Dr Rachel Bynoth

This workshop is based on my research into slow comms, 18thc anxiety, + distant relationships and what we can learn about emotion + well-being today.

It’s all about slowing down and making meaningful comms + connections, ideal thinking for different relationships and situations today. 3/3

Participants will learn all about the ideas of slow communication and eighteenth-century modes of communication to think about how we communicate today. We will then get crafting, making cards, letters and envelopes and choose another attendee to send our communications in the post to! 2/

A photo of a handwritten letter with white handmade envelope and a blue sticker acting as a seal.

Delighted to be running an internal workshop at @bathspauni.bsky.social for the Women’s Staff Network on Wellness, Connection and Crafting Communications in November as part of our theme for this academic year on Health and Wellbeing! 1/ #skystorians #AcademicSky @bsecs.bsky.social

Lunchtime Lectures: Shoes and the Georgian Man - V&A Academy Talk at V&A South Kensington · V&A This talk is part of the free Lunchtime Lecture programme. No booking is required.

On 20 November, I'm giving a lunchtime lecture at the V&A about my book Shoes and the Georgian Man. It's free, do come along!
#skystorians @bloomsburyfashion.bsky.social @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social
www.vam.ac.uk/event/xd9XBD...

Lots of lovely things to build on for our critical design thinking module next semester! Congrats to the team (I was helping out from the critical design thinking side and getting inspiration) 👏

Birds Eye view of Bath Spa University and its Georgian Mansion House

Today’s Design Sprint as part of 1st year Design @bathspauni.bsky.social was a wonderful melting pot of ecology, design, critical thinking, research, regeneration, systems, ideation and collaboration. A beautiful fusion of critical design thinking, studio practice and place/locality. #AcademicSky

Lots of lovely things to build on for our critical design thinking module next semester! Congrats to the team (I was helping out from the critical design thinking side and getting inspiration) 👏

Mistress by Ruth Larsen and Anthony Fletcher

Spa Day and Monograph Research - a beautiful combination 🫧 😌 = 🤔 ✍️ Thanks to Ruth Larsen and Anthony Fletcher for a fascinating deep dive into the world of the Mistress #amresearching #book1 #skystorians #AcademicSky

Mistress by Ruth Larsen and Anthony Fletcher

Spa Day and Monograph Research - a beautiful combination 🫧 😌 = 🤔 ✍️ Thanks to Ruth Larsen and Anthony Fletcher for a fascinating deep dive into the world of the Mistress #amresearching #book1 #skystorians #AcademicSky

Students are being othered again - and everyone loses out Other than “raw” economic growth, the other big theme at Labour Conference 2025 has been on communities, place and social cohesion.

What’s interesting about Jim’s observations is that the gov strategy is around university regionality and local focus and yet students/unis are not included in gov civic/community conversations and initiatives. #Makeitmakesense #skystorians #Academicsky wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

View out of a window with a hot air balloon in the background and flower in the foreground

Close up of a hot air balloon floating over the shed in my back garden. Very close!

Timeline cleanse - happy Sunday 🎈 #relax #hotairballoon #somerset #skystorians #AcademicSky

Vaccination and the price of forgetting History shows how dangerous anti-vax sentiment can prove

Eighteenth-century precedents and 21st-century threats.

Lovely short video by fashion historian @serenadyer.bsky.social on the new Marie Antoinette exhibition at the V&A museum

To learn more about the doomed Queen of France, check out our recent episode of BBC YOU’RE DEAD TO ME about her with @100days1815.bsky.social & Jen Brister

Been filming things today! Watch this space 👀 Back to preparing for Monday’s teaching tomorrow! #skystorians #media #filming #AcademicSky

Come join us in January 2026. This year’s theme is Big and Small (though papers can be on any topic).

I’ve gone for comfort/discomfort + letter writing for my paper, with the Big/Small highlighting the stress placed on each in 18th c. letters.

What are you thinking of topicwise? #skystorians #18c

Come join us in January 2026. This year’s theme is Big and Small (though papers can be on any topic).

I’ve gone for comfort/discomfort + letter writing for my paper, with the Big/Small highlighting the stress placed on each in 18th c. letters.

What are you thinking of topicwise? #skystorians #18c

I think you have missed the point I was making - it is not about using it, it is about understanding it. If you understand it, and think about it critically and ethically, you are unlikely to use it and you can justify why.

100% - they also often do not have the knowledge to know when the information is not right or helpful

I do not entirely see it like that but I can see why you would see it in this way. Regardless, AI is something that is in the world and should be critically discussed and ethically considered rather than avoided entirely, even if it is not allowed to be used in some contexts.

We tend to get students to learn what it is and how it works and most tend to come to these conclusions on their own. AI literacy for me comes from being able to explain why you are not using it (by understanding what it does and doesn’t do) and when it is used, justify why.

I don’t like that it just focused on Chat-GPT. The free version which is more problematic but all some can afford (issues with equality) and also it’s often not the Gen AI supported in institutions. Students - we will aid your Gen AI literacy, with, and most importantly, without using Gen AI tools.

How to use ChatGPT at university without cheating: ‘Now it’s more like a study partner’ The ubiquitous AI tool has a divisive effect on educators with some seeing it a boon and others a menace. So what should you know about where to draw the line between check and cheat?

Maybe let academics and universities teach students about/how to use Gen AI for their HE activities rather than generally putting out broad and uncritical advice to students who could easily fall into pitfalls and accidental misuse #skystorians #AcademicSky

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

It’s that time again - the Jane Austen festival in Bath! A few tidbits for everyone:

It‘s also the anniversary of my talk on the Bath marriage mart - moving beyond Austen’s Northanger Abbey to uncover a range of experiences + emotions including anxiety, sadness, resolve, excitement and boredom. 1/

Not every benefit has to be related to earnings. And a “rewarding career” is not really about money. In fact I would put health, happiness and relationships above wealth. And of course EDUCATION, which has endless benefits, both directly and indirectly to work and life.

The mind matters.

Sounds super useful - especially from a context perspective for all sorts of things - will record it and catch up with it next week

We can learn so much about slowing down, repair, mend + rewear, communications (you can’t just message/phone back quickly), dating, rituals + wellbeing from the 18th + early 19th c. 4/ #skystorians #AcademicSky @nationaltrust.org.uk @bathprestrust.bsky.social #janeausten #janeaustenfestival

For those needing a break, remember letter writing - it provides a space for reflection, slowing down and making connections - let’s learn from those in the past whose communications were not instant, often not free and carefully crafted for meaning, understanding and tone (without emojis!😱 😮) 3/

It also reminds me of my language of the fan workshop 🪭 that I ran at the end of July (with more to come) - and how it ends up being more than just learning the language of the fan. So those of you fluttering your fans, take a moment to look at the history - it might surprise you! 2/

It’s that time again - the Jane Austen festival in Bath! A few tidbits for everyone:

It‘s also the anniversary of my talk on the Bath marriage mart - moving beyond Austen’s Northanger Abbey to uncover a range of experiences + emotions including anxiety, sadness, resolve, excitement and boredom. 1/

It is not for a few months until the one I have organised so there is not a link to it yet - will share once available. There is a brief mention of various museums including that one. I am open to consultancy to run it elsewhere though.