George McKay

@georgemckay.bsky.social

370 followers 250 following 71 posts

Prof Media Studies. Writes about popular music, festival, disability, jazz, peace, protest, gardening, + most recently Oxford Handbook of...Punk Rock. Charcot Marie Tooth. Plays music: double bass, bands (jazz, folk)

Videos

Art 63%

Computer science 11%

Posts Replies Media Videos

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · 9d

What’s this? Some actual good news for British universitie? Let‘s hope so!
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme

Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say

www.theguardian.com

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · 13d

Didn’t know that. And now I have been down a Saturday morning rabbit-hole about Johnson, Pope & disability. enlightanddis.wordpress.com/spectacles-o...

Johnson’s LIFE OF POPE

The mid-eighteenth century was a time where perspectives of disability were in transition. Remnants of the ancient symbolic model of disability, which attributed disabilities to divine punishment f…

enlightanddis.wordpress.com

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · 13d

RIP Stanley Baxter. I saw him as a wee boy at King’s Theatre Glasgow in the 1960s. Probably the first time I ever went to the theatre #parliamo youtube.com/shorts/tk2QZ...

‘Parliamo Glasgow’: Stanley Baxter’s most loved sketch from 1989

YouTube video by STV News

youtube.com

Reposted by George McKay

Simon Knott @simoninsuffolk.bsky.social · 13d

2/2 In medieval English church art, St Lucy is often shown holding her disgorged eyes either in a bowl or on a book, as here at Eye in Suffolk, appropriately enough, where she also holds the disgorging knife. She's the patron saint of the blind.

Eye: www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/eye.htm

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · 16d

georgemckay.org/disability-h...

Disability History Month, new research on Rahsaan Roland Kirk – GEORGE McKAY professor writer musician

georgemckay.org

Reposted by George McKay, Tom Rutter

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · 23d

‘clear joy in C major’. Gonna try to wake up like that tmrw morning

Reposted by George McKay

Disability Rights UK @disrightsuk.bsky.social · 23d

This International Day of Disabled People, we’re reminded that disability justice is deeply connected to every other fight for equity.

Our struggles connect us. Our solidarity is our strength! 💥
#IDDP

Happy International Day of Disabled People #IDDP25. A group of 25 people of different ages, ethnicities and cultures, all in the same cartoon style. They are celebrating and smiling. 1 is a manual wheelchair user. Background is a blue gradient fading to purple and then pink.

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Steve Peers, Simon Wren‐Lewis , and 4 more Cas Mudde, Steve Peers, Simon Wren‐Lewis, George McKay, Philip Cowley, Federica Genovese, Stuart J. Turnbull‐Dugarte

Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 23d

If it were steel works we would have a government bailout plan, yet losing thousands of jobs at unis is met with a shrug. & unlike steelworks universities were profitable when they had foreign students.
You are killing the golden goose… one of our best exports…

HOW IS THIS HELPING GROWTH?!

Andy Westwood @andywestwood.bsky.social · 23d

Every sympathy for University of Essex (and pressures facing them) but this is very bad news for Southend.

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Essex university to cut 400 jobs as overseas student numbers plummet

Essex university to cut 400 jobs as overseas student numbers plummet

Roles to be lost are part of wave of redundancy programmes across UK’s higher education sector

giftarticle.ft.com

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve, Fabián Muniesa, George McKay , and 5 more Martin Paul Eve, Fabián Muniesa, George McKay, Alan Richardson, Mike Rowe, Mark Rice, Jon Dean, Kate Bradley

UCU Essex @ucuessex.bsky.social · 24d

It's official: 400 redundancies and a campus closure. At-risk staff will get a letter next week. Absolutely no serious consideration of any of the union's counterproposals.

Please share widely.

Reposted by George McKay

Disability Arts Online @disabilityarts.bsky.social · 25d

Enjoy the @together2012cic.bsky.social Disability Film Festival and view 60 films from 13 countries in 12 programmes over 2 days plus 2 live Zoom-based discussions with international filmmakers.

When - 06-07 December
Where - Online
Cost - Free

disabilityarts.online/events/toget...

Image of Laurels with 'Official selection: Together! 2025 Disability Film Festival

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · 25d

@alcs.co.uk hi do you advise ALCS members to join the class action against Anthropic in US? 2 of my books are on the list & I’ve been contacted by the Bartz vs Anthropic team about joining. Any advice appreciated!

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · Nov 21

Yes. Magic. Norfolk magic.

Reposted by George McKay

Disability Arts Online @disabilityarts.bsky.social · Nov 20

We’re recruiting for a Project Coordinator to support the delivery of our three-year project ‘Cripping Culture: A Journey into Disability Arts Heritage’.

Closing - 08 Dec
Location - Hybrid (Remote + Brighton & Hove)
££ - £32K FTE

disabilityarts.online/opportunity-...

Reposted by Meredith Broussard, Naomi Klein, Marco Festa‐Bianchet , and 10 more Meredith Broussard, Naomi Klein, Marco Festa‐Bianchet, Brady T. West, George McKay, Carlos Nunes Silva, Justin Lewis, Margot C. Finn, William Myers, Fredrik Albritton Jonsson, Tim Stephens, Farah Mendlesohn, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Molly Crabapple @mollycrabapple.bsky.social · Nov 18

Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.

Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/

Submit a Claim

secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · Nov 14

7-9 pm at the very fine York Tavern, Norwich. ‘Old jazz, new jazz, green jazz, blue jazz’. In the Golden Triangle!

Reposted by George McKay

East Anglia Bylines @eastangliabylines.co.uk · Nov 11

Back in 1997, there were just 11 booming male Bitterns left in the UK – almost extinct. Thanks to conservation by @RSPB and @NaturalEngland, there are now 283 booming males in 2024.
eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/...

Hidden wonders: my fascinating encounters with the Bittern

Elusive and majestic, the Bittern’s booming call echoes across Minsmere’s reeds – a symbol of hope and conservation success

eastangliabylines.co.uk

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · Nov 10

Looks like it yes, from when I worked @salforduni.bsky.social

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · Oct 31

WE don’t fkn want him!

Reposted by George McKay

Sleaford Mods @sleafordmods.bsky.social · Oct 31

It’s that time of year again. A darker take on The Good Life, perfect for Halloween or just another grim night in Blighty. Less pumpkin spice, more existential dread.

Watch it while you still can, it disappears at midnight on Sunday.

👀 youtube.com/watch?v=aaynJpIuaCY

Sleaford Mods Ft. Gwendoline Christie & Big Special - The Good Life (Dark Version)

YouTube video by Sleaford Mods

youtube.com

Reposted by George McKay

Simon Pegg @simonpegg.bsky.social · Oct 31

Attention Norfolk folk.

If the kids come round Trick or Treating tonight, and you don't want to open the door, just shout 'Prince Andrew Lives here now' through the letterbox to them and problem solved.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Peter Campbell, Karin Wahl‐Jorgensen , and 2 more Lesley A. Hall, Peter Campbell, Karin Wahl‐Jorgensen, George McKay, Glen O’Hara

Dr Dave Hitchcock @davehitchcock.bsky.social · Oct 22

I wrote about the stupid white paper.

In summary, with these people in the driver's seat and apparently unbothered by consequences, we're so cooked.

Somewhere in the Department for Education, a phone is ringing

On October 20th at a bit after 5pm, the UK government introduced its Education and Skills white paper to Parliament, to absolutely no…

hitchcockian.medium.com

Reposted by Stephen P. Jenkins, Mel Bartley, Karen R. Lips , and 37 more Stephen P. Jenkins, Mel Bartley, Karen R. Lips, Christoph Lutz, Elizabeth Stokoe, Du Plessis, Charles West, Roger Luckhurst, Martin O’Neill, Peter Campbell, Patrick O’Brien, Christopher R. Matthews, Greg Walker, Carolyne Larrington, John Foot, Ingo Rohlfing, George McKay, Daniel S. Goldberg, Andrés Guadamuz, Margot C. Finn, Charlotte Taylor, Michael H. Whitworth, Steven Fielding, Aurélien Mondon, David Bartram, Patrick Präg, Katrina Navickas, Urška Demšar, David D. Buck, Kathleen Kennedy, Ian Bruff, Jon Dean, Catriona Seth, Claire Jowitt, Nick Clarke, Kate Bradley, Robert Adlington, Jan R. Boehnke, François Guesnet, José Pina-Sánchez

ana valdivia @anavaldi.bsky.social · Oct 22

After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:

- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · Oct 8

Some of my brilliant colleagues @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social have organised the NQIFF 2025 film festival in Norwich. It's all free! Info and programme here: www.nqiff.com #queerfilm #filmfestival

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · Oct 2

New blog abt Winnie Atwell, on the occasion of the new blue plaque marking her achievements. georgemckay.org/winifred-atw...

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · Sep 27

RIP Tony Harrison, who blew my mind when I read his work as a student in Hull. I took my mum (working class) to see him read @norwichartscentre.bsky.social in 1984 we were both v moved. I took my copy for him to sign & made notes on what he read. I still say “Ay ay stutterer Demosthenes” sometimes

George McKay @georgemckay.bsky.social · Sep 25

Always loved that Danny Thompson (RIP) played with free drummer John Stevens in a band too. One of those more surprising folk / jazz crossovers. Here’s a foto I found of Thompson from 1978, in Norwich! (That’s a cello not a bass tho)