We are a vibrant community of researchers composed of four departments of the School of Humanities (Archaeology, English, History and Music) who promote an interdisciplinary perspective on medieval and Renaissance studies.
Our main activity, as a centre, revolves around the organisation of interdisciplinary study days, conferences and the Reuter lecture. Our annual interdisciplinary study day offers us a great opportunity to share our thoughts, research, and different angles on a chosen topic.
This interdisciplinary project, titled English Merchant Shipping, Maritime Communities, and Trade from the Spanish Armada to the Seven Years War, circa 1588 to circa 1765, will chart the growth of England's emergence as a global trading nation, challenging pre-existing notions of how and why the nation's maritime empire emerged as it did.
Having worked on early modern monarchy, especially queens, I’m interested in continuities between then and now. I’m particularly interested in how the traditional rituals and ceremonies associated with Elizabeth II have played out in the different contexts and cultures of the Caribbean nations where she was Head of State.
As a cultural historian of music, I'm interested in how approaching the past through musical materials can offer new insights into broader issues. In my current work, I seek to understand music’s role in the creation of the home as both physical setting and social space.