder - £20Mon 19 Nov The Mild - £10 Band of Horses - £18.50Tues 20 Nov Ryan O’Shaughnessy - £8Fri 23 Nov Turbonegro - £13.50 Hundred Reasons + Hell is for Heroes + Cable - £15 (Sold Out)Sat 24 Nov Boomin - £6 Monster Magnet + My Sleeping Karma - £17.50 Chris Moyles Live + Special Guests - £17.50Sun 25 Nov Buckcherry - £15Mon 26 Nov Rodrigo Y Gabriela - £20Weds 28 Nov Crystal Castles - £16Thurs 29 Nov Converge + Touche Amore + A Storm of Light + The Secret - £13Fri 30 Nov Alabama - £18 Miss May I - £10Sat 1 Dec Therapy? + Hawk Eyes + Lafaro - £15 The Doors Alive - £10 The Lancashire Hotpots - £12Sun 2 Dec Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield - £15 Rodriguez - £17.50Tickets fromStudents' Union, Oxford RoadPiccadilly Box Office @ easy Internet Café(c/c) 0871 2200260Royal Court (Liverpool) 0151 709 4321 (c/c)Students’ UnionOxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL0161 275 2930 www.manchesteracademy.net
InternationalSocietyVisit some of the most beautiful andinteresting locations around England,Scotland and Wales. There are visits takingplace almost every weekend throughoutthe year.
Sat 10 Nov Oxford (with guided tour)Sun 11 Nov Fountain’s Abbey and Stockeld Park’s Christmas AdventureSat 17 Nov Peak District Visiting Chatsworth House (at Christmas) and BakewellSun 18 Nov Manchester Walking TourSun 18 Nov North Wales Visiting Caernarfon Castle and Portmeirion VillageSat 24 Nov Stratford-upon-AvonSun 25 Nov WhitbySat 1 Dec York (St Nicholas Fayre market)Sun 2 Dec Keswick Traditional Christmas Fayre
Opening times Mon-Fri 9.30am – 7pm (during term time)Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5pm (during vacation)
Small World Café opening timesMon-Fri 11am – 3pm
327 Oxford Road (next to Krobar)0161 275 4959 email [email protected]
Chaplaincies St Peter’s House Chaplaincy Mondays 5 - 6pm, £1.50 per sessionRush Hour Choir Open to all staff and students, no singingexperience necessary. Sunday, 11am Holy Communion12.45pm Lunch (1st Sun)Sunday, 6.30pm Evening Worship (term-time only)12.15pm Wednesdays EucharistFoyer open 10am – 5pm, weekdaysAn area where students and staff can relaxand meet friends. A tea/coffee machine isavailable.
RC Chaplaincy Avila House Mass Times (term-time only)Sunday, 7pm (Holy Name Church) nextdoor to the ChaplaincyMon, Tues, Thurs and Friday, 5.30pmChaplaincy ChapelWeds, 1.05pm Chaplaincy Chapel
The Jewish Student Centre andSynagogueHillel House, Greenheys Lane0161 226 1139Email Rabbi Mati Kos:[email protected]
Muslim Chaplaincy South Campus Mosque, McDougall Centre Jammaat (Group Prayer) DailyJuma Prayer Friday 1.15pm Honorary Imam: Imam [email protected]
North Campus MosqueBasement of Joule Library Sackville Street Building Jammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 12.30pm The role of Volunteer Muslim Chaplain is toprovide pastoral support, guidance and alistening ear to Muslim staff and studentsChaplains’ email: [email protected],[email protected]
Jodrell BankDiscovery CentreJodrell Bank Discovery Centre offers a greatday out for all the family. Come andexplore the planets using our model of theSolar System. Find answers to the wondersofthe Universe, listen to the sounds of theBig Bang and discover what the scientistsare researching ‘Live’ in our interactiveSpace Pavilion. The glass-walled café offersspectacular views of the iconic Lovelltelescope and fantastic homemade cakes!
Opening times10am-5pm
For more information and prices please visitour website Jodrell Bank Discovery CentreMacclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9DL01477 571 766www.jodrellbank.net
John RylandsLibrary(Deansgate)EXHIBITIONS
Faces and Voices until 25 NovExplores the lives of people living in Egyptin the Roman and Late Antique period.
What the Dickens? until 21 DecCelebrating the bicentenary of the birth ofCharles Dickens.
Fifty Years of A Clockwork Orange until27 Jan(Please note, some of the images on displayin this exhibition are not appropriate forviewing by younger visitors)
EVENTS
7 Nov 1 – 3pm, (booking essential)Whimsical Wednesday Workshop:Turning Pages into Something New
Fri 9 Nov, 2 – 3.30pm, (booking essential)New Voices: Creative writing workshop
Sat 10 Nov, 2 – 4pm, Free, (booking recommended)Battling Beasts: Creative Writing Event
Sat 17 Nov and 1 Dec, 12 – 1pm, (booking recommended)Here Be Dragons!
Sat 17 Nov, 1 – 2pm, booking essentialFaces and Voices Curator Tour andCollection Encounter
For further details of our events, please visitour website.
Public opening timesMon 12-5pm, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm
Reader opening timesMon-Weds 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-7pm,Fri-Sat 10am-5pm
FREE ADMISSION
The John Rylands Library 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH 0161 306 0555 email [email protected]/deansgate/events
The Martin HarrisCentre for Musicand DramaLUNCHTIME CONCERTSThurs 8 Nov, 1.10pm, FreeQuatuor DanelFri 9 Nov, 1.10pm, FreeSaxophone EnsemblesSat 10 Nov, 2pm, FreeA Celebration of Ian KempThurs 15 Nov, 1.10pm, FreeLionel Handy (Solo Cello)Fri 16 Nov, 1.10pm, FreeVocal ShowcaseThurs 22 Nov, 1.10pm, FreePsapphaFri 23 Nov, 1.10pm, FreeVaganzaThurs 29 Nov, 1.10pm, FreeGweneth Ann Jeffers and SimonLepper: HarawiFri 30 Nov, 1.10pm, FreeBrass BandEVENING CONCERTSFri 9 Nov, 7.30pm, £13.50 / £8 / £3Quatuor DanelSun 11 Nov, 7pm, £8 / £6 (under 16’s Free)Stockport Youth OrchestraSat 17 Nov, 7.30pm, £10 / £6 / £3MUMS Chamber Orchestra and WindEnsemblesFri 23 Nov, 5pm, £6 / £4 / £3Vaganza – Beat the Rush Hour ConcertFri 23 Nov, 7.30pm, £7.50 / £5 / £3 Vaganza – Evening ConcertSat 24 Nov, 7.30pm, £10 / £6 / £3MUWO (Manchester University WindOrchestra)Sun 2 Dec, 7.30pm, £12 / £9 / £3The University of Manchester Chorusand Symphony OrchestraWhitworth HallDRAMAWeds 21, Thur 22 and Fri 23 Nov, 7pm, £5 / £4 / £4.50 University of Manchester DramaSociety Autumn Show
The Martin Harris Centre for Music and DramaBridgeford Street, Manchester, M13 9PL0161 275 8951 email [email protected]/martinharriscentre
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Next Issue 3 December 2012
M279 10.12 The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL Royal Charter Number RC000797Cert no. SGS-COC-3059
Treasured
The University is home to some amazing objects. Each month in UniLife we ask a member of staff to share with us one of their favouritefascinating artefacts.
t the top of a spiral stone staircase, in a book-crowded alcove in thewondrous interior of the John Rylands Library in the city centre, Dr Maria Haralambakis patiently sifts through the vast collection of the
Jewish leader and scholar Moses Gaster (1856-1939).
Born in Romania, but expelled for activism on behalf of the Jewish population in1885, Gaster settled in England. He was a prolific writer and avid collector ofbooks and manuscripts. Put end to end, his collection would fill 30 metres ofshelf space.
The collection is so vast, Maria has chosen two objects. She has unearthed theonly known original handwritten copy of a play dealing with the events leadingup to the expulsion, which is dedicated to Gaster and features him as acharacter.
Written in 1886 by MM Ojzerkis, ‘The Emancipation of the Jews in Romania’ or‘An Unhappy Love’ is a modest volume, but quite a discovery, since a Hebrewcommentator had previously declared that “it is unknown whether or whereOjzerkis’s work survived.”
Her other choice is a beautifully illustrated Paterikon more than 200 years old. A Paterikon is a collection of stories about, and sayings attributed to, varioussaints, an important genre in the Byzantine tradition.
Bound in leather over wood covers and gold-embossed, it is written inRomanian Cyrillic in an exquisite hand, looking as fresh today as the time it waswritten in 1801.
It bears an image of Christ Pantokrator on the front cover and Theotokos (Mary)on the back.
Maria will now continue her research in Bucharest, whilst retaining her expertand enthusiastic work here.
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Handwritten tale of heroismDr Maria Haralambakis and the Paterikon
