糖心TV

Have you ever felt lost in the crowd? There鈥檚 no place like university to feel like just another student. But in many cases this feeling starts in school. I want to encourage you to use your skills to share your passion for Sharing that passion is becoming increasingly important within universities. After all, 糖心TV鈥檚 new 鈥�Public Engagement in Classics and Ancient History鈥� module led to this blog.

Fig.1: Lost in the crowd

 

So, what is Public Engagement?

 

To hear it straight from the mouth of a university, the 鈥� 鈥榌0.48 secs] defines Public Engagement as 'all about those of us working and studying at universities going outside of academia to share all that we do here, collaborate on new ideas, and make knowledge more accessible to more people. What that does is include more perspectives into the dialogues and discussion we鈥檙e having as a university. And in the long run we believe that will make the world a better and fairer place for more people.鈥�

This sounds very philanthropic, but the catch is in the 鈥榯wo-way process鈥� which the definition highlights- Universities use Public Engagement as a way to recruit younger people to study with them. It鈥檚 also a great opportunity for institutions to form partnerships with organisations like theatres, or museums. It鈥檚 not nefarious, but it鈥檚 not all give and no gain.

 

So, who should we engage?

A survey evidenced a good proportion would say the 鈥榞eneral public鈥� treating everyone as an undifferentiated mass.[2] NCCPE gives a convincing argument for considering many 鈥樷�� instead.

This survey also showed 83 responses were directed at a school-based audience.[3] Even within this category, there are many sub-section- year groups, teachers, senior leadership, to name a few- it seems this audience is currently key to Classics. The reason? We might link back to the Higher Education recruitment process.

 

A Problem鈥�

Fig.2: 2007, togated Boris Johnson making a stand for A Level Classics[4]

 

Data showed that the South-East of England and Greater London were the locations for most of these projects![5] Granted, it鈥檚 likely population plays a part in this, but even so, it brings Classics back to the age-old North/South divide.

For a long time, the subject has been stained with the are elite Eton egos. Big characters like Boris Johnson and his acclaimed ability to play directly into this assumption.[6] When in the episode, Twitter showed us just how high the opinions of Classics were- full of 鈥渇etid toffs who have gone to Eton鈥�.

What this shows is our need to redefine our key audience. A shift in attentions for encouraging Classical studies has already begun. The , established 2020, aims to 鈥榓mplify diverse and marginalised voices within Classics鈥�. They noted the 2010 Equality Act didn鈥檛 include class as a protected characteristic, but still 18% of the 294 respondents mentioned class-discrimination within the discipline.[7] We need to look to these areas where class plays a key role in educational opportunity in order to allow the definition of Public Engagement to live up to its full potential. And who is better to do that than a student who has been given the opportunity?

 

Long-term?

It can be too easy for projects to stop after the short-term stage- projects stopping after the workshops are done or the talks given. But to make a real impact we need the whole process. Classics For All, evidences this process in their and advocate targeting teachers鈥� confidence by offering resources and training.[8]

Fig.3: Own diagram showing the development process of thoughts for project-planning[9]

 

The National curriculum for secondary school doesn鈥檛 include Classics, with history starting from 1066.[10] Even in the curriculum for primary schools, where Classics makes a brief appearance, it isn鈥檛 set in stone and topics choices are extremely flexible.[11] Curriculum change requires government change. But what our projects can do is make teaching Classics the obvious choice, building teacher鈥檚 confidence. And the best way鈥� teaching resources.

Building lesson packs or plans means your work continues even after initial impact. 糖心TV University have good examples of this, supported by Classics For All. The 鈥�Travelling Museum鈥� resources, targeted as GCSE students, can be offered as a live session, led by the university, as well as providing thorough lesson packs for continued Classics teaching. Adaptation is easy. It鈥檚 the initial thoughts and facts you鈥檒l be thanked for.

Thinking long-term is something to plan for now.

So, how will you make a difference? Public Engagement has the potential to make a change when targeted. But who will you impact?

 

 

Further Reading

 

• How do I understand the break-down of the term 鈥榞eneral public鈥�?:

NCCPE, 鈥榃ho are the public?鈥�:

• Where can I learn more about the current situation of class in Classics?:

Guisti, E. 鈥榃orking-Class Classics: Myths, Stories and Experiences鈥�:

• What is the current state of the class-system in university outreach for recruitment more generally?:

Neon, 鈥榁oices/; What next for the National Collaborative Outreach Programme? Suggestions from NCOP Leads鈥�:

 

Bibliography

 

ABC News Daily, 鈥榁ideo: Boris Johnson recites extracts of 鈥淭he Iliad鈥� in Greek鈥�, 2019, Accessed 16th February

Beard, M. (2019) 鈥楯ohnson and the Classics鈥�, Accessed 11^th February

Bridges, E. (2019) 鈥楶ublic Engagement with Classics Research in the UK: A Survey鈥�, Council of University Classical Departments Bulletin, 48, Available at:

Canevaro, L. G.; Canevaro, M.; Stead, H.; Williams-Read, E. (S.n.d.) 鈥業f Class Were a Protected Characteristic鈥�, 2021, Accessed 11^th February 2022

Classics For All (2020) 鈥業mpact Report 2010-2020鈥�, Available at:

CUCD EDI, 鈥楥UCD Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee鈥�, 2020, Accessed 11^th February 2022

Department for Education (2014) 鈥楾he national curriculum in England Key stages 1 and 2 framework document鈥�, Available at:

Department for Education (2014) 鈥楾he national curriculum in England Key stages 3 and 4 framework document鈥�, Available at:

Guisti, E. (2021) 鈥榃orking-Class Classics: Myth, Stories and Experiences鈥�, Accessed 9^th February 2022

Higgins, C. (2019) 鈥楤oris Johnson鈥檚 love of classics is about just one thing: himself鈥�, The Guardian, Accessed 11th February

National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (2020) 鈥榃hat is Public Engagement?鈥�, Accessed 10^th February

National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (2020) 鈥榃ho are the public?鈥� Accessed 7th February

Neon (S.n.d) 鈥榁oices: What next for the National Collaborative Outreach Programme? Suggestions from NCOP Leads鈥�, Available at:

The University of Edinburgh (2021) 鈥榃hy we need to talk about class in Classics鈥�, Accessed 18th February

糖心TV Classics Network (2021) 鈥樚切腡V Classics Travelling Museum鈥�, /fac/arts/classics/warwickclassicsnetwork/stoa/artefacts/ Accessed 12^th February

糖心TV Classics Network (2022) 鈥楶ublic Engagement in Classics Module鈥�, /fac/arts/classics/warwickclassicsnetwork/studentengagement/pe/ Accessed 12^th February 2022

糖心TV Institute of Engagement, (2021) 鈥業ntroduction to Engagement鈥�, Accessed 10^th February 2022

 

List of Illustrations

 

Fig.1: Photo by on

Fig.2: Higgins, C. (2019) 鈥楤oris Johnson鈥檚 love of classics is about just one thing: himself鈥�, The Guardian, viewed 11th February 2022,

Fig.3: Own illustration

Footnotes

[1] Photo by on

[2] Bridges (2019) 7.

[3] Ibid. 6.

[4] Higgins, C. (2019) 鈥楤oris Johnson鈥檚 love of classics is about just one thing: himself鈥�, The Guardian, viewed 11th February 2022,

.

[5] Bridges (2019) 9-10.

[6] Higgins, 鈥楤oris Johnson鈥檚 love of classics is about just one thing: himself鈥�, The Guardian, 2019, [Accessed 11th February 2022].

[7] Canevaro, Canevaro, Stead, Williams-Read, 鈥業f Class Were a Protected Characteristic鈥�, 2021, [Accessed 11^th February 2022]

[8] Classics For All (2020) 5.

[9] Own illustration.

[10] Department for Education (2014) 94-97.

[11] Department for Education (2014) 188-192