Acting with Head, Heart and Hand: Margaret, Queen of Scots (d.1093), and Victorian Pioneers in Women’s Education and Advancement: A Public Talk and Q&A
Join us in celebrating the 150th anniversary of QMU with a special event featuring two distinguished historians who will illuminate key figures in our story.
Dr Bill Aird will explore the life of Margaret, Saint and Queen, after whom our institution is named, diving into her remarkable legacy. Discover the long-reaching impact of her choices in educating her daughters, and how she shaped the Scottish royal court, preparing the ground for her son, King David I to transform Scotland.
Dr Lesley Orr will then highlight the social movements that led to the creation of our institution, focusing on our inspirational female founders who campaigned for rights and worked to transform opportunities for women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both within our institution and well beyond.
Following the presentations, Joyce McMillan, journalist and broadcaster, will chair a Q&A session at what promises to be a fascinating, revealing and inspiring look at the stories of women who acted with head, heart and hand.
Light refreshments will be served from 5.30pm, with the presentations and Q&A starting at 6pm.
Speaker biographies
Dr Bill Aird is a senior lecturer in medieval history at the University of Edinburgh whose work focuses on the European Central Middle Ages, in particular the Norman diaspora of the period, c. 900-1200. He is currently working on a biography of Margaret’s sons, King Edgar (1097-1107) and King Alexander I (1107-1124).
Dr Lesley Orr is a historian and activist for gender and social justice. She is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues at the University of Edinburgh and a visiting lecturer at QMU.
Joyce McMillan is theatre critic of , and also writes a political and social commentary column for the paper. She has been involved in many campaigns for democracy and human rights both in Scotland and internationally, and has been a freelance journalist living and working in Edinburgh for more than 40 years. She is an honorary graduate of ÐßÐßÊÓƵ, and was a Visiting Professor at the university from 2006-2010.
