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History & The Arts
Free course: Health and Wellbeing in the Ancient World
OpenLearn is a great place to get an idea of what to expect from Open University study; trying one of our free courses, such as Health and Wellbeing in the Ancient World is an ideal starting point.
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History & The Arts
Disraeli on Munich
Writing in 1840, Benjamin Disraeli shared his passion for the Bavarian capital.
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History & The Arts
Swept away: Brighton's Chain Pier collapses during a storm
A winter storm in 1896 battered Brighton's first pier, finishing off the already condemned structure. But newer attractions also took a hammering.
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History & The Arts
Death on the tracks: A 19th century train crash
An 1853 inquest takes evidence about a fatal train crash at New Cross.
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History & The Arts
Building the London Underground
In 1853, Parliament gave permission for the world's first underground railway. It promised a short, cheap burst of luxury travel - and to run the buses out of business.
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History & The Arts
The Origins of the Idea of the Industrial Revolution
Dr Will Hardy traces the origins of our traditional account of Britain’s “Industrial Revolution”
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History & The Arts
The making of Industrial Britain: A gradual revolution?
Dr Will Hardy reflects on the long-term rise of economic modernity in Britain, and what contemporary perceptions may tell us.
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Can comedy change your life?
After years spent in dark comedy clubs and cramped rooms above pubs, Mary O’Hara knows what makes her laugh. But what else can a good joke do? She meets the performers and researchers who say that comedy can change how we think and even how we act.
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History & The Arts
Living Shakespeare: Alissar Caracalla on Lebanon and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Choreographer Alissar Caracalla reimagines A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the mountains of Lebanon.
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History & The Arts
Living Shakespeare: Hong Ying on China and the sonnets
Shakespeare's sonnets were once banned in China and are now popular with the gay community. Hong Ying, author of ‘Daughter of the River’ looks at Shakespeare’s sonnets as they relate to sexuality and love in China.
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History & The Arts
Living Shakespeare: Dame Evelyn Glennie on the UK and The Tempest
The United Kingdom's Dame Evelyn Glennie talks us through her unique way of hearing and interpreting Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
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History & The Arts
Living Shakespeare: Kalki Koechlin on India's women and Ophelia
Ophelia's situation in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' bears a lot of parallels with Indian women and their place in society. Bollywood actor, Kalki Koechlin, explores her tragic story.