Creative writers produce podcasts inspired by Sainsbury Centre collections
By: Communications
“Moving, thoughtful, funny” podcasts by second-year Creative Writing students are now getting listens on the Sainsbury Centre website, following a residency working on creative responses to items in the collection.
Each student responded to a single object in the collection, ranging from portraits by Francis Bacon and Alberto Giacometti to Mayan jade figures, Alaskan scraper handles, and recent Sainsbury Centre commissions by contemporary artists.
Some students explored the cultures that produced their chosen object, others focused on issues raised by the artworks, with poetic explorations of subjects ranging from mental health to the nature of looking; all while the students interrogated questions of who, and what, ‘belongs’ in a museum.
Drama and Creative Writing student Finn Kennedy Macmillan, whose podcast responded to a ceramic figurine of a man from the 4,000 year old Chorrera culture of South America, said:
“It was hard to imagine that an artwork simply piquing my interest would mark the beginning of a process through which I would gain a transformative understanding of an unsung ancient culture and its practices.”
Creative Writing and English Literature student Wralph Co described making the podcast as:
“An unforgettable experience that allowed me to explore a piece I deeply related to and, in doing so, connect it to others.”
Nell Croose Myhill, Learning Programme Manager from the Sainsbury Centre, praised the “creative flair, humour and sensitivity” of the podcasts, while Kate Dunton, Head of Learning at The Sainsbury Centre (SCVA), said:
“Not only do the student podcasts offer fresh, new ways of looking at art and artifacts, they empower visitors to the Centre and to our website to do the same: to explore their own authentic responses in terms of their lived experiences. This genuinely supports our aim to foster vital living relationships with the works in our collection.”
Prof Richard Hand, Head of School for Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, also saluted the students’ achievement:
“It's truly inspiring to see our students embracing creativity through the innovative medium of podcasting. By producing their own podcasts in response to artefacts at the SCVA, they are developing valuable communication, storytelling and tech skills. This initiative is a fantastic example of how learning can be both original, engaging and empowering.”
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