Category: Arts and Culture

In a heartfelt tribute to the late Mark Gardner, a much-loved member of the AJ Bell media team and writer on Shares magazine who sadly passed away in 2022, AJ Bell established the Mark Gardner Award for Journalism in 2024. This award aims to support up-and-coming journalists by offering a cash prize and the opportunity for the winning article to be published in Shares.

The inaugural recipient, Mia Willemsen, a third-year BA Hons Broadcast Journalism student at the University of Salford, was awarded for her outstanding writing skills. Her winning article provided a personal account of living with ADHD, impressing judges with its unique voice and insightful perspective.

This year, the Gardner family has generously increased the prize fund by an additional £4,000, bringing the total award to £5,000. This substantial contribution enhances the award’s impact, and provides even greater support to young journalists. The upcoming award ceremony is scheduled for the 8^th May, where the winner will be celebrated for their work.

The competition invites students to write a 300-to-400-word article exploring the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the financial world. Participants are encouraged to consider how AI might affect personal financial management, their current use of AI in finances, their excitement about AI’s financial potential, and the risks associated with AI’s application to money.

Entries will be evaluated by a panel of journalists and PR executives. This award not only commemorates Mark Gardner’s legacy but also exemplifies AJ Bell’s commitment to nurturing new talent in journalism.

Tom Sieber, editor of Shares, says: ‘We are delighted to partner with University of Salford for this award and it is a fitting legacy to Mark, and a testament to the generosity of his family, that the prize will make such a significant difference to the winner.’ 

The University of Salford takes great pride in its students’ achievements and hugely values the support from industry partners like AJ Bell. Collaborations like this provide brilliant opportunities for students to showcase their talents and gain recognition in their respective fields.

We are pleased to announce a new Painting Scholarship by Wallace Seymour to the University of Salford Art Collection and School of Arts Media and Creative Technology Graduate Scholarship Programme, run in partnership with Castlefield Gallery. 

Wallace Seymour formed by Rebecca Wallace and Pip Seymour have been offering fine art products since 2011. They began a programme of high-quality painting and drawing materials, through their shared vision to provide artists with the maximum potential for expression through colour. They have created unique ranges of oil, acrylic, watercolour (tube and pan), gouache, hand-made soft pastel, hand-made drawing materials, primers, and painting mediums for artists.

Through the scholarship, Wallace Seymour is generously providing one of the University of Salford’s graduating art students with £1,000 worth of art materials from their extensive catalogue. The scholarship opportunity will also include Wallace Seymour offering their expert advice, on how to use and process the materials.

We look forward to sharing who will be awarded this amazing opportunity and the artwork they produce.

Deep within the Clifford Whitworth Library at the heart of the University of Salford campus, an exciting new project is underway. The centrally based courtyard in Clifford Whitworth is currently being converted into a brand new Legacy Garden. This garden will become a peaceful place for friends and family to commemorate those who supported the University of Salford in their lifetime or who have left a legacy gift to the institution.