Naomi gets 'In the Mix'
19 Nov 2013
Investing in Success is a £1 million initiative to boost staff development that has resulted in a fascinating array of projects which show just how passionate our people are about their work here at the University.
When it comes to engaging students with the University’s cultural attractions, you’d be hard put to find a more enthusiastic, inventive and vivacious person than Naomi Kashiwagi.
As Student Engagement Co-ordinator at the Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Museum, she puts together a student-led programme that turns the Whitworth, Museum, John Rylands Library, Jodrell Bank and the Martin Harris Centre into creative laboratories, research libraries and social spaces, where learning and engagement are both playful and provoking in execution, and serious in intent.
Naomi was awarded an Investing in Success grant for ‘In The Mix’, which features a series of new soundscape commissions to illuminate each of the University’s cultural attractions by Huw Bunford, guitarist with rock band Super Furry Animals.
In addition to the soundscapes – composed of found sounds from each of the cultural centres – there are cross-art form performances, soundscape remixes and an interactive web platform.
In the build-up to this initiative, Naomi, an award-winning artist, was Host Producer for Performing Rights Society (PRS) for Music Foundation project, ‘New Music Plus 2010’, where she co- produced new music events with a Warehouse Project DJ at Whitworth Art Gallery to animate the exhibitions and collections.
This pioneering project aims to engage students from all disciplines and enrich their experience here.
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Did you receive funding from the Investing in Success initiative? If so, share your story with us by emailing uninews@manchester.ac.uk.