From Fireplace to Cyberspace: Jonathan Davies from the History Department

African, African-American and Black British music in from the colonial era to the present day

A great discussion with students from our black student networks, who are curating and designing an exhibition. Robert O'Toole in conversation with Alicia Odumosu, Jessica Boakye, and Alex Land. With short samples of the music we discuss, by Labi Sifre, the Balafon Sextet, DJ Solo, and So Solid Crew.

Creatives Institute, Raphael Taylor, Monica Brown, Annabel Rainbow

The Creatives Institute, led by Raphael Taylor, is a collective of students from Warwick University, supporting emerging artists through exhibitions, events, magazine, and careers forum. In October 2025 the Institute curated a successful and impactful exhibition of diverse art works. We interviewed Raphael, as well as the artist Annabel Rainbow, whose Windrush Quilts were featured. The opening event, at which we heard the artists in conversation, was followed by a special evening dedicated to the memory of, and ongoing campaign in support of, the Windrush generation. Benjamin Zephaniah's wife Qian spoke, along with Monica Brown. Annabel's portraits of Benjamin and Monica's mother Iciline, were highlights of the show. We were incredibly lucky to also get to talk with Monica about her mother's story and the wonderful artwork.

Isabel Hughes, the science of malaria meets the art of painting

Isabel Hughes is a researcher in Life Sciences at the University of Warwick. She is also a brilliant artist. This exhibition brings together works created in response to her time spent in Kenya undertaking pioneering research on new ways to prevent malaria. See more of Isabel’s work on Instagram @izzi.art Watch a video of the exhibition on our YouTube channel. [https://youtu.be/mugLsqNGy-M?si=QNtmywG_b8t5s_I4] Tickets for the opening night at Temperance on the 26th Oct. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/art-launch-temperance-isabel-hughes-tickets-1780743203859?aff=oddtdtcreator tsp]

From Fireplace to Cyberspace: Jonathan Davies from the History Department

Folklore is not just something that existed in a dark, superstitious past. It continues to be a powerful force in culture and society today. Technology and science haven't eliminated it through reason, but rather they have given new ways in which its forms can be expressed and mutated. This is the topic of a fascinating undergraduate module in the History Department at the University of Warwick called "From Fireplace to Cyberspace: The Folklore of Europe from Prehistory to the Present", designed and taught by Dr. Jonathan Davies. As you will hear in this discussion with Robert O'Toole, not only is this a great topic, the way in which it is explored with the students is itself very special, using digital technologies creatively and rigorously. Students are encouraged to make a personal connection, for example researching folklore in their home area. A digital project, either a podcast or a video, makes up 40 percent of the assessment, giving the students a chance to really get into and communicate the moods of the folklore they research. Would you want to do this module? I certainly would! Enjoy!

Jonathan Vickery interviews Robert O'Toole

In the last episode Robert O'Toole interviewed Jonathan Vickery of the pioneering Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies. Their conversation delved deep into how to create the conditions for a successful, impactful, and continuously renewed University. In this episode, interviewer and interviewee switch roles, with Robert reflecting on 30 years of work developing Arts and Humanities education with impact, the growing emphasis on design and designing with a solid philosophical base, and how that can help us to respond positively to increasingly intense and neo-colonial technological change.