Lilian Baylis: The Visionary Impresario

Lilian Baylis (1874–1937) was one of the most influential impresarios in the history of the performing arts in Britain. We assert that through her work over the first decades of the twentieth century she was the architect for the creation of some of the UK's most important performing companies. Baylis died on 25 November 1937. In an appreciation the following day, The Manchester Guardian was clear about her contribution: Miss Lilian Baylis . . . has left the most enduring memory. She made the Old Vic almost the one theatre in Britain to which an Englishman of cultivated tastes could go without first looking to see what was being played there – though not without first booking his seat. Her productions of Shakespeare did more than anything else to rescue our greatest dramatist from the hands of the unscrupulous actor-managers and to save him from the uncomfortable pedestal on which bardolaters had set him. It is significant that when this year controversy arose on the proposal to build a national theatre not only did Miss Baylis claim that she and her company were the national theatre but that many eminent authorities were ready to agree with her. Her work for opera was equally valiant, though its success was limited by the greater difficulties which surrounded it; the production of opera is an expensive pleasure, for which the English have always been unwilling to pay. Though Miss Baylis's name will always be connected with the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres in London, she did not forget that London was not England. She sent a company to dance the ballets in the Northern cities and this year made it possible for Buxton to stage a dramatic festival of the highest quality. If she had lived longer this practical missionary of the theatre might have brought light into many dark places. 1 In this chapter, we trace Baylis’ career, paying particular attention to her ground-breaking innovations at the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells Theatres and role in establishing British ballet, and argue that her work laid the foundations for the creation of the National Theatre, English National Opera, The Royal Ballet, and Birmingham Royal Ballet

Optimal development for the children of prisoners? How children with a parent in prison are supported and why it matters

This article examines the need and types of support for children with a parent in prison, the measures in place to know who they are and the consequences of associated policies for their development. These are discussed within a cultural-historical child development framework and, within that, questions are raised about optimal development and children's rights. The article is grounded in a mixed-methods study of a support service for children of prisoners in Worcestershire. Parental imprisonment can impact negatively on societal, institutional and personal aspects of children's development. However, when children are supported through family centred, relationship-focused, strengths-based services, they can engage more fully in the institutions and social situations of their daily live

Making the mos(s)t of nature? Cleantech, smart nature-based solutions, and the ‘rendering investable’ of urban moss

This article examines the ways in which ‘nature-based solutions’ (NBS) to urban environmental problems are contributing to a re-imagining of the forms and roles of vegetal life in cities. Specifically, we examine the versions of nature that are being produced within a subset of nature-based solutions described as ‘smart’ – that is, those involving the enrolment of non-human lifeforms into digital infrastructures comprising sensors, data flows and automated support systems. Whilst NBS are often celebrated for opening up cities to lively ecological processes – thereby contributing to more convivial, ‘more-than-human’ forms of urbanism – their smart incarnations are becoming a playground for entrepreneurial and financial actors seeking new ways to enclose, commodify and derive profit from non-human life in cities. To explicate this argument, we examine the case of a proprietary ‘nature-based solution’ to urban air pollution developed and sold to local authorities and corporate actors by a European cleantech start-up, predicated on optimising the air-filtering capacities of moss. Our analysis proceeds in three stages. First, we draw on scholarship on the bioeconomy to show how the commodification of moss in this case is predicated on discursive arguments which depict moss as at once inherently productive and regenerative, but also fragile and scarce in urban environments. Secondly, we show how this smart NBS is rendered investable through the enrolment of moss into a carefully designed digital apparatus, which purports to stabilise and optimise its air purifying work, thereby making its contributions to urban air quality continuous, consistent and calculable. Finally, building on an assessment of the entanglement of this example with specific urban geographies and modes of urban governance, we critically reflect on the role that smart NBS in general might yet play in either reinforcing or disrupting prevailing dynamics of privatisation, enclosure and green gentrification in cities

Risk factors associated with postpartum anxiety in Australia, Europe, and North America: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

Background Reducing the prevalence and consequences of anxiety following childbirth (postpartum anxiety) is a strategic priority in the UK and many similar nations; a comprehensive review of risk factors can support the development of interventions and guide further research. Methods This registered systematic review was guided by ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses’ (PRISMA) and analysed using ‘Synthesis Without Meta-analysis’ (SWiM) to answer the question; ‘What factors have been reported to increase the risk of maternal postpartum anxiety (PPA) in Australia, Europe, and North America?’. MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for relevant research from Australia, Europe, and North America, published up to July 2021. Results Screening yielded 39 reports (total N = 40,238). Seven risk categories were identified (Psychopathology and personality, Social, Socio-demographic, Health, Cognitive, Pregnancy and birth, and Infant characteristics and postpartum experiences). Historic and concurrent depression, historic anxiety, and low social support were the most frequently evidenced risk factors. Limitations The review was limited to three geographical regions with comparable health, political, and cultural contexts, and research pertaining only to special populations was excluded. Conclusions Findings synthesise new evidence of the risk factors associated with PPA, whilst the discussion highlights potentially modifiable factors as targets for intervention. Monitoring for risk factors during routine pregnancy and postpartum care would allow for additional surveillance and earlier intervention with those most at risk. Peer support should be offered to people with heightened vulnerability to PPA. Developing support strategies that address cognitive vulnerabilities (e.g., parenting-related confidence) could prove particularly beneficial

'It's good to talk': Exploring Effective Professional Conversations in Teacher Education

Professional conversations are significant in teacher education, yet policy makers and practitioners differ in their understanding of what these involve. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the critical elements of successful professional conversations; the elements that effectively contribute to critical reflection and evaluation of teaching practice. Insight is provided by 10 participants who took part in a discussion group, in-depth interviews and written reflections. All participants are involved in professional conversations for a teacher education programme in Wales, in their capacity as either a student teacher, practice tutor or mentor. Findings highlight that some of the significant elements needed for an effective professional conversation include adequate preparation time for the conversation itself, knowledge of programme requirements and professional teaching standards, along with knowledge about the student teacher's school context – these can all be described as 'hard' inputs; whereas the 'soft' inputs include effective listening and questioning skills, and being able to offer challenge to the student teacher. Similarly, outputs of professional conversations can also be recognised as 'hard': effective reflections contributing to progress against the professional teaching standards; and 'soft': collaborative working relationships that are honest and positive with two-way learning for the mentor and the student. It is concluded that the softer skills of questioning and understanding the student teacher's expectations must be developed effectively for professional conversations in teacher education to have a positive impact on all those involved

The Assembly of Supermassive Black Holes at <i>z</i> < 1 in Early-type Galaxies from Scaling Relations

The assembly of supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass (M•) and stellar mass (M*) in galaxies can be studied via the redshift evolution of the M•–M* relation, but the ways in which selection bias and physical assembly channels affect this evolution are uncertain. To address this, we compare the M•–M* relation for local massive (M* > 1010.5 M⊙) quiescent early-type galaxies (ETGs) to that for massive ETGs hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN) at z ∼ 0.8. The restrictions on stellar mass and galaxy type limit the assembly channels that may connect the two relations. For the local sample we find log(M•) = 8.80 + 1.10(logM* − 11), in line with prior work. For the z ∼ 0.8 sample we find a bias-corrected relation: log(M•) = 7.80 + 1.25(logM* − 11) . We show, however, that this relation depends on the stellar and SMBH mass functions used to compute the selection bias, the virial relation, the virial factor, and the active fraction, which together introduce uncertainty of up to ​​​​​​∼0.6 dex in the z ∼ 0.8 relation. Adopting reasonable choices of these parameters then our z ∼ 0.8 relation lies above that for z ∼ 0 AGN by ∼0.5 dex, but below our z ∼ 0 ETG relation by 0.4–1 dex in SMBH mass. We discuss possible sources of this offset, including further bias corrections, “downsizing” in SMBH mass assembly, and preferential SMBH growth. Our results highlight the need to reduce uncertainties from selection and measurement bias in SMBH and stellar masses at all redshifts

Vulnerable research: Reflexivity, decolonisation, and climate politics

This article is a proposal for embracing ‘vulnerable research’ as an approach that fully accepts and reckons with the harms that research reproduces in a context of climate change and ongoing colonialism. It engages three literatures: on embracing vulnerability in research, decolonising research, and decarbonising research. I argue for taking a vulnerable approach to research, accepting and embracing vulnerability as method in order to challenge the embedded binary of the invulnerable researcher and the vulnerable research subject. Vulnerable research is a particularly important approach in the context of climate change, as the hubristic need to be the person in the vulnerable places, doing the research, is itself vulnerabilising in its environmental harms. I therefore argue that vulnerable vulnerability research requires trust, delegation, and a decentring of the research expert. This would also enable a realignment of knowledge and expertise which is needed for decolonising climate research

Sequential dissociation of ionized benzonitrile: New pathways to reactive interstellar ions and neutrals

Since benzonitrile’s discovery in the interstellar medium (ISM) in 2018, several studies have explored the strongest unimolecular dissociations of its radical cation (C6H5CN•+). However, sequential dissociation processes, which become important when ionization occurs with significant excess energy transfer, have received almost no attention to date. The present metastable dissociative ionization experiments reveal 14 different dissociations, of which 11 have never been observed before. Nine of these new reactions involve the dissociation of a fragment ion. A notable result shows that C4H2 •+ production (the second most intense fragment ion in conventional mass spectra without metastable dissociation analysis) derives from sequential dissociation via C6H4 •+ , as well as from the previously reported unimolecular dissociation of C6H5CN •+ . Furthermore, our experiments demonstrate new pathways that produce astrochemically important neutrals including HCN/CNH and CN• , as well as revealing CH• and C3H• production from ionized benzonitrile for the first time. In addition to the metastable dissociation experiments, we applied density functional theory to calculate two sequential dissociation routes and report the results of our detailed analysis of the peak shapes in a conventional mass spectrum of benzonitrile. The latter enabled the dominant ion to be identified in peaks with nearest-integer m/z values that match two conceivable ions. The present identification of C6H2N+ production using this approach allows its presence in the ISM to be inferred for the first time. This paper extends our understanding of how the dissociative ionization of benzonitrile can contribute to the abundances of radicals and other reactive species in interstellar environments

Energy from waste in the Global South and its role in achieving net zero

Recovering value from municipal wastes is becoming common practice in the Global North where legislation restricts landfills. Energy is recovered by combustion in energy from waste facilities (C-EfW) and anaerobic digestion (AD) is used to produce biogas from organic wastes. Some AD is carried out in the Global South, but C-EfW is generally not used. This is due to the high cost and the need for a well-established waste collection infrastructure. An assessment of data on waste composition has demonstrated that, in many countries in the Global South, household waste would not be suitable for C-EfW owing to its high moisture and low heat contents. A carbon footprint calculation shows that, if the waste is suitable for combustion, C-EfW results in the lowest carbon footprint. Where the mixed waste is not suitable for C-EfW, AD is the best option. How the non-digestible waste should be managed depends on its compositio

A new approach to children’s work that prioritises resilience, well-being and agency: emerging findings from a ‘cash plus’ intervention in Bangladesh

Background Criticism of mainstream approaches to child labour is widespread and well-established. The Child Labour Action Research in South and Southeast Asia (CLARISSA) Cash Plus pilot sought to address these critiques through an innovative programme that prioritised the development of household resilience and well-being, and through increasing household capacity to make alternative choices around children’s work. Research Funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, this pilot delivered unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) and needs-based case management and community mobilising across an entire slum neighbourhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Cash worth about 20% of household monthly income was delivered to all households for 7 months, with case work and community organising wrapped around for 21 months. The intended outcomes were that families would be able to increase their economic resilience and develop alternative capacities to meet their needs, with the intended goals of increasing well-being and the ability to make choices other than difficult or dangerous work for children. Research into impact was rooted in contribution analysis and combined bimonthly monitoring surveys administered by the community mobilisers; surveys at multiple time points; three rounds of targeted focus group discussions; three rounds of key informant interviews with case study households; community mobiliser diaries; and ethnographic observation. Results and conclusions The results strongly suggest that UCTs reduce poverty, increase economic resilience; improve well-being; and generate various household-level improvements that relate directly and indirectly to children’s work. They further suggest that case work and community organising act as a beneficial form of social protection and a tool for developing locally appropriate micro-responses to collective problems that commonly impact directly on well-being and indirectly on children’s work. These results point to the potential for this intervention to be scaled-up in efforts to achieve the eighth Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring decent work for all, including the elimination of child labour