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Solent University is launching their Civic Charter on Wednesday, which lays out Solent's ambitions and commitments to Southampton for the year ahead and beyond.

8th October 2019

Solent University will launch its Civic Charter on Wednesday 9 October, following a Black History Month Southampton public lecture discussing the crucial role music plays in building a culturally cohesive city.

The launch will explore Solent’s current and future civic responsibilities, while offering people the opportunity to celebrate the University’s engagement with the local community. 

Solent’s Civic Charter has been developed with input from local people, external partners, staff and students. It lays out Solent’s ambitions and commitments to Southampton for the year ahead and beyond; including ways in which community organisations can request volunteer and other support from the University, and introduces a dedicated twitter account - @SolentCivic - to increase public engagement.

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Professor Julie Hall, Interim Vice-Chancellor at Solent University, says: “Community is at the heart of what we do and who we are at Solent. We are very proud of our track record of supporting and working with partners right across Southampton and I’m delighted we are now strengthening that commitment to making a real difference in the city.”

The public lecture, ‘Is Anti-Racism an outdated concept in society today – what role does music play in building cohesive communities?’, will explore how Southampton’s cultural scene has evolved, with Black History Month Southampton Co-founder, Don John, and Solent’s Professor of Creative and Cultural Industries, Martin James. It will be followed by a Q&A with Solent’s School of Media Arts and Technology Postdoctoral Researcher, Dr Kim-Marie Spence.

Ivan from the Ebony Rockers – one of Southampton’s most influential reggae groups, known for their 1979 smash hit, Human Jungle - will also provide an insight into their experience of growing up in Southampton. The band recently reunited at Solent to re-record their smash hit, and Ivan will be performing a solo version of the civil rights Sam Cooke classic, A Change is Gonna Come.

The public lecture takes place at 5pm on Wednesday 9 October in The Spark, Solent University Southampton, East Park Terrace.

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The Civic Charter Launch follows at 7pm

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