Joanne Tatham
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tathamjoanne.bsky.social
Joanne Tatham
@tathamjoanne.bsky.social
I’m an artist working within public spaces of exhibition and publication, thinking about who gets to make art and how, where and why 👀 Reader in Contemporary Art + Co-lead of MFA Arts & Humanities at Royal College of Art 🤡 UCU rep.✊ 🪱
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
Join the Rally at Parliament on Wednesday, if you're in Edinburgh:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rally-to-s...
Rally to Save Jobs at UoE
UCU, with the Joint Unions, EUSA and the SSSN, will rally at Parliament as the big finish to our upcoming 3 days of strike action.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
November 14, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
TL:DR- University wants to force faculty into cheaper (for them) USS pension plan by freezing pay for staff in the TPS pension INDEFINITELY.

This is a massive pay cut on top of the continuing devaluation of academic salaries due to not being adjusted for inflation.

www.ucu.org.uk/article/14256
Strike ballot looms at Northumbria University over attack on pay & pensions
Staff at Northumbria University have taken steps towards a strike ballot over plans by the university to force staff from the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (...
www.ucu.org.uk
November 14, 2025 at 10:42 AM
I did my BA at Duncan of Jordanstone. This was when it was independent, before it became part of the university, and it’s very concerning to see it now disintegrating within this wider disaster there. Art education feels at real risk of becoming thinned out in Scotland rn.
November 14, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
The senior leadership team at @edinburghuniversity plan to cut staff expenditure by £90m, which is more than 10%.

This would mean about 1 in 8 members of staff losing their jobs. With hundreds of jobs already lost, a further 1,000+ jobs are on the line.

www.instagram.com/p/DQuFjwBjHB5/
November 12, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability. Since the re-launch laste week we've raised 10% of our target, so there's still a way to go. Pllease support this unique literary award barbellionprize.org Thank you!
The Barbellion Prize | A prize recognising literary representation of chronically disabled lives.
barbellionprize.org
November 9, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
This article has now been amended to include a statement from UCU.
Put more accurately - it is pension cuts or pay cuts. That's the 'choice'.
Northumbria University attempts to move employees to cheaper pension scheme to bring down sky-high contribution rates
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/northumbria-freeze-staff-pay-if-they-refuse-switch-pensions
November 7, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
If you missed it, here’s the interim Principal talking about substantial future job cuts at University of Dundee.

He refers to the number of job losses recommended in the recovery plan. This is 390FTE with 340FTE via redundancies.

We believe redundancies are not necessary. #SaveHE #SaveDundeeUni
November 5, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Liam Gillick. Simpler times!
November 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Me after I ask Any Questions?
October 28, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
'Are you from a professional family, went to private school, have a postgraduate degree, and live in London with a load of cash in the bank?
If so, congrats – you’re three times more likely to become an artist than anyone else.' 1/2
Who gets to be an artist?
Are you from a professional family, went to private school, have a postgraduate degree, and live in London with a load of cash in the bank?
wonkhe.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
Where is the money? @qmul.bsky.social haven't paid many cleaners their overtime since August; unions haven’t had their Facilities Time paid since August; many Teaching Associates & Teaching Fellows have not had any pay in September. All since the new financial year.
October 13, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
I’m desperately sorry for staff at these institutions. I’m also sorry it wasn’t news when my institution did it to us two years in a row, 2020-2022.
'Staff at some institutions will not get even get the small rise due to them because of a clause in the negotiations that allows for a delay for up to 11 months if a university is facing financial difficulties.' So far, Dundee, Kent, Brunel, Coventry, Swansea.
Five UK universities tell staff they can’t afford pay rises
Negotiations over whether to honour 1.4 per cent increase ongoing at several other institutions amid financial crunch
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 7, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...
October 6, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
International agents get the moment the students they recruited are enrolled. If they drop out after, if they aren't actually prepared, that doesn't matter to them, because the measure of their success is the fee at point of enrollment.

Should we rely on them this much?
www.ft.com/content/3f49...
September 24, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
GWL is commissioning new works for our #WeMakeMuseums project to be exhibited at Glasgow International 2026.

We’re seeking women artists with socially engaged, intersectional practices informed by environmental, class-aware, & anti-racist approaches.
womenslibrary.org.uk/2025/09/24/a...
September 24, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
Short-term post-doc for arts/humanities researchers! Do you love rare books, manuscripts, archives, art and/or objects? Would you like to explore one of our amazing Cultural Collections @universityofleeds.bsky.social for c. 6 weeks (longer part-time)? Find out more lahri.leeds.ac.uk/brotherton-f...
Brotherton Fellowship | Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute
lahri.leeds.ac.uk
September 17, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
You what now? Who gets to define 'hobbyist'? The REF 'funds' research.

Anti-intellectual, utilitarian, ignorant approach from the UUK president.
September 12, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Slightly diminish a book

EasyJet Flights
Slightly diminish a book

Mild Expectations
Slightly diminish a book

I Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
September 8, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
The UK government will evacuate nine of the 40+ students in Gaza with scholarship at UK universities. My PhD student Shaimaa isn't included. We must now make sure they help the other students - email your MP today. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
UK to evacuate nine Gaza students with university scholarships
Move follows months of pressure from MPs, academics and campaigners, with dozens of other students still stranded
www.theguardian.com
August 21, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
Anyone want a quick graphic illustration of what poverty does?
🚨 Wide regional gaps in top grades at A Level 🚨

In 2024, the gap between the region with the highest proportion of top grades and the lowest was 8.8pp (London vs East Midlands).

That gap has now grown to 9.2pp (London vs North East) #ResultsDay2025
Sutton Trust response to Level 3 Results Day 2025 - The Sutton Trust
Our take on this year's results from A Levels and other qualifications.
www.suttontrust.com
August 17, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
12 funded PhDs in "Aesthetics of Democracy" at the Goethe University Frankfurt. Perfect for anyone who has absorbed my book 'The Landscape of Utopia' ;) aesthetics-of-democracy.de?lang=en
Ästhetik der Demokratie
aesthetics-of-democracy.de
August 2, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
Colleagues based at UK universities: please sign and share this letter to support Gazan students coming to study in the UK, in order to request Governmental deferral of the biometric data requirement and safe evacuation.
Open letter from UK university staff: Request for biometric deferral and safe evacuation of incoming Palestinian students and scholars from Gaza to UK Universities
More than 40 students currently trapped in Gaza with full scholarships to UK Universities are asking for a safe route to come and study. We, the academic community hoping to welcome these scholars, ca...
docs.google.com
July 31, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Reposted by Joanne Tatham
🎉 The Bernat Klein Studio has been saved!

A coalition of Scottish heritage orgs secured it at auction for £279,000.
This modernist gem by Peter Womersley will now be restored for public + creative use.

👏 Huge congratulations to all involved!
July 31, 2025 at 8:00 AM