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The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH)

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TORCH is a nucleus of intellectual energy for the humanities and a place to develop new ideas and collaborations both within and beyond academia. Since its creation, TORCH has raised over £3 million in grants and philanthropy to support researchers to develop research projects. Launched in May 2013, TORCH provides an important opportunity for Oxford’s humanities scholars to collaborate with researchers across other disciplines, and institutions; work with academics across all stages of their academic careers; develop partnerships with public and private institutions; engage with wider audiences; and bring together academic research, diverse industries, and the performing arts. Public engagement with research is at the heart of TORCH's aims.
During 2018-19, TORCH hosted almost 400 events, with audiences of over 20,000 people. During 2019-20, TORCH hosted online events during COVID-restrictions, reaching audiences in person and then online of over 50,000 globally. Since 2013, TORCH has supported 400 researchers each year; 62 Knowledge Exchange Fellowships; over 50 seed-funded research networks and 10 research programmes.
The TORCH Director, Professor Wes Williams (wes.williams@seh.ox.ac.uk), welcomes questions about the centre and suggestions for research and wider engagement activities.

Series associated with The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH)

'Magic and the Sense of Place' Conference
African(a) and South Asian Philosophies
Alliance
Art and Action: The Intersections of Literary Celebrity and Politics
Death at the Museum
Diseases in Dialogue
Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius: A Story in Five Places
Folk Tunes and Englishness
Gender and Authority
Is the playwright dead?
Literature, democracy and transitional justice
Medieval German Studies
MOVING, TEACHING, INSPIRING: The National Trust and University of Oxford in the 21st Century
Narrative Futures
Perceptions of Inequality: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue
Post-Conflict Landscapes
Post-War: Commemoration, Reconstruction, Reconciliation
Practice Makes… the Oxford Reimagining Performance Podcast
Putting magic in place: a knowledge exchange event
Race and Resistance: Understanding Bermuda Today
Sleep and the Rhythms of Life
Talking Sense
Teaching to Transgress
Textual Therapies
The Many Lives of Benjamin Disraeli
The Oxford Healthcare Values Partnership
The Oxford Sound Album
The Oxford/Berlin Creative Collaborations
TORCH Post-Show Conversations
TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities
Traces of the White Rose
Unconscious Memory
Unlocking Late Schumann
Valentine's Day at Oxford
Women in Oxford's History (Series One)
Women's Responses to the Reformation
# Episode Title Description People Date
139 Live and Let Die - in Greek Epic Almut Fries explores the iconography of the black-figured wine jug in this TORCH Bite-Size talk at the Ashmolean Museum LiveFriday Almut Fries 08 Feb 2016
138 The Alfred Jewel and Kingship Amy Faulkner explores how Alfred’s translations question what it means to be a good king in this TORCH Bite-Size talk at the Ashmolean Museum LiveFriday Amy Faulkner 08 Feb 2016
137 Great men and fallen heroes Jessica Goodman explores how the meaning of ‘hero’ shifted in France in the late eighteenth-century in this TORCH Bite-Size talk at the Ashmolean Museum LiveFriday. jessica Goodman 08 Feb 2016
136 Knowledge Machines How have digital technologies changed research practices in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities? Eric Meyer, Lucie Burgess, Kathryn Eccles, James Smithies 05 Feb 2016
135 Multiple Identities in a Frontier Land: Balkh and ‘The Iranians’ In this paper Dr. Arezou Azad focused on the region of Balkh in the north of modern-day Afghanistan, ancient Bactria Arezou Azad 02 Feb 2016
134 Ethnicity and Politics in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire: The Kurdish Case Dr. Djene Bajalan talks as part of the Language and Community from the Armenian to Iranian Plateaux series Djene Bajalan 26 Jan 2016
133 Ilya Afanasyev and Nicholas S. M. Matheou Introduction Opening remarks from Ilya Afanasyev and Nicholas S M Matheou Ilya Afanasyev, Nicholas S M Matheou 26 Jan 2016
132 Tom Chatfield on Humans and Machines in the Digital Age Tom Chatfield talks as part of the "What does it mean to be human in the digital age?" event Tom Chatfield 26 Jan 2016
131 Chris Fletcher on Libraries in the Digital Age Chris Fletcher talks as part of the "What does it mean to be human in the digital age?" event Chris Fletcher 26 Jan 2016
130 Emma Smith on Forgetting in the Digital Age Emma Smith talks as part of the "What does it mean to be human in the digital age?" event Emma Smith 26 Jan 2016
129 Diane Lees on Museums and Heritage in the Digital Age Diane Lees talks as part of the "What does it mean to be human in the digital age?" event Diane Lees 26 Jan 2016
128 What Does it Mean to be Human in the Digital Age? A librarian, literary scholar, museum director and digital commentator explore how the digital age has shaped, and will continue to shape, the human experience and the humanities Lynne Brindley, Tom Chatfield, Chris Fletcher, Diane Lees 22 Jan 2016
127 Crossing Boundaries: Medievalists in Cross-Disciplinary Conversation Launch event for the TORCH programme Oxford Medieval Studies Emma Dillon, Henrike Lähnemann, David Wallace, Chris Wickham 13 Jan 2016
126 Framing the Past through Suffering and Victimhood – Kurdish Discourses of Identity Christine Allison gives a talk as part of The Long History of Identity, Ethnicity, and Nationhood workshop Christine Allison 05 Jan 2016
125 Making Sense of Kurdish Identity During the Middle Ages: Political Factors and Cultural Crossroad Boris James gives a talk as part of the The Long History of Identity, Ethnicity, and Nationhood workshop Boris James 04 Jan 2016
124 Factors Affecting Iranian Identities from the Early Islamic Era to the Sixteenth Century Ahmad Ashraf gives a talk as part of the The Long History of Identity, Ethnicity, and Nationhood workshop Ahmad Ashra 04 Jan 2016
123 Constructions of Armenian Identity in the Early Medieval Period Tim Greenwood gives a talk as part of the The Long History of Identity, Ethnicity, and Nationhood workshop Tim Greenwood 04 Jan 2016
122 Iranian ‘Identities’ in Pre-Modern Times – Reality or Myth? Speaker: Bert Fragner (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna). Bert Fragner 18 Dec 2015
121 Creative Commons Death at the Museum Highlights of the Ashmolean Museum's Halloween DEADFriday event. University of Oxford 16 Dec 2015
120 The Oxford Dodo: Culture at the Crossroads An interdisciplinary panel discussion exploring the life and legacy of the dodo multiple 07 Dec 2015
119 The Dodo in the Museum Director of the Museum of Natural History, Paul Smith, gives a presentation at ‘The Oxford Dodo: Culture at the Crossroads’ Paul Smith 07 Dec 2015
118 The Dodo in Literature Literary scholar Kirsten Shepherd-Barr’s presentation at ‘The Oxford Dodo: Culture at the Crossroads’ Kirsten Shepherd-Barr 07 Dec 2015
117 The Dodo, Animal Icons and De-Extinction Environmental researcher Paul Jepson’s presentation at ‘The Oxford Dodo: Culture at the Crossroads’ Paul Jepson 07 Dec 2015
116 The Dodo and Creativity Author Jasper Fforde’s presentation at ‘The Oxford Dodo: Culture at the Crossroads’ Jasper Fforde 04 Dec 2015
115 The Dodo and Exploration Historian of Science Pietro Corsi’s presentation at ‘The Oxford Dodo: Culture at the Crossroads’ Pietro Corsi 04 Dec 2015
114 Heidegger and Phenomenology Dr Joshua Broggi speaks at the Oxford Phenomenology Network seminar. Joshua Broggi 03 Dec 2015
113 Interview with Dr Sophie Ratcliffe Practical Medical Humanities Dr Sophie Ratcliffe 30 Nov 2015
112 Interview with Dr Andrew Papanikitas The importance of Medical Humanities in good medical practice Dr Andrew Papanikitas 30 Nov 2015
111 Interview with Dr Emma Mckenzie-Edwards The use of Humanities in Medical Education Dr Emma Mckenzie-Edwards 30 Nov 2015
110 Interview with Dr Marion Lynch Medical Humanities and Narratives Dr Marion Lynch 30 Nov 2015
109 Interview with Professor Stephen Lammers Medical Humanities and Narratives Professor Stephen Lammers 30 Nov 2015
108 'Accidental Death in Tudor England' Professor Steven Gunn and Dr Tomasz Gromelski gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event Dr Steven Gunn and Dr Tomasz Gromelski 24 Nov 2015
107 Oscar Wilde's Love Beyond the Grave Michèle Mendelssohn gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event Michèle Mendelssohn 24 Nov 2015
106 'Death Masks: Facing the Dead' Emily Knight gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event Emily Knight 24 Nov 2015
105 ‘Ophelia, Death and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’ Hannah Lyons gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event Hannah Lyons 24 Nov 2015
104 'Crowley's Tarot and Egyptian Art' John Dunning gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event John Dunning 24 Nov 2015
103 ‘Who owns your face when you are DEAD?’ Jane Caplan gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event Jane Caplan 24 Nov 2015
102 'The Roman Art of Dying' Paul Roberts gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event Paul Roberts 24 Nov 2015
101 'Victorian Children's Literature and Death' Franziska Kohlt gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event Franziska Kohlt 24 Nov 2015
100 'A View from My Corpse' Raymond Tallis gives a TORCH bite-size talk at the Ashmolean Museum's DEADFriday event Raymond Tallis 24 Nov 2015
99 Indian Arrivals, 1870-1915: Networks of British Empire Elleke Boehmer discusses her new book with Megan Robb, Faisal Devji and Santanu Das Elleke Boehmer, Faisal Devji, Megan Robb, Santanu Das 23 Nov 2015
98 Comparative Encounters between Artaud, Michaux and the Zhuangzi Part of "Book at Lunchtime", a fortnightly series of bite size book discussions, with commentators from a range of disciplines. Xiaofan Amy Li discusses her new book "Comparative Encounters Between Artaud, Michaux and the Zhuangzi." Xiofan Amy Li, Elleke Boehmer, Wang Xing, Matthew Reynolds 20 Nov 2015
97 The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien's Legacy 60 years since the publication of the series' final volume, a distinguished panel explore Tolkien's literary legacy Elleke Boehmer, Stuart Lee, Patrick Curry, Dimitra Fimi 09 Nov 2015
96 The Unconscious: a Concept or a Metaphor? Andrew Mayes, and Angus Nicholls, give a talk for the Unconscious Memory seminar series. Andrew Mayes, Angus Nicholls 02 Nov 2015
95 The Silk Roads: A New History of the World Peter Frankopan discusses his new book with Averil Cameron, Robert Moore and Elleke Boehmer Peter Frankopan, Averil Cameron, Robert Moore, Elleke Boehmer 27 Oct 2015
94 Ted Hughes: The Unauthorised Life Jonathan Bate, Anne Farrar Donovan, Seamus Perry and Oliver Taplin discuss life-writing, poetry and the poet Jonathan Bate, Seamus Perry, Oliver Taplin, Anne Farrar Donovan 20 Oct 2015
93 The Pragmatic Enlightenment and Other Enlightenments Dennis Rasmussen (Tufts University, Boston) discusses his book 'The Pragmatic Enlightenment' Dennis Rasmussen 14 Oct 2015
92 Too Valuable to Die? Silke Ackermann, Nigel Biggar and Liz Bruton debate the ethics of science and scientists going to war Silke Ackermann, Nigel Biggar, Liz Bruton 14 Oct 2015
91 Periodic Tales Author Hugh Aldersey-Williams, historian of science Jo Hedesan and chemist Peter Battle discuss the ways in which the elements continue to inspire us today Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Jo Hedesan, Peter Battle 13 Oct 2015
90 Interview with Michael Docherty We catch up with Cancer Research UK's Director of Digital on fundraising in the digital age. Michael Docherty 03 Aug 2015
89 Fundraising through Digital Michael Docherty (Cancer Research UK) on how clicktivists, slacktivists and hacktivists are helping us beat cancer sooner. Michael Docherty 03 Aug 2015
88 Callaloo Creative Writing Reading by Vievee Francis Vievee reads poetry from her collection 'Forest Primeval' Vievee Francis 24 Jul 2015
87 Callaloo Creative Writing Reading by Maaza Mengiste Maaza reads from her novel dealing with the Italian invasion of Ethiopia during the early days of the Second World War Maaza Mengiste 24 Jul 2015
86 Callaloo Literary Lecture and Reading by Fred d'Aguiar Fred reads fiction and poems about his childhood in Guyana, remembering his father, and slavery Fred d'Aguair 24 Jul 2015
85 Creative Commons Disraeli's 'Venetia': Death of a Poet? Michael Flavin demonstrates the way in which a critically unexplored novel, 'Venetia', sheds light on Disraeli's political formation. Michael Flavin 08 Jul 2015
84 Creative Commons Working with Hughenden Manor: Solving the Statesman’s Rooms Oliver Cox (D.Phil, Oxford) and Rob Bandy (manager, Hughenden Manor) discuss the exciting partnership between Oxford University researchers and National Trust properties throughout the country. Oliver Cox, Rob Bandy 08 Jul 2015
83 Creative Commons Rediscovering Disraeli – One Letter at a Time Michel Pharand, director of The Disraeli Project in Ontario, talks about piecing together Disraeli's story, one letter at a time. Michel Pharand 08 Jul 2015
82 Creative Commons Pegasus and Carthorse: The Many Shades of Disraeli’s Celebrity Sandra Mayer assesses the intersections of literary and political fame in Disraeli’s public image. Sandra Mayer 08 Jul 2015
81 Creative Commons Scenes from Disraeli’s Extraordinary Life: Curating the Bodleian 2004 Exhibition and Widening Its Reach An inside look at the 2002 Bodleian Library exhibition about Disraeli's extraordinary life. Helen Langley 08 Jul 2015
80 Creative Commons 'A Jew in his heart': The Reception of Disraeli's Judaism A dynamic exploration of shifts in historical writing about Disraeli's Judaism between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Megan Kearney 08 Jul 2015
79 The impossibility/Possibility Debate: Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off Professor Laura Doan talks on the future of Women's Studies in 'The impossibility/Possibility Debate: Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off. Laura Doan 22 Jun 2015
78 Still Brave? U.S Black Feminism as a Social Justice Project Professor Patricia Hill Collins talks on black feminism today in 'Still Brave? U.S Black Feminism as a Social Justice Project Patricia Hill Collins 22 Jun 2015
77 Sisters comin’ together’: Female Rappers and Collaboration Charis Dishman presents her Master's thesis entitled ‘Sisters comin’ together’: Female Rappers and Collaboration'. Charis Dishman 22 Jun 2015
76 Fag Hags, Breeders and Idols: Women’s Representation in pre-Stonewall Homosexual Fiction. Eleri Anona Watson presents her Master's thesis entitled Fag Hags, Breeders and Idols: Women’s Representation in pre-Stonewall Homosexual Fiction. Eleri Anona Watson 22 Jun 2015
75 Battles for Benefits: Marginalizing Women Veterans in the Medicalization of PTSD Kiley Hunkler presents her Master's work on ‘Battles for Benefits’: Marginalizing Women Veterans in the Medicalization of PTSD'. Kiley Hunkler 22 Jun 2015
74 A Path So Twisted: Thinking Wildly With and Through Punk-Feminisms Professor Jack Halberstam discusses trigger warnings and social justice in 'A Path So Twisted’: Thinking Wildly With and Through Punk-Feminisms'. Jack Halberstam 22 Jun 2015
73 Expanding the Field of Film Philosophy with the Ever - Transgressive Iris Murdoch Dr Lucy Bolton talks on her work in Film Philosophy as well as Iris Murdoch and cinema. Lucy Bolton 22 Jun 2015
72 Fiction of Development: Narrative, Representation and Authoritative Knowledge Charlotte De Val presents her Master's thesis entitled 'Fiction of Development: Narrative, Representation and Authoritative Knowledge.' Charlotte De Val 22 Jun 2015
71 The Poems were my Dance: Speaking Histories, Cultural Subjectivities, and the Embodies Writer in Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze’s? The Fifth Figure Emma Kelley presents her Master's thesis entitled 'The Poems were my Dance: Speaking Histories, Cultural Subjectivities, and the Embodies Writer in Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze’s ?The Fifth Figure' Emma Kelley 22 Jun 2015
70 Personal Relics and National Treasures: The Canonization of Julia Margaret Cameron Ellie Jones presents her Master's thesis entitled 'Personal Relics and National Treasures: The Canonization of Julia Margaret Cameron'. Ellie Jones 22 Jun 2015
69 Mastering Women’s Studies? Habitus and Hazards Professor Ros Ballaster talks on the beginning of the Women's Studies course at Oxford in 'Mastering Women's Studies? Habitus and Hazards' Ros Ballaster 22 Jun 2015
68 The Unspeakability of Trauma, the Unspeakability of Joy: The Pursuit of the Real at the Turn of the Twenty-first Century A lecture by Amy Hollywood with response from Kate Kirkpatrick and Johannes Depnering. Amy Hollywood, Kate Kirkpatrick, Johannes Depnering 18 Jun 2015
67 Henry Adams, Henry James, and Minnie Temple: The Pursuit of the Real at the Turn of the 20th Century A lecture by Amy Hollywood. Amy Hollywood 18 Jun 2015
66 The Real, the True, and Critique: Mysticism in the Study of Religion A lecture by Amy Hollywood with response from Vincent Gillespie and Joana Serrado. Amy Hollywood, Vincent Gillespie, Joana Serrado, Kate Kilpatrick 18 Jun 2015
65 Phenomenology and Health A highlights video from the one-day conference Andrew Papanikitas, Anna Kirkengen 15 Jun 2015
64 Suffering History: Phenomenology at the Intersection of Disease and Illness A presentation by Austin Argentieri. Austin Argentieri 10 Jun 2015
63 Proustian Memory Professor Gordon Shepherd (Yale) ‘Reassessing Mechanisms of Autobiographical Memory’ and Dr Kirsten Shepherd-Barr (St Catherine’s, Oxford) ‘Madeleines and Neuromodernism’. Chaired by Dr Sowon Park (Corpus Christi, Oxford) Gordon Shepherd, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr 04 Jun 2015
62 Leviathan and the Air Pump: Highlights Historians of Science David Wootton and Michael Hunter review the controversial book 50 years on Ritchie Robertson, David Wootton, Michael Hunter 28 May 2015
61 Creative Commons Love's Labour's Lost Emma Smith continues her Approaching Shakespeare series with a lecture on the play Love's Labour's Lost. Emma Smith 27 May 2015
60 Rubble Flora: Volker Braun Poetry Reading The German poet gives a special reading of old and new work and answers questions with David Constantine and Karen Leeder. Volker Braun, David Constantine, Karen Leeder 20 May 2015
59 Theatre and Evolution from Ibsen to Beckett An interdisciplinary discussion of Kirsten Shepherd-Barr's book Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Michael Billington, Morten Kringlebach, Laura Marcus 20 May 2015
58 Aristotle on Perceiving Objects A discussion of Anna Marmodoro's book Anna Marmodoro, Ophelia Deroy, Richard Sorabji, Rowland Stout 14 May 2015
57 Light in Germany: Scenes from an Unknown Enlightenment A discussion of Jim Reed's book Jim Reed, Joachim Whaley, Kevin Hilliard, Ritchie Robertson 12 May 2015
56 Leviathan and the Air Pump: Thirty Years On The historian of science David Wootton reviews the controversial dispute between Robert Boyle and Thomas Hobbes, followed by a reply from Boyle's biographer Michael Hunter Ritchie Robertson, David Wootton, Michael Hunter 12 May 2015
55 Creative Commons Neuroscience and Psychoanalysis Richard Brown( Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University) and Mark Solms (Chair of Neuropsychology, University of Cape Town) give the fourth talk in the Unconscious Memory series. Richard Brown, Mark Solms 07 May 2015
54 Wildlife in the Anthropocene: Conservation after Nature An interdisciplinary discussion of Jamie Lorimer's book Jamie Lorimer, William Beinart, Daniel Grimley, Nikolaj Lübecker 06 May 2015
53 That Other Place: Art and Alzheimer's A short video about a recent exhibition of photography and film Helen Statham, Victoria McGuinness, Nicola Onions 28 Apr 2015
52 Humanities and Science: Representing Science An interdisciplinary discussion exploring the many possible approaches to representing science through the arts, as well as potential challenges Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Heidi Johansen-Berg, Jason Gaiger, Annie Cattrell 17 Mar 2015
51 The Perfect Theory: A Century of Geniuses and the Battle over General Relativity A discussion exploring Pedro Ferreira's book Pedro Ferreira, Harvey Brown, Alex Butterworth, Javier Lezaun 16 Mar 2015
50 Humanities and Science: Culture and Technology An interdisciplinary discussion exploring culture’s interaction with technology Maria Blanco, Fritz Vollrath, Andrew Wilson, Lionel Tarassenko 16 Mar 2015
49 Observing by Hand: Sketching the Nebulae in the Nineteenth Century A discussion of Omar Nasim's book Omar Nasim, Stephen Johnston, Martin Kemp, Chris Lintott 16 Mar 2015
48 Oxford University International Women's Day 2015 Feminists, acadeamics and journalists reflect on feminism's achievements and future path. Selina Todd, Senia Paseta, Melissa Benn, Trudy Coe 16 Mar 2015
47 Wayne McGregor: Neuroscience and Dance Wayne McGregor (Director, Random Dance) talks about his choreographic practice with Dr Phil Barnard, (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge) and Eckhard Thiemann (Arts Producer). Wayne McGregor, Phil Barnard, Eckhard Thiemann 16 Mar 2015
46 Faith and Wisdom in Science A Book at Lunchtime discussion with Tom McLeish, Sally Shuttleworth, John Christie and Ard A. Louis Tom McLeish, Sally Shuttleworth, John Christie, Ard Louis 19 Feb 2015
45 Priming Professor Masud Husain and Dr Ben Morgan give the third Unconscious Memory talk. Masud Husain, Ben Morgan 18 Feb 2015
44 Unconscious Memory and Mental Space Professor Michael Burke and Dr Sebastian Groes give the second Unconscious Memory talk. Michael Burke, Sebastian Groes 18 Feb 2015
43 Exploring the Two Cultures Professor Larry Squire and Dr Simon Kemp give the first Unconscious Memory Seminar. Larry Squire, Simon Kemp 18 Feb 2015
42 Humanities and Science: Randomness and Order An interdisciplinary discussion exploring the role of randomness and order in physics, probability, history and music. Ian Walmsley, Jonathan Cross, Alison Etheridge, Chris Wickham 18 Feb 2015
41 The Stressed Sex: Uncovering the Truth About Men, Women, and Mental Health An interdisciplinary panel of scholars discuss Daniel Freeman's book Daniel Freeman, Elaine Fox, Avner Offer, Janet Radcliffe Richards 09 Feb 2015
40 Humanities and Science: Mental Health An interdisciplinary discussion exploring the role of the humanities in mental health. Edward Harcourt, John Geddes, Matthew Broome, Emily Troscianko 09 Feb 2015