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The week-long 2013 SPRUNG Festival of Creativity kicks off at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 27 September and runs until Saturday 5 October. The 2013 SPRUNG Festival features eight distinct shows at three venues at CSU in Bathurst, in a range of theatrical genres from children’s theatre to physical theatre, comedies and drama. There will also be short film and live TV screenings, and a live-music night on Wednesday 2 October. There is even adult puppetry. Mr Dan Aubin, theatre/media lecturer at the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Bathurst said, “The Festival showcases the combined talents of 70 theatre/media students across all years, and has helped launch the careers of many graduates. This year’s event is a really exciting mix of theatre, with something for everyone. The various productions are rotated across the week-long schedule, so different shows can be seen at different times.” More information about the performance schedule and ticket purchases can be found online here.

Third year apprentice chef at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Mr Garrick Pahl was highly commended at the annual Group Training Employment Specialists (GTES) Apprentice and Trainee Awards held in Wagga Wagga on Friday 23  August.  Mr Pahl, a Certificate III in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery) student, was nominated for the 2013 GTES Apprentice and Trainee Awards by his supervisor at CSU. As a finalist in the category of Third Year Apprentice of the Year, Mr Pahl was Highly Commended. CSU is currently a host employer for four trainee staff through GTES. Team Leader of Food and Beverage Services at CSU, Mr Toby Perry said, “This apprenticeship and traineeship scheme is an excellent introduction into the hospitality industry for young local people. Mr Pahl has now finished his apprenticeship and has stayed on with Charles Sturt University in a contract role. Quite a few trainees have been successful in gaining full time positions with the University on the completion of their training.”

A group of Bachelor of Clinical Science students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange are taking the pulse of the population on knowledge of cardiovascular disease. Third-year student, Ms Amika Bober, said the group was researching the level of knowledge about heart health to inform the development of educational materials on one of Australia’s biggest health threats. “We’ve got a short survey we’re asking people to fill in and we’ll collate the results and see where and how we could better inform people about cardiovascular disease,” she said. “It’s one of the most urgent health issues facing people right around Australia. What we want to do is measure what people in Orange know about it, so that we can develop specific materials to improve local health.” The students will be handing out surveys in Post Office Lane, off Summer Street, on Monday 23 and Thursday 26 September. “We’re not looking for donations and we don’t want to sign people up for anything,” Ms Bober laughed. “We just need two minutes of their time so we can do our bit to make sure Orange residents stay healthy for longer.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Andrew Vann will meet with community leaders from the Bathurst region to discuss how CSU can deliver more benefits for the town and community. Professor Vann will host the Vice-Chancellor’s Regional Leaders Luncheon at CSU in Bathurst on September 10 for community leaders and partners, with a view to strengthening partnerships in the region. Professor Vann said the luncheon was an opportunity to discuss how the University could work more closely with community and business groups. “The luncheon will bring together community leaders and partners to discuss the contribution of Charles Sturt University,” he said. “More importantly, it will provide an opportunity for the community to tell us about the opportunities they see for the University to contribute and identify the challenges we can work together to overcome.” Guests will be invited to contribute thoughts and suggestions during the luncheon, which will be held in the Grange Chancellery at CSU in Bathurst, from noon-2pm.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will host a very special graduation on Tuesday 3 September, when 60 primary school students don mortar boards as part of a Check It Out day. Year 6 students from Peak Hill Central School, Tullamore Central School and Trangie Central School will spend the day on campus participating in a selection of workshops to give them first-hand experience of university life. The Check It Out days are part of CSU’s Future Moves program, which aims to encourage aspiration for higher education among students in rural and remote NSW and Victoria. Future Moves coordinator Ms Tonya Graham said the students would engage in fun, interactive workshops involving nursing, human movement, biomedical science and botany. The day will wrap up with students dressing in graduation attire for a mini-graduation. “The program is directed at students who have the potential to succeed in tertiary education and who come from families with little or no experience of higher education,” Ms Graham said. “Events like the Check It Out days are a great way to start a conversation with students and their families about what options are available to them after school.”

TAFE students curious about further study at university will find out what’s involved at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Tuesday 3 September. The CU@CSU event is an opportunity for prospective students to find out about CSU entry pathways, support services and scholarships. CSU Marketing Officer for Partnerships, Ms Amanda Tarbit, said more than 30 per cent of CSU’s new commencing students are admitted on the basis of previous TAFE qualifications. “We understand the challenges students face in moving from TAFE to university study, we highly value TAFE qualifications, and the fact we offer scholarships of $2 500 demonstrates our commitment to this particular cohort of students.” CSU has a large range of credit arrangements with the TAFE NSW Riverina Institute and offers guaranteed entry into many undergraduate courses for students who have completed a TAFE Diploma or Advanced Diploma. Read more here.

With spring just around the corner, a number of new foals are finding their feet at the Equine Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. Second year Bachelor of Equine Science students from the University’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences in Wagga Wagga are assigned mares throughout the spring breeding season as part of the subject, Equine Reproduction and Breeding Management. The latest foal sired by Connemara pony stallion Glenormiston Celtic Pride made its way into the world on Wednesday night 28 August. The filly, from mare Zilla, is the fourth foal from two CSU stallions. Six foals are expected by the end of the breeding season. Equine science students Ms Elizabeth Furniss from Darwin, Ms Candice Duddek from Bathurst and Mr Caleb Lock from Kempsey were charged with managing all aspects of Zilla and handling her new foal. They spent Thursday morning 29 August admiring the foal which they named Brid – a Celtic name meaning power, strength and vigour.   

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga is hosting its final MyDay for 2013 on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 August. The creative industry courses available through the University’s School of Communication and Creative Industries will be on show for Year 10 students from local schools. The University has hosted 24 MyDays throughout 2013 for high school students so they can get a taste of ‘living and learning’ at University. Courses on show at CSU in Wagga Wagga next week including acting for screen and stage, animation and visual effects, design for theatre and television, fine arts, graphic design, photography and television production. About 100 students from 12 high schools across the Riverina are scheduled to visit CSU from 10am to 2pm. As part of their University experience, they will get to visit facilities such as the broadcast standard multi-camera television studio, multi camera outside broadcast truck, the 5.1 surround post-production sound studio, photographic laboratory and the drama studio used for performances by the University Theatre Ensemble.

 

A rare and spectacular Islamic art form, ‘Khayamiya’ is Egyptian Tentmaker hand-sewn appliqué. It is the most vibrant form of street art in Cairo, but rarely seen outside Egypt. “Khayamiya: Khedival to Contemporary” is the world’s first exhibition to reveal the story of the Egyptian Tentmakers from the Late Ottoman Empire to present-day Cairo. Curator Dr Sam Bowker is a lecturer in art history and visual culture for the School of Communication and Creative Industries at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. His exhibition in the University’s HR Gallop Gallery will be displayed from Monday 26 August. It is part of an international project to recognise the work of the Egyptian Tentmakers as skilled craftsmen and artists. Dr Bowker said, “For hundreds of years, Egyptian Tentmakers designed and made ‘Khayamiya’.  These intricate artworks adorned the spectacular tents of the Ottoman Empire and the Egyptian Khedives. In Cairo today, magnificent screens form colourful backdrops for street parties, weddings, Ramadan celebrations, political rallies, funerals and religious events. Sadly, these screens are now made of cheap printed fabrics that imitate real Khayamiya appliqué. The historic hand-made art now faces extinction.” Dr Bowker will host a public conversation in the Gallery from 1pm to 2pm on Tuesday 27 August. He will be on a lecture tour in the United Kingdom from Tuesday 3 to Thursday 19 September. His book, Khayamiya: The Art of the Egyptian Tentmakers will be published next year.