Student Staff Liaison Committee
Departmental Updates
Tuesday, 10 May 2022
12pm on Microsoft Teams
Dean of Students
Farewell and thank you: This will be my last SSLC meeting at the Guildhall. Over my 14 years at Guildhall I’ve been to many, many SSLC meetings, chaired by 3 different Principals, but the consistent factor has been direct student rep access to senior management in the School, certainly a rarity in the HE sector where other SSLCs can be subcommittees of subcommittees. So keep valuing
this SSLC – and use it – it’s a great resource for keeping us all grounded in the reality of the student experience.
A big thank you to all the students who over the years have completed the WSS and the NSS. I have read every single comment and whilst issues have been raised to be fixed, it has been gratifying to see students taking the time to thank and praise the staff in their written comments. We end this year’s NSS with a 74.29% participation rate (a little lower than previous years so something for my successor to look at) and the WSS is opening soon (so no worries you have another opportunity to
have your say).
I wish all the student representatives the very best in their studies. Katharine
Library
Jubilee Bank Holidays Thursday and Friday 2nd and 3rd June 2022
As these two days are public holidays in the UK, the Library will not be open. The returns bins for books will be available and checked on Saturday 4th June, when we are open as normal. Our updates
are always made on our MyGuildhall pages and added to the library@gsmd.ac.uk e-mail signature,
please keep checking in with MyGuildhall for the latest information.
Final Recital repertoire and copyright clearance for use of scans or photocopies
As we now have a HEPML (Higher Education Printed Music Licence), you can use scans or copies of
your final recital repertoire for the assessment, provided one of the following applies:
- You own two original copies, one for the panel and one for your accompanist.
- The Library has the same edition in stock
If you have any queries, or need us to buy a copy of something from your repertoire to ensure we are compliant, just e-mail library@gsmd.ac.uk ! We will be delighted to help and clarify any concerns
you have. For example:
– If you are commissioning new work from a composer for your final recital, and it’s not
published yet, the licence doesn’t apply, so you can simply get permission from the composer
– As long as the library has the edition on order or in stock by the date of your final recital,the licence covers you – and the School.
nKoda scores can be used for your final recital provided the RENTAL ONLY banner is not across the top of the score in nKoda. As this typically only applies to larger ensemble pieces on nKoda, you
will probably not encounter this limitation. nKoda staff are happy to advise students direct on recital
permissions, if they are from institutions with a licence, like the Guildhall School.
Access & Participation
Supported Application Scheme
We currently have 15 actors on the scheme who have made it to final round auditions and will be
running some workshops for them ahead of that.
We are also delighted that a Production Arts applicant was made an offer and has accepted a place on the Costume pathway, which makes them the second SAS applicant to join a PA pathway since the Scheme launched in 2019.
Get Backstage
Over the Easter break, we ran our pilot Production Arts project, Get Backstage. We welcomed 8 young people to the school to take part in workshops including Lighting, Stage Management,
Costume, and Video. They also tried out the Fly Floor in the Silk Street Theatre and went up on the Tension Wire Grid in Milton Court. Participant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive; all
participants rated their experience as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very good’ and 75% of them are now considering applying for a Production Arts degree.
Participation Bursaries
We funded 10 Participation Bursaries for young musicians to join the Easter Music Course and
Essential Music Theory on-site over the Easter break. We have received many applications for
summer courses, and will be shortlisting these after the 13th June deadline.
Originate Showcase
The actors on the Originate programme, our partnership project with Theatre Peckham, RADA, and Young & Talented, are getting ready for their Monologue Showcase. They will be delivering a
matinee and evening performance on Friday 24th June.
Guildhall in the North East
17 young musicians training with Sage Gateshead joined Creative Orchestra online on 2 April, with 13 of these attending in person follow-up sessions the following weekend (having lost a couple to positive Covid tests!). Detta Danford and Natasha Zielazinski, joined by student Anna Holmes and artists David de la Haye, helped the musicians explore their creative music making and compose pieces inspired by the sounds of nature.
In the same week, a further 7 young creatives joined We Make Sound, led by Nell Catchpole just down the road in Teesside. The musicians had the fantastic opportunity to have their work played on
BBC Radio Tees at the end of the project.
IT
Midi keyboards
The Midi keyboards requested by Harry arrived this weeks and they will be in place in the silk st student common room by the time of the SSLC meeting.
Sundial wifi upgrade
The wifi network kit has finally arrived (delays were due to a worldwide shortage of semi conductors and chips) and is due for install over the summer period, ready for the new term.
Student Affairs
Goodbye and thank you to Nicola Sherrington!
Nicola, our Learning Support and Disability Coordinator, will be leaving the team later this month. Nicola has been a dedicated and excellent member of Student Affairs, working tirelessly to
ensure that students can access and fully participate in their courses, contributing her expertise to conversations surrounding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Her support has been exemplary and life-changing for so many of the students she has worked with – we thank her for everything she has contributed over the past 8 years, and wish her luck in her new role.
Yoga for the Mind
This 5-week course is a comprehensive and evidence-based program for anyone looking to reduce stress, anxiety and/or depression
The course combines specific yoga techniques with research to:
* Enhance the functioning of the nervous system to improve well-being
* Improve self-awareness through the practice of mindfulness
* Promote the support of others by eliminating habitual patterns of thought and behaviour
Starting 13 May. Email hannah.goodwin@gsmd.ac.uk to reserve a place. Full details are available on
MyGuildhall: Yoga For The Mind Course (gsmd.ac.uk)
Accommodation Advice events – flatmate finder, and accommodation Q&A
In liaison with the SU, Student Affairs has a programme of events and resources to support students in their search for somewhere to live next year, and / or in their search for flatmates.
Events this term include two flatmate finder events (one online, for new as well as current students) and an Accommodation Q&A.
Resources include our Accommodation Facebook group, the External Accommodation Guide and the Student Area Guide. Plus, a fantastic new video from the SU.
Full details are available on MyGuildhall: Accommodation events – flatmate finder, and online Q&A
(gsmd.ac.uk)
International Student buddies
We are looking for students to volunteer to be a buddy for a small group of new international students – anyone can get involved, both international and UK students.
The buddy system has helped ease the transition to life at the School and in London for many
international students in previous years – if you’d like to get involved, full details are on MyGuildhall: Volunteer to be an international student buddy! (gsmd.ac.uk)
The deadline for signing up is 6 June.
The Intersectional Self
This weekly psycho-educational group for students runs on Wednesdays, 10.30am-12.00pm (from 27 April to 13 July). This group is open to new members up until 17 May.
This ongoing group explores the many intersections (race, gender, sexuality, nationality, class) that comprise our sense of identity and form the basis of relationships with ourselves and others. It is a highly interactive community which requires a commitment to doing the work together.
As a result, we will:
– become more skilful collaborators and ensemble players, learn to work with conflicts and creative differences in more generative ways, learn to deal in a caring way with dynamics of inequity and oppression that emerge in groups, and develop creative ways of making sense of and coping with the anxiety caused by the reality of an uncertain future.
Email Matthew.Rich-Tolsma@gsmd.ac.uk to sign up. More information available on
MyGuildhall: The Intersectional Self – dates for summer term (gsmd.ac.uk)
Other Drop-in Sessions this term
Study Skills – Catherine Cranston continues to offer regular drop in sessions on Tuesdays in both Silk
Street and Milton Court: Study Skills drop-in sessions (gsmd.ac.uk)
Stretch and Relax – Hannah Goodwin is offering lunchtime stretching sessions on dates throughout summer term: Stretch and Relax Sessions (gsmd.ac.uk)
Sexual Health Clinic – unfortunately, NHS staff shortages have resulted in the last two sessions at Student Affairs being cancelled. Students who require any urgent advice or support should either
contact their GP or contact Homerton Sexual Health Clinic directly: https://www.homerton.nhs.uk/sexual-health/ We continue to work with the Homerton Sexual Health Clinic and hope to resume drop-in sessions at Student Affairs later in the term. Please
refer to the Wellbeing Hub and the monthly Student News emails for updates.
Facilities
Cleaning
There will be some changes to the way we provide cleaning at the School where we will be moving to an early cleaning focussing on the rehearsal & practise first before moving onto office spaces.
This move will bring a better, more focussed cleaning regime to improve quality. As this change happens, we welcome comments from both students and staff so we can iron out any emerging issues so we can provide solutions quickly.
It has been reported that fridges in the common rooms are in a poor cleaning state. Going forward, these will be cleaned on Fridays. A notice will be placed nearby to encourage students to removed items prior to cleaning. We urge students not to leave it to cleaners to manage the contents of the
fridges and support them to do the best job they can.
Printers
There is currently an issue with Paypal that is causing problems with top up which is being looked into by our colleagues in IT.
There is also an intermittent series of faults on the common room printer Silk Street. Our contract providers are looking into it and we hope to have a solution shortly. Thank you for your patience on
this.
This is advance notice that a full scale replacement of the printing fleet is taking place during the summer months which we welcome, particularly as the fleet is nearing end of life.
Sundial Court
Every kitchen and bathroom have received a deep clean.
Cafes
Silk Street coffee machine is now on order and will be installed in due course. The previous machine had become unreliable.
Recording & AV
– The final year acting solos project “Routes” was delivered with assistance from R&AV
– Work continues in preparation for the Bauhaus project alongside PA students and GLE
– The Easter break was an opportunity to perform maintenance checks on our classroom installed equipment
– In the summer term, we’re looking forward to delivering a programme of events for broadcast on the school website this term including Gold Medal, Summer Opera, Dennis of
Penge and various concerts. All this alongside recording Final Recitals
– We’re working with the Library to simplify the equipment loan procedure, to be implemented over the summer break.
Guildhall Students’ Union
Presidents SSLC Update
A BUMPER UPDATE!
Election 2022
Campaigning is well underway for the 2022 Guildhall Students’ Union Election, and I am delighted to announce that we have 12 fantastic candidates this year, which is a significant increase from previous years, which is brilliant; we also have candidates for all the SU roles!
As many will know, this year, the SU and Student Parliament decided to remove the welfare position from the SU team for the 2022/23 academic year and replace it with a brand new role, Marketing and Communications Officer. Other changes include a name change from Vice-Presidents to Officers and a significant pay rise for our part-time officers (currently £1623, to £2000 next year) which will come into play next academic year.
You can check out all the candidate’s manifestos on the MyGuildhall Elections page (https://myguildhall.gsmd.ac.uk/sites/students-union/SitePage/18197/students-unionelections ), and voting will take place between Monday 16th (9am)-Tuesday 17th May (4pm), via email link.
CUKSN Summer Conference + future plans!
Last week was the @cuksnofficial summer conference, which I attended on behalf of the Guildhall SU, and this time it was hosted at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
Some of you may be wondering what on earth CUKSN is? Or how it affects you? Well, I’ve put together this short post to give you more insight into what the @cuksnofficial network gets up to and why our work is so vital for you as a conservatoire student! Check it out here
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdQ6fwAA_GO/
Many topics were covered at this conference, but most importantly, significant structural change to the CUKSN was discussed, and plans have now been put in place for a total
revamp of how the network runs, which will hopefully see the group grow new levels, both within the UK and internationally. Watch this space carefully over the coming term into next
year as significant changes are underway!
NUS’exit
Many of you will already know that the union and student parliament held a vote to disaffiliate from the full-body membership of the National Union of Students back in March.
I can confirm we will be fully disaffiliated by Christmas this year. We will be remaining part of the NUS Charity membership, which is a proportionally smaller contribution (0.5% of our
block grant) in the future.
Access and Participation – Student Consultation Session
Last week, Ashleigh Hope, Lily Rice, and I met to discuss student engagement within the access and participation program. Further to this, we will be hosting a ‘Student Consulatation’ session next Monday 16th May at 6pm (Basement Bar); there will be free
pizza and soft drinks, and the first ten students to sign-up and attend the meeting will receive a £20 shopping voucher.
All students are welcome. We particularly encourage students to attend who identify as being part of an underrepresented UK student group or who have previously benefited from
an Access and Participation initiative.
Guildhall Students’ Union presents our ‘Summer of Events’!
We are back, and back with a bang, out to give you the best send-off into the summer! We know you are busy with deadlines, exams, and recitals right now; we get it; you might not want to have 3am night out (right now) in the Basement. So we have planned a gradual
build-up of events culminating in a festival of parties at the end of term!
We have a real variety of events this term that we are so excited to host, but one event stands out for us: the first-ever Guildhall Summer Festival! Imagine Christmas’s last day of term, but instead of cold weather, mulled wine, and Christmas tunes, the sun is out, the
pimms are flowing, and the summer anthems are out in full force! After the madness, which was the Christmas concert, the Guildhall Festival Orchestra is back to put on a mega evening
of all your favourite tunes; so you can get in the summer party mood!
Our promise to you – at the start of the academic year, we promised that all Guildhall SU events would be free of charge, and when we make a promise, we stick to it! In terms one and two alone, we hosted a mega 62 events, and by the end of the year, we will have surpassed 90 events, all free of charge, open to every Guildhall student. It’s now term three; prepare for a mega summer season of events, get your party hats on, and let’s send off this term with a bang, Guildhall! ❤️
New Accommodation Video!
Not sure where you want to live next year, or fancy a change from your current area? Let Harry and Elle take you on an exciting whistle-stop tour of London!
This video will show you several areas across London, some of which you may have heard of, and some maybe not! We will give you an idea of rough timings and transport links into Guildhall, as well as some local knowledge, including the essential stuff like where the nearest Go-Kart track is or if there is a maccies nearby!
Make sure to also check out the newly updated ‘Accommodation Page’ and ‘Guildhall Student Area Guide’ on MyGuildhall to help assist you in your property search! As part of
the Union’s drive to help students with accommodation, we are also putting together a top tips video to be released soon on our YouTube Channel.
Check out the new video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Z3M1u50g0&t=12s
Basement Bar – new token scheme
In our effort towards sustainability and decreasing our use of single-use plastics, the Basement is trialling a new deposit system on our polycarbonate cups.
This is also in the interests of student safety by encouraging drinks not to be left unattended. This means prices at the bar will increase by 50p across the whole menu as a deposit. Or, if you don’t want a drink right away or don’t want to queue, or are ready to go home from the Basement, exchange the glass for a biodegradable guildhall SU token. This
holds the value of a deposit for later use.
These tokens will then be available to be refunded in cash for a short period at the end of every term. This is in the interests of speed of service so that refunds aren’t being given out constantly, making that pesky queue yet longer! Once you finish with your drink, bring the empty glass back to the bar and receive the deposit amount back from your next purchase.
Bar staff will still roam and collect empty glasses if there is time. We will endeavour not to pick up unfinished glasses but be aware that there isn’t time to check every glass carefully when it is busy. Please do us a favour and bring the glass back if you want your deposit back. It will help us on our journey to not using single-use.
Wellbeing Committee – early planning stage
I have held initial meetings with Hetsie Van Rooyen (Safeguarding Officer) and Julia Oliver (Student Life Officer) to discuss the formation of a new wellbeing committee. This is something we wanted to get set up last year, but covid and several other factors halted our progress. Nonetheless, we are back, and we want to approach this group differently. Our
aim with this new group would be to approach welfare and wellbeing issues as a collective support group (Student Affairs, Students’ Union and Student Volunteers), with the correct
systems in place so that every student gets the proper support straight away via the right channels.
We are very much in the planning stages right now, but I felt it was important to announce this in the wake of the Union removing the individual welfare role within the SU Team.
If you are interested in helping us in the setup of this group please do get in touch via email at union@gsmd.ac.uk
Midi Keyboards – SS Common Room
I am delighted to announce that there will soon be 3-4 Midi Keyboards in the Silk Street Common Room for students to use for coursework etc. A big thank you to IT for sorting this out for us; these will be installed very soon.
Student Charter Update
The SU has recently reviewed the student charter and has submitted a few proposals for changes. These are currently undergoing SMT approval. We will post this new charter on our socials and via the following newsletter once this has been signed off.
A big thank you – Katharine Lewis!
While writing this update and checking the dates of the next SSLC meeting, I realised that a very important member of our community would have left her position. Katharine Lewis (our Dean of Students) has been at the heart of everything Guildhall for many years now and will sadly leave us in mid-June this year. I want to thank Katharine for
all her work, not just for the school community, but in particular, her work helping and supporting the SU for many years now. The SU has gone from strength to strength under Katharine’s watchful eye (for detail much of the time!), and on behalf of all the SU President during her time, the student body and the Guildhall community (current and alumni), I would like to say a massive thank you, and to wish her the very best in the future!
Thank you for reading this bumper update! Once again, thank you to all the Guildhall staff for their dedicated work to keep Guildhall the BEST place to study in the world.
Finally, a big thank you to our fantastic student body, not only the most talented but also the kindest, most warm-hearted human beings out there!
Have a great summer term all! x
Harry Plant
Guildhall SU President
Engineering
Roof works – Sundial Court
There has been a long period where we have not been able to continue with the roof works because the project team has had difficulty gaining the correct permissions (listed building consent, planning permission and building control) and it was too risky to proceed without these. This has now been resolved and an order has now been issued for the remaining works. There is a meeting planned today (10/05/22) to confirm programme and a few other details. We will share the expected time frame to complete the works and remove the scaffolding as soon as it is available.
Energy works
The bulk of the works to reduce our carbon footprint via the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) is complete. Works have included reducing heat loss/gain through windows, installing more efficient plant and controls, improving the strategy on Building Management Systems (BMS) and
changing fluorescent lighting to LED across the estate. We know there are a few problems with the lighting so please report anything to the service desk so they can determine if they should fix the
problem or refer it back to the project. There is an inspection of the emergency lighting in Sundial Court due on Thursday this week. Access will only be required to the corridors and kitchens and not
into the individual flats.
Hot water and heating – Sundial Court
A project has recently been completed to replace all the heating pumps (used for circulating hot water for heating) and elements of pipework. I have to apologise because the contractor left site, not
once but twice, without reinstating services when the weather was quite cold in March causing a lot of inconvenience to the residents. We know there are still some issues in some of the flats, we will
try to address these when we replace the boilers and calorifiers (water heaters) in the summer.
Too much heating – Silk Street!
We recently had a problem where rooms 208-210 and 250-252 were excessively hot. Unfortunately, automated valves that control heater batteries because seized in the open position, so areas continue to heat even though the BMS instructs heating to go off. These heater batteries can be in shafts, voids, ceilings and below floors and we don’t always know where they are, which is why it took a little while to source and rectify the problem. Old buildings, old plant, old controls equal lots of temperature issues. This is why we have a multi-million-pound project to address as many of these
issues as possible over the next couple of years.
Integrated Facilities Management Contract (IFM)
The engineering team is working with the facilities and catering teams to amalgamate several services into one contract and go out to tender to find a new contractor. The services include
Building repairs and maintenance, Cleaning, Pest control and running Silk Street Café. The new contract will commence in April 2023
Registry
Whole School Survey
The Whole School Survey is now open. A reminder email will be sent each Monday to students who have yet to participate. All students who participate are included in a prize draw to win one of four
Amazon vouchers.
Student Reps are asked to encourage students to complete the survey, as the feedback received is vital to the School continuing to enhance its programmes, services and infrastructure. If the School
receives robust feedback (ie a high response rate), then future changes based on the feedback can be
made with confidence.
The Survey is open until 15 July 2022.
Please update your contact details
Please check your contact details in eGo are correct and up to date.