Biographies of all the Presidents of the Geographical Association since the founding of the Association in 1893. Researched by Alan Parkinson (GA President 2021-22), with contributions from others, including the former Presidents themselves where possible.
Prior to that Matt and I sat in the exhibition area and spoke to lots and lots of geographers.
We had been given a room that was too small. The Sched app was telling us that it would be overflowing and we tried to fit as many people in the room as we could - around 40.
It would be great if anyone reading this was able to fill in the Google Form below to help me with some of the posts I've been producing. There are also plenty of other forms on the blog in places.
I'm going to be co-presenting a session with Matt Podbury at the GA Conference 2026.
Matt Podbury and I are putting the band back together...
Our session at the GA Conference 2026 has been accepted and we've teamed up for some musical improvisation... this one's in 9/8....
Musical Geographies: Sense of Place and Storytelling in the curriculum
Music is a dynamic, everyday phenomenon that connects billions of people, places, and cultures. It offers a powerful lens through which to understand the world and our place within it. From local rhythms to global genres, music, and its associated visuals provide students and teachers with meaningful insights into diverse environments which help shape their worldview.
For this collaborative lecture, Matt Podbury and Alan Parkinson are putting the band back together!
Matt will share how an idea to showcase his vinyl collection evolved into a rich, three-week unit on the Geography of Music for KS3 students. This explores themes such as sense of place, landscape and emotion, and the role of music in shaping our cultural identity, and addresses how music can be both a unifying and divisive force. Students design and produce their own vinyl LPs to end the unit.
Alan will share his new collaborative World of Music blog, which charts a year long journey through curriculum resources and collaborative pedagogy around music and its meanings; a playlist of ideas for teaching everyday geographies.
You will gain practical ideas, resources and inspiration for incorporating music into your own geography curriculum.
So Matt Podbury and I are putting the band back together...
Our session at the GA Conference 2026 has been accepted and we've teamed up for some musical improvisation... this one's in 9/8....
Here's the details, we submitted, which will appear in the programme in due course:
Musical Geographies: Sense of Place and Storytelling in the curriculum
Music is a dynamic, everyday phenomenon that connects billions of people, places, and cultures. It offers a powerful lens through which to understand the world and our place within it. From local rhythms to global genres, music, and its associated visuals provide students and teachers with meaningful insights into diverse environments which help shape their worldview.
For this collaborative lecture, Matt Podbury and Alan Parkinson are putting the band back together!
Matt will share how an idea to showcase his vinyl collection evolved into a rich, three-week unit on the Geography of Music for KS3 students. This explores themes such as sense of place, landscape and emotion, and the role of music in shaping our cultural identity, and addresses how music can be both a unifying and divisive force. Students design and produce their own vinyl LPs to end the unit.
Alan will share his new collaborative World of Music blog, which charts a year long journey through curriculum resources and collaborative pedagogy around music and its meanings; a playlist of ideas for teaching everyday geographies.
You will gain practical ideas, resources and inspiration for incorporating music into your own geography curriculum.
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