Former Bath Spa student Chris Selway has been awarded a Farmington Fellowship for the year 2015/16, and will be back working at the university to work on various projects.
The fellowship means that Chris will be attending Bath Spa University once a week during the academic year where he will be working on projects to produce digital resources for enhancing children’s visits to religious communities.
Farmington Fellowships are funded by the Farmington Trust, an educational charity based at Harris Manchester College, Oxford and are awarded annually.
They were created with the aim to support and encourage teachers of Religious Education in schools, and to support head teachers on their work with values and standards.
Chris said: “I’m thrilled to have been offered this opportunity by the Farmington Institute to work with the department again.
“It will allow me to undertake more of the fieldwork that I so much enjoyed while I was studying for my degree.
“My goal for this research project is to produce engaging resources which will help undergraduates, trainee teachers, teachers and pupils enable a deeper understanding of religious traditions in the local region.
“It should be a worthy contribution to the excellent work that has already been accomplished by the department leaders on the www.livingreligion.co.uk website.”
Chris is currently leading RE at a primary school in South Gloucestershire and is a former student at Bath Spa University where he graduated in the Study of Religions in 1999.
During his Fellowship, Chris will be supervised by Senior Lecturer in Religions, Philosophies and Ethics, Dr Catherine Robinson where his work will contribute towards the award-winning ‘Living Religion’ project, curated by Bath Spa staff; Dr Catherine Robinson, Professor Denise Cush and Gavin Wilshen.
Dr Catherine Robinson commented: “I am so pleased that an alumnus of Bath Spa University wants to come back and work with us.
“The work that Chris intends to do for his Fellowship will build on our distinctive focus on learning with and from faith communities.”
Farmington Fellowships can be undertaken at one of a select 12 universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick and Bath Spa.
Bath Spa University has hosted 17 Farmington Fellows over the past two decades. Chris will present his research at the Farmington Conference next year.
