OpenARC Research Centre

🎵 An organ whose pipes open like fish mouths anchors new research by OU art historian Margit Thøfner. Her Open Arts Journal article shows how the instrument helped constitute the collective body of a Lutheran convent at Kloster Lüne. Read more: openartsjournal.org/issue-12/art...

🎓 OU Arts & Humanities PhD students: share your research beyond academia at OpenARC’s Research Briefs! 📅 23 Nov 2026, 10am–12 noon 💻 Teams | OU only 📩 To present, email by 6 Nov: Shafquat.Towheed@open.ac.uk FASS-Arts-Research-Centre@open.ac.uk More details via: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

How were graphic surgical images understood in seventeenth-century Rome? OU historian Silvia De Renzi reconstructs the training and social world of male surgeons, showing how medicine, humour and anxieties about sodomy shaped the pictures’ reception. 👉️ openartsjournal.org/issue-12/art...

📖 How can poetry challenge ‘othering’? Siobhan Campbell explores how collaborative writing with displaced Lebanese and Syrian women supports storytelling and shared knowledge. Read the open-access article: oro.open.ac.uk/110396/ #OpenARC #CreativeWriting

OU art historian Andrew Murray brings veiled religious images and medieval mourning dress into the same frame. His new Open Arts Journal article proposes ‘deanimation’ for bodies and images suspended between life and death. Read the full article: openartsjournal.org/issue-12/art...

What joined human and raptor bodies in early medieval England? Robert J. Wallis, Head of Art History (OU), examines talons, funerary practice and raptor imagery, questioning modern divisions between humans, animals and objects. 🔗 openartsjournal.org/issue-12/art... ©The Trustees, British Museum

New from The Open University: Issue 12 of Open Arts Journal, ‘Picturing bodies in medieval and early modern Europe’. Edited by OU art historians Andrew Murray and Margit Thøfner, it brings together five OU researchers and contributors from other institutions. ©The Trustees of the British Museum.

✦ Discover the Open Arts Journal: open-access, peer-reviewed arts research from The Open University, connecting research with creative and curatorial practice. 🔗 openartsjournal.org #OpenArtsJournal #ArtsResearch Image: © Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

📖 Opening up history: teaching transatlantic slavery in British schools Dr Katie Donington discusses her work on the teaching of transatlantic slavery in British schools, developed in partnership with professional educators. www.open.edu/openlearn/hi... #OpenARC #History #Education

Why was John Vanbrugh called “the Shakespeare of architecture”? For #Vanbrugh300, Susie West explores the drama of his buildings—and the collaboration behind them—in The Conversation. 👉 theconversation.com/john-vanbrug... @shaftowheed.bsky.social @ou-gcsj.bsky.social

🚬 Opening up history: tobacco consumption and modern war What can something as ordinary as a cigarette tell us about the experience of war? Dr Michael Reeve’s research examines smoking in British wartime society and culture from around 1850 to 1950. www.open.edu/openlearn/hi... #OpenARC #History

☮️ Opening up history: anti-nuclear activism during the Cold War How much influence can protest movements have on government policy? Dr Luc-André Brunet explores the global history of anti-nuclear activism during the 1980s. www.open.edu/openlearn/hi... #OpenARC #History #ColdWar

What happens when urban rivers disappear underground? Philip Hayward explores ghost rivers, river daylighting and the cultural life of buried waterways, including London’s Fleet River. Fri 2 Oct | 09:00–11:30 (UK) | Online Advance reading required Register: forms.gle/QizUrN2ACjuu...

👑 Opening up history: religion and politics in the Elizabethan era Dr Neil Younger’s research focuses on Sir Christopher Hatton, a favourite of Elizabeth I whose position at court gave him considerable political influence. www.open.edu/openlearn/hi...

📚 Where Is the Future of Criticism? Online Platforms and Literary Discussion Join this free online conference exploring how digital platforms are shaping literary criticism and discussion. 📅 2 & 5 October 2026 ⏰ Register by 30 September Programme & details: university.open.ac.uk/arts/researc...

🌍 Opening up history: eighteenth-century ideas of national independence What did “liberty” mean in the eighteenth century? Dr Anna Plassart explores movements for independence across Corsica, Poland, America, France, Ireland and Haiti. www.open.edu/openlearn/hi...

📢 Funding opportunity for OU Early Career Researchers! The British Academy ECR Network Seed Fund offers up to £5,000 to develop new research collaborations and innovative ideas. 📅 Deadline: 18 Nov 2026 📩 ris-ba-ecrn@open.ac.uk #ECR #ResearchFunding #OpenUniversity

📜 Bringing medieval Icelandic history to new audiences | Samuel Sargeant Samuel explains how research trips to Icelandic archives support his historical fiction writing. 🎥 Video: youtu.be/DHb1jSta1wk?...

📖 Why study bad poetry? | Richard Danson Brown Two publishing projects supported by OpenARC: an edited collection on Renaissance bad poetry and a major new edition of Spenser's Complaints. Watch how scholarly editions continue to open new perspectives on literary history🎥 youtu.be/ix4xjcs8JGc?...

🎭 Madness, identity and power on the early modern stage | Molly Ziegler Molly explores how representations of madness in Shakespeare and his contemporaries intersect with questions of race, gender and social power. 🎥 Video: youtu.be/k8b6n1X36XE?...

🎼 The remarkable story behind the music of Lili Boulanger | Laura Hamer By exploring family archives, correspondence and performance records, Laura sheds light on how Boulanger's music secured a lasting place in the concert repertoire. 🎥 Video: youtu.be/3-n5UZjMRhA?...

🎨 Creativity, neurodivergence and building more inclusive research spaces | Lania Knight Lania reflects on organising a conference that brought together artists, writers, researchers and practitioners to explore neurodivergence through creative practice. 🎥 Video: youtu.be/xx6HYdsT00o?...

📢 Research Careers Day 2026 Join us for a day of career development, expert insights and networking. Hear from Prof Craig Mahoney, discover the Researcher Development Programme, and explore new opportunities within and beyond academia. 📅 23 Sept | 🕘 09:00–15:00 📝 Register via My Learning Centre

💻 How can digital humanities and AI support cultural wellbeing? | Francesca Benatti From bibliotherapy to AI-assisted storytelling, the project explores how digital tools can support wellbeing while opening new opportunities for interdisciplinary research. 🎥 Video: youtu.be/qe7jwSUyYSE?...

📖 What happens when autobiography, fiction and multiple voices collide? Fiona Doloughan explores Karl Ove Knausgård's work through voice, autofiction and adaptation, reflecting on research presented at the American Comparative Literature Association conference. 🎥 youtu.be/Gk1vPJx_lK4?...

👻 From manuscript to publication | Emily Bullock Emily Bullock shares how OpenARC funding supported the development of Almost a Ghost Story, highlighting the value of expert feedback and the creative journey from manuscript to publication. 🎥 youtu.be/2j5nza4hLvE?... #CreativeWriting #Publishing

🌿 How can art help us reconnect with the natural world? | the National Trust Nature Weekend Sam Shaw explored how creative practice can deepen our relationship with nature and foster environmental awareness. Read more: fass.open.ac.uk/news/ou-art-...

⚔️ Revisiting one of England's most famous battles | David Grummitt David Grummitt explores how new historical and archaeological research is reshaping our understanding of the Battle of Towton and the Palm Sunday campaign of 1461. 🎥 youtu.be/JEuN8I01McM?... #History #PublicHistory #Archaeology

📚 Remediating the Early Book: Pasts and Futures conference in Dublin. PhD student Ruth Allen presented her collaborative doctoral research with the National Trust on medieval books in its collections. Supervisors: Dr Andy Murray & Dr Susie West. #BookHistory #ArtHistory @shaftowheed.bsky.social

🖼️ Why does bringing people together around objects matter? Clare Taylor reflects on how a workshop on wallpaper, design and imperial trade networks helped shape a major international research bid, highlighting the value of archives, collections and collaboration. 🎥 youtu.be/9QF8JmcI0hQ?...

⚖️ Can ancient legal speeches reshape how we think about people and the environment? Christine Plastow explores how environmental humanities and "dark ecology" offer a new perspective on an ancient Greek legal dispute, revealing how landscapes can shape human conflict. 🎥 youtu.be/Wei56sS5wUg?...

🎶 What can music reveal about connections between communities, cultures and social spaces? Byron Dueck discusses his research with xylophone musicians in Cameroon, exploring how musical traditions connect celebrations, religious life & popular culture. 🎥 Watch: youtu.be/C6w8I917Jig?...

🏛️ How can seed funding spark international research opportunities? Angeliki Lymberopoulou reflects on how OpenARC support helped develop new research on Byzantine monumental painting, leading to fellowships at Dumbarton Oaks and Meiji University. 🎥Watch: youtu.be/pnf8GbFuXdA?... #ByzantineStudies

🔭 Explore what’s coming up at OpenARC - The Open University Arts & Humanities Research Centre! We host research groups, facilitate disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, events & funding support. 🔗 Discover all upcoming activities and news here:

📚 How can open-access publishing create impact beyond academia? In this OpenARC Spring Festival talk, Andrew Murray explores how the Open Arts Journal builds research communities & encourages public engagement through accessible scholarship. 🎥 Watch: youtu.be/oknbUVZONSM?... #OpenAccess

🌸 Earlier this year, OpenARC hosted its Spring Festival of the Arts & Humanities. 🎥 Over the coming weeks, we'll be sharing recordings from the event in March 2026, showcasing research, partnerships, and impact across The Open University’s School of Arts & Humanities. More soon...

🏛️ Vanbrugh300 blog | Grimsthorpe Castle: At Home with Rome How did ancient Rome inspire Sir John Vanbrugh's vision for Grimsthorpe Castle? In this blog, Susie West explores the classical influences behind one of Vanbrugh's final architectural masterpieces. 🔗

🌍✍️ How can creative writing help us respond to the climate crisis? OU Researchers are exploring how storytelling, poetry and creative practice can deepen understanding of environmental challenges and inspire action towards more sustainable futures. 🔗 fass.open.ac.uk/news/ou-crea... #ClimateChange

🖊️ The afternoon sessions of OpenARC's conference The Public Humanities in the 21st Century are now underway. 🔹 Christine Plastow – Why co-creation matters 🔹 Veronica Davies – Art History in the community 🔹 David Grummitt – The Wars of the Roses: Negotiating the Battlefield of History and Heritage

📢 We’re about to begin OpenARC’s conference, The Public Humanities in the 21st Century. Looking forward to a day of discussion, debate and exchange on the role of the Arts & Humanities in a changing world. Stay tuned for updates and outputs from the conference. 🔗 fass.open.ac.uk/events/confe...

🎉 Congratulations to Emily Bullock (Senior Lecturer, Creative Writing), whose novel For Always Only has been shortlisted for the Virginia Prize for Fiction. 📖 The novel is one of four works selected for the 2025 shortlist. 🔗 Read more: fass.open.ac.uk/news/creativ... @aurorametro.bsky.social

Why are meadows important? I'll be joining various groups at Attingham Park this weekend to talk nature, art and restoration.... youtu.be/p-Uyr-5jI8A?... @floodplainmead.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk @openarc.bsky.social #meadows #attinghampark #nature #bees #birds

🏛️ Hidden Treasures of the National Trust is now airing on BBC Two. The six-part OU/BBC series goes behind the velvet rope at the UK's historic homes and the people saving Britain's priceless heritage. 🔗 connect.open.ac.uk/hiddentreasu... #HiddenTreasures #NationalTrust #Heritage