UCU lays ground for its first ever strike ballot against Labour Delegates at UCU's annual Congress have overwhelmingly voted to prepare for an industrial dispute with the Secretary of State for Education over university funding, the first step towards a potential ...

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1403...

The problem is with funding and a govmnt that favours the managed decline of HE & squeezing students over alternative models. This is exactly why exhausted rank and file members of @ucu.org.uk passed a motion in 2025 to open a dispute directly with Labour’s Secretary of State.

Four Letter Words - Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres A coming-of-age story set in the world of queer online kink, Four Letter Words explores the thrill and vulnerability of finding connection in a time of isolation.

Dr Hannah Greenstreet's new play, Four Letter Words, premieres this week at the @liveveryplay.bsky.social 16th-18th April. A coming-of-age story set in the world of queer online kink, it explores finding connection and belonging during lockdown.

Book now!

everymanplayhouse.com/event/four-l...

I’ll be discussing feminist theatre with the stellar playwright Abbie Spallen, theatre writer Holly Williams, and my esteemed colleague Hannah Greenstreet.

Attend in the flesh or in cyberspace.

Mezquita-Cathedral Cordoba

Detail of cherubs

Entrance to Jewish Quarter of Cordoba

Roman theatre mask

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher - Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres Two people. One window. One gun.

Dr Alex Coupe is leading a roundtable discussion on the Everyman's adaptation of Hilary Mantel's The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. It's free and no booking required!

Join him on 14th May, 5:30-7pm @ the Everyman Playhouse. More info here:
everymanplayhouse.com/event/the-as...

I’m thrilled to announce our new book series Pioneering Peace: New Paradigms in Peace and Conflict Studies, published in collaboration with @ulsteruniincore.bsky.social and edited by @brandonhamber.bsky.social. Please spread the word!

www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/topic/book-s...

A talented bunch, our PhDs.

Yesterday I was at a great talk by Sita Balani. She and many others (e.g. @quinnslobodian.com) are doing great work on the "zones" of contemporary capital, in which universities are now eagerly taking part. It's explicit UKHE strategy, for example. read.dukeupress.edu/south-atlant...

The Importance Of Being Earnest (Full Show) | Take Your Seats | National Theatre at Home YouTube video by National Theatre

Don’t miss National Theatre Live’s 2025 production of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, starring Ncuti Gatwa and Sharon D. Clarke — free to stream worldwide on YouTube from March 12–18, 2026.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=obX-...

JOB ALERT
Lecturer in Scottish Literature
@standrewsenglish.bsky.social seeks a scholar with a growing international research reputation within Scottish Literature ca. 1760–present. Deadline for application: 16 April
www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...

A very good day for Napoleon’s nose

“the actual number of staff leaving their posts is likely to be higher because most institutions did not include in their figures staff who completed fixed-term or temporary contracts.”

9,600 redundancies at just 24 universities. Imagine what the picture is for the sector as a whole. This is the other half of the student loan scandal picture, which has been national news lately. Nothing at all from the government on a key sector effectively in freefall…

Select tickets – ISTR Webinar - 'Is It Time to Bring Back the Irish Theatre Awards?' – Zoom ISTR Webinar - 'Is It Time to Bring Back the Irish Theatre Awards?' – Zoom, Sun 1 Mar 2026 - Webinar hosted by the Irish Society For Theatre Research

The first ISTR webinar of the year is this Sunday 1st March at 6pm, discussing the topic

'Is it time to bring back the Irish Theatre Awards?'

Our panel – Esosa Ighodaro, Anne Clarke and Luke Casserly – will be in conversation with Dr Miriam Haughton.

Free registration: tinyurl.com/ynnpc6he

Ireland announces scheme to provide basic income for artists The Basic Income for Artists (BIA) project is believed to be the first permanent one of its kind in the world.

After a trial over the last few years, Ireland has launched a permanent scheme giving a basic income of €325 a week for artists.

2,000 will be eligible, and successful recipients will be chosen at random from applicants, who must be "professional artists" (definition tbc).

"we cannot begin to talk about freedom and justice in any culture if we are not talking about mass based literacy movements."

bell hooks 1997

we cannot begin to talk about freedom+justice in any culture now if we are not talking about mass de-literacy cognitive-incapacitating industries.

IWW IU 520 (Railroad Workers) PRESENTS: TROLLEY PROBLEM SOLUTION "Slip the switch" by flipping it while the trolley's front wheels have passed through, but before the back wheels do. This will cause a controlled derailment bringing the trolley to a safe halt.

Union workers solved the trolley problem, you're welcome

I'm excited to be presenting on the late, great Edna O'Brien in her adopted home city later this month.
Also looking forward to hearing from @mikelyn.bsky.social on Pádraic Ó Conaire

Waiting for Godot, Slow Horses and why all TV actors should work on stage An exclusive interview with Lucian Msamati about his new book

🎧 weekend listening 🎧

Waiting for Godot, Slow Horses and why all TV actors should work on stage - listen to an exclusive interview with Lucian Msamati about his new book 'The Godot Diaries' via the WhatsOnStage podcast ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4r5dGdw

Lecturer in English and Writing Studies - Hamilton, New Zealand job with UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO | 406506 Te Kura Toi School of Arts is seeking a full-time Lecturer in English and Writing Studies.

Lecturer in English and Writing Studies
University of Waikato

Permanent

Writing and literature of the English
speaking world with a focus on Māori and Pacific writing and literature.

www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/list...

One of several scholarships for Palestinian students available at the University of Liverpool. This one is for the MRes in Irish Studies. Please share to relevant circles.

www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/fees-a...

Wonderful news from Birkbeck's School of Historical Studies. We're hiring not one but TWO open-ended, full-time roles: Medieval Studies, and History of Art! cis7.bbk.ac.uk/home.html#fi...

Prizes and Funding BAIS Book Prize The 2026 BAIS Book Prize is now open. We invite submissions of single-author monographs published in 2025. All areas of Irish Studies across a range of disciplines are welcome.…

A reminder that our Postgraduate Essay and Bursary prizes are now open for applications! Deadline for submissions 17 March 2026

See the BAIS website for details on how to enter and eligibility:

irishstudies.co.uk/prizes-and-f...

📢Lectureship in Politics and Public Administration
Shared with @livunipol.bsky.social
3-year fixed-term
£47,389 - £59,966 pa
Help teach + develop the new MA in Public Administration and Policy, teach UG + PG students + carry out high-quality research
ℹ️ tinyurl.com/3fcyrn24
#academicsky

The Tory dismantling of high education structures inevitably meant the decimation of local universities and campuses, sooner or later.
The Labour government decided to continue Tory policies, so it happens on their watch.

Grants & Prizes The MacCurtain/Cullen Essay Prize in Irishwomen’s History The Women’s History Association of Ireland awards an annual MacCurtain/Cullen Prize in Irishwomen’s History in recognition of the outstandi…

Our Annual MacCurtain/Cullen prize is now open for entries. The competition is open to current or recent BA or MA/MPhil students. closing date for entries is 1 March 2026.

womenshistoryassociation.com/grants-prizes/

‘Parnell’ Stipendiary Research Fellowship in Irish Studies Competition at University of Cambridge Looking for a new job opportunity in academia? Check out this job opening for a ‘Parnell’ Stipendiary Research Fellowship in Irish Studies Competition on jobs.ac.uk!

A 3 year JRF at Magdalene and Notre Dame in Irish Studies – sounds like a pretty great opportunity for someone.

I’ve seen little panic about the thousands of jobs being lost in HE thanks to the broken and unfair funding system. One “blue Labour”MP (from Liverpool!) even wrote in the Daily Mail that half of Universities should be allowed to fail…

ISTR Conference CFP reminder - proposals are due by Saturday 31 January

TU Dublin Grangegorman, 4-5 June

Full details via our website:

istr.ie/istr-confere...