Gaming design
Edge Hill game design partnership gives students a real-world edge
Edge Hill University’s eight-year collaboration with Crooked Dice game design studio recently culminated in a triumphant appearance at the UK Games Expo in Birmingham.
The partnership, set up in 2017 between Edge Hill’s Department of English and Creative Arts and Crooked Dice, has been a cornerstone of the department’s activities, leading to the production of four highly successful skirmish games. This collaboration has given students an unparalleled opportunity to bridge the gap between their studies and the professional gaming industry.
At this year’s UK Games Expo, a massive event attracting 42,000 guests and 650 exhibitors, Edge Hill student interns served as brilliant ambassadors for both the University and the latest game, Colony 87.
Interns worked closely with Crooked Dice owner Karl Perrotton and Dr Peter Wright, Senior Lecturer in Speculative Fictions at Edge Hill, to demonstrate the new science fiction skirmish game, engage players and network with leading figures in the industry.
Dr Wright said: Thanks to the support provided by the Student Opportunity Fund and the department in giving students this opportunity. And we very much appreciate the willingness of Karl Perrotton to trust our students with his ruleset and reputation.
“We have provided our students with a unique experience that has had a genuinely transformative effect on their aspirations, opportunities and achievements”
Over the lifetime of the partnership, more than 60 interns have been involved in the projects, with every student graduating with a professional writing credit.
On our Creative Writing degrees, we offer modules including Introduction to Writing for Narrative Games, Writing for Roleplaying Games and Writing for Digital Adventure Games, that will allow you to explore and gain skills in game writing and game development.
Discover more about studying Creative Writing and book on to an upcoming open day.
Research
Professor selected for renowned research excellence panel
We are proud to announce that Professor Stuart Fairclough has been selected to be a panel member for the upcoming Research England REF2029 in Sub-panel 24: Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism.
The REF is an expert review process to assess the quality of research in UK Higher Education Institutions with the joint aims of informing the allocation of block-grant research funding based on research quality, providing accountability for public investment in research and evidencing the benefits of this investment.
As a panel member, Stuart will be involved in developing discipline-specific criteria and for carrying out assessment of submissions in his field of expertise. This is the second time Stuart has been selected to be a panel member for a REF review.
Stuart said “I’m very proud to represent the University and the sport, exercise and leisure research community on the REF Unit 24 sub-panel for a second time. I am looking forward to making a valuable contribution to the assessment process once it gets underway.”
REF Manager Joanne Morris said: “It is fantastic news that Professor Stuart Fairclough will be contributing his expertise to REF for a second consecutive occasion. Congratulations Stuart, I wish you well with the work ahead.”
Academic’s research on child abuse wins honourable mention
An Edge Hill University professor has received an honourable mention in the the ‘2023 Child Abuse and Neglect Paper of the Year’ for his exceptional contributions to research.
Professor Mike Hartill’s paper ‘Prevalence of interpersonal violence against children in sport in six European countries’ is based on the findings from the CASES project (Child Abuse in Sport: European Statistics), funded by the European Commission Erasmus+ Collaborative Partnership programme.
The project aimed to establish prevalence rates of child abuse in sport. Academics from partner universities in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Romania collaborated to develop and implement the Interpersonal Violence Against Children in Sport Questionnaire.
The study found that prevalence of abuse in sport differed by category: psychological violence (65%), physical violence (44%), neglect (37%), non-contact sexual violence (35%), and contact sexual violence (20%). Relatively small geographical differences were found. These finding emphasise the need to develop a specific sensitivity, in those with responsibility within youth sport, towards children who may be particularly vulnerable.
Professor Mike Hartill, lecturer in the Sociology of Sport, said: “I am delighted that our paper won honourable mention by this prestigious journal. The project has produced some very important data, and it was a genuine team effort.
“I am very grateful to all team members. A particular note must go to my co-lead Bettina Rulofs who played an invaluable role in the successful and timely delivery of the project, from conception to publication. We also had excellent support from Edge Hill colleagues in the Research Office and beyond.”
Biology & Art
Rare Victorian plant prints bloom in Edge Hill’s new Life Sciences building
A collection of rare botanical prints, created by Arthur Mowbray Jones of Bristol between 1876 and 1880, has been loaned to Edge Hill University. The prints come courtesy of the British Ptriological Society and National Museums Liverpool.
This exhibition celebrates The Jones Nature Prints, a rare collection that embodies the Victorian spirit of discovery and unites careful scientific observation with artistic beauty.
Jones pioneered a distinctive and innovative method for recording plants: fresh specimens, often ferns, grasses and other delicate species, were inked directly and pressed onto paper under heavy pressure. This simple process transferred every vein and frond in detail, producing images that were both scientifically accurate and visually striking. Many were then delicately hand-finished, elevating them from mere botanical records to genuine works of art.
The collection’s legacy was secured in 1938 when Jones’ daughter gifted the prints to the British Pteridological Society. For many years, the prints were treasured and cared for at the World Museum, Liverpool, part of National Museums Liverpool but they are now on permanent loan to Edge Hill.
This exhibition marks the first time The Jones Nature Prints have ever been displayed at a university, opening them up to an academic audience while preserving public accessibility.
Dr Sven Batke, Reader in Plant Sciences, said: “I am very pleased that our new Life Sciences building is hosting a national treasure. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to encounter Jones’ visionary prints outside a museum environment.
“They stand as an enduring testament to Victorian ingenuity and devotion to the natural world, an inspiration to artists, historians and naturalists alike, and now, for the first time, it’s inspiring a university community.”
September 26, 2025
