Callan Davies
@callanjd.bsky.social
early modern leisure, play/s, culture | books: "What is a Playhouse?"+"Strangeness" + new intro to Shakespeare’s Merry Wives | MCFC⚽️| FSA, FRHistS | he/him | Lecturer at Uni of Southampton
Pinned
Callan Davies
@callanjd.bsky.social
· Oct 21
I'm delighted, grateful, and a little dazed to be among this year's Philip Leverhulme Prize winners @leverhulme.ac.uk, and among such excellent company.
A little more on my research hopes at the @unisouthampton.bsky.social press release: www.southampton.ac.uk/humanities/n...
A little more on my research hopes at the @unisouthampton.bsky.social press release: www.southampton.ac.uk/humanities/n...
Reposted by Callan Davies
Those campuses could be £ funnelled into UK towns. Alas.
February 12, 2026 at 8:27 AM
Those campuses could be £ funnelled into UK towns. Alas.
Reposted by Callan Davies
They took my desk, now they want my pension, well NO:
(On strike today and tomorrow, off to join @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social picket line outside the law school, itll be cold and wet but sometimes you have to stand up and be counted.)
(On strike today and tomorrow, off to join @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social picket line outside the law school, itll be cold and wet but sometimes you have to stand up and be counted.)
a man says " the line must be drawn here "
Alt: Captain Picard in the movie Star Trek First Contact says in an overly dramatic way " the line must be drawn here, this far, no further "
media.tenor.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:05 AM
They took my desk, now they want my pension, well NO:
(On strike today and tomorrow, off to join @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social picket line outside the law school, itll be cold and wet but sometimes you have to stand up and be counted.)
(On strike today and tomorrow, off to join @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social picket line outside the law school, itll be cold and wet but sometimes you have to stand up and be counted.)
Reposted by Callan Davies
The study points to using libraries and visiting museums as bringing these enormous brain health benefits ... who would have thought? Well, librarians and museum folk for a start ... www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40%, study finds
Cognitive health in later life is ‘strongly influenced’ by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:57 AM
The study points to using libraries and visiting museums as bringing these enormous brain health benefits ... who would have thought? Well, librarians and museum folk for a start ... www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Reposted by Callan Davies
closes TONIGHT
anyway the consultation shuts tomorrow, one minute to midnight UK time: www.gov.uk/government/c... Amnesty have some good guidance here. Go on: media.amnesty.org.uk/documents/Am...
media.amnesty.org.uk
February 12, 2026 at 8:05 AM
closes TONIGHT
Reposted by Callan Davies
Would be good if the Prime Minister and/or Home Secretary would for once come out and describe this as the unadulterated racism and xenophobia it so clearly is.
'The UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
'The UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Britain has been "colonised" by immigrants, who are draining resources from the state, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of the country's richest and most influential men, has told Sky News.
news.sky.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Would be good if the Prime Minister and/or Home Secretary would for once come out and describe this as the unadulterated racism and xenophobia it so clearly is.
Reposted by Callan Davies
🎟️Another couple of tickets sold for The Book of Sir Thomas More - it's a small room, and there aren't many spaces, so book now to avoid disappointment! More (ahem) on the event and other exciting developments in this thread.👉
#drama #theatre #live #DeepDive #unique #events
#drama #theatre #live #DeepDive #unique #events
🎉The show will be an epic deep dive into The Book of Sir Thomas More, with an introduction & a full script-in-hand live audio recording of the text.
🎟️Pre-sales were very healthy, so there really aren't many available - book now to avoid missing out. www.ticketsource.co.uk/beyondshakes...
🎟️Pre-sales were very healthy, so there really aren't many available - book now to avoid missing out. www.ticketsource.co.uk/beyondshakes...
www.ticketsource.co.uk
February 4, 2026 at 10:13 AM
Apply to join the lovely community here at Soton for doctoral study! And we’re all ears for any pre-modern, early modern/theatre studies interests… ⤵️
AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards @ Southampton Klaxon! Arts and humanities! Deadline March! Medieval studies proposals welcome! Deets on the webpage: www.southampton.ac.uk/doctoral-col...
AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA)
www.southampton.ac.uk
February 5, 2026 at 8:04 AM
Apply to join the lovely community here at Soton for doctoral study! And we’re all ears for any pre-modern, early modern/theatre studies interests… ⤵️
Reposted by Callan Davies
Re-upping this splendid Arts & Humanities PhD opportunity, because we really need some good news!
AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards @ Southampton Klaxon! Arts and humanities! Deadline March! Medieval studies proposals welcome! Deets on the webpage: www.southampton.ac.uk/doctoral-col...
AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA)
www.southampton.ac.uk
February 3, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Re-upping this splendid Arts & Humanities PhD opportunity, because we really need some good news!
Reposted by Callan Davies
AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards @ Southampton Klaxon! Arts and humanities! Deadline March! Medieval studies proposals welcome! Deets on the webpage: www.southampton.ac.uk/doctoral-col...
AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA)
www.southampton.ac.uk
January 21, 2026 at 6:25 PM
AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards @ Southampton Klaxon! Arts and humanities! Deadline March! Medieval studies proposals welcome! Deets on the webpage: www.southampton.ac.uk/doctoral-col...
Reposted by Callan Davies
Incandescent. One of the best pieces I've read about what university means to people and their communities - and what will happen to a city and people after one closes. The *Labour* government and Jaqui Smith in particular should be ashamed of themselves and shamed into doing something. Deplorable.
‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?
When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degr...
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:25 AM
Incandescent. One of the best pieces I've read about what university means to people and their communities - and what will happen to a city and people after one closes. The *Labour* government and Jaqui Smith in particular should be ashamed of themselves and shamed into doing something. Deplorable.
Reposted by Callan Davies
Essex University, Southend campus closure:
800 students and staff afected.
"but it will also have a huge impact on a city that has come to depend on the university in many ways."
#HigherEd #AcademicSky
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
800 students and staff afected.
"but it will also have a huge impact on a city that has come to depend on the university in many ways."
#HigherEd #AcademicSky
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?
When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degr...
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:33 AM
Essex University, Southend campus closure:
800 students and staff afected.
"but it will also have a huge impact on a city that has come to depend on the university in many ways."
#HigherEd #AcademicSky
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
800 students and staff afected.
"but it will also have a huge impact on a city that has come to depend on the university in many ways."
#HigherEd #AcademicSky
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“The student becomes a suite of data points that the teacher or chatbot can nudge, track, and optimize. The university, meanwhile, is less the site of critical engagement than yet another platform for productivity enhancement.”
read.dukeupress.edu/critical-ai/...
read.dukeupress.edu/critical-ai/...
February 2, 2026 at 8:39 AM
“The student becomes a suite of data points that the teacher or chatbot can nudge, track, and optimize. The university, meanwhile, is less the site of critical engagement than yet another platform for productivity enhancement.”
read.dukeupress.edu/critical-ai/...
read.dukeupress.edu/critical-ai/...
Reposted by Callan Davies
Hot off the press - a letter from the Exec Chair of @ukri.org explaining his plans and in particular the financial position of STFC. It notes curiosity driven research is protected and will make up around half of UKRI spend over the coming period
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
Open letter from Ian Chapman to research and innovation community
UKRI Chief Executive outlines changes to UKRI investment approach, addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC.
www.ukri.org
February 1, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Hot off the press - a letter from the Exec Chair of @ukri.org explaining his plans and in particular the financial position of STFC. It notes curiosity driven research is protected and will make up around half of UKRI spend over the coming period
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
Reposted by Callan Davies
If Britain had a Department of Culture, it would be able to engage with this issue.
'the UK creative industries — which contributed £125 billion to the economy in 2024 and supported 2.4 million jobs — are being destroyed by an AI sector that... contributed just £11 billion in the same year and supported only 85,000 jobs." www.thetimes.com/culture/film...
All 2.4m of Britain’s creative workers are at risk — and we know why
A new report into the impact of AI on the creative sector makes for apocalyptic reading. The government must act now
www.thetimes.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:45 AM
If Britain had a Department of Culture, it would be able to engage with this issue.
Reposted by Callan Davies
What a post! This would be fascinating.
Lead Curator: Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601 – 1800) - British Library #skystorians 🗃️#earlymodern #c18th www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQH179/l...
Lead Curator: Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601 – 1800) - British Library #skystorians 🗃️#earlymodern #c18th www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQH179/l...
Lead Curator: Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601 – 1800) at British Library
Discover an exciting academic career path as a Lead Curator: Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601 – 1800) at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!
www.jobs.ac.uk
January 29, 2026 at 12:44 PM
What a post! This would be fascinating.
Lead Curator: Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601 – 1800) - British Library #skystorians 🗃️#earlymodern #c18th www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQH179/l...
Lead Curator: Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601 – 1800) - British Library #skystorians 🗃️#earlymodern #c18th www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQH179/l...
I went in search of “our other Shakespeare” to find some of London’s less obvious theatre history. Meet Thomas Middleton just off the Elephant and Castle…
open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...
open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...
Discovering London Through "Our Other Shakespeare"
The lost London homes of the dramatist Thomas Middleton
open.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:01 AM
I went in search of “our other Shakespeare” to find some of London’s less obvious theatre history. Meet Thomas Middleton just off the Elephant and Castle…
open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...
open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...
Just saw peak Accidental Partridge: Reform UK’s political broadcast on BBC. Farage walking his dogs by the sea; no policy. See the (genuine) line: “biggest fish I’ve caught in the UK is a blue fin tuna. But I’ve fished in Africa, I’ve fished all over the world.” Funny were it not so sinister.
January 29, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Just saw peak Accidental Partridge: Reform UK’s political broadcast on BBC. Farage walking his dogs by the sea; no policy. See the (genuine) line: “biggest fish I’ve caught in the UK is a blue fin tuna. But I’ve fished in Africa, I’ve fished all over the world.” Funny were it not so sinister.
Reposted by Callan Davies
How? How do you double-check the accuracy, if you're not already an expert? Ask a different GenAI? Or do you, you know... Have to go and do the research you would have done anyway, pre-AI? Because I'm buggered if I can think of how you do that in a way where the GenAI saved you time.
January 28, 2026 at 1:12 PM
How? How do you double-check the accuracy, if you're not already an expert? Ask a different GenAI? Or do you, you know... Have to go and do the research you would have done anyway, pre-AI? Because I'm buggered if I can think of how you do that in a way where the GenAI saved you time.
This is utterly enraging. And how about looking to, say, the higher and further education sectors (wild thought!) to deliver skills and critical training?
January 29, 2026 at 8:00 AM
This is utterly enraging. And how about looking to, say, the higher and further education sectors (wild thought!) to deliver skills and critical training?
Reposted by Callan Davies
"He hath surviv'd the Edwards, fourth and fifth;
And the third Richard, who made many a shift
To place the Crown on his Ambitious head;
The seventh and eight brave Henries both are dead,
Sixth Edward, Mary, Philip, Elizabeth…."
And the third Richard, who made many a shift
To place the Crown on his Ambitious head;
The seventh and eight brave Henries both are dead,
Sixth Edward, Mary, Philip, Elizabeth…."
January 28, 2026 at 12:25 PM
"He hath surviv'd the Edwards, fourth and fifth;
And the third Richard, who made many a shift
To place the Crown on his Ambitious head;
The seventh and eight brave Henries both are dead,
Sixth Edward, Mary, Philip, Elizabeth…."
And the third Richard, who made many a shift
To place the Crown on his Ambitious head;
The seventh and eight brave Henries both are dead,
Sixth Edward, Mary, Philip, Elizabeth…."
Reposted by Callan Davies
(John Taylor on another "Old, Old, Very Old Man")
January 28, 2026 at 12:25 PM
(John Taylor on another "Old, Old, Very Old Man")
A Tudor centenarian in the St Leonard’s, Shoreditch parish records; Thomas Cam, buried at the age of 107 in 1588 (clerk added a pointing finger “manicule” to mark the achievement; not quite a letter from the monarch, but…). He lived barely a minute or two from the Theatre and Curtain.
January 28, 2026 at 11:54 AM
A Tudor centenarian in the St Leonard’s, Shoreditch parish records; Thomas Cam, buried at the age of 107 in 1588 (clerk added a pointing finger “manicule” to mark the achievement; not quite a letter from the monarch, but…). He lived barely a minute or two from the Theatre and Curtain.
Reposted by Callan Davies
Driving myself wild thinking about all the free courses that the UK Government could offer to the population instead of "AI" training: first aid, unconscious bias, civic and political structures, neurodiversity awareness, reading for pleasure.
January 28, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Driving myself wild thinking about all the free courses that the UK Government could offer to the population instead of "AI" training: first aid, unconscious bias, civic and political structures, neurodiversity awareness, reading for pleasure.
Reposted by Callan Davies
Ah I gather from R4 that govt are announcing a programme today where Microsoft and Google offer training to everyone in the country to use their AI tools, which I'm guessing this research was commissioned to justify. Also, great to be in a govt-backed multi-level marketing plan
I would say this findings shows women are more AI literate than men, because the majority of non-magical beings have no innate ability to "judge truthfulness"
January 28, 2026 at 7:24 AM
Ah I gather from R4 that govt are announcing a programme today where Microsoft and Google offer training to everyone in the country to use their AI tools, which I'm guessing this research was commissioned to justify. Also, great to be in a govt-backed multi-level marketing plan
Reposted by Callan Davies
Historian focusing on early modern book culture here. I am not sure that feeding a private company with all our past handwritings from archives is a solution or a way forward. Google‘s AI studio is a data trap. #skystorians
Gemini’s ability to read handwritten archival documents has importance beyond the humanities. It opens new frontiers for scientific research and collaboration with the humanities.
foundhistory.org/seeing-old-s...
#ClimateScience #DataScience #Agriculture #Archives #Research #LandGrant #AI
foundhistory.org/seeing-old-s...
#ClimateScience #DataScience #Agriculture #Archives #Research #LandGrant #AI
Seeing Old Science
Gemini’s ability to read handwritten archival documents has importance beyond the humanities
foundhistory.org
December 11, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Historian focusing on early modern book culture here. I am not sure that feeding a private company with all our past handwritings from archives is a solution or a way forward. Google‘s AI studio is a data trap. #skystorians