Category: Events (page 1 of 6)

Top Nine Courses to Help you Develop your Digital Skills

The digital revolution is well and truly under way, and it’s transforming the way we live, and work. According to the World Economic Forum’s report on the future of jobs, 97 million high-skilled jobs will be created by 2025, and almost all will require strong digital skills. From reducing the digital skills gap, to fostering innovation and increasing productivity, it’s now more important than ever for employees to acquire digital skills, and for employers to invest in those skills for their teams. Read on for City’s top nine courses to help you develop your digital skills and remain competitive within today’s ever changing jobs market.

1.Introduction to Data Analytics and Machine Learning with Python

The fields of data analytics and machine learning are vast and fast expanding. By leveraging the most widely used Python libraries, this short online evening course will give you the foundations to enable you to get a junior position as a data analyst and/or machine learning engineer.

2.Creating Mobile Apps with Android

There’s An App For That

There’s an app for that. City’s Android app developer short course gives you a comprehensive understanding of the Android development platform and the skills required to develop and publish your own applications. By the end of thecourse you will have created your own Android app which you can publish in Google Play.

3.Digital Marketing Fundamentals

Spread The Word

Digital platforms have become the primary medium for marketing and it’s now essential for all marketers to have good digital knowledge. Our short course will equip you with the principle digital skills required to ensure you know how to maximise your marketing across websites, social media and digital advertising..

4.Writing for the Web and Digital Media

Being able to write effectively for digital will give you the edge so you can attract, and keep, the attention of your online audience and successfully present written content. The course also covers editing and proof-reading skills, best practice for titles and subheadings, blogging, editorial planning, content marketing and SEO.

5.Building Websites with HTML5 and CSS3

Having your own online presence is fast becoming an essential in today’s jobs market. City’s short course will teach you how to plan, design, develop and publish your own fully functional website which adheres to current industry standards and best practices.

6.Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Cybercrime is a growing global menace costing companies millions in lost revenue each year. This online short course will ground you in the essential cyber security practices, such as networking, security engineering, risk management, incident response, governance control and legal practicalities.

Securing Cyberspace?

7.Photoshop: An Introduction

Being able to create and manipulate a digital image can increase your productivity and enhance your workflow. On this short online courseyou’ll be given a comprehensive overview of Photoshop—the industry’s most flexible photo editing software—and learn the fundamentals of digital imaging, including how to make your own digital creations.

8.Digital Filmmaking: An Introduction

The digital revolution has transformed the way films can be made. On this short course, led by an award-winning film director, producer and screenwriter, you’ll be guided through the processes of making a short film. You’ll also develop a good understanding of the creative interconnection between writing, shooting and editing.

9.Introduction to Branding

Aimed at entrepreneurs, small business owners, communications and marketing professionals or anyone interested in learning how to communicate their brand more effectively, this short course will explore a full introduction to making your online brand a success—from online brand strategy to writing on-brand social media messaging and digital marketing.

For more on our short courses provision, visit our home page HERE.

On Brand

Or come along to our virtual Open Evening next week on 28 March to talk to one of our coordinators where you can also try out a free taster course.  Register HERE.

City Writes Spring 2023 Competition Winners Announced

By Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone

 

 

We’re delighted to announce the winners of this term’s City Writes Competition, who will be joining our fantastic author and alumna, Hannah Begbie, on the virtual stage at 7pm on the 29th March. You can book your tickets here.

This term’s winners will be taking us on a journey from a consultant’s waiting room, through two different explorations of love in London, a moment’s passion in a car, a kidnapping in a fantasy world, all the way through to a contemplation of the myth of German efficiency. There’s football, alcohol, sex, fighting, nostalgia and altered states of consciousness. What’s not to like?

The author biographies of these wonderful winning stories and extracts follow:

Grayson Anderson is a British born Jamaican author and poet. A graduate from City’s Novel Studio, Grayson was shortlisted for the Spread The Word emerging writers programme and long listed for the Book Edit Writers’ Prize. His catalogue of work contains songs, poetry, a science fiction trilogy, and an opinion-based non-fiction book relating to the idiosyncrasies of gender in society.

Grayson Anderson

Hailing from the East End of London, Bruce O’Brien is a fledgling but passionate writer. Having dabbled with minor success, Bruce enrolled on the Narrative Non-Fiction course, where he has found added confidence to pursue his love of writing. Colourful life experience provides a rich backdrop for Bruce’s writing. Despite such a tapestry, his story ‘The Eels of Wrath’ was discovered by digging around his roots, where he found a nostalgic yet topical socio-political love story.

Bruce O’Brien

Aaron Payne is a new writer and alumnus of City University’s Writer’s

Aaron Payne

Workshop. He is writing a novel and a short story collection. Last year Cranked Anvil shortlisted his flash piece, ‘Postcard’ and Flash 500 is considering another, ‘Flowers’. In Aaron’s novel-in-progress, Our Man in the Clouds, the climate is collapsing and global powers tussle for control of the weather. A disgruntled meteorologist tries, but fails, to stay out of it.

Narrative Non-Fiction alumnus, Philipp Sandmann

is a political journalist and commentator working for Germany’s broadcaster RTL. Philipp is based in Berlin and reports on international topics such as the war in Ukraine. Having lived and studied in the UK for six years, Philipp learnt about the unique relationship between Germans and Brits. He is working on a book for a UK audience about the modern German soul and the myth of German efficiency.

Angel Witney, alumna of Novel Writing and Longer Works, is a writer, spoken word poet, actor and dancer based in London. Her writing is inspired by her personal experiences, looking particularly at topics like mental health, sexuality, and relationships. As well as longer-form fiction, Angel writes poetry and performs her pieces at open mic events. She is also an actor with professional credits in TV and film such as ‘In Bruges’, ‘Atonement’ and ‘Poirot’.

Angel Witney

Adam Zunker’s background is in journalism and politics and he’s had many articles published in national newspapers. He lives in London with his wife and daughter, though he is also fighting a losing battle restoring a thatched cottage in Dorset. His historical fantasy, The Perfectation, is (very loosely) based on the experiences of his Viennese grandmother as a refugee. Adam is an alumnus of An Approach to Creative Writing and the Writers’ Workshop.

Adam Zunker

For your chance to hear these exciting emerging authors alongside the award-winning Hannah Begbie, just register for the City Writes Spring 2023 event here. It’s at 7pm on the 29th March and we can’t wait to see you there.

 

Tips to help master the Art of Public Speaking

Ever been asked to make a public speech? Perhaps your best friend wants you to give a speech at his wedding. Or your boss wants you to present to the team. Just the thought of standing up in front of others can be daunting and may activate a fight or flight response. Rather than run for the hills, read on for our top seven tips and tricks for how to calm your nerves and deliver a great public speech.

  1. Preparation – Research, research, research. Make sure you know your topic inside out. Tailor your speech to your audience and try to prepare for any questions that might arise.
  2. Keep it Simple – Practice your speech by reading aloud, even recording yourself to analyse your delivery and body language. If you stumble over your words or struggle to take a breath, it may mean that your sentences are too long and over-complicated. Avoid technical jargon and keep your message clear and concise. Less is definitely more.
  3. Connect with your Audience – Start by grounding yourself in the moment, feet firmly placed on the floor. Breathe deeply into your diaphragm. Look up and out into the audience. Make eye contact, even if just with one person. This will help you to deliver your message more powerfully and effectively.
  4. Use the Power of Storytelling – Stories persuade. They arouse a reader’s energy and emotions. They’re how we make sense of the world, and they’re how we best remember. Make sure your speech includes stories that illustrate your message and keep the audience engaged.

    Persuade me

  5. Don’t Forget to Smile – All joking aside, humour can break the ice and help to relax an audience, making them more receptive to the message you’re trying to convey.

    Smile!

  6. Visualise – pictures can be a very effective way to enhance your speech. Powerpoint is your friend here, but heed marketing guru Seth Godin’s advice and don’t just use slides to repeat what you’re saying. Instead ‘create slides that demonstrate, with emotional proof, that what you’re saying is true not just accurate.’ For example, Godin suggests, if you’re making a speech about pollution, use an image of dead birds to powerfully underline your argument.
  7. Be Authentic – this is possibly the hardest tip to action but also the most important. Bringing your whole self to a speech – think Brene Brown’s vulnerability – can be key to communicating your message and resonating with your audience. Try Phil Stutz’s (see Jonah Hill’s Netflix documentary for more on Stutz and his ground-breaking ‘tools’) tool for cultivating what he calls Inner Authority to help bring your authentic self to the table.

    Jonah Hill and Phil Stutz

 

For more on the art of public speaking, why not try our Presentation Skills short course with Karen Glossop, our new Stoicism – becoming the best version of you short course, or our Effective Communication short course.

 

For more on our Business and Management short courses visit our home page HERE.

 

For all our short courses, visit our home page HERE.

 

Or come along to our Open Evening on March 28. It’s all online, so you can join from the comfort of your home. There are free tasters in Leadership and Management amongst others. Or you can simply speak to our Business Coordinator and Head of Short Courses, William Richardson, to see which course would be the best fit for you.

 

Open Evening 28 March

Attendance is free but you’ll need to register HERE.

The top five computing languages – what they are and why you need to learn them

Computing languages are essential for anyone looking to work in today’s growing technology. But with new languages being developed every day it can be difficult to keep up to date and decide which to learn.

Read on for the top five computing languages you should be learning now, and why…

Speaking my language?

  1. Python – Python is still the number one computing language, and for good reason. It’s extremely versatile and can be used in many different fields, from machine learning to data science and web development. It’s also easier to learn than some of the other languages due to its unique structure and syntax. Plus there are a ton of resources for those new to the language.
  2. JavascriptJavascript is a front-end language used to create interactive web applications. If you are looking to work in web development or mobile app development, this is the language for you.
  3. JavaJava is a back-end language used in many large corporations. Employers value the versatility and security of Java and it’s an excellent language to learn to improve your job prospects.
  4. PHP/MySQLPHP/MySQL is a widely used open-source scripting language especially suited for back-end web development. It can be embedded into HTML and is very popular within the industry. PHP has been used to create many websites, including Facebook, Wikipedia, Slack, Etsy and WordPress.
  5. C and C++C and C++ are languages often used in game development and system programming. They are both very powerful and can be challenging to learn, but invaluable for anyone looking to progress within the technology industry.

Improve your prospects

If you’d like to find out more about learning a computing language and how it can open up your job prospects and ability to progress within the technology industry, come along to our Open Evening on March 28. It’s all online, so you can join from the comfort of your home. There are free tasters available for Python and Database Design, or you can simply speak to our Computing Coordinator to see which course would be the best fit for you. Register HERE.

Open Evening March 28th 2023

For our full range of Computing Courses, visit our home page HERE.

 

Or visit our main short course home page HERE for all the subject we offer.

 

 

City Writes Competition Deadline is midnight tomorrow, 3rd March!

City Writes Spring 2023 Deadline Approaching

City Writes, City’s Showcase for the fantastic creative writing coming from the Short Courses at City is fast approaching. This term’s virtual event on the 29th March features the brilliant author and alumna, Hannah Begbie, whose award-winning novels Mother and Blurred Lines are both published by Harper Collins.

Hannah Begbie

For your chance to read alongside Hannah at this zoom event, you need only send in your best 1,000 words of creative fiction or non-fiction to rebekah.lattin-rawstrone.2@city.ac.uk by midnight this Friday 3rd March. That’s just one more day to send in your work!
You can find more information on submission details and how to book for the event, here.
We look forward to reading your work. Good luck!

New Year, New Writing Goals with City Writes – City Writes Competition Open

By Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone

City Writes, the showcase event for new writing coming from City’s Creative Writing Short Courses, is delighted to announce that Hannah Begbie will be its published alumna this term at our City Writes Spring 2023 online event on Wednesday 29th March at 7pm.

 Novel Studio alumna, Hannah Begbie is the author of two award-winning novels, Mother and Blurred Lines, both published by HarperCollins. For your chance to join Hannah on the virtual stage, you need only send in your best 1,000 words of creative fiction or nonfiction (no young children’s fiction or poetry please) by midnight on March 3rd to rebekah.lattin-rawstrone.2@city.ac.uk . You can find full submission details here.

Photo of author Hannah Begbie

Novel Studio alumna and City Writes guest author Hannah Begbie

There is no theme, just your most sparkling prose, and the competition is open to all current students and alumni of Creative Writing short courses at City. If your piece is chosen, you will be asked to read your work at our City Writes Spring 2023 event at 7pm on Wednesday 29th March on Zoom. You will be reading alongside the fantastic Hannah to a supportive audience of students, alumni, friends and a few industry members. Don’t miss your chance, submit now!

 For those of you keen to sign up in advance, you can register for the event here.

We can’t wait to read your submissions!

City Writes Winter Warmer 2022

City Writes, our termly showcase event for the fantastic writing coming from City’s Short Courses, was a great way to begin the festive season this year. And don’t worry, if you missed it, you can read about it and see the recording, just scroll on.

This term we were incredibly lucky to have the brilliant writer and alumna, Elizabeth Chakrabarty with us to share her astounding, genre-busting debut, Lessons in Love and Other Crimes. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First up were the wonderful readings from our talented competition winners, students and alumni of multiple short courses.

Nathaniel Ashley

Kicking us off, quite literally, we entered the world of animation with Nathaniel Ashley’s story, ‘Captain Proton vs. the Deviator’. An alumnus of the Short Story Writing course, Nathaniel offered some masterful shifts between imagined onscreen action and the humdrum of the day job that made for some great contrast as the protagonist tried to manipulate his action heroes in a dramatic fight scene.

Hugo Cox

We took a non-fiction turn next with Hugo Cox, alumnus of the Narrative Non-Fiction course. He took us on a half marathon with his piece, ‘Half Over’. Filled with all the circumspection and reflection one might hope from the sensory and mental overload that comes with the distance run, Hugo’s story is a journey well worth celebrating.

Isabelle Mouttet, joining us all the way from Trinidad and Tobago, and an alumna of An Approach to Creative Writing, took us on a mythical journey next. Her story, ‘The Myth Finder’, is a spell-binding account of researcher and adventurer, Miss Marks who goes looking for, and finds, Borges’ Aleph. Nothing is quite as you imagine it might be and even over Zoom the atmosphere was altered by Isabelle’s reading.

Tunde Oyebode

We went from myth to romance next as we listened to Writers’ Workshop alumnus, Tunde Oyebode read his sultry story of holiday desire, ‘Wants’. Set in the warmth of Positano, the longing of the protagonist, written in a tantalising second person, charmed the audience, leaving them longing to jump on a plane.

Alison Halsey

Alison Halsey, a current Novel Studio student, followed Tunde with an extract from her novel-in-progress, Agnes Gets a Lift. We went headlong into the mind of octogenarian Maureen, watching for the body of her recently deceased friend to be removed from her over-seventies residence home. There’s nothing like a bit of bleak comedy and the faces of the zoom crowd were creased in amusement.

Katharine Light

Our last competition winner was Novel Studio alumna, Katharine Light, whose story ‘My Arms Are Empty’ threw us into an intense encounter between old friends that prompts a discussion about motherhood and fulfilment. An extract from her novel, Me Too, the sequel to her debut, Like Me, which is planned for publication in 2023, the story lit up the chat with admiration.

After such excellent readings by our competition winners we were nonetheless eager to hear from Elizabeth Chakrabarty whose debut novel, Lessons in Love and Other Crimes, inspired by experience of race hate crime, was published in 2021 by The Indigo Press. Shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize and longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize, the work is an incredibly rich and hybrid creation.

 

Elizabeth, alumna of the Novel Studio (Certificate in Novel Writing as it was), introduced the book and gave us a short reading examining the complexities of approaching a novel based on real experience of ongoing race hate crime in the workplace. The reading was powerful and moving and it was a real honour to hear Elizabeth share her work and then go on to answer questions from host and City Short Courses’ Tutor, Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone, and the audience.

Together we explored how Elizabeth developed the hybrid approach to the novel, her publishing journey, tips for writers and the merest hint of the work to come. The discussion was wide-ranging and fascinating. Thank you so much, Elizabeth for joining us!

What a way to end the term and the year. Thanks were extended to all the scintillating competition winners, to Elizabeth again, the audience, and of course to Emily Pedder, head of Creative Writing Short Courses.  Don’t forget to look out for City Writes next term. The competition will open again in the new year and watch this space for news on our next published alumni. As always, the display of talent at City Writes is a joy to witness. Merry Christmas everyone, and roll on more events in 2023!

City Writes Autumn 2022 Competition Winners Announced

By Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone

We’re delighted to introduce our fabulous City Writes Autumn 2022 Competition Winners, who will be reading their work alongside renowned author and alumna, Elizabeth Chakrabarty, on Wednesday 14th December at 7pm. Register to join us here.

This term’s winners, chosen from our usual weight of entries are:
Author photo of Nathaniel Ashley

Nathaniel Ashley

Short Story Writing alumnus, Nathaniel Ashley is an author and freelance journalist who has written for Neon Books Literary Magazine, The Skinny and Massive Cinema. He runs the film and television blog Natflix and you can find him on Twitter @NateAshley10. Nathaniel will be reading his story ‘Captain Proton vs. the Deviator’.

Author photo of Hugo Cox

Hugo Cox

Hugo Cox. For fifteen years Hugo has been a freelance journalist covering property, housing and investment, mainly for the Financial Times; before that he was a mediocre actor. Encouraged by the Narrative Non-Fiction course, which he has just completed, he hopes to continue bumbling around after interesting topics beyond his day job, as well as kookier ways (or outlets) in which to tell his property stories. He is fairly useless without a looming deadline and very keen for tips on writing groups or classes to help maintain his newfound momentum. Hugo will be reading his piece, ‘Half Over’.

Author phot of Alison Halsey

Alison Halsey

Alison Halsey is a fiction writer and a former financial services professional, with a career lasting over 45 years. She has also served in many roles supporting charities with a focus on young people with disabilities. A student of The Novel Studio, Alison is currently writing her second novel, Agnes Gets a Lift, from which she will be reading the first chapter. She is currently also still editing her first novel, Minta Gets Everything Wrong, for which process The Novel Studio course is proving invaluable.

Author photo of Katharine Light

Katharine Light

Katharine Light. During her year on The Novel Studio at City, University of London, Katharine worked on her novel Like Me, which she plans to publish in 2023. It is the first of a series of novels about a group of teenage friends who meet up again in their late thirties. The short story ‘My arms are empty’, to be read at City Writes, is based on an episode in the sequel, Me Too. Katharine lives in London and fits writing around a full-time job and busy family life.

An Approach to Creative Writing alumna, Isabelle Mouttet. Isabelle was born and raised in Trinidad & Tobago and has been living in London getting her Master’s in Entrepreneurship. She is an avid reader and a hopeful writer who plans to pursue a career in book publishing. Isabelle will be reading ‘The Myth Finder’.

Author photo of Tunde Oyobode

Tunde Oyebode

Writers’ Workshop alumnus, Tunde Oyebode is a London-born Nigerian, based in East London. Working primarily as an Architect in North London, he is committed to delivering inclusive projects with high social and aesthetic value. Writing is a passion that he has developed in parallel with Architecture. His creative and essay writings explore human relationships and society and have been published in anthologies and magazines. Some of these writings include ‘Explosions,’ which was published in print in the 2021 Michael Terrence Anthology, ‘Wants’ published online in Stylist Magazine and ‘Riot,’ which is pending print publication in Obsidian Magazine in December 2022. Tunde will be reading his story, ‘Wants’.

After listening to tales of magic, wonder, romance, desire, film, work, running and death, you’ll be thoroughly warmed up to hear from our guest author, the wonderful Elizabeth Chakrabarty whose novel Lessons in Love and Other Crimes is a gripping and vital novel.

Don’t miss your chance to hear all of these authors and get in the mood for the festive season. Register here for City Writes Autumn 2022 at 7pm on Zoom. See you there!

Portrait of author Elizabeth Chakrabarty by Jason Keith

Guest alumna Elizabeth Chakrabarty, photo by Jason Keith

City Writes Deadline Tomorrow 18 November!

Got 1,000 words of fantastic fiction or non-fiction ready to share? This is your chance to join award-winning writer and alumna, Elizabeth Chakrabarty on the online stage of City Writes! Send your 1,000 words (no poetry, scripts or picture books) to rebekah.lattin-rawstrone.2@city.ac.uk by midnight on Friday 18th November along with details of your current or past City Short Creative Writing Course.

City Writes is a termly event showcasing the best of City’s Short Courses Creative Writing talent and this term, alongside the readers from the termly competition (this could be you!), we are extremely excited to welcome Elizabeth Chakrabarty as our alumna guest author.

Alumna of the Novel Studio, Elizabeth Chakrabarty is an interdisciplinary writer using creative and critical writing, besides performance, to explore themes of race, gender and sexuality. Her debut novel, Lessons in Love and Other Crimesinspired by experience of race hate crime, was published in 2021 by the Indigo Press, along with her essay, On Closure and Crime. In 2022 Lessons in Love and Other Crimes was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize, and also shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize.

Portrait of author Elizabeth Chakrabarty by Jason Keith

Author photo of Elizabeth Chakrabarty by Jason Keith

For your chance to read your work alongside this ground-breaking author, you need only send your best 1,000 words of fiction or creative non-fiction (no poetry, scripts or picture books) to rebekah.lattin-rawstrone.2@city.ac.uk by midnight on Friday 18th November along with details of your current or past City Short Creative Writing Course.

Registration for City Writes Autumn 2022 event on the 14th of December at 7pm on Zoom is open now. Simply follow this link to sign up to hear Elizabeth Chakrabarty read from her fantastic debut, Lessons in Love and Other Crimes, alongside the competition winners (possibly you?!) to be announced in just a few weeks’ time.

Full submission details can be found here.

 

We can’t wait to read your work – submit now! – and see you on the 14th December.

City Writes Autumn 2022 – Call for Submissions

By Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone
Portrait of author Elizabeth Chakrabarty by Jason Keith

Author photo of Elizabeth Chakrabarty by Jason Keith

City Writes is a termly event showcasing the best of City’s Short Courses Creative Writing talent and this term, alongside the readers from the termly competition, we are extremely excited to welcome Elizabeth Chakrabarty as our alumna guest author.

Alumna of the Novel Studio, Elizabeth Chakrabarty is an interdisciplinary writer using creative and critical writing, besides performance, to explore themes of race, gender and sexuality. Her debut novel, Lessons in Love and Other Crimesinspired by experience of race hate crime, was published in 2021 by the Indigo Press, along with her essay, On Closure and Crime. In 2022 Lessons in Love and Other Crimes was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize, and also shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize.

Elizabeth was also shortlisted for the Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2022, for her story ‘That Last Summer’ published in The Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2022: Crime Stories by Comma Press. She was shortlisted for the Asian Writer Short Story Prize in 2016 for her story ‘Eurovision’ published in Dividing Lines (Dahlia, 2017).

Her shorter work includes poetry and creative-critical writing, and she has recently been published in Gal-Dem, New Writing DundeeWasafiri, and the anthology Imagined Spaces (Saraband, 2020), and in translation, by Glänta and Deus Ex Machina. She received an Authors’ Foundation Grant from The Society of Authors (UK) in December 2018, to support the writing of Lessons in Love and Other Crimes, and she was chosen as one of the runners up for the inaugural CrimeFest bursary for crime fiction authors of colour in 2022. She lives in London.

For your chance to read your work alongside this ground-breaking author, you need only send your best 1,000 words of fiction or creative non-fiction (no poetry, scripts or picture books) to rebekah.lattin-rawstrone.2@city.ac.uk by by midnight on Friday 18th November along with details of your current or past City Short Creative Writing Course.

Registration for City Writes Autumn 2022 event on the 14th of December at 7pm on Zoom is open now. Simply follow this link to sign up to hear Elizabeth Chakrabarty read from her fantastic debut, Lessons in Love and Other Crimes, alongside the competition winners to be announced later this term.

Full submission details can be found here.
We can’t wait to read your submissions and see you on the 14th December.
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