University of Westminster holds its first ‘Criminology goes to the Movies’ event

Dr Morwenna Bennallick and Dr Charlotte English, Lecturers in Criminology, were generously awarded funding from Quintin Hogg Trust to undertake a project with students as co-creators. The event took place in the unique and historical Regent Street Cinema in the heart of Central London. The cinema dates back to 1848 and is widely considered as the birthplace of British cinema

With the help of students Tharvika Jayaseelan and Meryem Suleyman, students at the University were invited to a screening of the British prison movie ‘Starred Up’, directed by David Mackenzie and written by Jonathan Asser. Starred Up follows the story of Eric Love who is transferred from a youth offenders’ institution to an adult prison early because of his violent behaviour. With over 100 students in attendance, the successful screening was followed by an exciting and engaging panel discussion that included a senior probation officer, special guests and the writer of the film, Jonathan Asser.

Asser is an award winning published psychodynamic counsellor, credited with developing a unique approach to working with the small number of violent gang members who continued to dominate within the largest prison in the UK. Jonathan used his experience of working in prison to write his first feature-length screenplay Starred Up.

This ongoing ‘Criminology Goes to the Movies’ project seeks to connect the University of Westminster with the historic Regent Street Cinema to diversify teaching and learning whilst enhancing the student experience. The importance of connecting students with experts in the field of criminology and creating an authentic learning environment is at the heart of this project, recruiting students to work on the project ensures the student voice is represented throughout. 

Students working on the project have had the opportunity to gain experience in a range of areas from interviewing and event management, through to chairing panels and liaising with experts in the field.  Students working on the project have commented on how the project has “improved their confidence”, and how the opportunity to work on the project “truly made a difference to students improving their skillsets relevant to employability” and they “enjoyed every second.”

Talking about the event, Dr Charlotte English said: “The success of the day must be attributed to student involvement in the organisation, promotion and running of the event. Feedback about the day has been overwhelmingly positive and we are excited for the next event in the series, scheduled for September.”

Find out more about Criminology and Sociology courses at the University of Westminster.