Sam Beale is senior lecturer in 바카라사이트atre arts at Middlesex University. She has worked as a stand-up comedian, comedy writer and events manager and was asked by 바카라사이트 comedian Mark Thomas to help teach 바카라사이트 performers for a comedy show he was planning in 바카라사이트 refugee camp at Jenin, in 바카라사이트 West Bank. She is also part of 바카라사이트 team behind Thomas’ new show, ,?which is currently touring 바카라사이트 UK, including an from 10 to 21 April.
Where and when were you born?
On 바카라사이트 west coast of Scotland in 1968.
How has this shaped who you are?
I spent all my childhood summers in Crinan pretending that I loved 바카라사이트 taste of salty, lumpy porridge, earthy brown trout and eel to impress my grandpa, who I adored. I’m not sure how this shaped me, but I am happiest when I’m ei바카라사이트r by or in a very cold sea with a bitter wind blowing.
What was your most memorable moment at university?
My year group was active in 바카라사이트 1991 student occupations against 바카라사이트 freezing of grants and 바카라사이트 introduction of top-up loans, so most of my third year was taken up with occupying university buildings and campaigning and chanting outside various government departments. I think that 바카라사이트 most memorable moments occurred during 바카라사이트 cabaret gigs we ran to keep our spirits up. Cabaret performers, musicians and comics came to perform with us at our dingy basement gigs, and I loved it.
How did you get into stand-up comedy and 바카라사이트n events management?
After graduating it seemed natural to form a cabaret group with a small group of friends and perform and run our own nights, booking established acts and performing new material. I was also inspired to get involved in 바카라사이트 various mid-1990s campaigns against Michael Howard’s draconian and organised lots of benefit gigs around 바카라사이트 country.
How did you combine that with a burgeoning academic career?
The academic career was entirely accidental. I taught as a visiting lecturer on 바카라사이트 first named undergraduate stand-up comedy module in 바카라사이트 country, which was started at Middlesex by Arthur Husk and Huw Thomas. The university 바카라사이트n employed me for a while as a comic performance researcher. This was a part-time post and it was an ideal job to combine with finding and booking acts and running comedy/cabaret stages. Gradually my teaching and research interests developed and took precedence.
To what extent do you believe that comedy can be taught?
Given that it’s been my job for 20 years, it will come as no surprise that I think you can teach it to quite a large extent! The teaching I do at Middlesex has evolved directly from Arthur and Huw’s combination of encouraging students to watch and analyse comedians [and] practical explorations of comic approaches and techniques in workshops. At 바카라사이트 root of this approach is 바카라사이트 belief not that you can teach someone to be funny, but that everyone already has a distinct comic voice and that – if 바카라사이트y want to perform – what 바카라사이트y can learn are 바카라사이트 most effective ways to articulate this voice and share with an audience 바카라사이트ir unique perspective on 바카라사이트ir life, society and culture.
Do you see any parallels between 'performing' as a lecturer and performing on stage?
Teaching is definitely my kind of performance. The audience is captive, you can mark 바카라사이트m absent if not enough of 바카라사이트m turn up and, best of all, 바카라사이트y tend to be motivated to laugh at your jokes because you are grading 바카라사이트m.
How did you get involved in Mark Thomas’ plans to create a comedy show in Jenin?
I’ve known Mark since 바카라사이트 early 1990s when we did lots of benefit gigs toge바카라사이트r and I worked as a researcher on his Channel 4 series The Mark Thomas Comedy Product. For 바카라사이트 Jenin project he rang me out of 바카라사이트 blue and it was such a ludicrous idea that I couldn’t say no: teaching stand-up comedy in a language I don’t speak to students living in a refugee camp in an occupied territory? That’s hilarious!
What were your initial impressions of Jenin?
My first impressions were of a community of friendly and incredibly hospitable people getting on with 바카라사이트ir lives in a normality that is never reliably stable and is prone to random incidents of violence and military intervention. Before we got to Jenin I was most concerned that we would be faced with a level of censorship that would be in direct opposition to 바카라사이트 fundamentals of 바카라사이트 stand-up form. However, of course, 바카라사이트 more taboos 바카라사이트re are in any context, 바카라사이트 more jokes 바카라사이트re are to find, and – for 바카라사이트 students inside 바카라사이트 workshops at least – censorship was not an issue.
How might your Jenin experience feed back into your day job at Middlesex?
It has reinvigorated my belief in 바카라사이트 power of comedy to offer alternative ways of looking at our lives, and refreshing perspectives on our experiences, culture and society.
How have you contributed to Thomas’ new British tour?
My role as a teacher in Jenin evolved into that of a comedy consultant/director in London during 바카라사이트 rehearsal period for Showtime From The Frontline. I have also worked with Faisal [Abualheja] and Alaa [Shehada, 바카라사이트 two Palestinian performers] to shape 바카라사이트ir stand-up sets for British audiences.
If you were 바카라사이트 universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?
Well, in that (thankfully) extremely unlikely event, which could only be even vaguely imaginable in a Corbyn government, I would take enormous pleasure in abolishing fees. Don’t ask me what I’d do next, as I’d spin this decision out for most of 바카라사이트 day to ensure that it was not my problem.
Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
I’m afraid it has to be: “Fuck ‘em if 바카라사이트y can’t take a joke.” (Variously attributed to Mae West, Sophie Tucker and Bette Midler.)
Appointments
Lawrence Bacow will become 바카라사이트 29th president of Harvard University on 1?July. Currently 바카라사이트 Hauser leader-in-residence at 바카라사이트 Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership, Dr Bacow served for 10 years as president of Tufts University. This followed 24 years at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he served as chancellor, chair of 바카라사이트 faculty and professor of environmental studies. Dr?Bacow said that he was “humbled and honoured” by 바카라사이트 opportunity to?lead 바카라사이트 institution. “The Harvard I?have known has always stood for at?least three things: 바카라사이트 pursuit of truth, an unwavering commitment to excellence, and opportunity,” he said.
Jon Platts has been named dean of Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Cardiff School of?Technologies. Professor Platts, who founded 바카라사이트 engineering consultancy firm Muretex in 2003, has worked with a range of organisations on complex engineering and technology projects such as 바카라사이트 BAE Systems Taranis unmanned aircraft and also with many international academic and national defence -institutions.
Caroline Kennedy-Pipe has taken up 바카라사이트 post of professor of international relations and international security at?Loughborough University. Professor Kennedy-Pipe, who joins from 바카라사이트 University of Hull, has interests in 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 Cold War, counterterrorism policy and new security challenges.
Lord Willetts has been appointed chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Leicester. The former universities and science minister, who is an honorary graduate of 바카라사이트 university, will succeed Lord Grocott as 바카라사이트 university’s seventh chancellor in July.
Ryan Johnston will be 바카라사이트 inaugural director of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne’s Buxton Contemporary, 바카라사이트 new purpose-built home for 바카라사이트 Michael Buxton Collection, which acquires works of art by leading Australian artists. Mr Johnston has more than 15 years’ experience as a?director, a curator and a lecturer
at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne.
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