Arts, culture and heritage theme within Campaign

Past events...

Speaker: Professor Judith Rowbotham; Host: Dr Michael Kandiah
When first established in 1883, the Co-operative Women's Guild set out to break the bias against women's participation in the Co-operative movement as anything more than shoppers. As part of breaking that bias, the Guild set out to give working class women a voice that they could use to make an impact. The ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Cultural and Heritage Exchange (CHEx) team, building on its role in the lottery-funded 100 Years of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Powerful Women project with the Hoe Neighbourhood Forum, has been researching the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ branch of the Guild and the members' importance in shaping and developing women's activism in ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and the South West. In this podcast, the CHEx team's Professor Judith Rowbotham discusses the Guild and ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ's branch, in collaboration with King's College, London, to celebrate International Women's Day 2022.
CHEx and King's College London University of London logo

To Quarantine or Not to Quarantine? That was the Question!

The use of quarantine and other measures for controlling epidemic diseases is of long-standing, and has regularly been strengthened by legislation but that legislation (whether statute or under local bye-laws) has always the potential to be controversial because such strategies raise political, ethical, and socioeconomic issues. Implementation of quarantine, including lockdown measures, has always required managing a careful balance between what is identified as the public interest and a safeguarding of individual rights.

This event was held as a part of the 2020 ESRC Festival.

Read more about the event

#CHITCHAT? at the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2019

The #CHITCHAT Research Initiative team will be back with full force at this yearÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s ESRC Festival with a number of events.

A Returned Pilgrim: Nancy Astor and ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ
The focus is on Nancy AstorÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s impact on ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ and, crucially, the impact ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ had on her. It explores this from her encounter with ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ in 1908, when (as Mrs Waldorf Astor) she was an active campaigner for her husband.

Documentary Screenings (6 and 8 November)

The Challenge of Dark Tourism in the South West: The Challenge Within
There is considerable complexity involved in the issues surrounding a popular wish for visiting sites which are either totally or partially focused on heritage stories involving death, disaster and suffering for consumption by visitors to museums, heritage sites and other visitor attractions.

Witness Seminar (7 November) part 1

Witness Seminar (7 November) part 2

 

ESRC Festival of Social Science 2017: Debate. Discover. Discuss.

Transportation from the South West, Labour and Servitude

In association with Professor Lucie Guibault and Dr Jerry Bannister at Dalhousie University the team are developing a research project to compare and contrast the transportation of convicts and migration patterns from the South West to Canada, the Caribbean and the Antipodes from 1847-1874. This project sets out to recover the life course histories of those transported to colonial destinations including Nova Scotia, Bermuda, Gibraltar, Western Australia and the Cape Colony.

Find out more about the project

Policing in Cornwall 2019 

Wednesday 10 April to Friday 3 May
Bodmin Jail in association with ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Time-Lock Productions presents ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜Policing in CornwallÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™, the 2nd annual Easter Exhibition. Time-Lock is part of the University's iSPER #CHITCHAT? Research Initiative. 
Policing in Cornwall 2019. 

Bodmin Jail in association with ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Time-Lock Productions presents ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜Policing in CornwallÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™, the 2nd annual Easter Exhibition. Time-Lock is part of the University's iSPER #CHITCHAT? Research Initiative.

#CHITCHAT? at the

7 May 2019 ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ How do you Fix a Town like ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ?
#CHITCHAT? presents a screening of its acclaimed docudrama on ÂÌñ»»ÆÞÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Chief Constable Jospeh Sowerby 1892-1917 in association with ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Arts Centre.

16 May 2019 ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ 'The Woman is Sure to Get In' Nancy Astor ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ Poverty, Philanthropy and ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ
Judith Rowbotham gives a public lecture at Devonport Guildhall to celebrate the centenary of Nancy Astor taking her seat in Parliament.

CHITCHAT How to fix a town like ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ

100 Years of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Powerful Women

On 28 November 2019, the Hoe Neighbourhood Forum, together with the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Time-Lock#ChitChat team, RIO and The Box, hosted a Heritage Lottery-funded exhibition in ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Guildhall to celebrate the contribution made by powerful women who, over the last 100 years, have promoted, protected and empowered ÂÌñ»»ÆÞÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s citizens.
Nancy Astor talking to a woman on a street in ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ

How Do You Fix A Town Like ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ? An historical account of Chief Constable Joseph Sowerby 1892ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“1917.

Selected to be shown at The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival in Mumbai on 20 February 2019.

How Do You Fix A Town Like ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ? An historical account of Chief Constable Joseph Sowerby 1892ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“1917
















selected to be shown
at The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival in Mumbai on 20th Feb 2019

#CHITCHAT? at the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ History Festival 2018

5 MayÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“3 June ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ Legal Tyranny: Conscientious Objection in the Three Towns 1853-1914
#CHITCHAT? presented this free exhibition in association with RIO at Devonport Guildhall
5 May ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ Temperance in the Three Towns of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ, Devonport and Stonehouse
Kim Stevenson gave a public talk at the University, as part of local studies day organised by ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ City Council and The Box
10 May ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ Objecting In Conscience - from Victorian Vaccination to Military Service, a historical exploration of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ's part in the state's failure to persuade
Judith Rowbotham gave a public talk at Devonport guildhall linked to the exhibition.
Chitchat 

A second associated project to interview and record the experiences of magistrates in North Devon is being led by Visiting Research Professor Malcolm Cowburn. 

For more information about the project please contact Professor Kim Stevenson.

Police at the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ

Conference: From Trauma to Protection: The Twentieth Century as the ChildrenÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Century, 20 April 2018

Professor Kim Stevenson is co-authoring a book with Dr Kate Gleeson from Macquarie University and Dr Sinéad Ring from the University of Kent on responses to historical child sexual abuse, comparing England, Ireland and Australia. 
They presented a panel together at the , held at the University of Warwick on 20 April 2018. The conference was in association with Sciences Po University in Paris and the Centre for the History of Medicine at the University of Warwick.
Kim Stevenson delivering a paper at the Trauma to Protection: The twentieth century as the childrens' century conference, which took place at Warwick University 19-20 April.

Cornerstone Heritage

#CHITCHAT? members are also involved in Cornerstone ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ an interdisciplinary research group that brings together staff from across the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ working in the field of Heritage (or how we live with the past today). 

Find out more about Cornerstone.

Cornerstone Heritage - Powderham Castle

Celebrating the strength of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜ordinaryÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™ women on International WomenÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Day

"For International WomenÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Day 2018, I want to remember and acknowledge the strength and achievements of women, particularly those in the South West (including ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ) during the Great War ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ not singling out the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜heroicÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™ individuals, but instead appreciating the impact that a community of women who came together to work for their country had. In contributing to the war effort, ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜substitutingÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™ for men, huge numbers of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜ordinaryÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™ women demonstrated quietly, and largely without fuss, that they were capable of doing well things hitherto considered ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜extraordinaryÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™ for their sex. It was the impact of the mass of women that changed hearts and minds in government, and forced them to extend the franchise to include at least some women. Few of them thought of themselves as heroines, or extraordinary in what they achieved ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ but I do!"
Dr Judith Rowbotham
Dr Judith Rowbotham

Witness seminar 12 April 2018 ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ PolicewomenÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Department

 #CHITCHAT? held its sixth witness seminar capturing the fascinating memories and stories of seven former policewomen who served in ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ City PolicewomenÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Department in the 1950s and 1960s, covering themes relating to the uniforms issued, training received, relationships with the public, operational duties and work undertaken. Their oral testimony will be transcribed and stored on the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Contemporary Oral History Archive.
Witness Seminar 12 April 2018 - ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ PolicewomenÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Department

Pirates, Police and Pasties 30 MarchÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“8 April 2018

Bodmin Jail in association with ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Time-Lock Productions presented Pirates, Police and Pasties. Time-Lock is part of the University's iSPER #CHITCHAT? Research Initiative.
Pirates, Police and Pasties exhibition

Conference: Union and Disunion in the Nineteenth Century, 22ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“23 June 2017

#CHITCHAT? is supporting the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Nineteenth Century Studies conference on the 22ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“23 June at the main campus of the University. 

The #CHITCHAT team will be delivering a panel session on ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ: A Case Study of Unity and Disunity, which will include a specific focus on Union Street. 

Further information about the event can be found on the .

Union Street

ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Past: Sustainable Future 

#CHITCHAT? members participated in the 2016 ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, a celebration of some of the country's leading social science research and its impact on society, the economy and politics. 
As part of their participation members produced the video on the left which provides a fascinating virtual tour of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ's past and how it influences its present and future in the context of ensuring sustainability.