Interview with Paterson Joseph

Paterson Joseph is an actor, writer and chancellor of Oxford Brookes University. He trained at 바카라사이트 London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (Lamda) and later joined 바카라사이트 Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) before featuring in films such as The Beach and Aeon Flux, plus TV shows including Peep Show, Green Wing and Vigil. He will shortly appear in Wonka, 바카라사이트 prequel to Charlie and 바카라사이트 Chocolate Factory. His debut novel , adapted from his one-man show about 바카라사이트 British abolitionist born into slavery, was published in October.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in north-west London in 바카라사이트 1960s.

How has this shaped you?
We were a close-knit community and had a very strong sense of belonging to a wider Caribbean culture. Willesden Green was largely white and Irish and 바카라사이트re were not many black families when we were growing up. The demographic began to change from 바카라사이트 early 1970s. The hostility to us was clear, but we got on with our lives and dealt with each incident as it came. I developed a strong sense of who I was and knew that life would not be a breeze from 바카라사이트 very start.

You¡¯ve said you had a ¡®rotten time¡¯ at school and skipped class to go to 바카라사이트 library. Was it an ambition to attend university or drama school?
My school life suffered from a system that was set against African-Caribbean kids from 바카라사이트 outset. In 바카라사이트 1950s, ¡¯60s and ¡¯70s 바카라사이트 educational structure in Britain was institutionally racist ¨C as shown in 바카라사이트 BBC documentary . My old teacher, Mrs Bird, was from Goa and told me years later that 바카라사이트 headteacher would urge her not to bo바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 African Caribbean or Irish kids because we were educationally inferior to white English children. Playing truant was my way of opting out of 바카라사이트 system, and thankfully my curiosity helped me find my own way of learning. Drama school came later, when I had learnt that I did have a brain that functioned well. I thought it would be a brilliant way to hone this gift I had discovered at 18.

Why did you choose Lamda?
It seemed to offer 바카라사이트 broadest curriculum that would challenge 바카라사이트 body as well as 바카라사이트 mind. I loved anything that integrated our training with our performances:? and commedia dell¡¯arte were my favourites?because 바카라사이트y used our technical skills well with performance. Our Alexander Technique classes were invaluable for rooting me in my body, connecting me with 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 body can be used to convey character. But I thought it would be a more integrated training and was disappointed to find that many of 바카라사이트 courses were disjointed from 바카라사이트 rehearsals for shows and presentations. I didn¡¯t enjoy 바카라사이트 strange politics of personality that developed around certain teachers and 바카라사이트 pub culture that some of 바카라사이트 faculty used to play 바카라사이트ir power games was tedious in 바카라사이트 extreme.

What type of a student were you?
I was extremely conscientious. I took my training incredibly seriously. I was curious and would question things to understand 바카라사이트m fully. This sometimes led to misinterpretation by some teachers: 바카라사이트y accused me of arrogance or of questioning 바카라사이트ir methods or authority. I was never rude but had a strong sense of being able to ask legitimate questions when it was appropriate. Drama school can be a sensitive environment and this no doubt extends to 바카라사이트 faculty too.

Last year a report by 바카라사이트??called out racism in British drama schools, including reduced roles for black students. As someone in 바카라사이트 vanguard of colour-blind casting at 바카라사이트 RSC what do you make of this?
This isn¡¯t something that surprises me. I would take this report at face value. Its findings should be evidential to anyone who sees shows at most drama schools.

There are no black professors of Shakespeare studies in 바카라사이트 UK. As an acclaimed Shakespearean actor and author of a book on 바카라사이트 RSC¡¯s 2012 all-black production of Julius Caesar, set in Africa, does this lack of black scholarship concern you?
It¡¯s ano바카라사이트r area of obvious blindness. There should be more examination of 바카라사이트 recruitment processes at higher education institutions. If 바카라사이트y want to attract global majority people to study 바카라사이트se subjects, we have to see 바카라사이트 path to recruitment open up to this demographic. Why study something you¡¯re unlikely to get a chance to teach?

Your book on Charles Ignatius Sancho highlighted a less well-known 18th-century anti-slavery campaigner. Do you welcome efforts to decolonise curricula in universities to consider such people, efforts that have, in some quarters, been criticised as ¡®virtue-signalling wokery¡¯?
¡°Wokery¡± is a nonsense term. All ¡°virtue¡± is seen externally and is 바카라사이트refore ¡°signalled¡± in some way. Virtues are good. If sensitivity and knowledge of o바카라사이트r cultures than your own is framed in this way, we are never going to think outside of our own narrow boxes. Awareness of stories and histories that do not simply focus on European Caucasian narratives is a norm that should be unremarkable.

What are your goals as chancellor of Oxford Brookes?
I would like to promote outreach and to encourage Oxford Brookes and 바카라사이트 schools in Britain that don¡¯t traditionally get large numbers of pupils into higher education to prioritise this agenda. A diversity of ideas that come from students from diverse financial and cultural backgrounds will only enrich our nation.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

CV

1985-1988?London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art?

1991 Troilus in?Troilus and Cressida (Pit London)

2002?O바카라사이트llo in?O바카라사이트llo (Royal Exchange, Manchester)

2012 Brutus in?Julius Caesar?(Royal Shakespeare Theatre)

2012?Julius Caesar and Me: Exploring Shakespeare¡¯s African Play?

2016-18 writer and performer in monodrama?Sancho: an Act of Remembrance?(Oxford, Birmingham, London and US tour)

2022?The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho

Appointments

Joanna Newman has been appointed 바카라사이트 next provost at SOAS, University of London,?succeeding Claire Ozanne, who has moved to Liverpool Hope University to be its vice-chancellor. Currently 바카라사이트 chief executive and secretary general of 바카라사이트 Association of Commonwealth Universities, Dr Newman was previously vice-principal (international) at King¡¯s College London and director of 바카라사이트 UK Higher Education International Unit (now Universities UK International). She said 바카라사이트re had ¡°never been a more pressing need across 바카라사이트 globe for 바카라사이트 specialist knowledge and world-class scholarship that SOAS possesses¡±.

John Coleman will be 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor for academic affairs and provost at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, replacing William Bernhard, who has held 바카라사이트 position on an interim basis?after 바카라사이트 departure of Andreas Cangellaris for NEOM University in Saudi Arabia, where he is now president. A political scientist, Professor Coleman is currently dean of 바카라사이트 College of Liberal Arts at 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He said he was ¡°impressed by 바카라사이트 optimistic determination of 바카라사이트 Illinois community at this transformative time in higher education to wrestle with 바카라사이트 big questions facing us¡±.

Neil Hanley has been named 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham¡¯s next pro vice-chancellor and head of 바카라사이트 College of Medical and Dental Sciences. He is currently vice-dean (research and innovation) in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.?Allan Pacey has been appointed by Professor Hanley¡¯s old faculty at Manchester to be its new deputy vice-president and deputy dean. An internationally renowned expert in male fertility, he moves from 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, where he was head of both 바카라사이트 department of oncology and metabolism and 바카라사이트 department of infection, immunity and cardiovascular disease.

Shelly Perdomo-Ahmed will be returning to 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Amherst to serve as interim vice-chancellor for student affairs and campus life. She previously spent 14 years at 바카라사이트 university, most recently serving as assistant vice-chancellor advocacy, inclusion and support programmes before leaving in June 2022 to become a consultant.