Normally if we were writing about Fulbright Scholarships, it would be about opportunities to study in the U.S. Of course that’s complicated at the moment. But one positive point about the current restrictions is that they’ve led to lots more opportunities to access online education from foreign institutions. This recording of a webinar from Fulbright … Continue reading “Study Abroad and Internships in the Current Climate”
Red Nose Day (19 March in 2021) encourages people to raise money for projects in the UK and the developing world by “doing something funny for money.” But it also aims to raise awareness of poverty, particularly among schoolchildren, who are massive supporters, along with school staff, of Red Nose Day. Here are a selection … Continue reading “Red Nose Day Webpicks”
The St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin was one of the first victims of the COVID pandemic last year and it’s been cancelled again this year for the same reason. But never fear! Let’s face it, most of us were not going to get to Dublin to celebrate Paddy’s Day on 17 March, but we … Continue reading “St Patrick’s Festival 2021”
Her books were once considered so scandalous that they were banned in Ireland, but at age 90, The Country Girls author Edna O’Brien received the honour of being declared a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot on 7 March. O’Brien has been prolific since the first of … Continue reading “Irish Author Edna O’Brien Honoured”
World Book Day is on 4 March this year. In the UK, schoolchildren receive a £1 book token they can spend on a selection of books chosen for the day. The authors have recorded ten-minute readings great for classroom use. Here’s a selection. The readings are part of a project to share stories by recording … Continue reading “Ten-Minute Stories for World Book Day”
Here at Speakeasy News, we have been following the career of Chloé Zhao since her first film, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, was featured at the Deauville and Cannes festivals back in 2015. So we were delighted to hear that she was the first Asian woman, and only second woman, to win Best Director at … Continue reading “Golden Globes 2021: Congratulations Chloé Zhao!”
1 March is St David’s Day, the Welsh national day. Since Wales is famous for its music and particularly its male voice choirs, what better way to celebrate than with a video of the national anthem sung by modern choir Only Men Aloud? The anthem, “Land of my Fathers” (Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau), was written … Continue reading “Celebrating Wales”
The Design Museum in London has announced the winners of the 2020 Beazley Designs of the Year, honouring see-saws connecting children on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, improvised brick arches created by Hong Kong protesters and vegan burgers. The Beazley awards don’t only consider aesthetics and user experience. They look at the bigger picture … Continue reading “Design as Activism Honoured in Beazley Awards”
The educational TV channel Lumni is offering the Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise film of West Side Story free to stream for collège and lycée classes. The film of the musical comedy by Bernstein, Sondheim and Robbins is a reworking of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, with the Capulets and Montagues being replaced by rival gangs … Continue reading “West Side Story Free for Classes”
Ruby Bridges didn’t choose to become a civil-rights icon. It was her parents who, in 1960, chose to accept that their 6-year-old daughter would be the first African-American child to integrate a white school in the American South. But as an adult, Bridges, who was immortalised by Norman Rockwell, has fought indefatigably for civil rights … Continue reading “Ruby Bridges, Civil-Rights Icon”
