Brains at the Bevy

An investigation of ghost stories: Victorian Gothic, the psychology of fear and a ghost called Pipes...

6 December 2023, Dr Gemma Graham and Dr Vicky Margree 

Gathering around a fire to share ghost stories was a beloved tradition in the late 1880s into the early 1900s. Ghost stories and gothic literature still remain such a prominent and popular part of society, which asks the question; Why do we like being scared? In this talk Vicky Margree will investigate a supernatural story, 'The Portrait', by Margaret Oliphant, to ask the questions: do men and women write ghost stories differently? Do women write in coded ways about the constraints they face in Victorian society? And are they really as subversive as they appear? And Gemma Graham will explore the psychological, emotional, and cognitive responses to fear, horror films and ghost stories, ending with a look at the most controversial Ghost Haunting Hoax in the UK. So sit back and be afraid ... be very afraid. 

Dr Gemma Graham is Principal Lecturer in Forensic psychology and Student Engagement Lead for HSS

Dr Victoria Margree is a specialist in literary fiction and feminist theory and author of British Women's Short Supernatural Fiction, 1860-1930: Our Own Ghostliness (Palgrave, 2019) 

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The Waste Exchange - waste as an opportunity for creative interventions to empower change

7 February 2024, Rachael Taylor  

Rachael Taylor, a fashion academic, creative artist, and podcast host shares how her alternative economies research transformed into an opportunity to deliver creative interventions in the form of a venue titled The Waste Exchange at Shangri-La in Glastonbury Festival. The Waste Exchange is a method of turning rubbish into a currency for exchangeable experiences that inspire audiences to have a closer relationship with their rubbish, each other, and their environment.  

In 2022 at Shangri-La, the Waste Exchange expanded into a Re-use Waste Lab and Greenhouse Art Community Garden, with activities from skills swapping, community planting seeds of change, growing money with a message, transforming leftovers and reimagining scraps into vegetable dye for clothing waste.  Rachael will be joined by one of her team members - Sara Fernee who runs the Bevendean Community Garden, forest club sessions and works with Food partnerships and initiatives across Brighton. 

Rachael Taylor is a lecturer in the School of Art and Media.

How do we cope with life’s ups and downs? by Professor Rusi Jaspal and Dr Claire Bloxsom

6 March 2024, Professor Rusi Jaspal and Dr Claire Bloxsom   

Life has its ups and downs. We sometimes feel uncertain about the future. Bad things happen. Psychologists have long studied how people are affected by life challenges and, crucially, how they attempt to cope when these challenges arise. Coping can take many shapes and forms. We may deny our reality, re-think what the ‘bad thing’ means or simply accept it and move on. How we cope depends on so many things: our personality, our upbringing, our environment and society – to name just a few. This talk explores psychological research on coping and provides some practical tips for confronting life challenges effectively.  

Professor Rusi Jaspal is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Knowledge Exchange) and a Professor of Psychology

Previous talks in the series

The Bevy

The Bevy in the press