Tagged content
The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
The current research of Dr Rachel Beckles Willson is concerned with examining western classical music in the Middle East. As one element in her programme, she spent time with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said. In this article, she considers the impact of the founders’ …
The First English Bible: A Lost Opportunity
The medieval English Church prohibited the use of the translation of the Bible made in Wyclif’s time. Traditionally, the Wycliffite Bible has been understood as a reformist document, but Dr Mary Dove argues that, contrary to received opinion, the readership was prodominantly devout and orthodox. She sets out the evidence …
Captivated by Africa's Geography: James McQueen, Thomas Fowell Buxton and the Abolition of Slavery
Dr David Lambert, Reader in Historical Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, tells the story of an unlikely alliance in British efforts to stem the sources of the slave trade in Africa, and describes how geographical knowledge – derived from displaced slaves themselves – contributed to abolitionist endeavours.
Ibadan 1960
Dr Will Rea, of the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds paints a picture of Ibadan, sketching the history and describing the unique characteristics of the city, that gave rise in the 1960s to the remarkable ‘Ibadan renaissance’ of writers and …
Progress in Understanding 'Tone Deafness'
Karen Wise, Professor John Sloboda FBA, and Professor Isabelle Peretz describe recent research into the condition of tone deafness, or ‘congenital amusia’, and consider the phenomenon of those who are not apparently tone deaf but who classify themselves as such.
Word Comprehension in Younger and Older Adults: When is a Difference a Deficit?
Dr Meredith Shafto is engaged on a long-term project to understand the cognitive changes that happen as we age. In this article, she describes her current work on language comprehension.
Psalms for King James: Jean Servin's Music for George Buchanan’s Latin Psalm Paraphrases (1579)
February 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of the French composer Jean Servin. In the 1570s, Servin was a refugee from the Wars of Religion in France: Professor James Porter describes his visit to the court of King James VI of Scotland in search of patronage.
Lessons from the Icelandic Bond Market
In December 2004, Francis Breedon was awarded a British Academy Small Research Grant for a project to study a unique set of bond prices and yields for the Icelandic government bond market, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Iceland.
Africa's secret success story: Cape Verde
Professor Bruce Baker explains how one small nation’s approach to government has lessons for the rest of Africa.
Public Opinion, Public Diplomacy and Peace Making
Dr Colin Irwin explains how public opinion polls can be used in long-running conflicts to help the pursuit of peace.
Liter8 Lrnrs: Is Txting Valuable or Vandalism?
Dr Clare Wood, Dr Bev Plester and Samantha Bowyer report some conclusions from their British Academy-funded research project.
The Olympic Games: Imagining a New Media Legacy
Funding through the British Academy Small Grants scheme has helped Professor Andy Miah and Dr Beatriz Garcia to pursue their research into the ‘non-accredited’ media at the Olympic Games. Here they describe the role of this alternative media coverage, and explain its significance for Britain on the approach to London …
Sign up to our email newsletters
Join our mailing list to explore the ideas and impact of the British Academy. Get updates on research, funding, policy, international collaborations, and events that bring the humanities and social sciences to life.