91快活林

 Imogen Fox wrote a dissertation based on her experience of attending the Glastonbury Festival with her friend Rona this summer as part of her work placement with the charity Gig Buddies.

The research project 'Meltdowns in the mud - a spatial, emotional and relationship approach to the experience of care in the micro-spatialities of Glastonbury Festival' won the Society's Social and Cultural Geography Research Group Undergraduate Dissertation Award and £100 prize money.

Imogen, who wrote the dissertation this year before being awarded a BA(Hons) Geography degree, said: "I am in complete shock and disbelief about winning the prize.

"I feel extremely grateful for all the amazing support I received from both academic staff at the university, who boosted my confidence in my own academic abilities and from my wonderful dyslexia tutor who kept me calm throughout the writing process."

Imogen also praised the Sussex organisation which teamed her up with "my new close friend" Rona, Gig Buddies. The organisation matches adults who have learning disabilities with volunteers with similar interests, enabling them to go to music events together.  

Imogen, now studying for her MSc in Social Work at the University of Bristol, said: "In my dissertation, I drew on my experience at Glastonbury to question the notion of ‘care’, arguing that it can go both ways and may be an act of friendship. In this way, I argued that my and Rona’s relationship is a ‘muddy relationship’ which takes different forms in different spaces and allows us to rethink dominant understandings of care as a one-way process.”

You can read more about the university alumni.