University that put over 200 trigger warnings on Shakespeare writings says request came from students
A university located in the UK that put more than 200 trigger warnings on the writings of William Shakespeare, told students to be aware of "blood," "psychological trauma" and "extreme weather," says the request came from students who had experienced trauma.
"Content warnings were requested by students with sensory processing issues and experiences of trauma," a University of the West of England Bristol spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The university flagged a sum of 220 trigger warnings for students.
"We agreed to include content warnings in this case to enable our students to engage with the materials with advance knowledge of the content," the spokesperson said.
Trigger warnings such as "treatment of women" and "mourning" were added to "Much Ado About Nothing," a comedy about two couples that form when a group of soldiers arrive in the town of Messina, in Sicily, Italy.
Murder, suicide, violence, knives and family trauma were flagged in the story of "Macbeth." The play was first performed in the 1600s and was about a Scottish general who had aspirations of becoming king who successfully killed the sitting king of Scotland so he could take the throne.
Warnings for "popping of balloons" were added to a theater performance of "The Tempest," a work by Shakespeare about a ship that was seized in a violent storm with Alonso, the king of Naples, on the vessel.
"Romeo and Juliet," an allegory about two lovers who kill themselves because they both believe the other to be dead, and do not want to live in a world without the other, includes warnings about death, suicide, violence, knives and blood.
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6 hours ago
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Who's been cast so far in HBO's 'Harry Potter' TV reboot? From the Hogwarts trio to some of our favorite professors
HBO's wizarding world continues to grow. The network is making new casting announcements this week for its upcoming Harry Potter TV series, revealing which actors will play key supporting characters, including Draco Malfoy. The show is set to premiere in 2027 and will be based on the original story but with major plot changes, and each season will focus on one of the seven books in the internationally popular literary series. In December, Variety reported that Discovery global streaming chief JB Perrette said the show is expected to be a 10-year project. That same month, Max announced on Instagram that production on the show would begin this summer at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England, where the original film franchise was filmed from 2000 to 2010. Here's what we know so far about the cast. McLaughlin will be playing the iconic role of Harry Potter. Daniel Radcliffe starred as the character from 2001 through 2011. The Scottish actor, who is around 11 years old, is also set to appear in BBC's Gifted series, which is expected to premiere sometime in late 2025, and Sky's new original film, Grow. Eleven-year-old Stanton will play Hermione Granger, one of the brightest witches of her generation. The character was previously played by actress Emma Watson in all eight Harry Potter films. This is Stanton's first on-screen role, having previously starred in Matilda on London's West End in 2023. Stout will play Ron Weasley, the sixth and youngest son in the Weasley family. English actor Rupert Grint originated the role, starting when he was just 11 years old. According to Stout's online actor profile, this will be his first on-screen acting role after previously being cast in a commercial for Albert Barlett potatoes. Pratt will play Slytherin antagonist Draco Malfoy, who was originally portrayed by Tom Felton in the films. The young British actor is also starring as one of the lead characters in the BBC's upcoming adaptation of Lord of the Flies, the 1954 novel by William Golding. Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. The character has previously been played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the Harry Potter franchise and Jude Law and Toby Regbo in the Fantastic Beasts series. 'Well, it came as a total surprise to me,' Lithgow told ScreenRant in February. 'I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision. I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes.' The British actor has been cast as Severus Snape, the potions professor at Hogwarts. Alan Rickman played Snape in all eight Harry Potter films. Essiedu earned several nominations for his role in the BBC's I May Destroy You and co-starred with Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. McTeer will play Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress under Dumbledore. Actress Maggie Smith played McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, while Fiona Glascott played her in Fantastic Beasts. McTeer has won multiple theater, film and TV awards and nominations, and will also star in the upcoming Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning with Tom Cruise. Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant who works as the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Robbie Coltrane originated the character in the Harry Potter movies. Frost is most well-known for his involvement in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which includes Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and World's End. Whitehouse will play Argus Filch, the caretaker at Hogwarts. He was portrayed by David Bradley in every Harry Potter film. While Filch did not appear in the last two Harry Potter movies, the character does appear in every book. The British actor was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy show The Fast Show, which ran from 1994 to 2014. The British stage actor will play Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the first book and movie, which means Thallon will only be in the first season of the show. Ian Hart played Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Thallon has played the lead for multiple major stage productions in London. Flynn has been cast as Draco Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy, previously played by Jason Isaacs. Flynn starred in Netflix's sitcom Lovesick and is also known for his performances as David Bowie in Stardust and George Knightley in Emma, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. Isaacs, who played Lucius in the original Harry Potter films, reacted to the casting in a post on Instagram on June 9, saying he was "thrilled to be passing the keys to Malfoy Manor" and called Flynn "a brilliant actor." Powley will be playing Harry's aunt, Petunia Dursley, originally portrayed by actress Fiona Shaw. Powley, 33, earned a British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer nomination in 2015 for her role as Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out. Her performance in the coming-of-age film, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, earned her the Trophée Chopard award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Rigby will play Harry's uncle, Vernon Dursley, who was played by the late actor Richard Griffiths in the original films. Rigby's acting history is a mix of stage theater, stand-up comedy, films and TV. On Instagram, the comedian said he was "thrilled to be playing the world's worst muggle, Uncle Vernon." Parkinson will play Ron Weasley's mom, Molly Weasley, who was previously played by Julie Walters. Parkinson broke out for her role in the British comedy series The IT Crowd, which earned her two BAFTA awards for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2009 and 2014. She also earned an Olivier Award nomination for her performance in the stage play, Home, I'm Darling, in 2018. HBO unveiled more cast members on June 8, who will play minor — but still memorable — characters in the upcoming TV show. Leo Earley is Seamus Finnigan, previously portrayed by Devon Murray. Alessia Leoni is Parvati Patil, originally played by Shefali Chowdhury. Sienna Moosah is Lavender Brown, played by Jessie Cave in the films. Bertie Carvel will play Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, who was previously played by the late Robert Hardy. For now, no original cast members or producers from the movie series have been announced to be part of the upcoming show. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, told ComicBook in June 2023 that he supported the new show but was not interested in being involved. 'I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way," he said. "But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world, and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it.' Several actors involved in the film series — Rickman, Coltrane, Gambon and Smith — have since died. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that he and HBO and Max executives Casey Bloys and Channing Dungey have met with author J.K. Rowling about the reboot. 'We spent some real time with J.K. and her team,' Zaslav said during a Warner Bros. company call in December. 'Both sides are thrilled to be re-igniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead.' In a Warner Bros. press release in 2023, Rowling said, 'Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation, which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.' Bloys told IndieWire in November 2024 that Rowling has 'been fairly involved in the process of selecting the writer and director' of the TV show and will 'have opinions on casting.' On the April 30 episode of The Town podcast, which covers Hollywood news, Bloys defended HBO's decision to continue working with Rowling on the show after some fans raised concerns over her political beliefs. "The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us," Bloys said. "We've been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from her called 'C.B. Strike' that we do with the BBC. It's pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She's entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter." Fan concerns about Rowling's involvement have popped up multiple times since the new series was announced. At the end of April, Essiedu, who was cast as Snape, along with Eddie Redmayne, who starred in Fantastic Beasts, and Katie Leung, who was in the original Harry Potter films, signed an open letter calling on the U.K.'s entertainment industry to protect the transgender community. While Rowling condemned the petition on X, she later responded directly to speculation she would fire Essiedu from the new series, writing, "I don't have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn't exercise it if I did. I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine."
Yahoo
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Who's been cast so far in HBO's 'Harry Potter' TV reboot? From the Hogwarts trio to some of our favorite professors
HBO's wizarding world continues to grow. The network is making new casting announcements this week for its upcoming Harry Potter TV series, revealing which actors will play key supporting characters, including Draco Malfoy. The show is set to premiere in 2027 and will be based on the original story but with major plot changes, and each season will focus on one of the seven books in the internationally popular literary series. In December, Variety reported that Discovery global streaming chief JB Perrette said the show is expected to be a 10-year project. That same month, Max announced on Instagram that production on the show would begin this summer at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England, where the original film franchise was filmed from 2000 to 2010. Here's what we know so far about the cast. McLaughlin will be playing the iconic role of Harry Potter. Daniel Radcliffe starred as the character from 2001 through 2011. The Scottish actor, who is around 11 years old, is also set to appear in BBC's Gifted series, which is expected to premiere sometime in late 2025, and Sky's new original film, Grow. Eleven-year-old Stanton will play Hermione Granger, one of the brightest witches of her generation. The character was previously played by actress Emma Watson in all eight Harry Potter films. This is Stanton's first on-screen role, having previously starred in Matilda on London's West End in 2023. Stout will play Ron Weasley, the sixth and youngest son in the Weasley family. English actor Rupert Grint originated the role, starting when he was just 11 years old. According to Stout's online actor profile, this will be his first on-screen acting role after previously being cast in a commercial for Albert Barlett potatoes. Pratt will play Slytherin antagonist Draco Malfoy, who was originally portrayed by Tom Felton in the films. The young British actor is also starring as one of the lead characters in the BBC's upcoming adaptation of Lord of the Flies, the 1954 novel by William Golding. Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. The character has previously been played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the Harry Potter franchise and Jude Law and Toby Regbo in the Fantastic Beasts series. 'Well, it came as a total surprise to me,' Lithgow told ScreenRant in February. 'I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision. I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes.' The British actor has been cast as Severus Snape, the potions professor at Hogwarts. Alan Rickman played Snape in all eight Harry Potter films. Essiedu earned several nominations for his role in the BBC's I May Destroy You and co-starred with Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. McTeer will play Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress under Dumbledore. Actress Maggie Smith played McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, while Fiona Glascott played her in Fantastic Beasts. McTeer has won multiple theater, film and TV awards and nominations, and will also star in the upcoming Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning with Tom Cruise. Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant who works as the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Robbie Coltrane originated the character in the Harry Potter movies. Frost is most well-known for his involvement in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which includes Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and World's End. Whitehouse will play Argus Filch, the caretaker at Hogwarts. He was portrayed by David Bradley in every Harry Potter film. While Filch did not appear in the last two Harry Potter movies, the character does appear in every book. The British actor was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy show The Fast Show, which ran from 1994 to 2014. The British stage actor will play Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the first book and movie, which means Thallon will only be in the first season of the show. Ian Hart played Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Thallon has played the lead for multiple major stage productions in London. Flynn has been cast as Draco Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy, previously played by Jason Isaacs. Flynn starred in Netflix's sitcom Lovesick and is also known for his performances as David Bowie in Stardust and George Knightley in Emma, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. Isaacs, who played Lucius in the original Harry Potter films, reacted to the casting in a post on Instagram on June 9, saying he was "thrilled to be passing the keys to Malfoy Manor" and called Flynn "a brilliant actor." Powley will be playing Harry's aunt, Petunia Dursley, originally portrayed by actress Fiona Shaw. Powley, 33, earned a British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer nomination in 2015 for her role as Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out. Her performance in the coming-of-age film, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, earned her the Trophée Chopard award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Rigby will play Harry's uncle, Vernon Dursley, who was played by the late actor Richard Griffiths in the original films. Rigby's acting history is a mix of stage theater, stand-up comedy, films and TV. On Instagram, the comedian said he was "thrilled to be playing the world's worst muggle, Uncle Vernon." Parkinson will play Ron Weasley's mom, Molly Weasley, who was previously played by Julie Walters. Parkinson broke out for her role in the British comedy series The IT Crowd, which earned her two BAFTA awards for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2009 and 2014. She also earned an Olivier Award nomination for her performance in the stage play, Home, I'm Darling, in 2018. HBO unveiled more cast members on June 8, who will play minor — but still memorable — characters in the upcoming TV show. Leo Earley is Seamus Finnigan, previously portrayed by Devon Murray. Alessia Leoni is Parvati Patil, originally played by Shefali Chowdhury. Sienna Moosah is Lavender Brown, played by Jessie Cave in the films. Bertie Carvel will play Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, who was previously played by the late Robert Hardy. For now, no original cast members or producers from the movie series have been announced to be part of the upcoming show. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, told ComicBook in June 2023 that he supported the new show but was not interested in being involved. 'I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way," he said. "But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world, and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it.' Several actors involved in the film series — Rickman, Coltrane, Gambon and Smith — have since died. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that he and HBO and Max executives Casey Bloys and Channing Dungey have met with author J.K. Rowling about the reboot. 'We spent some real time with J.K. and her team,' Zaslav said during a Warner Bros. company call in December. 'Both sides are thrilled to be re-igniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead.' In a Warner Bros. press release in 2023, Rowling said, 'Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation, which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.' Bloys told IndieWire in November 2024 that Rowling has 'been fairly involved in the process of selecting the writer and director' of the TV show and will 'have opinions on casting.' On the April 30 episode of The Town podcast, which covers Hollywood news, Bloys defended HBO's decision to continue working with Rowling on the show after some fans raised concerns over her political beliefs. "The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us," Bloys said. "We've been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from her called 'C.B. Strike' that we do with the BBC. It's pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She's entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter." Fan concerns about Rowling's involvement have popped up multiple times since the new series was announced. At the end of April, Essiedu, who was cast as Snape, along with Eddie Redmayne, who starred in Fantastic Beasts, and Katie Leung, who was in the original Harry Potter films, signed an open letter calling on the U.K.'s entertainment industry to protect the transgender community. While Rowling condemned the petition on X, she later responded directly to speculation she would fire Essiedu from the new series, writing, "I don't have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn't exercise it if I did. I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine."
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Music therapy strikes a chord in care, schools and hospitals across Scotland
IN today's digital era, the choice of music available to us is wider than ever – and so are the reasons we engage with it. Among those making the most of its application beyond cultural expression are music therapists. Later this month, on June 21, people around the globe will celebrate World Music Day, and Scottish specialists are among those singing the praises of its use as a helpful tool. 'It's an inherent quality we all possess, human beings are innately musical,' says music therapist Reuben Quinn. READ MORE: Scottish independence support at 58 per cent if Nigel Farage becomes PM – poll For millennia, music has been used for religious ceremonies, communication and creating social cohesion. The digitisation of music has made it a more individualised experience, but its emotive power has remained a constant throughout. Now, music research is beginning to extend its influence, providing evidence towards the social, cognitive and therapeutic benefits underpinning our emotional responses. This led to its therapeutic application in the modern era. 'Music provides a really safe way of being vulnerable in therapy, which is one of its unique qualities,' says Quinn, inset. Quinn works for Nordoff and Robbins, the UK's largest music therapy charity, which trains and employs music therapists that help people to break through the barriers caused by life-limiting illness, disability and social isolation, using the power of music. The charity reaches thousands of people every year from its bases, and by working in partnership with organisations including care homes, schools and hospitals. 'It has such a wide variety of benefits, each story is unique and so the approach is non-prescriptive. The clinical goals emerge with the specific individual you're working with.' Much of Quinn's work involves working with the challenges faced by people with complex support needs: 'Some people I work with struggle with movement in a particular part of their body. Using musical rhythm can encourage meaningful and controlled use of muscles in the body part affected by disability.' The benefits of music therapy can also provide alternative modes of communication for non- or minimally verbal children. Around 25-30% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are minimally verbal, speaking less than 30 words and often not at all. One reason for this can be due to speech apraxia, which affects brain pathways, affecting their ability to translate conscious thoughts into speech. Others can have delayed or underdeveloped verbal communication skills and some can lose their ability to speak over time. 'For some people, music can be a more accessible and flexible and fulfilling mode of communication, because they have limited capacity for spoken or written language,' says Quinn. 'Engaging together in music provides that real-time dynamic interaction with people which can contain a lot of important social information and activity, such as turn taking, humour, surprise and pathos.' Researcher and music specialist Dr Rachel Drury (below) is the co-developer of the MA Psychology in the Arts (Music) course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) and has worked with children from birth to age 21 at Rachel House Children's Hospice in Kinross for 10 years. (Image: Supplied) 'The alternative platform music creates for children has benefits for their family members too,' says Drury. 'The pressures of looking after a child with a life-shortening condition are tremendously difficult, so being able to offer an artistic process for them to put their stories through is really powerful, it's really nice to facilitate that.' Drury stresses how important music is for everyone, regardless of whether they suffer from physical or mental health symptoms. 'When you listen or produce music, your brain lights up like a Christmas tree,' says Drury. Music stimulates our cognitive abilities including speech, attention and memory, and affects more parts of the brain than other sensory stimuli. These include regions associated with social and emotional processing, which gives music the power to induce a feeling of wellbeing. 'Learning a musical instrument has been shown to increase the grey matter in the corpus collosum. This region forms a link between both sides of the brain allowing them to communicate with one another, and plays an important role in sensory, motor and cognitive processes,' says Drury. Fortunately, singing and remembering music is thought to use parts of the brain which aren't affected by dementia, which means clients are often able to engage with this mode of therapy and maintain their speech and language – as well as feeling good. Quinn also works with patients in end-of-life care, and has witnessed the benefits of music therapy throughout care homes. 'Encouraging patients with dementia to sing or engage with musical instruments allows them to show sides of themselves which, because of their diagnosis, often lie dormant,' says Quinn. 'This not only improves their mood and confidence but knits the care home community together. It allows residents to demonstrate skills and the confidence that changes who this person is in eyes of care staff.' The therapeutic benefits of music therapy has led to it being a certified mental health intervention. Currently offered on the NHS, it is employed to help alleviate symptoms relating to anxiety, depression and trauma. Quinn continues: 'It's sad we don't have much music in the curriculum anymore so kids aren't being exposed to the potentially transformative experience of identifying themselves as a musician.' 'It's one of the first things to go when there's funding cuts and one of the biggest barriers I've realised while being a musician is making people understand the value and the impact it does have,' says Drury. 'It's one of the world's best-kept secrets.' The RCS is the only institution in Scotland which offers an MA in Psychology of the Arts (Music) and Drury is encouraging anyone who is interested to reach out and find out more via its website. To find out more about Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy, visit
