The Open University

Artist and Empire: a belated revisiting of our colonial history

29 March 2016

Artist and Empire, the major exhibition showing at Tate Britain, has been well received by art critics and audiences alike. Aiming to unite art and a reckoning with Britain’s imperial past, it is a noteworthy venture – but why has it taken so long for such a show to be hosted by a major British […]

Unique course taps into the love of performing

9 March 2016

We all have a friend or relative who lives for occasions when they can wheel out their guitar or the karaoke machine. Millions more have followed the progression of our favourite acts on Saturday night talent shows. Tapping into the huge growth in participatory music-making and the success of BBC shows such as The Choir […]

Cute little child girl reading a book. Image credit: Thinkstock

11 children’s books that challenge gender stereotypes

3 March 2016

Bookshops, libraries and schools are starting to rethink the merit of dividing reading sections and recommendations into books for boys and books for girls. “There are some great examples of strong female characters that appeal to boys and girls in young adult fiction, especially with the recent popularity of dystopian series such as The Hunger Games […]

David Bowie: A bio-obituary

12 January 2016

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring,” said the late David Bowie back in 1997. It’s a poignant statement given his death, aged 69, this week after an 18-month battle with cancer. And the OU’s Dr Frank Monaghan says it’s as applicable to his art as it […]

What makes a good Christmas number one?

25 December 2015

Dr Catherine Tackley from the OU’s music department examines what makes certain songs a hit at Christmas time. The official UK singles chart began in 1952, but many of the songs (as distinct from traditional Christmas carols) which remain popular at Christmas were established before that. ‘Jingle Bells’ by James Lord Pierpoint, dates back to 1857; […]

The choirmaster whose carols became the sound of Christmas

23 December 2015

At 3pm on Christmas Eve, millions of radios around the world will be tuned to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College Chapel in Cambridge in time to hear the pure voice of a single boy chorister singing one of the hardest solos of the church calendar, the first verse of “Once […]

How Star Wars music lets us feel the Force

16 December 2015

Main image © 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. When I finally see the new Star Wars film, I will be keeping my ears open. Although the initial trilogy was justly celebrated for its use of groundbreaking visual effects, for me, the sound of the films has always been more significant. Even in the woeful prequel […]

OU classicist recognised as “one of the leading Hellenists of her generation”

4 December 2015

Laura Swift, lecturer in classical studies at The Open University, has been awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize for her research. This prestigious award is one of the highest honours in academic research and is awarded by The Leverhulme Trust to only 30 individuals each year across a range of academic disciplines. Dr Swift received the award […]

Old fashioned pen and scroll: Thinkstock

Blood will have blood – why Macbeth still inspires artists

6 October 2015

Stunningly cinematic and vehemently Scottish, the latest version of Macbeth has opened in UK cinemas. Directed by Justin Kurzel, it’s a post-Braveheart affair, heavy on the mud and gore. In the title role Michael Fassbender exudes intensity and desperation, fuelled by the death of his young son. Marion Cotillard is wraith-like as his broken-hearted wife. […]

People at a music concert. Image: Thinkstock

Why Ibiza club music at a classical concert is a clash we should embrace

12 September 2015

London’s Royal Albert Hall has seen a lot this summer: a performance of Beethoven’s Sixth from memory, a concert reflecting the supposed tastes of Sherlock Holmes, a concert telling the “Story of Swing” and Jarvis Cocker leading an “underwater dream” with music ranging from Echo & The Bunnymen to Debussy. But it was the Ibiza […]

OU News

Category: Arts