The Louder Than Words Podcast

Join Ruth Weir and Jackie Turton in conversation with Jules Pretty on domestic abuse and violence in the home. What works and why? What has changed in recent years? What are the prospects for the future? Ruth Weir is at City University’s Violence and Society Centre and Jackie Turton is in the Department of Sociology at the University of Essex. They are co-authors with two serving police officers, Kate Barrow-Grint and Jacqueline Sebine, of the new book, Policing Domestic Violence.

Join Paul Hibberd and Abigail Webb in conversation with Jules Pretty on processing visual information – how we humans see the world, how technology is opening up new options for immersive theatre, and the exciting roles for virtual and augmented reality. Paul Hibberd is in the Department of Psychology at the University of Essex and Abigail Webb is at the University of Suffolk.

Join Friederike Mengel and Carlos Carillo Tudela in conversation with Jules Pretty on the modern nature of work, how labour economics helps us understand the rapid pace of change, the impacts on women, the choices regarding home working, and what this all means for national productivity and whether countries become poorer or richer. Friederike Mengel and Carlos Carillo Tudela are economists in the Department of Economics at the University of Essex.

Join Leo Schalkwyk and Meena Kumari in conversation with Jules Pretty on human genetics and epigenetics, how culture and society influences what goes on inside us, and all the latest on how this new understanding can improve human health. Leo Schalkwyk is Head of the School of Life Sciences and Meena Kumari is Deputy Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, both at the University of Essex

Join Koldo Casla and Tara Van Ho in conversation with Jules Pretty on the uses and applications of human rights to improve lives and make businesses more sustainable. Koldo Casla and Tara Van Ho are based in the Essex Law School at the University of Essex

Join Donna Graves, Sarah Lloyd and Alix Green in conversation with Jules Pretty about contemporary history, public purpose and making an impact on culture and the economy. Donna Graves is a public historian from Berkeley in California; Sarah Lloyd is at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London; and Alix Green is from the Department of History at the University of Essex.

Join Terry McGenity and Corinne Whitby in conversation with Jules Pretty on the worlds of microbes in oceans, in soils and in the air, and how microbes can be deployed in new ways to clean up pollution and improve the environment. Terry McGenity and Corinne Whitby are in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Essex.

Join Ismene Gizellis and Han Dorussen in conversation with Jules Pretty on conflict, peace-keeping, cooperation, governance after conflict, and the impacts on women. Ismene Gizellis and Han Dorussen are political scientists from the Department of Government at the University of Essex.

Join Craig Bennett in conversation with Jules Pretty on all the latest challenges and opportunities for improving wildlife and conservation in the UK, and how to involve people in local rural and urban habitats that matter to them. Craig Bennett is Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts.

Join Anna Di Ronco, Anna Sergi and Nigel South in conversation about how criminology is helping to reveal the changing nature of policy practice, the definitions of uncivil people, and the growth of environmental and organised crime Anna Di Ronco, Anna Sergi and Nigel South are from the Department of Sociology at the University of Essex.

Join Caroline Bald and Akudo Amadiegwu in conversation with Jules Pretty about the high incidence of brain injury and social silencing, and how to bring people together Caroline Bald and Akudo Amadiegwu are from the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Essex.

Join Caterina Cinel, Luca Citi and Reinhold Scherer in conversation with Jules Pretty about brain-computer interfaces and neural engineering. Caterina Cinel, Luca Citi and Reinhold Scherer are from the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at the University of Essex.

Join Kat Hadjimatheou and Renee Luthra in conversation with Jules Pretty about how violence spirals in the home and community, and the impacts on women and migrants. Kat Hadjimatheou and Renee Luthra are from the Department of Sociology at the University of Essex.  

Join Anna Sturrock and Tom Cameron in conversation with Jules Pretty about why the blue marine matters, and how seas and coasts can be regenerated. Anna Sturrock and Tom Cameron are from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Essex.

Hidden histories and lost voices are now being heard. The latest episode of Louder Than Words looks at Black History through lenses of plays and literature. Contributors to this episode are:  Dr Jak Peake, Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Professor Jeremy Krikler, Department of History Dr Holly Maples, East 15 Acting School Further reading Read blog about on Theatre, Literature and Education by Dr Jak Peake Read blog on creating theatre about Black History by Professor Jeremy Krikler and Dr holly Maples

Join Tracey Loughran and Kate Mahoney in conversation with Jules Pretty on how public history is being used to understand the health, well-being and lived experiences of young women, how the development of a new toolkit called “Bodies, Hearts and Minds” is helping. Tracey Loughran is from the Department of History at the University of Essex, and Kate Mahoney is from Healthwatch Essex @KateFMahoney @bodyselffamily @Uni_of_Essex @HWEssex

Join Melissa Tyler, Phil Hancock and Tom Carradine in conversation with Jules Pretty on the future for creative work and performance in the aftermath of COVID-19, drawing together lessons we have learnt and likely long-term impacts. Melissa Tyler and Phil Hancock are from the Essex Business School, and Tom Carradine from Carradine’s Cockney Sing-along.

Join Ruth Lowry and Paul Freeman in conversation with Jules Pretty on how difficult it is to stay active and healthy, and about how to support individuals and communities to live healthier through crafts, nature contact, drumming and gardening. Ruth Lowry and Paul Freeman are from the School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences at the University of Essex

Join Gina Reinhardt and Gillian Sandstrom, with a contribution from author Anna Jones, in conversation with Jules Pretty. Gina Reinhardt is from the Department of Government at the University of Essex, Gillian Sandstrom from the University of Sussex, and Anna Jones is the author of Divide.

Theatre and drama can be entertainment, but they can also unstick difficult social problems by promoting empathy, encouraging us to see life from different perspectives and nurturing links between people. The latest Louder Than Words looks at how theatre can bring insights, bring people together and unlocks issues. Theatre writers and creators Professor Liz Kuti and Annecy Lax, from the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre talk to Professor Jules Pretty. They suggest that telling stories, expressing ideas through performance and watching performances in the theatre, online and on television is in many ways as natural as breathing and an essential part of being human. At the same time theatre and drama offers space to transform people. Annecy says: “The kind of theatre I work in can have a really transformational effect on people. I’ve been in the room where that has happened and been involved in projects where theatre has had a huge benefit on people’s lives.”