The autumn has been busy for the Centre for Law, Society and Popular Culture, with an array of events taking place, bringing together University of Westminster students, alumni, colleagues and members of the public.
During the autumn term, the Soho Poly was involved in multiple events, with it making its first ever appearance at the London-wide Open House Festival, where members of the public had the opportunity to explore the space. The Soho Poly continued to open its doors to the public with numerous more activities throughout the term, including a concert performed by acclaimed Bengali singer Moushumi Bhowmik. Later events included live concerts by Jo Griggs and Tom Poslett, a Nick Cave ghost gig, lyric writing workshops and singing all under the banner of the Polyphonic Music Club.
Throughout the term, each week saw opportunities for Westminster students, alumni, colleagues and members of the public to get involved with the Soho Poly. On a number of Wednesdays, the Soho Poly hosted Badge Cafe sessions. These included workshops for MA students and groups such as the LGBTIQ+ community shelter, centre and domestic abuse refuge, Outside Project. Additionally, on Thursdays, the charity Open Age, which helps older people become more independent in their communities, put on bespoke memoir writing sessions.
Alongside these regular weekly activities, during November, workshops were delivered to sixth formers from the Eastbury Community School in collaboration with the Regent Street Cinema and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Finally going into December, the University’s EDI committee, colleagues in the Law School and the Third Person Theatre company all held events at the Soho Poly.
Along with the numerous activities and events taking place at the Soho Poly, there has also been plenty more news from across the centre. Professor Pippa Catterall, in her role as Chair of AIDS Memory UK, was delighted that the Mayor of London marked World AIDS Day on 1 December by announcing phase one funding of £130,000 towards the development of a London AIDS memorial.
About the news she said: “The memorial will commemorate the courage of those who have lived and continue to live with the profound impact of HIV and AIDS. The memorial will honour those who have been lost and show that the lives of those who are so often marginalised are valued within a society that has not always reflected this.
“Sadiq Khan’s announcement shows our need to learn from the past, to raise awareness of the continued presence of HIV and AIDs, and to challenge the discrimination that is faced by people impacted by HIV.”
The work of the centre has also been spread across multiple publications, with ground-breaking parks research led by Professor Andrew Smith, Professor of Urban Experiences at Westminster, being referred to in an article in The Guardian, which looked at why London’s Bond Street became Burberry Street and caused outrage in the process.
Finally, the centre hosted Entertainment and Sport Law Journal was highlighted at the Westminster Press Celebration event in December. The journal has contributed to over 25%, or around 1 million, of the total downloads of all the books and journals from the press.
Find out more about the Centre for Law, Society and Popular Culture at the University of Westminster.
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