News

‘Art and Ecology’ connects people and climate
17th March 2025
OU art historians work with local people in Perthshire to reflect on climate change in new ways.
New chapter publication: ‘Beyond Nostalgia: Hearing Anarchronism in Westworld and Television’s New Golden Age’
14th March 2025
Kolassa’s chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Music and Sound in Peak TV explains the cutting-edge ‘Peak’ TV soundtrack for Westworld and its complex depiction of history.
In Defence of History
17th February 2025
Research event on the 18^th February 2025 convened by OU Classical Studies academic brings global community together around the protection of Palestinian heritage from historicide by Israel.
The Polyphonic Cornett album released
29th January 2025
A collaboration between James Dooley (The Open University) and Jamie Savan (Birmingham City University), The Polyphonic Cornett (album released November 2024) presents music exploring the intersection of ‘old’ musical instruments with ‘new’ music technology.
Building bibliotherapy project awarded £29,657 by the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy
27th January 2025
Open University researchers Francesca Benatti, Siobhan Campbell and Alessio Antonini awarded £29,657 for 'Immersive Online Reading for Mental Wellbeing' project
From Okinawa to Cornwall: the music of Kikuko Kanai introduced by Maiko Kawabata
21st January 2025
The Open University is proud to support the Truro Sinfonia in bringing Japanese composer Kikuko Kanai's music to life in Cornwall. Collaborating with OU researcher Dr. Maiko Kawabata, the orchestra performed Kanai’s symphonic poem Ryūkyū where the Deigo Flowers Blossom on 9 November 2024, marking a rare UK appearance for the composer’s work.
Art History secures PhD partnership with Transport for London
21st January 2025
Art History have secured a funded PhD studentship, ‘Art on the Underground’ with the Open-Oxford-Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership.
Warriors’ Wives by Emma Bridges republished as an Open Access book by Oxford University Press
21st January 2025
Thanks to the Open University’s pilot Open Access Book Fund, Warriors’ Wives: Ancient Greek Myth and Modern Experience by Emma Bridges will be re-published as an Open Access book by Oxford University Press in 2025.
Music academics create interactive “show” supporting OU/BBC series “Mozart: Rise of a Genius”
24th September 2024
OU Music academics Naomi Barker and Helen Coffey create interactive ‘show’ supporting OU/BBC co-production “Mozart: Rise of a Genius”
New paper shows the value of arts and humanities degrees
15th August 2024
A new paper has challenged misconceptions of arts and humanities (A&H) degrees, showing the value they bring to the economy and society.