Demon Crew Review

There will be sex

2011-03-16T08:19:00.004Z

I read somewhere that if you put sex in the title of an article, people have been scientifically proven to be 78% more likely to read it. Or something like that.

Well, I can confirm at 12 o’clock, Saturday 19th March 2011 at the States of Independence Independent Press Day at De Montfort University, you will get sex. How’s that for a sure thing?

It’s all above board though. Nicola Monaghan’s talk, Sex and Sensibility, is just one of the 27 different workshops, readings and book launches at this press day event, a fantastic opportunity to meet and hear writers and their work, or establish new contacts with independent publishers.

The timetable is impressively eclectic: from the Moomims to anarchism, Arts funding cuts to crime writing. And, of course, poetry readings.

This is the second year Five Leaves Press and the Creative Writing team at De Montfort University have organised this special event. Even better, it is free.

I went last year with my daughter Sarah (as I don’t remember any sex on the timetable). Highlight for her was having three of her bedtime story books signed by their author, Berlie Doherty. Sarah was awe struck, “Mummy, that lady is famous!”

So, take advantage of this rare opportunity for fledgling and established writers, and interested readers, to share work and experiences, to talk to publishers and editors. You never know where it may lead.

The obvious way to round this off would be to somehow mention sex again. But I wouldn’t do that, would I?

Sally Jack

Roll on next year

2011-03-07T12:22:00.002Z

Looking at my Cultural eXchanges booklet, with my black biro marks next to all the events I wanted to attend, I can honestly say this week has been worth it. I’m sure when some students were told about the event, they heard the announcement as "week off". That isn’t the case at all, those of you who stayed away have truly missed out.

For travel and other reasons, I couldn't attend half of what I wanted to, but the performances and lectures I've seen have made the whole week one to remember.

University is still fresh for me and the rest of the first years. I'd never heard of Cultural eXchanges before as I'm the first in my family to come to De Montfort. It was a week I was not expecting, and one I will be attending for the foreseeable future.

Given the diversity of events, it was amazing to see what you could discover by attending lectures you were unsure of, with a spontaneous urge to learn.

That's exactly what I did this week. I never dreamed of finding so much to interest and excite me.

Roll on next year!

Sophie Price

Cultural Overview

2011-03-07T12:17:00.002Z

Well what a fantastic week! I think I speak for everyone who attended Cultural eXchanges in saying that it was an excellent experience. A big well done to the Faculty of Humanities - and especially the Arts Management staff and students - for all their hard work and effort!

Personally, my highlight of the week is split between the Postgraduate students and the Demon Crew presentations. Both set of students did a superb job of showcasing their work, and the standard was incredible. It made me excited about the next two years I have at De Montfort University.

The Postgraduates taking Creative Writing had the ambition to go far and the quality of the writing to make this possible. Their passion for their work really came across.

The Demon Crew student publication launch was packed and we were treated to cakes, biscuits, sweets and drink. The work ranged from poetry, short stories, scripts, magazines, prints etc. There were quite a few pieces intergrating social technology, keeping writing modern which was very smart. All the students presented their pieces in distinctive ways, either using humour or strange props that reflected their pieces. Overall a brilliant event.

Of course Blake Morrison was great to watch. It's always nice to see an author perform their work. The same could be said for Sean Bonney and Maggie O'Sullivan. I was glad that I went out of my Writing-English comfort zone with the 60x60 concert, experiencing music as well.

On the final note I have to say I am looking forward to Cultural eXchanges 2012 already! If you didn't have the chance this year, make sure you come along next year!

Something worth fighting for

2011-03-07T12:07:00.002Z

Given that Meera Syal has had such a varied career, I knew there would be parts of this interview I wouldn't completely understand. The conversations twisted from her personal experiences to the horror of reality TV, but she was always entertaining and certainly didn't disappoint.

Laughter filled the room during the discussion as Syal regaled us with stories, but while the talk was light and entertaining it was also illuminating as she spoke of her motivations and her struggle for roles that represented the woman she was.

She pointed out while stage roles were filled by people from any background or ethnicity, the same could not be said for television. If she wanted to play strong, independent Asian women she was going to have to create them; if she wanted things to change she was going to have to change them.

Regardless of where you come from or what you want from life, if you want something enough you have to fight for it, you have to actively go out and get it not wait for it to come to you. Syal's interview was my last event at Cultural eXchanges and in many ways I think the discussion mirrored the festival's purpose- to inspire and excite a generation to do something they're passionate about.

Cultural eXchanges has certainly opened my eyes and jump-started my brain- I can’t wait for next year.

Katie Bamford

Breaking the 4th dimension

2011-03-07T12:01:00.002Z

It’s an extremely rare occurrence in a university for somebody to walk in to a lecture theatre and have the entire audience instantly fall silent. I’ve certainly never seen that silence explode in to thunderous applause.

Without a doubt, the atmosphere was electric when Alan Moore stepped in to the room for what was described as “the pinnacle of the week.”

I was immediately struck by his quick wit and modesty in front of a fully-occupied lecture theatre. Given his near-legendary status, I certainly didn’t envy Simon Perril’s task of introducing him.

I doubt anybody expected Alan Moore to read a chapter from his forthcoming novel Jerusalem. The subject matter undoubtedly confounded the audience, but then again the fourth dimension is quite confounding material.

Moore’s astonishing skills as a reader as well as a writer captivated the audience which had soon entered a trance-like state of reverence. This was especially apparent when the floor was open to questions. Cautious hands poked above heads and audience members shyed away from obvious questions. There was no loss of atmosphere and Moore’s astounding intellect was apparent to all.

What is most astonishing about Alan Moore, however, is his dedication to the purity of craft. He's one of very few who value originality and creativity above all when approaching any medium. He is an inspiration and I hope this is not the last time I have the opportunity to learn from him.

Elliot Speight

Mesmerism

2011-03-07T11:56:00.001Z

I have to admit, I had know idea who Alan Moore was before today but I am glad I went to his event.

The second he entered the room, everyone went silent. It was an excited kind of silence that even I felt. It was like he had some sort of power over the audience.

After a short introduction and a couple of jokes, he began to read us a chapter from his new book. He started off quietly, creating a sinister tone for his writing.

The audience was mesmerised; hardly anyone moved, we all just wanted to listen. Unfortunately, an hour was not enough time for him to read the entire chapter.

He was then asked a few questions by the audience which he answered directly and wittily.

I'd like to research a number of his views - and I might even buy his new book once it's out.

Leonni Secondino

"Angels like snooker"

2011-03-07T11:51:00.002Z

Tonight is the last night of De Montfort Universities' Cultural eXchanges week. So far I have witnessed retired punks, avant-garde concerts, and DMU's very own post-grad creative writing students stun their audience with tales of sex and the macabre. This event was the one I'd been looking forward to for weeks. There is a buzz, as the packed-out room wait for acclaimed comic book writer and novelist, Alan Moore.

"Don't peak too soon." Moore warns as he enters to rapturous applause. He comes across as a very warm and witty individual, discussing a myriad of anecdotes, from how his brother 'died' of choking when they were children, to how angels play a game similiar to snooker, but with the souls of humans.

He reads a gargantuan portion from the yet-to-be-completed novel Jerusalem, which was inspired by his curiosity with the nature of time and transience. It will contain around three quarters of a million words within 1500 pages. An ambitious project to say the least, even more so than his first novel Voice of the Fire. Again it will be set in his beloved Northampton.

I find myself lost within his reading. It is complex yet I was fully engrossed. It's rare these days to find writers who explore writing in an explicit and honest way like Moore does. He estimates it'll be two years before Jerusalem is published. I don't think I can wait that long.

Sarah Beckley

We were warned

2011-03-07T11:49:00.001Z

Before the 60x60 event began, the audience were told that the music would be dark. The name alone gave it a an eerie feel - Vermilion.

They turned off the lights so we could truly listen to the sixty composed pieces, but I felt that the darkness created a frightening, horror-film-like atmosphere.

The only thing that we could see was a giant clock to let us know that the pieces were exactly sixty seconds each. This left it to our imagination - it was like watching a horror film with our eyes closed.

One piece that really stood out included sounds that reminded me of spiders scuttling across a wooden floor - the tapping sound. I shivered and squirmed throughout the whole sixty seconds of that piece.

Another was like something burning and I found myself trying to imagine what instrument would make that noise.

This event really made me appreciate the effect that music can have on people and how everyday sounds can be manipulated into something scary.

Leonni Secondino

Darker than vermilion?

2011-03-07T11:46:00.002Z

When I signed myself up to witness the 60x60 concert on the final day of 2011's cultural eXchanges I had already guessed I was letting myself in for something spectacular; the rest of the week had been an absolute eye-opener and I had no doubt in my mind that this concert was going to give me plenty of food for thought too.

The first real indication that this event was already going to be different from what I'd anticipated was the layout of the hall; tiers of seats and hushed whispers, exactly what I’d expected. But I hadn't anticipated the two large speakers and apparent absence of musicians.

The electronic collection, consisting of sixty compositions of sixty seconds each, was performed in complete darkness (which made note-taking very interesting indeed) except for a clock face projected onto the front wall of the room.

The collection itself was very chilling, creating a definite sense of unease and disjointedness - the whole composition gave off a very 'Silent Hill' vibe in my opinion, which created a very extraordinary atmosphere which would be hard to replicate.

The collection we heard was ‘Vermillion’ – although perhaps they should consider renaming to a different, darker shade to fit the tone of the pieces.

For more informationc click HERE.

Samantha Inglis

From words to music

2011-03-07T11:29:00.002Z

The reading and talk from Blake Morrison was delightful. It was a great experience to see such a well-respected author and hear his advice on writing.

He started with a reading from his novel Last Weekend. The humour had the audience laughing along but Blake explained how he also wanted to create a sense of claustrophobia - an almost gothic feel mixed with male rivalry. Mentioning it was set in East Anglia made me feel childishly happy, knowing that's where I come from. A really nice man and an excellent author!

Attending the 60x60 concert this morning with an open mind, I was astounded by the sheer quality of the classical mix with electronic aspects. A lover of classical music, I found the music right up my street. There were aspects of water, voices, bells, etc. that really set the tone of the musical pieces. They all told separate stories in 60 seconds, which is amazing. All you can do is close your eyes and absorb the atmosphere the composers create. It was all very atmospheric, and I especially liked Pellman's piece.

A truly wonderful experience, and I will be definitely checking out some of the composers in the future!

Leonie Sturmam

The Art of Possibility

2011-03-07T11:25:00.002Z

We live in a topsy-turvy world of politics in the 21^st century, something Tim Hames put down to the loss of ‘The Art of the Possible’ in recent times.

It was refreshing to hear somebody speak critically about modern politics without relying on the one-stop idea that “it’s all the media’s fault” and instead highlighting real issues such as a lack of political autonomy in modern governments, the changing structure of the electorate (and yes, the influence of the media is a factor) and the rapidly accelerating pace of European integration.

Although sometimes overwhelming, the political insight I gained in one hour in that tiny lecture theatre was incredible, and I only wish the league of amateur pub politicians had attended. I definitely feel less a part of that league now.

Elliot Speight

Paranoia and laughter

2011-03-07T11:12:00.002Z

"He looks like Dustin Hoffman," a voice beside me whispered, as Jonathan Taylor expressed his admiration for Blake Morrison. Morrison sat very still and contemplative as Jonathan listed his works and achievements before inviting him to read.

That stillness vanished when the writer took to his podium. Hearing him skip from one influence to the next, via readings of his work, was like having an insight into the mind of Morrison: a glorious mind's stream of consciousness. Blake talked about everything from the enigma of foxes, to the enigma of his late mother, with a stunningly precise choice of words, and often an avuncular wit. He was everything you'd expect from such an accomplished writer: thought-provoking, fascinating and effortlessly likeable.

This likeability extended into his reading of the quite wonderful And When Did You Last See Your Father? and his ballad about the Yorkshire ripper, which came with the warning, "don't worry if you don't understand some of the words - most of Yorkshire don't either!" All this however played support act to the excerpt of The Last Weekend he finished with: a retelling of a playground incident from his character Ian provided laughs, paranoia and exhilaration a-plenty.

A Q&A session ensued. Morrison detailed how on the set of the movie version of ...Father? he was "ejected from a scene of his life", which again raised a murmur of laughter from the audience. That line in fact epitomised Morrison's hour: amusing, astute and intelligently observed - and I wouldn't mind betting that Dustin Hoffman wouldn't have satisfied this crowd as well as Blake Morrison.

An evening with Blake Morrison

2011-03-07T11:01:00.003Z

Before this evening I had only heard of Blake Morrison when he'd been praised by Dr Jonathan Taylor, a lecturer in creative writing at De Montfort University. And it was Dr Taylor who opened the talk with a short introduction on Morrison's impressive career.

Morrison began by reading from his latest novel The Last Weekend. It follows Ian, a primary school teacher, who is deeply jealous of his friend from university, Ollie. Morrison took Shakespeare's Othello as a starting point as indicated by the character's names: Ollie, Daisy, Ian and Emily. He boldly states "If you're going to plagiarise anyone, plagiarise Shakespeare!

Morrison then gave tips about writing, which was no doubt welcomed by the budding writers in the audience. He explained that getting the voice of your narrator is important, and gave an example of this by reading The Ballad of the Yorkshire Ripper, a poem he'd written about the notorious murderer. The poem was written in Yorkshire dialect and shocked the public, as it was written not too long after the event.

I hope to purchase a couple of his books in the future, especially his most famous work And When Did You Last See Your Father? Mr Morrison, you have yourself a new fan.

Sarah Beckley

Yet more about Maggie and Sean

2011-03-07T10:57:00.001Z

I must admit, I didn't know what to expect when I turned up to watch poets Maggie O'Sullivan and Sean Bonney. My knowledge of the pair of them consisted solely of what everyone else had said: "They're brilliant performers." That's probably the vaguest description you can give a poet.

Watching each of them, however, I was astounded. A shy, tired-looking Bonney metamorphised into an aggressive, snarling ringmaster of his stage, slaying totalitarian men in power with cutting imagery and a rapid pace. Each phrase, each word employed by Bonney sounded tailor-cut for his depiction; I stopped to marvel at his language a few times, only to lose track of where he'd reached in his bullet-train delivery. Whilst Maggie O'Sullivan didn't quite put the world to rights, she was equally as mesmerising: an otherworldly cascade of sounds, words and phrases captivated everyone in the room.

Simon Perril had compared both poets, prior to Bonney's performance, and he had hit the nail on the head for me. Both read utterly stunning poetry with a ferocious passion, and both held their audience in the palms of their hands, with every syllable that trickled from their lips.

One thought flooded my head as I left. What an introduction to the pair of them - and what an experience.

Mark White

Don't spare yourself the drama

2011-03-07T10:52:00.002Z

As a Creative Writing student, one of the worst things about my course is being exposed to new mediums. Not that I dislike discovering new mediums - I just don’t like discovering new mediums, getting excited about them, then hitting the inevitable stumbling block of having no good ideas and no time to do anything anyway.

I knew nothing about radio drama apart from that it existed, until a lecture by BBC radio producer Peter Leslie Wild in November. Little did I know that radio drama is, as Roger Wood described yesterday, “the open door to new writing”, in a presentation that inspired me, as a student with aspirations of writing for a living, that I could enter a field with real opportunities.

Wood’s presentation focused mainly on pitching radio dramas to producers. I’m not planning on pitching any soon, but like anything in life, knowing the details makes it more approachable and real. Especially details like the lowest fee first-time writers can expect from a radio play (around £34 per minute).

Whilst I may never write a radio play of any description, knowing that a high-profile employer such as the BBC is supporting first-time writers through operations like Writers Room is greatly encouraging, not only to me, but to anybody who hopes to make a life out of writing.

Illustration by Red Imlah (2011)

Elliot Speight

You can't just send it in a jiffy bag

2011-03-04T11:34:00.004Z

Mark Fishlock, an established U.K. songwriter and a founder-director of the British Academy of Songwriters, tells of the challenges songwriters may be in for.

It's impossible to get signed if you send your work in a jiffy bag to a recording company now. Technology changed the musical landscape for songwriters. It's far easier to demo yourself.

But large influx of music = hard to get anything heard or looked at.

Mark Fishlock was very truthful about the struggle for songwriters. He made clear how closed off the industry was - and how you can't get signed straight from the cold. You have to be known.

But it wasn't all grim and minor, he described the Ivor awards. Though they aren't televised like the Brits, songwriters hold it in higher regard as it celebrates the songwriter's creativity.

Seeing Mark Fishlock in conversation, was an eye opener for amateur songwriters like me. Through all the recycling of music, there's not much room for anything new unless you work for it. But even in recycling, there are songs that are covered and improved.

Fishlock agreed, but still praised classics like "Bridge over Troubled Water" - and at the end of his talk that's the song that echoed in my mind.

How to earn more than £1,500 in 45 minutes

2011-03-04T11:22:00.002Z

To all those lured to into reading this opening sentence by the above title, I have two words for you - Radio Drama. And trust me, £1500 is an absolute minimum.

The BBC are always looking for new writers to produce radio drama for them. It's BBC policy to commission work on Radio 3 and 4 by at least 40 new writers a year, and this target is always exceeded.

So what you do is you write a 45 minute script to be performed on radio, send it off to The Writer's Room on the BBC website and, if you're lucky enough to get an interview (BBC are very open to new, exciting work by inexperienced writers), you could be paid for writing radio scripts before you know it.

Now you might need to agree to do the first one for free but, once your foot is in the door, paid work will come rolling in. For a beginner writer, the minimum pay for a one-performance script is £34.40 a minute and for multiple performances it is at least £57, plus extra for attending the recordings. And the more you write, the more you earn. You should have seen the way neon pound signs lit up in all the eyes in the room.

So thank you, Roger Wood, for making me aware of the writing (and financial) advantages of becoming a radio script writer.

Alex Thompson

More on Maggie and Sean

2011-03-04T11:20:00.001Z

One thing which really impressed me about this poetry reading was the way the poets became different characters whilst reading their work. When Sean Bonney introduced himself he seemed quiet, almost shy but when he started to read he was transformed. His angry, anarchistic expressions driving forward his poetry to an audience of roughly 50 people.

My understanding of performance poetry may be basic but I can appreciate talent when it is in front of me and I learnt a lot from watching these poets perform.

Chris Guest

A Degree of Creativity

2011-03-04T11:08:00.003Z

When you're being served apple juice in a wine glass, you know you're in for a treat. And I'm not just talking about the selection of toffee eclairs, cupcakes and - Will Buckingham's personal favourite - pink shrimps, that were on offer.

Demon Crew's Student Publications Launch at Cultural Exchanges showcased some of the finest work produced by the Universities third year students. With a wide selection of performances on offer - poems on puzzles, post-it notes and in concrete form, audio performances from radio to song, not forgetting extracts of prose and general talks about the publication process - the turn-out was tremendous.

Each performer was received heartily by the crowded audience and the atmosphere was buzzing with electricity. The Creative Writing team (Kathleen Bell, Will Buckingham, Simon Perril and Johnathan Taylor) have clearly built a great rapport with their students across the board; humour, jibes and jabs were well-receive.

Laughs aside, the event was a great success and, for me personally, an insight to my future. As a first year student, I attended the event with certain expectations. These were surpassed; beyond any doubt each piece performed was a credit to the creative staff at De Montfort University and a to the high level its students have achieved.

Cultural Exchanges is one of De Montfort's biggest yearly events and already I look forward to the next one for more 'posh' apple juices, free cakes and hopefully a pink shrimp or two, if I can get there before Will! And I'm also looking forward to more performances and inspiring works from DMU's most talented creative writers.

(Thanks to Pamela Hallam & Alex Bliss for the authorising use of the photo above.)

Holly Hookway

Free Biscuits! now that I've got your attention ...

2011-03-04T11:01:00.003Z

You know you've had a truly inspiring day when you can't get your thoughts in order for your next creative piece. Having experienced some of the work of twenty-three of De Montfort University's third year students I feel far more motivated than I have in some time to sit and simply write.

Today I learnt that I've been taking the creative side of creative writing for granted. Ordinarily I would sit down, pen and paper in hand, and write prose. I'd never before considered using post-it notes or jigsaw puzzles, let alone printing T-shirts as a medium for my words - until now, that is.

The collection of works at the Demon Crew publication event was truly inspirational for the mixed audience of university students, fellow writers and the general public. I feel this event has opened my eyes to new realms of possibilities just waiting to be explored, and I can't wait to get started.

And did I mention there were free biscuits?

Samantha Inglis

Eclairs! Where?

2011-03-03T16:47:00.002Z

Arriving at the Demon Crew launch bleary-eyed, I was surprised at just how many people had turned up for the event. It was packed.

Ten minutes in and I was rather pleased I had dragged myself out into the unexpected cold - I had found something to aim for. In two years time I'll be one of those students, presenting a final year publication project. I can't yet grasp that fact just yet, they're work is at such a high and imaginative standard, a standard that seems quite distant to me. Jigsaws, post-it notes, T-shirts, concrete poetry - surely my slurring brain would never conjure up such things?

The more I watched and listened though, the more I realised something. These ideas and pieces hadn't come to their writers overnight; they had worked hard and edited harder to get their work to the standard it is. Two years ago, they probably sat in a blue plastic seat and thought, 'I can't do that!' whilst stealing chocolate eclairs, just like me.

Terri Baker

Something to look forward to

2011-03-03T16:44:00.002Z

The Demon Crew Creative Writing Launch was probably one of the most inspirational events that I have attended. Twenty-three students read from their work or discussed the process of writing in just two hours.

The themes varied from dating tips to loss. Some pieces made the audience laugh and one almost brought me to tears.

It surprised me how much I could relate to some of the things that had been written. I had thought that there would be a huge difference in themes and issues between first year and third year students, but I recognised many of the topics that were discussed.

One writer spoke about the difference in accents and displayed it on T-shirts. I found myself nodding in agreement to the things she said about having an accent that is different to the majority.

One piece that really stood out for me was the collection of poems written on post-it-notes. I had never thought of doing poetry in that way; it is definitely something that I would like to try out.

We were shown so many different ways of writing and presenting work - so many ideas for our own future experiments.

Leonni Secondino

The Demon Crew dazzle in launch

2011-03-03T16:41:00.001Z

Today, I looked into the future . . . well, sort of. As the final year Creative Writing students presented their projects, I saw what I'd be doing in two year's time. And I was intimidated.

DMU lecturer Jonathan Taylor kicked off the event by introducing the group, who then took a few minutes each to share their ideas, and read from their work. Each student expressed their ideas with clarity and confidence, and I was impressed with the variety of publications: poetry, short prose, radio drama - even a jigsaw puzzle!

It was clear that every writer had put time and effort into their work, and had come up with interesting, modern ideas. Copies of the projects were displayed around the room, giving the audience a chance to have a closer look.

The event ended with a talented acoustic performance by Morton Piercewright, and I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say I wish all the students good luck in the coming months, and success for the future.

Lauren Simmonds

Drooling over Words

2011-03-03T16:33:00.003Z

Should I take my 7 year old daughter Sarah to the poetry readings by Sean Bonney and Maggie O'Sullivan at this year's Cultural eXchange event at DMU? I feared the content might be too adult but the argument of exposing her to culture won.

I love language and word play. At a recent poetry reading by Geraldine Monk, again, at DMU, I agreed with Geraldine's approach when she said she drools over words. I also listen with a mixture of interest, horror and amusement to the evolution of Sarah's own language stye. Recently, the use of 'like' has entered our household, either as a discourse particle: "Mummy, I'm like, really hungry" or a quotative: "I was like, Amber, I saw the Justin Bieber film before you did."

Back to word bandits, Bonney and Sullivan. I needn't have worried about Sarah. We, and the whole audience, were mesmerised by the urgent delivery of Sean's passionate, punky poems, his delivery fuelled by some sort of lexicial power surge. Sarah wrote words she found interesting in her notebook. The one expletive she recognised was written down, complete with exclamation marks and a box to mark it out from the others. What a rebel.

Maggie's poems were, as promised, an event in language, with the focus on sound patterning: assonance, consonance, sibilance, alliteration. I loved the concrete references to base elements and metals, anatomy and nature.

I'm glad we went. We both feasted on language. Sarah commented later on how many 'wow' words she had heard. Indeed - and no further words are necessary from me.

Sally Jack

Poetry: not just words on paper

2011-03-03T16:30:00.002Z

I have never been too fond of poetry, but after an hour of listening to Maggie O'Sullivan and Sean Bonney, I suddenly wanted to write it.

It began with Sean Bonney and it was not what I expected at all. When he read his poetry, it was like he became a different person. He was sarcastic, angry and confident - as though the poetry controlled him and the atmosphere in the room. It was fascinating to witness.

I felt that Maggie O'Sullivan's poetry was quite complex. She used a lot of similar sounding words and the rhythm changed frequently - I have no idea how she managed to say it all so fluently.

Listening to these poets was a lot like listening to music or watching live musicians. You could see the artists' passion shine through when they read out their work.

I never knew that poetry could be so exciting - or inspirational.

Leonni Secondino

Spoken Word Spectacular

2011-03-03T16:23:00.002Z

This evening’s spoken-word reading by Sean Bonney and Maggie O’Sullivan was definitely an event of two halves; Bonney displayed measured and well-timed readings with a strong political focus, whereas O’Sullivan drew us into her world with vivid imagery.

The poets were given a positive and complimentary introduction by DMU lecturer Simon Perril, before Sean Bonney took the stage. Throughout his readings, there was a clear sense of political vision, with times and dates central to his work. His poetry often ended abruptly, leaving the audience sitting in silence to digest what they'd just heard.

Maggie O'Sullivan read extracts from many of her collections, including Red Shift and House of the Shaman. Her voice filled the room, rising and falling to express the imagery within her work.

As a student who has not witnessed much spoken word poetry, it was definitely a new, interesting experience for me, and I left wanting to listen to more of the same.

Lauren Simmonds

Poetic pleasures

2011-03-03T16:20:00.001Z

Sean Bonney and Maggie O'Sullivan performed their poetry in front of an all-age audience from 6-7pm last night. Both were completely different in their styles but knew how to perform and speak their words.

DMU Lecturer Simon Perril opened with an introductory speech about the two poets, which set up the reading.

Sean Bonney was on first, describing his work as 'counter-tradition', 'political' and 'punky'. It was certainly lively and he performed his poetry with the zest and passion of a man that had a message to bring. His poetry about the Tories winning the election was delivered with good humour and kept the audience waiting for what political problem he would encounter next.

Maggie O'Sullivan was clearly a poet who bases her work around sound quality. Writing for around 30 years, she is said to be intrigued by the 'spoken' and the 'voicelessness'. Her performance was enthusiastic and bouncy, certainly ticking the box of the 'spoken'.

Both were very goodand I would highly recommend them. It was certainly an experience for me, as an English Literature student, to hear poetry performed. However, if you're interested in politics, music or just poetry in general then check them out!

Keep music industrial

2011-03-03T16:06:00.003Z

It would be fair to say that in this century, the future of music is in dispute. In the era of illegal downloading and falling sales, it was refreshing as well as surprising to hear a positive message from the CEO of UK Music, Feargal Sharkey, who described 2011 as “an extraordinary time to be a music fan.”

For the industry to survive it is evident that it has to embrace the Internet. The Internet’s democratisation of creativity with no industry involvement has created an incomprehensible catalogue of musicians. Websites such as MySpace have failed to create major waves for the music industry because they are stiflingly bloated.

We live in a time where people do not expect to pay for music. File-sharing services such as Napster have created new expectations and people want free music, fast. Instead of fighting this, the industry needs to learn how to capitalize on it.

Slowly, change is beginning. Record labels (mostly independent labels) are experimenting with success, streaming albums for free online with appropriate advertising that leads to record and merchandise sales.

Just as the phonograph didn’t kill the sheet music industry in the 19^th century, the Internet will not kill the music industry in the 21^st.

Illustration of event by Red Imlah

Avoid copyright infringement though art!

Elliot Speight

Half-way thoughts

2011-03-03T16:01:00.002Z

So, here we are half way through the 2011 Cultural Exchanges at DMU, and what a week it's been so far!

The Postgraduate creative writing event has definitely been my favourite to date, with five varied but uniformly enthusiastic writers coming together in a mix of humour, reality, refection, gore, sex and ... more sex, it really wasn't an event to be missed; the entire audience was engaged from start to finish, which is exactly what I look forward to at such an occasion.

Having had such a brilliant experience so far, I've certainly geared myself up for the rest of the week, holding high hopes for the 'Arts in Prison' event tomorrow evening in particular, and to finish the week with a dash of Alan Moore, what more could I want?

Samantha Inglis

Sex, Booze and Flatulence

2011-03-03T15:56:00.002Z

Dr Toni Weller, a senior lecturer in history at De Montfort University, explains that by putting the word 'sex' in a title you're bound to get people's attention, and, judging by the impressive turn out this afternoon, it worked. The full title of the talk was 'Sex, Culture and Politics: The Art of English Satire from Georgian Debauchery to Victorian Morality'.

For the next hour Dr Weller transported her audience back to the mid 1700s, and covered over a century on the evolution of English satire. We were given examples of work from contemporary satirists and caricaturists such as James Gillray, Thomas Rowlandson, George Cruikshank and William Hogarth.

Satire from the Georgian era was steeped in crude imagery, particular favourites consisting of farting monarchs and public fornication. George, Prince of Wales, later Prince Regent and George IV, hated James Gillray's representation of him as grossly overweight and dissolute in A Voluptuary under the horrors of Digestion (1792), but to be satirised meant you were important. So he couldn't really condemn it.

Victorian satire, however, settled for a more conservative representation of culture and politics, with sex being almost completely removed. As a result it became less humorous, implicit, and more realistic. For example Cruikshank's The Bottle (1847) was a moral tale against drinking.

Dr Weller closed the talk with modern examples of pictoral satire. Has the style changed? Today satirists focus more on the government than the monarchy, but thankfully the sarcastic humour hasn't been removed.

Fashionable Contrasts; – or – the Duchess's little shoe yeilding to the magnitude of the Duke's foot
James Gillroy (1792)

A New Court of Queen's Bench, As it Ought to Be -- Or -- The Ladies Trying a Contemptible Scoundrel for a "Breach of Promise"

George Cruikshank (1849)

All images taken from Wikimedia Commons

Sarah Beckley

Sex, Culture, Politics

2011-03-03T15:52:00.002Z

To be quite honest, I had absolutely no idea when the Georgian period was before this lecture. I'm hopelessly, and rather shamefully, clueless when it comes to British history. So I can't really answer as to why I decided to attend this event - perhaps, as Doctor Weller suggested, we were all there simply because the word 'sex' appeared in the title. Nobody argued with that.

The word 'lecture' doesn't really do Toni Weller's talk justice. When you say "lecture" many people automatically think "boring". Yet this was engaging, interesting, well-presented and pleasantly humorous. Whether you were a history and satire buff, or like me, a clueless student, she was educational and interesting in the ideas and themes she presented. The images were well chosen and connected; not once did I feel lost.

I took a great deal of information from this session, and one of the most appealing things that kept the audiences attention was seeing Doctor Weller's passion for the subject. I am definitely glad the title had 'sex' in it - I would never have gained this much-needed historical context without it!

Terri Baker

Big, bad wolf

2011-03-03T15:44:00.003Z

Well I can certainly say that I will never read Little Red Riding Hood the same again. Not that I’m complaining of course - it caused more than a few laughs.

I don’t think there was one straight face in the lecture room after the five performers had reeled off their poetry and prose to us during the short hour.

I'm not going to explain the many-faceted comedies involved. I'll just say they involved something wiggling, a phone, a throne, a stalker and a job that involved catering to clients with some very specific demands.

The only disappointment was that time went so fast. I wished I could have rewound the whole presentation and played it again.

To speak plainly, it was simply brilliant.

Sophie Price

Now I'm scared

2011-03-03T15:39:00.003Z

When I first signed up for the creative writing course, I had some level of understanding at how hard it is, but I've always been interested in writing, so I figured that if I worked really hard, I'd do OK. After attending the postgraduate creative writing event, I fully appreciate how naive I was about this.

Listening to the work that has been produced completely blew me away. These people aren't even professionals and the standard of work heard was above and beyond. Well written, engaging and highly amusing pieces were read, and I could only sit there in awe of the work that they had created in their time spent studying at DMU.

I think that I'm definitely going to have to work even harder than I planned if I have any hope of being at that standard in three years time.

Sarah Methold

That will never be me

2011-03-03T15:32:00.003Z

When I saw the title 'Postgraduate creative writing', I thought to myself, 'Worth a look, but that's never going to be me.' I didn't really consider how the performances might affect me, or my expectations for the future. I just thought it would be something to enjoy.

The readings kicked off with a tale of a 'trouser ferret.' Laughter rippled across the room creating a great atmosphere for our next readers. We were treated to cleverly worked poems that at the same time felt effortless - I could not help but be envious; provocative, gripping pieces of prose written with such clarity I was left wondering if they were in fact biographical (which I sincerely hoped they were not); humour executed perfectly; lashings of dark wit; and vividly painted imagery.

I left the room knowing which direction I wanted to take with my writing - that direction. In years to come, I want to be like them, crafting work that will make others stop, think, imagine and enjoy. The clear thing about all of those performers was how much they had relished creating those pieces - it poured from their performances. Five very different people, five different lives - and pehaps those writers sat thinking the same things as me years ago.

Since attending their reading I've changed my mind. That could be me.

Terri Baker

A trip into creative minds

2011-03-03T15:29:00.002Z

Laughter, sarcasm, romance - that was not what I was expecting from the Postgraduate Creative Writing Event in which five writers read out their works of poetry or prose.

The vivid descriptions made it feel like we were transported into the minds of the writers. It was not just a talk - it was a journey.

All the pieces were different: personal experiences, monologues and romance. But they were all as effective as each other, whether they left the audience in tears from laughter or in amazement.

Hearing the work being read aloud gave the pieces more depth and allowed the audience to understand exactly what the writer intended - something which is hard to do when you read in your head.

More, please.

Leonni Secondino

Post-graduate success

2011-03-03T15:18:00.002Z

As a first-year student, I was both inspired and awed by the talent and confidence presented by five post-graduates, who shared their varied works today.

In just an hour, a packed-out audience wsas treated to poetry, prose and dramatic monologue. The writers explored themes of birth and death, reflections, sexual fantasies and snow hysteria, all handled with a wit and talent that were evidence of the students’ hard work and dedication.

It was a privilege to meet five very promising students, who I would not be surprised to see become very successful in the future.

Lauren Simmonds

Postgraduate Spectacular

2011-03-02T17:44:00.005Z

Five students combined prose and poetry in a small reading that had a big impact on its audience.

I speak for the whole of the audience when I say the perfomances were riveting, satirical and promising. Not only was the quality of writing at a professional standard but the readings were executed in a confident way that captured the audience immediately.

We were warned at the start that there would be strong language and adult themes. And oh boy, there were but all played out in a highly amusing way.

A man with a 'wiggle' in his trousers, cross-dressing, gore, sexual fantasies, stalkers and 'floppy' stories are just glimpses of what the Postgraduates had in store for us. Humour - the trickiest technique for a writer to grasp - was integrated superbly.

The climax of the event was topped with stories of a seventy-five year old with the body of a Greek God, funny bedroom noises, the 'Prince of Fantasies' and the wonders of enjoying a relationship over the phone. All these came from a single story that gave rise to fits of laughter and stunned expressions.

Excellent event, definitely people I would look out for in the future. Not only were the pieces imaginative and fun, they were of a high standard and their dedication to the art shone through.

Right, better be off! Now going to see Maggie O'Sullivan and Sean Bonney perform!

Leonie Sturman

We're nice - and not after your money

2011-03-02T17:40:00.001Z

Double-checking my booked events last night, I was surprised to find I had double-booked. What a shame I had to choose!

I chose to see Dr Stuart Price's Micro-Ideology lecture, and I believe I chose correctly.

Though advertising has always interested me, I was initially at some disadvantage in understanding the lecture, finding myself a little out of my depth with some of the terminology. Once we got going into the subject proper, though, I learned quite a few advertising tricks neither I nor, most likely, most people would have stopped to notice before.

Most particularly the way that, nowadays, companies make an effort to appear benevolent and friendly towards us, more so than in older times. They talk about all the good they're doing, speak to us directly, tell us how to solve our problems - while manipulating the truth to make that good seem greater, to pose the very problems they solve. Not to mention the times when their slogans devolve into pure nonsense.

And yet all this was delivered with a cheerful matter-of-factness, and no great burden of cynicism. Just watch out the next time you notice a radio or TV show 'sponsored by' a company - doesn't that endorsement tacked onto the end in some way make the whole programme an advertisement?

Louella Pritchard

Student convinced to spend money

2011-03-02T17:36:00.001Z

Now I'll admit, I hadn't really heard a hell of a lot about this playwright before 6 o'clock Tuesday evening. But after just one hour listening to the man talk about his life and career, I can say that David Rudkin may well be one of the most underrated dramatists in post war Britain.

We saw examples of his work dating back to the age of eleven, and the language used combined with the length of the book and the strict editing process taken showed that even at that age it was clear that David Rudkin would go on to great things. These great things were evidenced by the British Library's recent acquisition of David Rudkin's archive - a lifetime of works that took up an entire side of Rudkin's own living room.

The impression made by David Rudkin on me and, I can safely assume many others in the room, was so strong was that it convinced me to part with £19.95 for a signed copy of his book with his two latest plays, Red Sun and Merlin Unchained, as soon as the interview ended.

Alex Thompson

Signs of a star-shaped diva

2011-03-02T14:55:00.004Z

It was being a lover of all things cabaret that initially made me book to see Caroline Parker, and the little snippets of performance during the event were definitely entertaining. They are not, however, what I will remember most; I left Clephan building feeling moved and full of admiration for this performer.

Caroline Parker is deaf. Not profoundly, she stated - she can hear bits and pieces of the songs she performs, using British Sign Language and mime. But this has not once stopped her pursuing her ambition of performing with music. She is well known for her signed performances, often finding herself with bookings for various cabaret acts. But alongside this she is a comedian and actress, having appeared in programmes such as My Hero. She has also toured her own one woman show, 'Signs of a Star-Shaped Diva.'

To listen to, she was fascinating, funny and full of energy; the hour long event seemed to pass in no time. You could hear the passion for her work in every word she spoke, and her genuine desire to change the discriminatory attitudes towards performers with disabilities in the industry.

Seeing Caroline has definitely sparked an interest in signed singing for me; I'd definitely like to go and watch her at some point. But mostly, the entire event was purely inspiring and thought-provoking - she definitely seems to be somebody you could learn a lot from.

Stephanie-Louise Farrell

Of music and morality

2011-03-02T12:12:00.001Z

Feargal Sharkey is still punk.

Okay, he was wearing a suit. That brings his punk credibility down slightly. But still.

This was one of the most thought-provoking events I have attended. It only lasted an hour, but I could have listened to Feargal for a lot longer. His views on the state of the music industry and twenty-first century music in general are, to say the least, strong – but certainly, they are moral.

He covered the issues with the UK’s artists surrounding the internet, particularly illegal downloading, royalties and how he believes the lack of a figure such as John Peel has changed the way the public learns about and discovers music. And now he is the C.E.O of UK Music, the nerve centre of the country's music industry, let’s hope he can have some influence with his fierce ideals.

So, why is he still punk? Because he is not happy with something and he firmly believes he will change it. He does not want innocent people to get sued for mistakes regarding music licensing laws. He wants artists to be in control of everything they create, from touring down to royalties.

And I love music. So I hope he gets his way.

Stephanie-Louise Farrell

"2011 is an extraordinary time to be a music fan"

2011-03-02T12:05:00.003Z

"Who?"

That was the response whenever I mentioned Feargal Sharkey's upcoming talk at De Montfort Universities' Cultural eXchanges Week.

"He was the front man of The Undertones."

I sit opposite blank faces.

"Teenage Kicks?"

The song had been my anthem around the age of twelve, and has been an anthem for many since its release in 1978. Arguably, it's what Sharkey is best known for. Dig deeper however, and you're presented with a man who has won an abundance of awards for his service to the music industry, which goes beyond his recording career.

From the early 1990's Sharkey has been involved with the business side of music. First he became an A&R for Polydor Records, then a member of the Radio Authority, and more recently the head of UK Music, an organisation which focusses on the production side of the UK's commercial music industry.

Tonight, in a half-full room containing various generations of music fans, Sharkey discussed his humble, though frustrating, beginnings in Derry, Northern Ireland, his career both on and off stage, and his opinions on the modern state of the music industry.

He spoke with passion and affection when explaining the need to champion new artists, and how the internet has shaped music. The anecdotes of his experiences always engaged me as a listener. I thoroughly appreciated his talk. Can this event be topped?

Sarah Beckley

A lifetime's work in Tesco bags

2011-03-02T12:00:00.003Z

Thousands of pieces of paper, catalogued and waiting in his front room to be taken to the archives in the British museum; this was one of the first photos we were shown during the interview with David Rudkin, as he recounted what can truly be described as a lifetime of work.

I'd never heard of Rudkin before, but I was fascinated by his tales and the vivid images he created. I particularly loved how he described himself at a young age asking his mother how books were held together. When she told him they were sewed, he sat with darning needle and bright red thread, carefully stitching his pages together.

But it’s more than just an endearing story; it shows a dedication and a passion to his craft that is evident throughout his career. It was wonderful to see a writer speak with such high enthusiasm for his profession after so many years - and this is something I hope I will witness again in the future.

Katie Bamford

Simon English tells a story

2011-03-02T11:56:00.002Z

Imagine Dumbledore as a young man, if you consider magic as an art form.

This was my first thought when introduced to Simon English, the creator of the England Revisited project.

In 1971, as an art student in Leeds, Simon English had the idea to write “Earth” on the Earth with the most northern point in North America, inspired by a love of ordnance survey maps and cameras on weather-balloons.

As a prelude to this, he literally wrote “England” across the English landscape. Using an improbably combination of maths and geography, he mapped out the 75 points that would spell “England” and visited these points, leaving small English flags and a notice that explained why the flag was there, and his details if anyone wanted to contact him. People did contact him and told him the stories of what happened to his flags over the course of 40 years.

In 2010, Simon English revisited these 75 points. Some of the changes he encountered were drastic: one flag was in a quiet country lane in 1971; now it's in a housing estate in Milton Keynes.

This project was like a time sculpture, tracking the changes across the country. It's about the stories and the people surrounding the stories: place, time and change against a backdrop of past and present

Michelle Rose

The bloke who wrote England on England

2011-03-02T11:54:00.001Z

The idea of writing 'England' on England is extraordinary enough, but when you see the catalogue of work Simon English has done towards this project, extraordinary just doesn't cover it. English himself stated his land art became more about the stories of each area, and the story of his journey certainly captivated me.

There was something enthralling about a young man in his 20s hitch-hiking his way up and down England putting up flags and taking photos at specific points, especially in the context of today; I know my mother wouldn’t let me do it. What is perhaps even more impressive is that he chose to do the same journey 40 years later, painstakingly locating each site and marking it with a new flag in a project called England Revisited.

As someone who grew to despise art following A Level, I whole-heartedly appreciate English for reigniting my interest, and for displaying such passion and dedication to a project which has found followers nationwide over the years, and now continues to do so via the internet.

I know I’m not the only member of that audience who wants to go and find ‘England’ written in England.

Katie Bamford

"When people are young, they don't think"

2011-03-01T16:15:00.001Z

It's perhaps hard to associate sculpture with Ordnance Survey maps before seeing an example of Simon English’s work.

He firmly believes that art is about communication, not merely ‘things.’ He also stated that ‘when people are young, they don’t think, they just do.’ These are two of the reasons this conceptual artist/sculptor began his 1971 project. He planned to take a journey, marking his route onto a map into the shape of the word ‘England’ – placing little flags in each pointed destination as he came to them.

Last year, he began the project ‘England Revisited,’ taking the same route and photographing himself in the same places he had done forty years ago. The scenery wasn’t the only thing to have changed very little; he revisited an address he’d been to on the original journey, to discover the same man living there. The man was now in his nineties and remembered Simon clearly.

As somebody who is awful with a paintbrush and has trouble even navigating the way to the local shops, I found myself quite in awe of the project, not least for the exciting journey described. It is an intriguing piece of conceptual art – the thought that a creative project could come to life after beginning as little marks on a map was fascinating to me.

Stephanie-Louise Farrell

Are we ready for a curtain call?

2011-03-01T16:05:00.003Z

Michael Billington, theatre critic for The Guardian newspaper took part in this year’s Cultural eXchanges programme on February 28th at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Judging by the packed lecture theatre in the Clephan building, members of the public were itching to see Britain’s longest-serving theatre critic, eager to listen and with a list of questions at the ready.

Though just another face in a large crowd, I felt a part of the interview between Mr Billington and Dr Elinor Parsons as he spoke of his career spanning over forty years and his love of the theatre.

Having started his career with The Guardian in 1971, Mr Billington find his regular reviews in the newspapers now bring him into closer (and faster) dialogue with readers thanks to the internet.

Listening to Mr Billington, I felt my love for the theatre take a new turn as he spoke about the future and how financial cuts could mean fewer people would be able to see live theatre. For him, ticket pricing was crucial; he said if tickets were to be charged at the same price as a cup of coffee, the difference in audience numbers would be immense.

I hope Mr Billington will return to take part in next year’s Cultural eXchanges as his presence was appreciated by not only De Montfort University students, but also by members of the public who travelled to see him in person.

Sophie Price

Day Two - and looking ahead

2011-03-01T14:50:00.003Z

So, it's finally here, Cultural Exchanges week, Day Two. I'm excited about tomorrow, listening to the Postgraduate Creative Writing students. Cannot wait to see the quality of the work, and just how they perform their work.

At night, the poets Maggie O'Sullivan and Sean Bonney are performing at 6pm. Looking up their live performances on YouTube has given me great insight to their work and level of perfomance skills. Should be very interesting to watch!

Thursday is the Demon Crew, and I'm looking forward to going to see the students showcase their work. It will be great to see what sort of work I will be doing in the next two years whilst at De Montfort. I also know a couple of students in higher years, so can't wait to see them perform!

Again, another night performance with the author Blake Morrison. I was on the train this weekend reading Clockwork Orange when I realised he had written the introduction to the novel! A pleasant surprise, I'm very much looking forward to hearing excerpts from his own novels.

Friday is the 60x60 concert, which is very different from the other events I booked. 60 composers from around the world, each having 60 seconds for their piece with classic works. I'ma sucker for classical music so this should be interesting to see it played in a new, different way.

An exciting week ahead! I hope to see new and familiar faces joining me in these events!

Leonie Sturman

Variety past - and present brilliance

2011-03-01T14:42:00.001Z

The tensest five minutes of my life came at the end of a Cultural eXchanges workshop’s on Variety Performance. The workshop was interspersed with the serious consideration of the decline of Variety performances and clips and acts designed to show us how and why Variety is such a brilliant form of entertainment. Generations of performers shared their memories of Variety both onstage and offstage – making this a thoroughly entertaining evening.

The tense entertainment came in the form of plate-spinning – a skill I had before thought of as neither entertaining nor productive. However, after a brief ten minute performance it was impossible not to notice how such a simple act had united generations within the room until unanimous screams alerted our Variety performer, Andrew Van Buren, to the seemingly imminent demise of his spinning plates.

Jessica Hodges

Magic, memories - not to mention free wine

2011-03-01T14:32:00.004Z

The night started with free wine and canapés, a sure way to win the heart of any student. After half an hour or so of casual dining and conversation we were ushered into the auditorium for the event proper to commence.

It began with a gentleman reading from his father’s journal, which chronicled his time working in the theatre. So began a remarkable series of personal and deeply-involving tales of a bygone era, interspersed with live performances.

Things took a turn for the surreal though when several clips of variety performances were played. As the film showed a man and his assistant playing xylophone and drums with great enthusiasm, the gentleman two rows in front was tapping his fingers perfectly in time to the music, catching every jaunt and flourish. Then when the compere announced that some of those very performers would talk to us, the finger-tapper was among the small group who made their way to front.

There was an immediate sense of family and connection bewteen all these people had. The man drumming along was the father of the man who had escaped a strait jacket not half an hour before. And when a gentleman stood in the audience and mentioned his father by name, all those on stage recognized that name. The people on stage talked not only to the audience, but amongst themselves, reminiscing of days gone past, and acts and people they knew. Somehow, through all this, they made me feel a part of something that happened fifty years before I was born.

Pictured above Andrew Van Buren during the closing act of the night (picture taken and published with permission from the subject).

Charles Wilkinson

The children of variety

2011-03-01T14:23:00.003Z

When we think of ‘variety theatre,’ the terms ‘old-fashioned’ or even ‘dead’ may spring to mind. This is really quite sad. In a world where revolting chat shows and exploitative singing contests pass for entertainment, ‘One Night Only’ was a fun and insightful breath of fresh air.

Sue Barber was the charismatic host of the hour-and-a-half show, talking with humour and fondness about her theatrical upbringing. She is what she terms a ‘child of variety,’ being the fifth generation in a family of performers – she has performed herself in an act with her father – and is now studying for a PhD on the subject of variety theatre at DMU.

Guests included Andrew Van Buren, an illusionist who can do amazing things with plates. Another guest read from the diary of his travelling performer father, providing an amusing insight into the offstage life. One entry mentioned a rat eating through his clothes. Glamorous.

The fuzzy pictures and warped soundtracks of the archive footage did not distract from their entertainment value. They were five ‘home-movie’ style videos depicting acts from comedians to stilt walking (Sue Barber herself and her father were featured in one video).

Arguably, variety theatre doesn’t have its place in Britain anymore. However, with performers like Andrew Van Buren trying to keep it alive, it may one day make a comeback. He is apparently very popular in Dubai…

I also never knew Harry Houdini’s real name was Eric Weiss.

Stephanie-Louise Farrell

I'm buying the books!

2011-03-01T14:13:00.001Z

I will openly admit that I hadn't, to my memory, heard of Catherine O'Flynn. Yet this was a good opportunity to listen to an award-winning novelist, and despite being a Creative Writing student I am woefully ignorant of recent authors.

It was pleasant to see how engaging with her audience Catherine is, most of the session being open to their own questions. It was fantastic to see an author equally interested in what her audience had to say. Each answer was honest, in-depth and often humorous; Catherine has no issues in holding a room's attention. I strangley did not find myself lost; her answers going beyond the plot, giving great insight into her writing processes.

This was not an hour wasted, and I feel Catherine taught me more than just about her books. I will definitely be visiting amazon for both What Was Lost and The News Where You Are.

Terri Baker

Honesty, grace - and two novels on the side

2011-03-01T14:08:00.002Z

An event that was particularly useful to inspiring writers, the majority of the session was an opportunity to pose questions to author Catherine O'Flynn, who took the time to answer them with honesty and grace, without any fear of possibly looking stupid.

Whilst the viewers learned a lot about the writing process O'Flynn used, it was told through funny anecdotes and stories prompted by questions from the audience rather than a straight cut interview, creating a much friendlier atmosphere and an overall feeling that it is possible for anyone to write something, not just the greats.

A thoughtful, insightful woman, O'Flynn appeared as an everyday person who just happened to have written two novels on the side.

Sarah Methold

Question: Is Romeo and Juliet about binge drinking?

2011-03-01T14:01:00.003Z

The audience at DMU's Cultural Exchange Event 'A Reviewer's Perspective' got the answer: renowned Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington said if the play is good then it can be whatever you want it to be. Shakespeare's work is certainly resilient enough to cope with such interpretations.

I am new to the art of theatre reviews, and admit to feeling a bit odd writing a review of a reviewer, however, I was interested to hear how one of the masters perfected his craft. With forty years service at The Guardian, Michael has sat through some of the best, and worst, of Britain's plays and musicals. That is a lot of interval ice cream.

He is an optimistic chap, and has seen and commented on the many developments in Theatre Land, also the impact of the wider world on this branch of the Arts.

In terms of writing, I feel respect is due to the theatre critic, who, within an hour of curtain call, must submit a complete review, ready for the morning's papers. This review must also be well written. Michael cited his own great influence, the Observer reviewer Kenneth Tynan, who he felt 'wrote with voluptuous style: fluent, witty and combative prose.' That is certainly something to aim for.

Ultimately, Michael's advice to the aspiring theatre critic is to have an overpowering urge to write, and an ability to engage, entertain and express opinions with clarity. Oh, and the small matter of an insatiable appetite for theatre. And ice cream.

Sally Jack

"What do I know?"

2011-03-01T13:49:00.003Z

Veteran theatre critic Michael Billington took part in a one-hour, open interview with DMU's very own Eileen Parsons in front of a large audience. Topics included why he Mr Billington a critic, a reviewer's responsibilities, the state of British theatre, the effect of the internet on his job and much more.

Mr. Billington came across as a humble and very pleasant person with a good sense of humour, making plenty of witty and comic comments. A personal favourite was his ironic question, "What do I know?" He also seemed to be happy to be answering questions in one the Clephan Building's larger lecture theatres - no wonder the audience enjoyed it.

I hope that the the guest speakers for the rest of Cultural eXchanges are as interesting and engaging as Mr. Billington.

[anonymous]

The Week Ahead

2011-02-28T11:21:00.003Z

With eclectic events to suit all tastes, the week ahead looks to be very exciting. Whether you enjoy art, dance, music, drama, debates or literature, there's somewhere for you to be every day of De Montfort's festival Cultural Exchanges.

Flicking through the festival guide I quickly found I'd booked eleven very different events, beginning with the renowned critic Michael Billington and ending with the intriguing 60x60 concert.

A fantastic week lies in wait and I recommend attendance, especially to events you would never normally find yourself at - I cannot wait for Darragh Morgan's violin concert, yet I'm very much a metal fan!

Enjoy yourselves, gain as many experiences as possible, and maybe I'll see you there.

Terri Baker

Anticipation

2011-02-24T17:37:00.004Z

And so next week comes the return of Cultural eXchanges, and with it the anticipation of seeing a mix of diverse events.

As a new student at DMU, I have never attended the week before. However, I'm excited to attend lectures and performances from established writers and newcomers alike. I will turn up with open eyes and ears, ready to listen to their works and musings.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Lauren Simmonds

Incomplete novels and attack dolphins

2010-03-08T11:17:00.003Z

I could wax lyrical about the quality of the readings at the "Work in Progress" evening, but for the sake of sanity (yours) and dignity (mine) , I won't. The idea for the event was simple: three authors - Michelene Wandor, Jonathan Taylor and Will Buckingham (the last two are DMU lecturers) - gave readings from books they are in the process of writing as well as talking about the process of coming up with ideas, shaping them, and setting them to paper.

In the midst of a sea of "How To Imagine" books that set out the rules of inspiration with firm, patronising hands, the event took a refreshingly open-minded approach. The three authors were very specific about their own methods, but made little attempt to push them on to the audience as the Only Method.

It's an approach which would rub some people the wrong way: "What's the point if they're not going to tell you how to write a novel? If I wanted to hear people talk about what they personally do, I'd go read a blog," they might say in rather nasal tones.

But they aren't the target audience: The target audience is writers, who chafe at being told how they should find inspiration. Attempts at setting down hard and fast rules for imagination result less in delighted cries of "Thank you! I wouldn't have known how to get an idea otherwise" and more in low snarls of "Release the attack dolphins."

Or perhaps that's just me. Either way, the three authors earned their applause at the end of the evening.

Phillip Dobson

No Enemy to Conquer

2010-03-08T10:40:00.003Z

From childhood to adulthood we're constantly faced with people who let us down. This may be something as small in scale as your best friend talking about you behind your back when you're both fifteen or it could relate to something as catastrophic as the Holocaust.

When I attended Michael Henderson's lecture on his new book No Enemy to Conquer, I did not know what to expect. His lecture was based on sharing the stories of reconciliation that he has come across in his 50-year career.

The main conflicts that he spoke about were the Catholic/Protestant conflict in Ireland and the Holocaust in the Second World War. He described how, even when people are subjected to horrific pain and upset, some eventually rise above it and forgive the people who hurt them.

This lecture taught me many things. I'd never truly considered what forgivness was to me. The conclusion I've came to since attending the lecture is that forgivness cannot be forced, it has to have the right timing and that, If you want forgivness and reconciliation, you have to earn it.

What I took away from the lecture was this: if you don't have it in you to forgive someone who has wronged you, you are the person who is being punished as living your life with bitterness and sadness is no life at all.

Hayley Nunan

Forgiveness - a fact of life?

2010-03-08T10:36:00.003Z

Forgiveness is a part of a journey, but what part of that journey it is is different for everyone. That was the key message I left with after attending Michael Henderson's talk, "No Enemy to Conquer". Henderson did not lecture us all that forgiveness is mandatory. He simply told the group uplifting stories of his experiences with forgiveness and what he has observed of others.

Whilst he told us these stories, I thought of the numerous times I should have forgiven and hadn't. I thought of the pointless grudges I have borne and how the only person who lost was me. A man in the audience said, "The heart of faith is the belief that you should forgive." I disagree. I think that the heart of faith is the belief that you have the ability to forgive and the knowledge that the one who forgives, is the one who wins.

A A Wilson

Childhood hero, adult inspiration

2010-03-06T12:14:00.003Z

When I was a child, my Dad sat my brother and me down and said: "You've got to watch this film, it'll change your life."

The film was Kes, and it changed my perception of the world. I knew then that the world wasn't just slow-motion romantic strolls and Transformers.

I have a strange built-in shyness around hero figures of mine. When Ken Loach entered the room, I wanted to drag him away and ask him millions of questions I knew nobody would want to ask him but me. Everybody has a different perception of the films Loach makes - that's why they are so brilliant.

Loach talked about his early years in television - a time that makes me insanely jealous. Can you imagine the BBC making those films now? The men in the suits would have heart attacks.

Politics are important to Loach, and play an important part in all his work. Some say his work is downbeat and miserable, but others - like me - believe that his work is full of hope and truth. You never feel cheated.

At 74 years of age, Ken Loach looks fit and strong and he talks with passion and gusto. I could have listened to him all night. If I become successful in my chosen medium, I may be able to battle that hero-worshipping shyness and do just that.

Daley James Francis

image sourced through wikimedia commons

No Birds or Flowers

2010-03-06T12:07:00.003Z

I never knew poetry could be so diverse.

With collages and darkness accompanying Simon Perril's poetry, Tom Raworth's quick-fire delivery and music box and John James' colloquial style, it was clear there would be no talk of birds and flowers or beautiful maidens at this event.

I always thought poetry was supposed to be pretty and say nothing much. However, throughout the week of Cultural eXchanges, I have realised that poetry can be about everything and anything - even the development of cameras or eating a slice of soda bread.

Leigh Connelly

A question of survival - please kill trees

2010-03-05T15:24:00.005Z

I just have to say how IMPRESSED I am by Simon Perril's collage work. Of course, I loved the poetry but I've always been interested in multi-tasking. His combination of the visual with the written/spoken word - not to mention his brilliant reading - has completely inspired me to get cutting and sticking again, something that I haven't done in forever!

One of the favourite and probably most successful creative writing tasks I ever set myself was to come up with Itunes to accompany a collection of black and white photographs I'd taken. It sounds easy but it's so hard to get it right when your word count is so severely restricted.

I also really enjoyed the talk by Chris Hamilton-Emery of Salt earlier in the day. It made me want to go out and buy as many books as I could carry - a bit unfortunate when I've already spent x amount on Amazon this week.

There is nothing quite like holding a book, having it in your hands, smelling it and touching it. I'm all for iTunes - I couldn't live without my iPod - but I really don't get behind eBooks. How many books can you read on one train ride anyway?

If there ever comes a day that I cannot walk around a bookshop, drinking coffee and delicately stroking the spines of a million different editions than I might as well be dead.

Books must survive! The internet is fucking incredible but please, kill trees and print books!

Emma Wood

Well worth their Salt

2010-03-05T15:22:00.001Z

Wow! The Salt Night at DMU's Cultural eXchange week showcased three very diverse poets, their work available through Salt Publishing. The contrast between the poet's styles was fascinating, yet I really felt their mutual respect and camaraderie.

John James cut a debonair figure in black, and read predominantly from his Collected Poems. I enjoyed the conversational feel of his poetry, and wide-ranging subject matter.

Tom Raworth is known for the speed of his delivery. Well, that doesn't really do justice to the sheer power of long passages read as if firing wave upon wave of bullets. I particularly enjoyed the poem in response to the Iraq war. Shock and awe, indeed.

DMU's own Simon Perril lowered the lights, and soothed us with readings from his new collection Nitrate. Simon demonstrated his technological prowess (!) by reading selected poems against a backdrop of thought-provoking collage images, representing the transition from still photography to moving pictures in the early part of the 20th Century.

Tom's final poem was one of my highlights though, as he gently turned the punched-out phrase 'Nothing in Leicester' through a small, metal musical player. Such a simple yet beautiful sound, confirming my opinion poetry is not always just about the words.

Sally Jack

Boot on Face

2010-03-05T15:07:00.002Z

The C.I.A.'s hi-jacking and manipulation of Animal Farm and its theme of political totalitarianism during the Cold War proved one of the highlights of this cultural week's banquet. John Newsinger ignited and mesmerised us all, in this very well attended and vibrant talk of the regimes of yesteryear.

Newsinger balancied Orwell the brilliant journalist, with his human flaws, against the political realities of his time. Attitudes to Stalin were explained clearly and George Orwell’s stance was clearly contextualised. British communism of that time was also explained interestingly and compassionately.

The integrity of George Orwell’s positioning and his willingness to put his head above the parapet was enlightening and was articulated seamlessly to a rapt audience.

Nineteen Eight- Four has a charged sexual atmosphere with emancipation and female liberation at its very heart, according to Newsinger. His take on Julia the female protagonist, was delivered with insight, humour and gusto.

John Newsinger doesn’t hang about. His knowledge of his subject matter seems limitless. The entertaining way this material is delivered engages his audience. At times laughter filled the room.

It was Orwell’s compulsion to read about and research the Soviet Union that, in Newsinger's opinion, gave him the tools to write with such insight and depth on totalitarianism. People living under Soviet regimes were amazed by this understanding of their experience.

Empire and was also discussed in relation to Burmese Days. One quotation used in this entertaining talk still resonates: Police and Army "hold the native down while the business man goes through his pockets."

Same old story. Enough said.

Laurie

More thoughts on Pascale Petit

2010-03-05T15:01:00.003Z

I had no idea what to expect from yesterday's poetry reading. I couldn't go to the workshop with Pascale Petit as it was sold out. This left me wondering whether I would enjoy her poetry.

About an hour before the reading, I met up with my friend who'd been to the workshop and she showed me some of Pascale Petit's work. I was freaked out by the poem about a mermaid's curiosity about the love of man - and by the accompanying image.

But when it came to the reading, my thoughts changed. I really enjoyed her selection and I was fascinated by the way she uses pictures to write her poems. I might try that in the near future and see if it works for me.

I'm already regretting not buying any of her books. That's what comes of an empty wallet. I suppose there's always the student bookshop.

Katherine Howford

Information Obesity .... or Food?

2010-03-05T14:55:00.002Z

Another day into Cultural eXchanges week at DMU, and another lecture takes place. "Information Obesity: Cutting the Flab of Information and Building Intellectual Fitness" was incredibly thought-provoking, though strange.

Straight into the lecture (beginning at 4pm so my mind was already on food), the first fact that stands out is that we make 200 food choices every day. Lecturer Tara Brabazon used food analogies throughout, showing the similarities between our over-eating habits and our ignorance when researching. She constantly reiterated that Google gives us comfort; whatever is entered into the search box regurgitates information of the same level.

During the Q&A section of the lecture, the 'ignorance' of students and how 'horrifying' it is that students 'don't know how' to do research was discussed. As the only student amongst teachers and lecturers, I was filled with guilt and felt the need to run to the library and spend hours doing research, before I remembered that was exactly how I'd spent the morning.

Tara Brabazon herself was unbelievably energetic and a joy to listen too. She was very enthusiastic about the subject. Unfortunately, there is no denying that when I left the lecture theatre, I was thinking about pepperoni pizzas, burgers and other fast foods that she'd used as analogies when describing our attitude to online knowledge. Instead of doing the research, I headed to MacDonald's.

Maybe I should make 190 of my daily food choices "No! Do your work. Leave the chocolate alone!"

A A Wilson

The more you look for, the more you'll find

2010-03-05T14:45:00.003Z

'Culture is what you make it, now is the time to invent.' (Sleater Kinney)

I didn't recognise Josie Long in the photo in the pea-green Cultural eXchanges Festival Guide, her fingers making the peace sign. I can see how appropriate this pose is now.

It was obvious straight away that she was quirky, creative and enthusiastic. When asked to say hello, she said much more and when asked half a question she had a five-minute answer. She apologised for going off on tangents but that was what I enjoyed; it was captivating. It was as if she had so much to say and all of these thoughts were jostling inside her head to find their way towards our ears.

As we were in a relatively small room she could speake to us in a more intimate, unprepared way; we had entered into her world. She carries round in her head lovely quotes that inspire her. I try to do the same but with a little book in my bag, and I couldn't resist writing down some of Josie's favourites.

'Eating is a small good thing in a time like this.' ("A Small Good Thing", Raymond Carver)

Everyone has bad times in their lives and knowing this is supposed to comfort us. However, thinking about 'a small good thing' to make the 'times like this' a little less bad comforts me much more. 'I'm just gonna bitch and moan' is what a lot of people do instead of living their lives. I've definitely been bitching and moaning recently, and I've achieved nothing from it. I think it's probably time to try living my life. Thank you, Josie Long. I am truly glad I heard you.

Claire Genevieve

Well done, class of 2010!

2010-03-05T14:32:00.008Z

After the initial embarrassment of walking into the wrong lecture theatre, I managed to fine the right room for the Student Publication Launch. Most of the final year Creative Writing students lookws more nervous than I need to say.

I wasn't looking forward to it. Two hours seemed far too long to sit down and listen to other people talk about their work. Little did I know what a treat was in store for me.

After a short introduction from Jonathan Taylor the first group took to the podium. No doubt their stomachs dropped as they faced the audience of around 60. But what a marvellous job they did. Jordan Bacon, Tom Haymes and Rob Cotterell started the launch with a bang and soon got the audience in fits of giggles as they interpreted the language of the north for the benefit of southerners.

Highlights of the second half included T-shirts for dogs to raise money for charity. Good thinking Alexia Polemidioti, but I have to agree with Jonathan Taylor that there should be a range for cats too. There was also ia rather raunchy, graphic but humorous poem from Simone Byer and a website from Lauren O’Brien, who combined fashion and writing with fascinating results.

I’m left with a heavy feeling in my stomach from the realisation that at this point in two years I’ll be standing up there - most definitely quivering like a leaf and crying for my Mother. It was an outstanding event and I can’t deny that all deserve recognition for their hard work over the past three years.

Well done, class of 2010!

Natalia Chrystalla Boileau

How awful!

2010-03-05T14:25:00.003Z

As I sat watching the third-year, soon-to-be-gone creative writing students discuss their work, it was difficult to think that I and my fellow first years would also inevitably have to face this daunting task at some point too.

How awful.

The third years had produced all sorts of publications, from menus to poetry books, websites, short stories, table mats and even dog T-shirts. One by one they told us why they chose to do their pieces and made it seem almost simple.

All the time my cowardly self was thinking, "Jolly good - but rather you than me standing up there." Yet most of the students seemed calm and genuinely proud to be showing their work.

I only hope that in around two years time I'll feel that way - and that the years don't go too quickly.

Leigh Connelly

Launching the Demon Crew

2010-03-05T14:09:00.004Z

The Demon Crew Launch was definitely not what I was expecting. I feared some boring, normal readings or monotonous droning, but was really impressed with how much work had gone into all of the pieces - not to mention the pure guts it must have taken to stand up there and read and show their own work. There was quite a range: postcards, train tracks, websites ... even doggy t-shirts.

Not only was all the work of an exceptional standard, the students were all great performers. They really knew how to work the audience so that we were laughing when they wanted us to, and silent and thoughtful when that was needed.

I only hope they haven’t set the bar too high for when I get to that stage in a few years time. I’m starting to practise my cues now.

Rachel Robson

Next, my Japanese T-shirt website

2010-03-05T14:03:00.003Z

On Thursday morning all the final-year students studying Creative Writing showcased their work at DMU's Cultural Exchanges week. I have to say, I was seriously impressed. This was no bog-standard poetry/prose reading. We saw everything from writing on the body, to dog T-shirts and D-I-Y poetry on wooden blocks.

The dedication, passion and imagination of the students was infectious, and somehow I came away wanting to create a Japanese poem on a t-shirt with a website on the back.

Who knew creative writers could be so... well, creative?

Naomi Marcus

Salt of the Earth

2010-03-05T13:47:00.002Z

Salt has historically been linked to money; past empires have been built on the back of the salt trade.

Salt Publishing needs our money. Co-founder, Chris Hamilton-Emery spoke candidly about the financial troubles of his company, yet he has lost none of his passion for publishing literature by both new and established writers.

The company enjoyed a boom period thanks to Arts Council funding, however, when they needed it most, the funds dried up. In 2009, just to rub salt in the wound, the company faced bankruptcy (I must stop making salt puns).

A campaign on Facebook rapidly spread the word, raising £30,000 and saving the company from ruin.

Chris told us some hard and sobering facts: out of every 1,000 books published by Bloomsbury, only 6 make money, more bookstores will disappear from the high street thanks to the recession, and the Arts Council's own funding has been cut.

However, the world will always need writers; it is how work is published that is changing. As technology develops, publishing must and will adapt, with more of a focus on self and community publishing projects.

I found this talk inspiring; times are hard yet Chris and his team work relentlessly to keep the company going, for the love of books and writing.

If we all buy Just One Book, we can help save them. Please visit their website.

Sally Jack

Don't Stop Believing

2010-03-05T13:42:00.002Z

Attending Chris Hamilton-Emery’s talk about Salt Publishing’s 10 years in the business made me realise that I should never stop believing. Faith is what makes you carry on and the end result is all worth it.

Chris is a wonderful chirpy person, full of laughter and charisma. He talked candidly about the problems he faced with being a publisher which included a ton of financial difficulties such as being in debt and receiving no support.

His story was quite sad and, even though at times I felt that any person would have given up after being knocked down, he gave me a sense of belief that if you believe in something so passionately you should take the risks involved and keep on fighting as he did.

His story does not have a happy ending as he will encounter problems such as the internet taking over, eBooks and the closure of some major bookshops because of the recession. I don’t think it will worry him that much as he has overcome issues time after time. I know he will carry on battling.

M. Khalifa

Happy 10th Birthday, Salt ... I hope

2010-03-05T13:29:00.002Z

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I turned up for the Salt 10th Anniversary Talk by Chris Hamilton-Emery. I thought he might talk about how wonderful his company is and why I should try to get published by them.

It was actually a heart-warming speech about all of the troubles his publishing house has gone through since its beginning. Chris Hamilton-Emery was a very emotive speaker and I felt quite honoured that he was being so truthful with us about how hard the profession is.

He drew on his valuable experience to point out both the good and bad points of the industry, such as the Internet taking over book distribution to the point where publishers are on the verge of extinction. That definitely made me think about where these careers are heading. It's definitely very worrying for a bookshop wanderer like myself.

I feel truly touched by the story of his struggles and I may just have to go buy a book to keep him afloat…

Rachel Robson

Scriptwriters Make Movies

2010-03-05T13:16:00.004Z

Something I've often found as I've grown older is that my movie taste is a little … commercial. I don't watch foreign or independent films and I have a liking for awful horror movies. I've been to the cinema six times since I came back from Christmas, and most of them were what I term "popcorn movies", i.e. popular Hollywood films. I like to be entertained at the cinema but I've often felt like an inadequate intellectual instead of a cultured cinema-goer with my ticket stubs.

Peter Kramer's talk on "Hollywood's Global Imagination" was brilliant for me. He looked at how Hollywood is obsessed with destroying the world, and how it uses alien invasion and world threats to create unity for its audience. He had such energy, talking about global destruction, Hollywood as a global network and how Avatar uses the same ideas that a ton of films have used before.

I won't deny I had geeky moments sitting at the back when Kramer discussed certain blockbusters, mostly in the sci-fi or fantasy genres which I love. All of them point to global threats which bring us together, as we wonder what would have happened if the Nazis had got the Holy Grail, or if Voldermort had decided to think bigger than just Hogwarts.

I think I fitted rather well into the discussion of imagined threats as I sat there in my blue Superman shirt and my Superman-emblazoned socks. There was a clip from Independence Day too, the most patriotic film about the biggest threat of all. What was not to enjoy?

Kelly Lawson

Surveillance, ID cards and Sherlock Holmes

2010-03-05T13:02:00.006Z

According to Dr Toni Weller, what we now call "the information age" began in Victorian times. She had evidence, including pictures, to support this, explained it all very well.

I've struggled with one point and I can’t decide if I just misunderstood it or if I’m right in my confusion. Dr Weller said that when we see debates about ID cards etc now, we should think back to how this all started. I agree with her that it obviously started long before my time, but I don’t see how knowing about the origins of surveillance and intrusion helps us deal with the problems they pose in the present.

Still, it was good to learn of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's interest in fingerprinting and other records of criminals. I hadn't realised that something we take for granted now - more than in Doyle’s own time - was so vital to his Sherlock Holmes stories. Part of me hopes that I find something something similar to inspire my own work.

Rachel Robson

Your official permission: not to be a racist

2010-03-05T12:28:00.002Z

Germaine Greer asked a question at the Cultural eXchanges festival that I've thought about many times. The answer isn’t easy to define. “What is one’s ancestry?”

If you got a survey - like the Australian population– that wants you to enter a one-adjective answer, what would you say?

In the survey, 13% claimed to be Australian, although they are clearly immigrants. Aren’t the Aborigines the real Australians? What’s worse, the cultural value of their hunter-gatherer lifestyle is almost lost due to the invasion of Western civilization. Instead, the Aborigines are treated like dogs to play ball with.

I always consider myself as German, but what does even that mean? Both my parents are Germans and their parents as well. The question is, is that enough? Actually, I can follow back my roots to a small town in Slovakia. I'm also from East Germany and there's a huge difference to the Western side; for example, I feel more bound to a Prussian ancestry.

Germans sometimes have racist thoughts, punishing especially Turkish immigrants for taking “our” jobs and causing the high unemployment. Who has the right to demand jobs for themselves, anyway? They should rather look at their own family tree and think about where their branch sticks out.

The Australian cultural problem was definitely thought-provoking and I hereby give you official permission not to be a racist. Everybody has mixed blood in some way and it is a shame that people forget that.

Nico Lehmann

White and Black in Australia

2010-03-05T12:22:00.002Z

Before this sold-out lecture, all I knew of Germaine Greer was that she was a feminist, famous principally for writing The Female Eunuch, and to my generation, for walking out of the Celebrity Big Brother house after five days.

The talk, as the title suggests, was not about feminism; it was about Australia. Specifically, it was about indigenous Aboriginal Australians and intervention from the Australian Government who wish to assimilate the Aborigines into Australia’s predominantly white society.

I’ll be honest – beforehand I knew next to nothing about Aboriginal Australians. I certainly didn’t know that they were an oppressed people, defiantly living in hardship in spite of Government funding which they see as charity, and so refuse to take as it would compromise their pride.

One important point that I took from Germaine’s lecture was that, despite the blatant prejudice towards Aboriginal culture, many things people consider typically Australian, such as boomerangs, are taken from Aboriginal culture to give Australia an identity that stands out from other Commonwealth countries.

The lecture was given in a clear, lucid style, holding the interest of the audience by being both sympathetic and amusing. Germaine was very engaging, and I look forward to discovering more of her ideas in my new copy of The Female Eunuch.

Alexa Lewis

Picture source: Wikimedia Commons

More on Pascale Petit

2010-03-05T12:11:00.004Z

As a poet, one of the useful lessons I learnt from Pascale Petit is to be more ironic than emotional. Readers more often want to hear light-hearted poems than those that are dark and melancholy. The words Pascale chose for her poems were not sad but were more satirical.

Another useful lesson from Pascale Petit was how to deal with writer's block. She suggested we could go somewhere new and merge new thoughts with the old into a collage of ideas.

Kim Leiser

Poet Royalty

2010-03-04T16:08:00.003Z

After a long seminar on the ‘Klingon’ language, I was very happy for a poet to drift me away where no man has gone before.

Pascale Petit, a wonderful poet, gave a performance of her work and, including a taste of her upcoming work which will be published later on in the year.

She began by reading work that was based around her parents. Listening to her smooth, calm, soothing voice you would have never guessed that the poems were quite dark. She clearly had issues with her parents, especially her father.

Moving on, she read work based on Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s paintings. Again the poems were quite dark and mostly based around the themes of nature and death.

I thought she handled the questions the audience gave to her remarkably well and she was precise in her answers.

Pascale Petit seems like a wonderful person and I sensed a bit of melancholy in her. It seems to me that her work, like Frida Kahlo's, draws largely on her own life. She has the sweetest voice and I would definitely go and explore her work. I recommend you do too.

M. Khalifa

Pascale Petit reading

2010-03-04T16:00:00.002Z

Throughout my short study of writing I also have been told to avoid letting emotional outbusts splatter all over the page, because simply, people are not interested.

Unfortunately for those who like to think their lives are of the upmost importance, it seems that the only place for tragedy and emotion is in heat magazine and the Jeremy Kyle show.

I was therefore most interested in Pascale Petit's ideas of writing about emotional experiences in poetic form and the idea that it is much easier to be ironic than to write emotionally.

Pascale's work also includes a collection of poems based on the artist Frida Kahlo, where the poet imagines herself as Kahlo, synthesising such shared experiences as as not having children. This suggested further possibilities to me as a writer as it's something you could do with a number of high profile people.

The audience enjoyed Pascale's mix of unexpected ideas, emotions and strong images.

Leigh Connelly and Gemma Carey

Neo-Liberal Zoofather

2010-03-04T15:56:00.001Z

Day three (no, this is not a Big Brother reference - I'm not that post-modern, so stop asking, please)

There was less of a café today, more of my home. The distance between the two was not by the Soar, as it usually is.

I sat in the dark for a lecture that at first seemed political. The dark swallowed everything lateral and behind; it all became a part of the darkness between my eyes.

The lecture became about film. I have never seen Cloverfield right through, but I understood. Soon the political/film elements became sociology and we all became part of the same darkness. Except Dr. Price - he was the conduit for us, this darkness that grew angry and laughed.

Pascale Petit signed a copy of her collection, she read. We watched as she became Frida Kahlo and sang posthumously. I was taken from the clenching muscle of the neo-liberal to the airy heart of the amazon. There is a thrumming, academic sound. It is the sound of brainwaves changing and combining.

James G Laws.

Kes and the F- word

2010-03-04T15:45:00.004Z

I'm looking forward to seeing Ken Loach at DMU's Cultural eXchange week (5th March); his drama Cathy Come Home is one of the most significant UK TV plays ever made.

However, an unwelcome school memory has re-surfaced: 1983, year of my English O-Level, lesson conducted by a teacher with a fondness for contemporary literature (I will call her Miss X-Pletive). We were reading A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, inspiration for the film Kes, directed by Ken Loach.

Back then (and up until 17 February 2010), I was never a great one for swearing, confounding school friends :"Go on, say The Bloody Tower. It's OK, it's not like proper swearing."

I refused.

This particular day, Miss X-Pletive picked on girls in the class to read out passages from Hines's book. My section was liberally seasoned with the f-word, used as a reinforcing adverb that I, as an ultra-sensitive teen, couldn't say.

So, I refused to read. I could hear the sneers and sniggers from my class mates as my cheeks burned brightly.

Twenty seven years later and I am now a mature student studying Creative Writing and English Language at DMU. A recent lecture concerned taboo words and I even said a very naughty four-letter word out loud. I haven't died of embarrassment (yet).

These words are just one small part of our rich language and culture. Does this finally mean I have grown up?

Blog off!

Sally Jack

image from BBFC through wikimedia commons

Philip Hensher: in conversation

2010-03-04T15:36:00.003Z

Part of me was dreading this event. We had to read The Northern Clemency for 'Contemporary Fiction.' It's a long book and some of us reckoned it would have been just as good, if not better, at half the length. You can imagine our faces when Philip Hensher said that, when he started writing the novel, he thought it was going to be quite short at only 150 pages or so. He did apologise for the length.

I half expected that the author of a long novel would be long-winded and boring. Luckily this wasn't the case at all - Hensher has a good sense of humour and wasn't afraid to make his audience laugh.

There was a particularly interesting discussion about authors basing fiction on their own life and experiences. In the writing world, authors can be slammed for blatant "self-inserts" in their novels. However, Hensher explained some parts of his novel that were based on his experiences, and no one criticised these because they work and aren't obvious. He laughed, "The more I tell you it was based on my own life the more I sound like I can't make stuff up" - something I too have struggled with.

Finding the balance is hard, but I guess that's what editors are for. His advice was to use editors when possible: it's what they're there for, after all.

S.E. Pavely

Struggling artists - I feel with you, Mambéty

2010-03-04T15:27:00.001Z

Second day at the Cultural eXchanges week (2/3/10) at De Montfort University in Leicester and a controversial African film on the agenda: Badou Boy (1970) by Djibril Diop Mambéty.

Also translated as “Day and Life of a Naughty Boy”, the film is accompanied by a rhythmical African sound and observes the paradoxes of Dakar’s (Senegal) everyday street life.

For me as a Film Studies student, the techniques and hidden implications were extremely interesting. After a long discussion with my friends, who despised the film, I have to admit that the film may not fulfill the one and only goal: to entertain its audience.

The strange thing about quality crafts is that people familiar with the rules of particular artworks acknowledge the use of unique methods more willingly. In Badou Boy, rapid cuts, jumpy camera work and a superimposed sound rather than live recordings confuse most viewers.

I tried to analyze the visual and oral signals >such as the recurring motif of the plump and rude police man with his bike - that he never rides - and find out what message is conveyed: here a negative critic of Senegal’s post-colonial governing body.

I wonder if we should concentrate primarily on entertaining readers or viewers?

In the end, we all want our work to be read or seen. Therefore, it is important to take the “entertainment-factor” into consideration.

Nevertheless, most accredited pieces only succeeded because someone pushed the boundaries. I liked Mambéty’s film, although mainly for academic reasons. So this event was a good exchange for normal lectures.

See for yourself here!

Nico Lehmann

Men in Breeches

2010-03-03T13:10:00.006Z

What a difference a year makes.

Last year, March 2009. I was a stay-at-home Mum who had recently left a career in banking. I'd noticed in the local paper that Andrew Davies (the TV scriptwriter famous for his BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice), was speaking at DMU's Cultural eXchanges week.

"Well, that's a good way of spending an hour or two," I mused, as pictures of Mr Darcy fresh from the lake ran through my mind. What a fascinating man! I mean Andrew Davies, of course. He brought a wealth of inside stories from the world of film and TV. University seemed another world to me then.

Fast-forward to March 2010. I'm a full time first year Creative Writing and English Language student at DMU and have booked to see nine events in Cultural eXchange week, 2010.

I met a teenage hero of mine on 1st March, Alexei Sayle. Several of his comments struck me: everyone is searching for significance and safety. How true - we all want to matter somehow, and feel secure.

His thoughts on the similarities between Santa and Stalin were sickle-sharp. I'm not sure I'll look at either of those two 'great leaders' in the same way again.

Finally, his method of writing comedy was inspiring: take a mad, insane leap into the great unknown, don't be Earth-bound. I may take that as a new mantra for my own writing.

(Meanwhile, for those of you who like men in breeches, here's a picture of one of the men I've discussed in this post.)

(I bet you're glad it's not Stalin in the red breeches.)

Sally Jack

[photo by Shawn Lee from wikimedia commons]

A Room Full of Hitlers

2010-03-03T13:03:00.004Z

A personal favourite moment from yesterday's Alexei Sayle talk was when he was asked about any memories he had from the set of Indiana Jones. Was it just me, or had anyone else forgotten that he was in Indiana Jones?

Anyway among other anecdotes (with less swearing than the rest of his talk because the speaker had asked on behalf of his young son) Alexei described finding himself in a room full of shifty looking people… It was only later he realised they had just been auditioning for the part of Adolf Hitler. He hadn’t recognised this at the time because all had, understandably, removed the trademark [false] moustache.

Alexei had us laughing throughout the entire talk but it was that image that made me laugh the hardest. It's also the one that has stuck with me since. The image of Alexei arriving in the Spanish desert and finding himself, unexpectedly, in a room of Hitler look-alikes has kept me smiling all day.

Aaron Latham

Rum, anyone?

2010-03-03T12:53:00.002Z

Booking events for Cultural eXchanges proved rather problematic. Each time the website declared it was 'timed out' - an obvious lie. I knew it couldn't take twenty minutes to book four tickets. This caused me to lose the little faith I had in the festival. Spending a week at home, tucked up in my bed, clutching a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula seemed much more inviting, even if I was reading the novel before beginning the essay I'd already put off for weeks.

Fortunately, my faith was restored after Michael McMillan's The Front Room, a poignant yet humorous presentation, speaking of the lives of immigrants moving to Britain during the 1950's and 1960's. Their expedition to England was 'like going to the moon,' leaving their old lives behind, and creating a new identity amongst the terraced houses which seemed so unusual to the newcomers. McMillan described England as 'the land of milk and honey' which, in all honesty, greatly amused me. I'd much rather be sat on a Caribbean beach, soaking up some of those much needed sun-rays and sipping on some good ol' rum.

Later, Alexei Sayle made an appearance, after being delayed in London traffic during the rush-hour. I was too young to know The Young Ones so my friends took the opportunity to educate me prior to Alexei’s visit. I endured watching the comedy on retro VHS, wondering what on earth the characters were wearing. Sat right at the back of the lecture theatre, all I could see were the tops of two bald heads. Despite this, I laughed on numerous occasions, and left the Clephan Building clutching a signed copy of Alexei Sayle's Mister Roberts - and knowing his mother had never allowed him to watch Bambi.

Laura

Postgraduates Shine a Light on Post-Human Landscapes

2010-03-03T12:43:00.005Z

Dan O’ Donell-Smith blazed the trail for this cultural creative writing smorgasbord, with readings of his evocative poetry delivered in a deadpan fashion. The poems barked a sort of machine language, depicting a digital dystopian gaming life that truly shocked the uninitiated.

Contrastingly Mystie Hood’s reading of the first chapter from her novel radiated a sinister provincial elegance. Indigenous angst and disconnect rub against multiculturalism in a residential building inside a ghetto. The paranoid maladjusted rural protagonist craves anonymity in a globalised city which refuses her the isolation she yearns. Her dysfunctional existence resonated in the well-read extract from this engaging piece of work.

Poems in progress delivered with verve by Pam Thompson whispered other worlds. A plethora of imaginative language conjured apocalyptic visions as we listened transfixed. Pam cited numerous influences including W.S. Graham and Barbara Guest. Her poems powered home, fired by visceral language and imagery that conveyed human landscapes at their bleakest.

Alex Plasatis blasted us into the magic realist zone of eviction, with his gripping tale of student domesticity under attack by the apparatus of the state. Landlord and police are deployed in a surrealist adventure to disrupt student innocence, which creates mayhem. As a consequence a bat takes flight squeaking and shrieking, freaking out the powers that be. It was a fine way to wind up this literary treat.

These readings were well attended and left us in the audience slightly disturbed but craving for more. A big thank you to everyone involved.

Laurie

Alexei in Blogland

2010-03-02T15:15:00.005Z

A full account of Alexei Sayle's appearance at Cultural eXchanges will probably appear here soon. Meanwhile a couple of bloggers have posted comments.

The shut me up blog offers an account of two of Monday's events.

And here, more briefly, is Chris (from Your Dreams Are The Films Only You Get to See).

kb

If only I wore spectacles ....

2010-03-02T14:35:00.001Z

I had signed myself up for Stephen Deuchar: In conversation with Lars Thorp event. I had no idea what I was doing.

I am embarrassed to admit I had never heard of either man (I learned I was also pronouncing 'Deuchar' as Do-char instead of Do-ker), yet here I was, right in the middle of the 3.03 lecture theatre, not sure exactly what was about to go down.

I noticed the audience in the minutes before the event started. I was in a mix of smiling, excited, grey-haired, glasses-clad 50+ men and women as well as deep-thinking, presumably art students (also glasses-clad) in their twenties. I began to panic and feel I had missed the dress code part of the event. Everyone looked the part. Were spectacles essential to enjoy art? Maybe I should draw some on? Would a monocle be going a step to far?

Stephen Deuchar and Lars Tharp entered the theatre. Tharp, a confident and well-mannered man was known for his work on Antiques Roadshow. Deuchar seemed initially timid but soon relaxed as this overviewed conversation began. A lot of what was said, partically when they mentioned names I had never heard of, was over my head, nonetheless I listened keenly as I was exposed to a area of British culture I had never really taken notice of.

I myself only like very precise pieces of art that I happen to stumble upon when reading about different countries. This event however, explored all sorts of art, from ancient jewellery to a video of a man running through a gallery. It really had an effect on me.

If there was something to be learned from this event, and the cultural exchange as a whole, it would be that we should allow ourselves to get out of our comfort zones, explore subjects and areas we do not associate ourselves with regularly.

I had a question I wanted to ask Tharp and Deuchar but I felt I would not be able to pull it off. I think I will give it a try here instead.

"Mr Deuchar, if you could save one piece of Art that people would be able to see in 500 years, what would it be?"

Jack Campbell

The one-day Cultural eXchanges experience

2010-03-02T14:30:00.004Z

4 Events. 1 Day. 250 Words?

Ouch.

When I first booked the events for Cultural eXchanges I figured getting everything done in one day would be to my advantage. Cheaper on train fare and it meant a few days off to catch up on my reading.

What I didn’t realise at the time, was that I’d created a situation for myself where I had to run from the ground floor, up to the third, and then right back down to the bottom again. It didn’t take long to start regretting my decision.

It was a long day that didn’t start off particularly well. There was a crowded train journey and then a 50 minute wait before the first talk that just didn’t grab my attention, despite some interesting material on Modernist Magazines.

Luckily, the day got better and better as it went on and ultimately the whole thing was certainly worthwhile. I moved to Postgraduate Creative Writing, which was thoroughly enjoyable, if a little short. Then onto ‘The Front Room’ with a fascinating, and amusing, insight into the lives of Caribbean immigrants. Finally, there was Alexei Sayle, who, despite being late, kept the audience laughing and time just flew by.

At the end of it though. The most profound thing I’ve learnt?

The freezing lecture theatres that I study in, actually have heating that works. Who knew?

Natasha Rowinski

A range of styles: the postgraduate reading

2010-03-02T12:09:00.003Z

The postgraduate writing session proved an interesting mix of different styles by four writers: Dan O'Donnell-Smith, Mystie Hood, Pam Thompson and Alex Plasatis.

The first reading by Dan O'Donnell-Smith was based around computing and technology. I particularly liked his original take on this modern phenomenon. It was different, and thought-provoking. Dan suggested his poems were more suited to being read on the page, rather than spoken aloud, but they still grabbed my attention.

My personal favourite was Mystie Hood's reading of her first chapter. It had humour, mystery and a strong concept in terms of plot. It was easy to understand, and she read it really well, managing to captivate the audience.

Pam Thompson read a collection of her poetry, all very strong in their subject, and finally Alex Plasatis's added another very engaging piece, with touches of humour that had the audience laughing.

As a whole the variety of pieces, made me think about the sort of things I could write in the future and gave me new ideas to aid me in my own writing.

Gemma Carey

"What does your front room say about you?"

2010-03-02T11:59:00.002Z

When curator Michael McMillan confronted his audience on Monday (01/03/10) at Leicester’s Cultural eXchanges event with the idea that the front room reflects the respectability of house owners, I thought that is exactly what should be on the agenda of De Montfort University’s services.

Apparently, the Caribbean immigrants of the 50s and 60s had to sell themselves to the outside world to gain acceptance. From my experience, some students do not even remotely understand what that means.

Front rooms are the only public spaces in the privacy of our homes. Caribbean immigrants used fancy photos, religious paintings such as the last supper or expensive new acquisitions to express their morality and decency. Students' homes that I have seen in Leicester - or in various other places around the world - do not explicitly earn that respectability.

As a German international student, it is awkward at first to see British streets with identical terraced houses – I can absolutely relate to the impression those immigrants had. At least they made the inside representational of their individuality.

Students, on the other hand, often leave their rooms completely unattended – no matter whether that concerns cleanness, inventory or elegancy. They all resemble each other.

I think a proper introduction to “the front room - my soul, my sin” at universities could help. For my house next year, I will keep McMillan’s advice in mind: “If you and your front room look good, you will be respected.”

More about The Front Room here.

Nico Lehmann

"More British than the British"

2010-03-02T11:57:00.001Z

"Writer, curator and installation artist" Michael McMillan took as his focus was the front room in the houses of West Indian immigrants. This was the room which was used to greet guests. It presented the aspirations of its occupants to the rest of the world.

The room was kitsch, over the top, and garish. Despite this, almost every object had great significance. Michael McMillan had collected items that would now be considered antiques and they gave those who have never experienced a room like this a feel of what it was like. At a glance all those who were present could see this part of a West Indian home.

The room was exactly like the one my grandparents had. As second generation immigrants, my parents would have been banished from this room. It might even have been locked and must have become the focus of fascination - even obsession.

This was a history I hadn’t ever heard. It explained many things that had seemed strange to me. My grandparents' ornaments are now more valuable in my mind. My relatives came with nothing and were able to acquire all this in their lifetime.

Kimberly Redway

Endings and Beginnings

2010-03-02T11:55:00.000Z

Cultural eXchanges week proper began to swing fully today and - to coin an optimistic cliché - so far so good.

Day began, warmth and tea. Reading and café-stalking. Midday hits; people in the street, Clephan building filling, and latté. After me, the people file in: students; lecturers; writers, well wishers, and unknowns. Computers sing, runaways twitch, and vampire landlords fart at the police - this is a collection of readings worth hearing. A festival atmosphere, imperceptible at the edge of the air, rises.

I have bought Things, courtesy of Crystal Clear Creators, and look forward to the next day.

James G Laws

Demon Crew Review

There will be sex

Roll on next year

Cultural Overview

Something worth fighting for

Breaking the 4th dimension

Mesmerism

"Angels like snooker"

We were warned

Darker than vermilion?

From words to music

The Art of Possibility

Paranoia and laughter

An evening with Blake Morrison

Yet more about Maggie and Sean

Don't spare yourself the drama

You can't just send it in a jiffy bag

How to earn more than £1,500 in 45 minutes

More on Maggie and Sean

A Degree of Creativity

Free Biscuits! now that I've got your attention ...

Eclairs! Where?

Something to look forward to

The Demon Crew dazzle in launch

Drooling over Words

Poetry: not just words on paper

Spoken Word Spectacular

Poetic pleasures

Keep music industrial

Half-way thoughts

Sex, Booze and Flatulence

Sex, Culture, Politics

Big, bad wolf

Now I'm scared

That will never be me

A trip into creative minds

Post-graduate success

Postgraduate Spectacular

We're nice - and not after your money

Student convinced to spend money

Signs of a star-shaped diva

Of music and morality

"2011 is an extraordinary time to be a music fan"

A lifetime's work in Tesco bags

Simon English tells a story

The bloke who wrote England on England

"When people are young, they don't think"

Are we ready for a curtain call?

Day Two - and looking ahead

Variety past - and present brilliance

Magic, memories - not to mention free wine

The children of variety

I'm buying the books!

Honesty, grace - and two novels on the side

Question: Is Romeo and Juliet about binge drinking?

"What do I know?"

The Week Ahead

Anticipation

Incomplete novels and attack dolphins

No Enemy to Conquer

Forgiveness - a fact of life?

Childhood hero, adult inspiration

No Birds or Flowers

A question of survival - please kill trees

Well worth their Salt

Boot on Face

More thoughts on Pascale Petit

Information Obesity .... or Food?

The more you look for, the more you'll find

Well done, class of 2010!

How awful!

More than a bunch of readings

Launching the Demon Crew

Next, my Japanese T-shirt website

Salt of the Earth

Don't Stop Believing

Happy 10th Birthday, Salt ... I hope

Scriptwriters Make Movies

Surveillance, ID cards and Sherlock Holmes

Your official permission: not to be a racist