Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Inaugural lecture to be held in memory of lecturer
Matthew, a lecturer in the School of Cultural Studies, passed away suddenly in 2016. He was a much loved and respected colleague, teacher, activist and friend who was keen to help students and younger researchers to think through their ideas – particularly those related to political ideology and social and cultural theory – and apply them to their research.
Dr Shane Ewen from the School of Cultural Studies and Humanities has organised the event. Speaking about Matthew, he said: “Matthew was a much loved member of staff. He was an integral part of the School of Cultural Studies and Humanities, not least as our long-serving University and College Union rep.
“He had taught on multiple courses since the university’s days as a polytechnic and organised memorable student trips to Berlin and Paris. He was a committed interdisciplinarian, passionate educator and staunch political activist. Matthew embodied Cultural Studies as we practice it in the classroom, through our research and in the wider community.
“We are pleased to have the support of Taking Soundings, which Matthew co-founded with the aim to stimulate discussions about issues of contemporary cultural and political concern.”
Madeleine Davis will speak on ‘Among the ordinary people: The New Left and working class political organisation’. Madeleine specialises in the history of political thought, particularly the development of socialist thought in Britain in the twentieth century. She has published on the work of intellectuals and activists associated with the post-1956 British New Left, and has a forthcoming book on ‘The British New Left and its Legacy’.
Her research overlaps with many of Matthew’s historical interests as well as the contemporary concerns and challenges facing political activists.