Back in May of this year I wrote an Art Encounters article called The Rescue Act. It was about the events that led to my adopting a border collie called Oscar. The title was a bit tongue-in-cheek, like the title of an action movie and I was…

In the aftermath of such ugly events as those which unfolded in Charlottesville last week, it can be difficult to find meaningful ways to express our solidarity with marginalised communities. But it's not impossible. As white supremacists…

Nowadays the Mona Lisa needs no introduction - it’s the most famous painting in the world, after all. Over six million people a year visit the Louvre in Paris to see La Gioconda - the Happy Woman. That name for the painting is actually a…

We love Instagram. Why? Because it brings tonnes of visual art right to your finger tips. Follow @thisheadstuff to stay up to date with our finds on our favourite app. You can find our other choices for Instagram Pick of the Week here. Want…

If you’ve heard of Mary Ellen Pleasant before, then chances are that what you’ve heard wasn’t good. “Mammy Pleasant” has often been a favourite of sensational accounts, the “evil Voodoo Queen of San Francisco” who made a good villain to…

Some shows don’t really dig any deeper than being easy entertainment for people. The fairly new Netflix series Orange Is the New Black is arguably not one of those shows. Each season explores hard-hitting issues such as racism, feminism and…

Kingdom of Heaven is Ridley Scott’s 2005 Crusades epic. It depicts a period of history when an egomaniac, rallying radicalised jingoists, takes over from a cool-headed man of peace. So a re-watch of its Director’s Cut and some…

Welcome friends and strangers. Are you ready to laugh? If not, I can wait. Effortlessly, in fact. The nature of the medium means that we interact asynchronously, so I can write this now without bothering you and you can read it later…