Closing Presentation: Ruth Goodman
Friday November 4th, 4:00 to 5:00p.m.
Ruth Goodman is a social and domestic historian working with museums, theatre, television and educational establishments. She has presented (and consulted on) several highly successful television series including “The Victorian Farm”, “Victorian Farm Christmas” “Tales from the Green Valley” and “The Victorian Pharmacy”, and followed by "The Edwardian Farm" in 2010/2011 (all for primetime BBC Two) as well as presenting a variety of films for The One Show. The series also received high critical acclaim and was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award. The book of the series, also called “The Victorian Farm” went to No. 1 in The Sunday Times’s best seller list. Due to its phenomenal success, BBC Two have commissioned a 12- part follow on series called “The Edwardian Farm”.
As well as her television work, Ruth offers advisory services, lectures and holds practical workshops around the country. As a social historian she works with a whole range of people, institutions and museums such as The Weald and Downland, The Globe Theatre, Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust, the National Trust and the heritage and drama departments of several universities.
Her particular interest is the domestic; how we lived our daily lives and why we did the things we did. Also how seemingly little things change the world. Our day to day routines have a huge cumulative effect on the environment; our shopping habits can sway the world's patterns of trade and how we organise and run our family life sets the political tone of nations.
As Ruth says “We matter. How our ancestors – ordinary men, women and children - solved the nitty gritty problems of everyday life made the world what it is today”.
Ruth’s consultancy work covers media (including assisting make up artists with Elizabethan cosmetics in ‘Shakespeare in Love’, information on personal hygiene practices for Channel 4’s Colonial House), interpretation for museums and heritage sites, designing exhibitions and training staff. Her courses and lectures cover everything from ‘History of Eating’, ‘Victorian Cleaning’, ‘The Cycle of Life’, ‘Babies and Birth’, ‘Medicine – A Consumer’s Guide’ and ‘A Good Death’. Her favoured periods are Tudor, Edwardian, Elizabethan and Victorian.
Ruth lives with her family in Buckinghamshire.
