Henry VIII’s Six Wives

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 26 July 2024 > What's On

King Henry VIII is such an overwhelming character in British culture that his six wives tend to be reduced to a footnote of history. A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London puts the women in the spotlight. Henry VIII had a famously tumultuous love life. In fact most British schoolchildren learn the … Continue reading “Henry VIII’s Six Wives”

The New Face of Congress

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 18 December 2019 > Ready to Use Shine Bright Lycée

A young Latina woman from the Bronx, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shatters our traditional vision of Congressional Representatives. This article explores her life, both private and public, from the Bronx to Washington, D.C. after the recent midterm elections: how can “one of us” sit in Congress at barely 29 and champion the average working class person’s rights? … Continue reading “The New Face of Congress”

Rockwell, Roosevelt and Freedom

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 04 June 2019 > Ready to Use

This B1-level article will introduce your pupils to the Rockwell and Roosevelt Four Freedoms Exhibition (Caen Mémorial, June-October 2019). It focuses and expands on a very specific passage from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s State of the Union speech delivered in January 1941 in which he put an emphasis on freedom, or rather freedoms: freedom from fear, … Continue reading “Rockwell, Roosevelt and Freedom”

The Election that wasn’t Supposed to Happen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 23 May 2019 > In the News

Voting in the European Parliamentary elections started on 23 May in the Netherlands and the UK — where the elections weren’t supposed to take place at all. One more chapter in the chaos of Brexit. The UK was supposed to leave the EU on 29 March, following the Brexit referendum. However, since the Conservative Government … Continue reading “The Election that wasn’t Supposed to Happen”

Don McCullin: War Photographer

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 26 March 2019 > Ready to Use

Don McCullin’s black-and-white photographs bear witness of the major conflicts the world has been experiencing for the last 60 years. From Cyprus to Syria, from Vietnam to Biafra, from the construction of the Berlin Wall to the conflict in Ulster, his (still ongoing) career as a photojournalist has enabled him to witness and record the … Continue reading “Don McCullin: War Photographer”

Two Queens

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 February 2019 > Ready to Use

This article explores the fates of two queens who reigned in neighbouring kingdoms in the 16th century. Both linked and opposed, they had to rule in a man’s world, in a conflict-ridden society, where religious and political unrest were rife and conspiracy and treason were the norm. Through the new biopic, Mary Queen of Scots, … Continue reading “Two Queens”

Queens on Screen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 21 February 2019 > What's On

Films about Stuart queens are like buses — there are none for ages, then two together, just in time for the Oscars. Mary Queen of Scots and her descendant Queen Anne are both gracing our screens in radically different biopics, both diverging from history as it has traditionally been portrayed. The Favourite portrays the reign … Continue reading “Queens on Screen”

Andy Warhol: From A to Z

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 29 January 2019 > Ready to Use

Andy Warhol  remains one of the most famous and iconic American artists. He contributed to bridge the gap and blur the boundaries between pop culture and fine arts and his work is a wonderful way in into American 20th century history, culture, and values. Some thirty years after his death, the New York Whitney Museum … Continue reading “Andy Warhol: From A to Z”

Brexit Chaos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 16 January 2019 > In the News

Britain’s Conservative government suffered a historic defeat on 15 January as Parliament massively voted against the deal for Brexit negotiated with the EU. As the clock ticks relentlessly towards the 29 March deadline for leaving, there seems no clear way forward. The government had been forced to agree to a “meaningful” vote on Brexit and … Continue reading “Brexit Chaos”