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Trinity has won a prestigious international communications award for the College’s Byron Festival, which celebrated the life and works of George Gordon Byron (1788-1824) on the bicentenary of his death.
The judges from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) who awarded the Gold Circle of Excellence Award for the Festival praised it as innovative and well-executed.
The best college and university communications are those that truly embrace a school’s unique brand and culture, and this totally hits the mark.
Trinity’s Communications Office – Fiona Holland and Paula Wolff – devised The Byrothon, a 24-hour non-stop reading of the poet’s works and letters by members of College and alumni, including the current Lord Byron and actor Pip Torrens. The readings were livestreamed from the Chapel and illuminated by Byron’s ‘ghost.
To promote Trinity’s Byron Festival, which featured new commissions of music and art, a poetry competition, exhibition, conference and wreath laying, the Communications Office captured widespread media attention with the release of an unknown letter about Byron’s notorious lost memoirs.
Discovered by Wren Library archivist Adam Green, the letter by Elizabeth Palgrave expresses her horror at Byron’s attitude and behaviour towards his wife in his memoirs, which were later destroyed by his friends. The letter attracted global coverage with Festival co-director Professor Adrian Poole interviewed by the BBC and local media.
Circle of Excellence awards are made by CASE, the leading professional body for higher education professionals in communications, alumni relations and philanthropy.
The awards are highly competitive: Trinity College received one of 20 Circle of Excellence awards to European institutions, out of 477 awards in total. This year 640 institutions from 33 countries submitted 4,460 entries.
Trinity is the only college or university in Europe to be awarded gold in the communications category.
Professor Adrian Poole and Dr Anne Toner said:
We are absolutely thrilled that an initiative that brought together students, Fellows, alumni and staff across the College – all taking part with enthusiasm and dedication – has received such an international accolade.
The full citation from CASE judges:
The best college and university communications are those that truly embrace a school’s unique brand and culture, and this totally hits the mark. Love the graphics and an all-in approach that used both very modern and very Byron methods. This seems to have been an innovative, well-executed event. The writing is lovely, particularly the introduction to the festival recital program, and it works well to convey the character of Byron and engage festival participants.
Read more: The Byron Festival The Byrothon Elizabeth Palgrave’s letter Byron’s ‘Ghost’
Watch parts of The Byrothon.
