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Humour at the Crab Museum: Funniness, ethics and political activism
Get PDFThis article considers the importance of humour in the Crab Museum, Margate, UK. This unconventional cultural space describes itself as a small, independent science museum and a baffling tourist attraction. It uses joking to educate, engage debate on urgent environmental issues and entertain.
We use original research interviews with the museum’s creators, analysis of comedy within the museum’s exhibits and activities, and ethical theorising to explore the functions that humour serves within the museum. We begin by drawing out key functions of humour identified in interviews with the museum’s directors: 1) humour as a means to increase engagement with the museum, especially by building community; 2) humour as a means to communicate distasteful truths, and, 3) humour as a means to engage critical thinking and disrupt habits of thought around existing hierarchies of knowledge. We apply theory on comedy as critique and comic licence to discern the social and political significance of these activities. Finally, we use ethical theorising, exploring the meta-ethics of the crab museum’s joking. We conclude that joking can, itself, form a practice of ethics
Exploring food waste management practices in the hospitality sector: Insights from Nigeria and Sri Lanka
No full text6th International Conference on Business Innovation and Growth, University of Botswana, Gaborone
Employer branding in the global hotel industry: A strategic approach for competitiveness and talent management
No full textPaper delivered at the 33rd Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME) 20-23 May. University of Essex, UK
A critical review on conversion technology for liquid biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass
No full textThe growing demand for sustainable energy solutions has intensified interest in lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) as a renewable feedstock for liquid biofuels. This review critically evaluates advancements in LCB-to-biofuel conversion technologies, comparing their efficiency, environmental impact, and economic feasibility. Thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis and gasification offer conversion efficiencies of 28–40 % at relatively low costs (0.55–0.60 USD/L gasoline equivalent) but require bio-oil upgrading. Biochemical pathways produce higher-quality fuels; however, high enzyme costs and microbial toxicity hinder large-scale implementation. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) shows promise with 35 MJ/kg biocrude energy density and 92 % carbon retention, though high energy input and catalyst costs remain challenges. Biobutanol outperforms bioethanol in energy content (29.2 MJ/dm3) and engine compatibility but suffers from microbial toxicity. Biodiesel cuts GHG emissions by 53–61 % but struggles in cold climates. Life cycle assessments indicate significantly reduce GHG emissions, with waste-derived feedstocks mitigating land-use conflicts. Advancing LCB biofuels requires optimizing HTL, enhancing microbial tolerance in biobutanol production, and integrating AI for process improvements. Policy support through subsidies and carbon incentives, along with scalable technology deployment, is key to sustainable biofuel adoption
Utilising design of experiment to design an optimised bioink for 3D bioprinting
No full textThe advancement of bioinks for 3D bioprinting is vital for tissue engineering, requiring precise tailoring of rheological and structural properties. This study employs integration of rheological analysis with a design of experiment (DoE) approach, with the aim being the optimisation of bioink formulations comprising of hyaluronic acid, sodium alginate, and dextran-40. A factorial DoE identified sodium alginate as the primary determinant of the bioinks’ viscosity, while the mixture DoE established an optimal formulation with a viscosity of 3.275 Pa·s, matching the viscosity of the commercial benchmark. Rheological assessments confirmed the optimised bioink’s shear-thinning properties and structural integrity, essential for printability and cellular support. Capability analysis of multiple batches demonstrated process reliability, whereby viscosities were consistently within defined boundaries, emphasising the robustness of the DoE-guided formulation process. This research highlights the potential of combining statistical and rheological methodologies to develop bioinks tailored for specific tissue applications, paving the way for improved 3D bioprinting outcomes
The embodiment of equitable ways to develop agentic wellbeing through movement maximising personal and general spaces: Re-tooling affordances as drivers of social justice
No full textThis paper explores physical affordances – features and practices supporting activity – and scrutinises their accessibility to promote principle-led equity in movement. By examining how being active underpins capabilities essential for living well, a holistic perspective on using ‘self-space’ and surrounding space is presented. In line with the World Health Organization’s (2021) mandate for fairness in physical activity programming, a justice-oriented leadership approach across health and education is emphasised. The application of JEDI principles (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) to physical movement highlights constructs of autonomy and agency, enabling individuals to make choices and act to invoke change (Virenque and Mossio, 2024). The concept of ‘constraints’ is extended from therapeutic roots (Taub et al., 1993) to adaptive movement facilitation (Newell, 1986). Constraints-informed pedagogies enhance embodied learning, fostering autonomy through interactive movement generation in physical education (Renshaw and Chow, 2018). Being well is understood as a composite of physical, cognitive, and emotional health. It is recognised as a complex yet integral construct (Spratt, 2016; Ryff, 2014). Physical activity is shown to significantly influence health behaviours, encompassing mental and physical wellbeing (Liu et al., 2024). This paper offers means to facilitate fair ways towards children's healthy active living
Positionings, agencies and roles in an academic, virtual learning environment: A topology of learning
No full textThis paper presents a small-scale, Action Research study with a group of undergraduate students and two tutors on a dissertation module in a British university. The aim was to explore the ways students’ collaborative engagement can be facilitated in a virtual learning environment. Drawing on positioning theory, the authors explored the ways participants constructed the self and others in this virtual space: their perceptions of the rights, duties, roles and expectations of each other; their evolving identities as learners and the impact of these positionings upon their sense of personal, collective and relational agencies. They used questionnaires and interviews to examine the participants’ discourses and positionings. The virtual learning space was experienced as a predominantly relational space, where participants assumed certain dynamic positions, always in relation to each other. The findings suggest the existence of a topology of learning
Ancient light
No full textBook Launch and Exhibition at The Photo Book Cafe Shoreditch, London, June 2025.
‘What to make of Melanie King’s photographs of the stars, which make up the extensive series ‘Ancient Light’? They have none of the glamour of NASA’s enhanced astronomical photographs and cannot repeat the exactitude of the powerful telescopes which constantly map the universe. Rather, they are photographs rooted in the earth’s surface , emphasising our smallness against the infinity of space. This is what we see, insists Melanie King, aligning herself perhaps with Plath’s vision of the tired and bedraggled stars glimpsed in the night sky over England . And to see them like this, to acknowledge the power of their travelled light, we celebrate the fact that we are part of this, moving , vibrant specks in a history as long as time.’ (Professor Val Williams, 2024)
‘Ancient Light’ comprises analogue astronomical photographs of the night sky, often produced in remote locations away from light pollution.
The project arises from King’s practice-based PhD ‘Ancient Light: Rematerialising The Astronomical Image’, completed at the Royal College of Art in 2024. In this book, King highlights the connections between light emitted from deep within the cosmos, photographic materials and the ecology of Earth. The book includes an essay by Professor Val Williams and an introduction by Dr Melanie King.
The launch included projections from the series ‘Ancient Light’ by Dr Melanie King, and sounds curated by Clementine Blue
MET Police - Back of the Door Campaign posters
No full textA series of posters designed in conjunction with CCCU Graphic Design students for MET Police South London's campaign against violence against women and girls
Arcade Carpets
No full textArcade Carpets (bookwork, 2023) features in the show Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style at The Design Museum, London, 2025