Thea Pitman
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theapitman.bsky.social
Thea Pitman
@theapitman.bsky.social
550 followers 340 following 12 posts
Professor of Latin American Studies, University of Leeds, UK.
Co-chair, Arts and Humanities Alliance.
Researching Latin American digital cultural production.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Thea Pitman
drjoeford.bsky.social
**New article** on The Conversation UK about languages and the government's national curriculum review - theconversation.com/englands-nat... - @uk.theconversation.com @ilcs.bsky.social @sas-news.bsky.social
England’s national curriculum review misses opportunity to revitalise language learning
Capitalising on children’s existing multilingualism would be beneficial.
theconversation.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
timeshighered.bsky.social
Opinion: “More than ever before, we need British diplomats, spies and soldiers to speak the language of our adversaries. We need universities like Nottingham to be pumping out Russian and Mandarin graduates each year, to work across Whitehall.”

🖊️ Ian Proud

https://ow.ly/N6yw50XwM3X
November 25, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
rbtownsend.bsky.social
"While other universities report that the humanities are shrinking, at Berkeley, the opposite is true. The music major is the fastest-growing major on campus. We are finding bigger classrooms because film is exploding. English is back to the numbers we saw 15 years ago. We are hiring" bit.ly/4ohKuOe
"The humanities really are a resource — a confidence for living in our times.” Dean Sara Guyer on the modern utility of humanities degrees
This interview originally appeared on the Division of Arts
bit.ly
November 23, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
hispanists-ahgbi.bsky.social
AHGBI, led by Professor Sarah Wright, opposes the University of Nottingham’s move to suspend—and effectively close—all Modern Languages degrees. SRUK/CERU, led by Dr Carlos Soler Montes, has also raised concerns.

AHGBI urges immediate reconsideration.

#SaveNottinghamLanguages
November 22, 2025 at 9:42 AM
theapitman.bsky.social
Delighted to see one of the images from the ORIGEM project showing Brendo Tupinambá and taken by photographer Laryssa Machada on the front cover of @lonelyplanetesp.bsky.social Brazil 2025. Original project funded by @universityofleeds.bsky.social more information at origem.hotglue.me.
Front cover of book showing Indigenous person (Brendo Tupinambá) against background of dark green leaves.
November 19, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'Nottingham will be the only Russell Group university not to teach modern foreign languages degrees if it approves plans to close a swath of courses including Spanish and French as well as music and dozens of others.' 1/3
University of Nottingham considers axing language and music degrees
Total of 48 degrees could disappear from Russell Group institution, with falling revenues and rising costs blamed
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'The prospect of hundreds of job cuts at Lancaster University could damage the city's economy, students have warned.'

'Could'? Surely 'will'.
Fears Lancaster University job cuts would hit city's businesses
Lancaster University is seeking to cut 400 full-time posts as part of efforts to save £30m.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
leverhulme.ac.uk
@extinctionleeds.bsky.social is an interdisciplinary doctoral training programme focusing on topics relating to extinction and its meanings, histories and legacies.

Watch the whole🎬👉 media.leverhulme.ac.uk/video/extinc...
@katatrepsis.bsky.social @universityofleeds.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 10:34 AM
theapitman.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
University of Nottingham students fight 'insane' cull of courses
Traitors composer Sam Watts is among those against plans to cut University of Nottingham courses.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
herrehrig.bsky.social
Please consider signing against this nonsensical absurdity! c.org/vGgNqmXhNx
Sign the Petition
Stop the removal of Modern Languages courses at the University of Nottingham!
c.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:37 PM
theapitman.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Kemi Badenoch wants to end ‘rip-off degrees’ – but I wouldn’t have created Horrid Henry without mine | Francesca Simon
I studied Old and Middle English. Although I didn’t know it, I couldn’t have chosen a better subject to train me to become a children’s author, says author Francesca Simon
www.theguardian.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
rcolesworthy.bsky.social
Spread the word! #SaveUT!! UT Austin admin are working to eliminate vital departments and censor what profs can teach. If you haven’t yet written to UT Austin admin, please do do do. The more voices of protest and support the better. An attack on one is an attack on all!
UT AUSTIN WANTS TO EIMINATE ITS BLACK STUDIES, LA LENO STUDIES, & GENDER STUD STUDIES DEPARTMENTS Tell them you non t stand for it! President Jim Davis: president@utexas.edu Provost William Inboden: provost@utexas.edu Interim Liberal Arts Dean David Sosa: david_sosa@austin.utexas.edu @UTAustin @UTAustinCOLA #EducationalLiberty #SaveUT
October 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
hepi-news.bsky.social
New Post: Think Like a Linguist: It’s time for a national conversation about the value of languages  www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/10/14/t...
October 14, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
tupped.bsky.social
Just to be clear, an English degree - learning to critically assess texts - is actually one of the most dangerous for people such as Badenoch.

An educated population, able to bring hundreds of years of context to statements in a dawning age of AI slop and attention-seeking dishonesty is also vital.
bearlypolitics.co.uk The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · Oct 8
So, the plan is to cut English, the arts, and sociology - the degrees that actually study culture - while on another part of your platform claiming to “defend” British culture.

It’s performance nationalism with a reading age of seven.
Badenoch: Curb students taking 'rip-off' degrees such as English The performing arts, sociology and anthropology are among the subjects the Conservatives would like to cut
October 8, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
rbtownsend.bsky.social
“Prioritising a narrow set of disciplines could mean we lose talented arts, humanities and social sciences graduates who help drive innovation and tackle huge societal challenges. Student choice is vital.” bit.ly/3KAReIQ
Maintenance grants only for priority courses ‘deeply concerning’
Using financial incentives to influence student choice risk undermining Labour’s widening access goals, critics fear
bit.ly
October 6, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
royalhistsoc.org
This week the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need.

In a new blog post, RHS President Lucy Noakes considers the state of access to history and the humanities in UK HE bit.ly/3KP5WMe #Skystorians

@artsandhums.bsky.social
Opening section and abstract of RHS blog post: 'The value and provision of history and the humanities: it’s time for a political response': "This week the government’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need. While we welcome recognition of the financial pressures and impediments many student face, it’s clear that this is a policy with nothing for the arts and humanities, including history. However, as Lucy Noakes, President of the Royal Historical Society, explains here, these pressures are equally acute for students in the arts and humanities. Moreover, as a new British Academy report on ‘Cold Spots’ shows, choice—in subjects including history—is being further eroded for many as the provision of higher education contorts to the financial crisis facing UK higher education. If the government is serious about choice, social mobility and access to education it needs to appreciate that provision of many degree subjects is now at considerable risk in a growing number of regions across the UK. For students to have greater choice and access we need the environments in which choices are made to be fair, balanced and accurate. For this we require political leadership to help us address structural failings and false narratives."
October 2, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
rbtownsend.bsky.social
"The best way to get audiences to care about the humanities is by making humanities content they like. Early testing shows how engaging with videos that show the practice of the humanities can move some audiences to support the humanities." bit.ly/3KuZ32K
Harmony Labs - Humanities Unbound
Mapping public attitudes about the humanities in media culture
bit.ly
October 2, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
cecilyraynor.bsky.social
Friends, I'm currently writing up a methodology chapter and would love your help. Are there any recent projects that use AI or large language models (LLMs) as a direct entry point into Latin American literary texts? I'd be delighted to spotlight innovative work I may have missed. Feel free to share!
August 7, 2025 at 4:11 PM
theapitman.bsky.social
Anunciamos o programa “Descolonizando a Publicação Científica com Pesquisadores Afro-Brasileiros e Indígenas”. Uma serie workshops e mentoria para acadêmicos em início de carreira. Em breve, lançaremos uma chamada para participantes! Financiado pela @britishacademy.bsky.social.
May 12, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
modlangopen.bsky.social
'Warriors and Weavers: The Poetics and Politics of Indigenous Appropriations of New Media Technologies in Latin America' by @theapitman.bsky.social is popular this week. Read it #OpenAccess via MLO: bit.ly/Pitman-MLO
'Warriors and Weavers: The Poetics and Politics of Indigenous Appropriations of New Media Technologies in Latin America' by Thea Pitman on a purple background.
May 8, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
apprecovery.bsky.social
#CFP for Debates in Digital Humanities edited by Gabriela Baeza Ventura, María E. Cotera, Annemarie Perez, and Carolina Villarroel. Deadline for 500-word abstracts, including proposed title and short bio: May 15, 2025. dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/page/debates...
#digitalhumanities #usLdh
Debates in US Latinx DH | Debates in the Digital Humanities
Transforming scholarly publications into living digital works
dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu
March 11, 2025 at 2:07 PM
theapitman.bsky.social
Wonderful to see this in print! Congratulations, Lou!
April 7, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
emmacayley.bsky.social
A response: www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/mode...
Modern languages departments are neither colonial nor obsolete
Advanced linguistic and cultural skills remain essential for deep insight into how people see themselves in the world, say five modern languages academics
www.timeshighereducation.com
March 12, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Reposted by Thea Pitman
sarahwright.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'My university course made me who I am - now it's being cut'
Universities are cutting jobs to make financial savings, with students and staff bearing the brunt.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 8, 2025 at 10:20 AM
theapitman.bsky.social
@extinctionleeds.bsky.social PGR Trina Flesher in action here.
priestleycentre.bsky.social Priestley Centre for Climate Futures @priestleycentre.bsky.social · Feb 6
Earlier this week, some of our UNFCCC delegates reflected on COP29 and discussed their hopes for COP30 in an online webinar.

They covered topics such as climate finance, Nationally Determined Contributions, youth engagement and more 💰🌍

Watch the recording below 👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRcb...
Quote card: "For vulnerable countries, to push for a more concrete definition of climate finance in terms of its transparency and predictability is really important” - Catriona Flesher, PhD Researcher Left side: Image of Catriona and green wordmark for the webinar 'From Baku to Belém: the road to COP30'
February 6, 2025 at 3:14 PM