Category: Features
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‘Do What You Want, Just Know What You’re Doing’: The Life of Jackie Shane
Born in Nashville, Jackie Shane came to be a prominent figure in the Toronto soul music scene. However, as a Black, transgender woman in the 1960s, she was forced to overcome racism and homophobia – something which fed into her dynamic performances. Megan Crutchley discusses Shane’s powerful legacy.
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Henry VIII: The Spare Who Changed History
Whilst the phrase “spare to the heir” has dominated headlines in recent months, it is an appellation which also overshadowed the early years of the future King Henry VIII. Naomi Wallace discusses the events that shaped the monarch, and the history of England.
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Funding the Arts in Ancient Athens
The Dionysia, a festival in ancient Athens on honour of the god Dionysus, featured plays sponsored by choregoi: wealthy citizens who financed the performance in exchange for social prestige. Fiona MacRae explores how the benefaction model of ancient Athens might be the key to saving the performing arts today.
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NEVER AGAIN: Reflecting on Illegal Abortions in the US Fifty Years on From Roe v Wade
In April 1973, the Supreme Court ruling Roe v Wade granted the constitutional right to choose an abortion. In June 2022, this landmark ruling was overturned. By examining the situation in the US prior to 1973, Naomi Wallace discusses how history can reveal its devastating impact.
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Revealing Royal Jewellery: The Chequers Ring
Once belonging to Queen Elizabeth I, the Chequers Ring has prompted intrigue – not least concerning the identity of the woman whose portrait sits alongside the monarch. Naomi Wallace discusses the theories surrounding this captivating piece.
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Victoria 3: How Historical Strategy Games Shape Views on the Past
The video game industry has had a profound influence on shaping public understanding of history, not least in the strategy genre. Aleksandrs Skulte discusses both the positives and pitfalls of “Victoria 3”, and the pedagogical opportunities this form of popular media presents.
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A Brief History of the Medieval Revival
As industrialisation swelled in the Western world, societies looked towards the medieval past as a means of legitimising their history. Megan Crutchley explores the forms this took in the US and UK, and the manner in which it was embedded in white elitism.
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The South African Apartheid: The Effects upon the Next Generation
The South African apartheid ended in the 1990s, but the effect those laws have had on new generations is still significant. Lucy Stewart examines the impact the history of apartheid has had on mental health in South Africa today.
Retrospect Journal 