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The English Association is undertaking a national conversation about the future of English in partnership with the Institute for English Studies and the School of Advanced Study, building resources with our communities to share.

Our project for the next three years has several aims:

  • to move from defending to ‘thinking forwards’;
  • to understand how the subject is already changing, with so much imaginative and creative thinking about teaching and skills happening, and to collect and share best practice;
  • to support our commitment to English as a levelling up subject, with excellence in all kinds (and size) of school, college and university department;
  • to explore opportunities for collaboration and new ways of working.

Thinking Forwards will begin with Collaboration. We’ll collect examples of innovative practice, teaching, and research, in schools and universities, so that we can see and help shape a narrative about English Studies and its contribution to change. Our Skills for the Future of English project will feed into these conversations.


Do you want to know why scientists want to work with us? Or community leaders? Or Arts organisations? Do you also want to know how to build a collaborative project, and the challenges and opportunities? If so, then join us for the lunchtime slot (13:00 - 14:00) on the final Friday of each month 2024-2025.


Everything to Everybody, Fri 31 January 2025

Chair: Professor Clare Lees

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the ‘Everything to Everybody’ Project was a pioneering collaboration between the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council which revived Birmingham’s Shakespeare Memorial Library – the first great Shakespeare library in the world – with people and communities across the City which owns it, mounting 88 events throughout Birmingham, including a city-wide tour of the First Folio in the year of its 400th birthday, collaborating with 60+ partner organisations, involving 275,000 Birmingham citizens, and helping to shape the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.

Ewan Fernie is Chair, Professor and Fellow of the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham.

Tom Epps is Senior Library Services Manager at the Library of Birmingham.

Mohammed Ali is the founder and Artistic Director of Soul City Arts, a global arts organisation based in inner-city Birmingham.

Indi Deol is Director of DESIblitz, based in Birmingham and the UK’s foremost British Asian online magazine.

Rebecca Ledgard is Director Of Education & Participation at Birmingham’s Ex Cathedra Choir and inventor of the award-winning Singing Medicine and Singing Playgrounds programmes.

https://everythingtoeverybody.bham.ac.uk/


Find out more about Thinking Forwards

Explore the other Thinking Forwards: collaboration talks


This event is free, but booking is required. It will be held online only.