The Open University

Gertrude Bell – the death of an unusual woman

2 November 2023

Open University creative writing PhD student Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone, a distant relative of explorer, archaeologist, writer and diplomat Gertrude Bell, delves into history to discover the circumstances leading up to the overdose that cut short the life of a brilliant woman. In the centenary year of the founding of The Iraq Museum, Rebekah’s studies into the […]

Halloween Horrors: Feel the fear and watch it anyway

31 October 2023

As the nights draw in and the spooky season is here, many of us turn to scary stories on screen to indulge in a little bit of supernatural fright so we asked Dr Mark Fryers, lecturer in Film and Media at The Open University for his top spooky film recommendations. Once derided as infantile at […]

Image shows four Metropolitan Police Officers with the words 'The Met' written across the middle of the image

OU/BBC Series ‘The Met’ Returns for a fourth series

24 October 2023

A captivating fourth series of The Met, co-produced by The Open University (OU) and the BBC, is set to air on BBC One tonight (Tuesday 24 October) at 9pm. The six-episode series provides insight into the Metropolitan Police in the face of complex cases. Filmed over ten months, the series offers an unfiltered look into […]

Britain’s Housing Crisis Unveiled in New OU BBC Series

20 October 2023

A pivotal new series co-produced by The Open University (OU) and the BBC premiered on BBC Two this week. ‘Britain’s Housing Crisis: What Went Wrong?’ provides an in-depth exploration of the UK’s housing market and sheds light on the various barriers to homeownership. The first episode can now be viewed on BBC iPlayer. The first […]

It’s all about Dolly…

3 October 2023

A music academic has captured the attention of a popular BBC music programme after she wrote a short analytical course based on the work of country music icon and singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Now Dr Marie Thompson is to feature on the BBC Radio 4 Soul Music programme, which looks at the work of musicians who […]

‘Thrilling’ BBC documentary airs about the history of the Union

2 October 2023

The turbulent history of how Great Britain evolved is dissected in an intriguing Open University/BBC co-production – Union with historian David Olusoga – which reaches the small screen tonight (Monday 2 October). The four-part series airs on BBC Two at 9pm and charts the history of the Union from the 1600s – a century defined […]

£2.72m EU research funding hopes to manage extremist views

25 September 2023

An international team of academics led by The Open University has won £2.72m research funding, (€3.16m) to help people manage the development of extremist views at home and abroad in the run up to major political events. Psychologists at the Open University are working on developing tools for the project that has been funded by […]

Locked up – but given the gift of a new future

19 September 2023

Open University history professor Rosalind Crone features in a new film commissioned by the Ministry of Justice showing how prisoners are being given new skills by training them for roles in the catering industry. “Served” is a 40-minute film available on YouTube that charts the progress of a team of prisoners from HM Prison Lincoln […]

New research says Britons more likely to help refugees from Ukraine rather than those from Syria or Somalia

18 September 2023

An Open University academic’s report suggests Ukrainians are considered less of a threat That Somalis and Syrians are seen as ‘culturally distant’ And that the results could also be due to skin colour and religious differences Britons are much more likely to help Ukrainian refugees over others from Syria or Somalia says a research project […]

Let the force be with you… environmentally

13 September 2023

New research from The Open University aims to promote better sustainability among makers of the film industry’s props, costume and the replica market Academics have developed a calculator tool so people in the industry can make carbon-emission comparisons about which materials and methods are the most sustainable to use Case study showed a Star Wars […]

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