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Arts Faculty News Read more from Arts Faculty News

Why Hot Cross Buns at Easter?

The tradition of eating hot cross buns as we know them dates back to the 18th century, according to English HeritageLink opens in a new window. It has been suggested that the St Alban’s Bun, a cake local to St Alban’s, was the "ancient prototype" for the hot cross bun.

These buns are flavoured with "grains of paradise", sometimes known as Meleguata pepper and closely related to cardamom, and a cross was slashed into the dough rather than piped on.

Some historians say that bakers who marked their loaves with crosses believed it would ensure the bread rose successfully and would ward off evil spirits.

Later, it was believed that hanging loaves and buns marked with crosses that were baked on Good Friday would provide protection against evil spirits. These miraculous loaves were also believed to never mould and would last all year long until the next Good Friday came along, when they would be replaced.

The hot cross bun’s links to religion have always been quite clear - even if they haven’t always been welcome. Professor Rebecca Earle, food historian at the University of Warwick, tells Yahoo UK: "I don’t think there’s any ambiguity about hot cross buns being associated with Good Friday and therefore, Easter.


Centre for Arts Doctoral Research Excellence Read more from Latest Announcements

‘Using Film to Affect Change: Mental Health, Social Advocacy and the Moving Image’

Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick are delighted to be partnering with the Pod on a new collaborative research project: ‘Using Film to Affect Change: Mental Health, Social Advocacy and the Moving Image’.

Mon 11 Oct 2021, 09:08 | Tags: PGR, PhD

Classics and Ancient History Read more from Classics News and Events

New Omnibus article

'Augustus’ endless empire' by Alison Cooley just published in Omnibus 87, the magazine for schools


English and Comparative Literary Studies Read more from English & Comparative Literary Studies News


Film and Television Studies Read more from News

Warwick Film and TV Nominated in Several Categories at the BAFTSS Publication Awards

We are pleased to announce that the following students, staff and alumni have been nominated in the BAFTSS 2024 publication awards, a prestigious award in film and television studies.

Yue Su (current PhD student) has been nominated for best published essay by a doctoral student, for 'Liquidity and Stillness: The Sea and Shore and the Furo in Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Cinema', Somatechnics, 13:2.

Jamie Zhao (PhD alumnus) has been nominated for 'Best Edited Collection' for Queer TV China: Televisual and Fannish Imaginaries of Gender, Sexuality, and Chineseness (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2023).

Catherine Lester (PhD alumnus) has been nominated for Watership Down: Perspectives on and Beyond Animated Violence (London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023). The collection features articles writted by PhD and MA alumis Leanne Weston and Joshua Schulze, respectively.

We wish all nominees the best of luck.

Wed 13 Mar 2024, 16:22 | Tags: staff, alumni, Publications

History Read more from History News

Honorary Reader Dr Angela McShane in the news

Dr Angela McShane, Department of History Honorary Reader, features in the Buckingham News in reference to their 100 Ballads website which includes long-forgotten ballads to create a 17th-century pop chart.

Read the full article online here or view the YouTube bulletin here.

Wed 06 Mar 2024, 12:48 | Tags: Media Announcement

History of Art Read more from Research Events

History of Art Research Seminar Wednesday 6 March 2024, 4.00-6.00, FAB2.32 (in person only) Jacques Schuhmacher (Senior Provenance Research Curator, V&A), “The Nazi-Era Provenance of Museum Collections: History, Policy Context, and Research Challenges”


Theatre and Performance Studies Read more from Theatre & Performance Studies News

SCAPVC PGRs appointed Fellows of Warwick Institute of Engagement (WIE)

WIE encourages people inside universities to interact with those outside universities to share knowledge and research, collaborate on ideas, co-produce new approaches and enable curiosity, exploration and conversation. Theatre & Performance Studies, PGR student, Alison Porter was appointed a Fellow in the most recent recruitment round. She saw WIE as the perfect opportunity to continue her work engaging audiences in the debate about complex social issues through activities like the showing of her film, The Boyfriend Trick, about human trafficking from Albania, at Warwick Arts Centre. The film, which was part of the Resonate Festival, was made in collaboration with three charities, a professional dancer and a filmmaker from the Department of Film & Television Studies. Alison said: ‘I’m hoping to use my governance skills, creative tendencies and experience of producing in exciting new contexts with WIE.  

Alison joins fellow TPS PGR student Mark Scott who was appointed as a Fellow of the Institute in February 2022. Within the Institute, he has been part of the Evaluation Learning Circle looking at Evaluation Practice across the university, in addition he supported the Institute with the evaluation of the Resonate Festival in 2022 which coincided with the final part of Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture 2021. In late 2022, he was awarded funding from the Collaboration and Co-Production Fund where he worked with the Belgrade Theatre on developing accessible tools and toolkits relating to evaluation for local artists in Coventry and Warwickshire. More about the work of the institute and details of the application process is available at https://warwick.ac.uk/wie/aboutwie

Wed 07 Feb 2024, 10:00 | Tags: Student Postgraduate

School of Modern Languages and Cultures Read more from SMLC - News and events

In Memoriam John Osborne (1938-2024)

Colleagues and former students will be saddened to hear of the passing of Professor John Osborne, Chair of German at the University of Warwick from 1979 until his retirement in 2002.

Wed 27 Mar 2024, 10:51 | Tags: German - News In Memoriam

Global Sustainable Development Read more from Global Sustainable Development News

GSD students visit Brussels for an enriching academic fieldtrip

BrusselsOn 19th-23rd June, as part of a strategic project funded by the Warwick Innovation Fund and the Warwick International Partnership Fund, GSD organised a 5-day academic field trip to Brussels, focused on past, present and future global sustainable development challenges and responses in the city.

Nine undergraduates were selected to participate in the trip (and received a bursary for this): five students from our GSD degrees and four students from our partner degree Global Studies at UPF, in Barcelona.

Wed 30 Aug 2023, 09:00 | Tags: GSD Funding Global Sustainable Development Undergraduate

Liberal Arts Read more from Liberal Arts News

Why I chose the Community, Engagement and Belonging MASc: Inca’s Story

Inca is one of our Postgraduate students, and part of our first ever cohort of students for the Community, Engagement and Belonging MASc programme. We caught up with Inca to find out more about her decision to pursue our unique MASc degree, her experiences of the course so far and what she plans to do with her studies after graduating.

Read more.


Humanities Research Centre Read more from News

Funding Opportunity - Warwick PhD and Early Career Research Fellowship

The Humanities Research Centre will fund 3 internal fellowships for PhD students and early career scholars (up to 5 years post PhD) wanting to conduct short periods of research abroad. The JHU and Newberry Fellowships are worth £3,000 each. The HRC North America/Europe Fellowship is worth £2,000. These fellowships are intended to support trips of 2-3 weeks that will deepen and broaden research links between Warwick and research institutions in North America and Europe and to further individual research projects in archives and collections. Applicants are responsible for arranging travel, visas, itineraries and accommodation, although we can provide advice. We encourage applicants to seek out contacts in the institutions they want to visit in advance of their applications and to provide details of these in their material (you do not need to provide written references). Your trip must be more than simply presenting a paper at a conference and you must clearly demonstrate the potential benefits to Warwick in your application.

Fri 22 Mar 2024, 07:00 | Tags: Funding Opportunity

Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies Read more from Cultural and Media Policy Studies News and Events

CCMPS researcher Heidi Ashton invited to be part of the global research fellows network at the creative industries Policy Evidence Centre (PEC)

The creative industries Policy Evidence Centre (PEC) have created a global network of research fellows. The network consists of "leading experts from diverse backgrounds, areas of specialism and parts of the globe. They facilitate knowledge exchange at Creative PEC through seminars, blogs and discussion papers and smaller thematic research networks." Dr Heidi Ashton from the Centre for Culture and Media Policy Studies was invited to join this prestigious group and is looking forward to working and learning with and from them: bringing that learning back to the centre and integrating it into her work with colleagues and students.


Centre for the Study of the Renaissance Read more from News

Warwick Renaissance Society Inaugural Field Trip

CSR students enjoying the weather and the guided tours at both the

& @StMarysWarwick church last week. Thanks to Tess, Tim & Georgia for making it possible.

Wed 07 Feb 2024, 12:22

Early Modern and Eighteenth Century Centre Read more from News

A Tribute to Natalie Zemon Davis (1928-2023)

It is with much sadness that we have learned about the passing of Professor Natalie Zemon Davis on October 21, at the age of ninety-four. A Canadian-American, Professor Davis helped pioneer the genres of cultural and micro-history. Specialising in early modern period, she remained active in the field until her death, publishing a book in 2022 and nearly completing another in September of this year. Over the course of her career, she received numerous accolades and prizes. In 2012, she was named a Companion of the Order of Canada, and in 2013, she was honoured with a National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama in 2013.

Read a short tribute by members of the Warwick History department on Natalie's life, work and influence on our research community.
Tue 14 Nov 2023, 22:45

Global History and Culture Centre Read more from News from the Global History and Culture Centre

Natural Hazards and Empire - online exhibition

The Natural Hazards and EmpireLink opens in a new window exhibition explores how natural hazards were studied and experienced under the conditions of empire, drawing on examples from the Royal Geographical Society's Collections. For many people, colonialism itself was a disaster. When combined with the shock of an earthquake, an avalanche, or volcanic eruption, the effects could be especially damaging and long-lasting. The exhibition was put together following an undergraduate workshop held at the Royal Geographical Society in collaboration with the University of Leeds and the University of Warwick. This was an exercise in participatory research.

What do undergraduates, studying geography at university today, make of the historical Collections held at the Royal Geographical Society? And what does ‘decolonisation’ mean for them as the geographers of the future? View the online exhibition hereLink opens in a new window.

Image credit: Photograph of the 1935 Quetta earthquake. Credit: C.P. Skrine / Royal Geographical Society.

Wed 20 Dec 2023, 19:42

Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies Read more from CIM News

Wellcome to shortlist extra funding for ethnic minority groups

Wellcome is introducing “positive action” across its funding competitions to tackle underrepresentation in UK academic research. From spring 2024, the Charity may provide additional places on shortlists for researchers who are disabled, or who “identify as being from a Black, Bangladeshi or Pakistani heritage background”

Thu 28 Mar 2024, 10:49