Henry on Tour: The progresses of Henry VIII Kate Giles, John Cooper, Louise Hampson, Keely Hayes-Davies, Pat Gibbs and James Osborn

Professor Kate Giles is a building historian and archaeologist with a particular interest in the study of late medieval and early modern communal and public buildings. She specialises in the study of guildhalls and has led major projects on examples in York, Boston and Stratford upon Avon. She has a particular passion for churches and has recently published a major study of the wall paintings of Pickering Church (North Yorkshire). As Director of the Centre for the Study of Christianity & Culture and Heritage360, Kate works with national, regional and local organisations to find creative ways of sustaining and sharing their heritage with others.

Dr John Cooper is a Reader in Early Modern History with the University of York’s Department of History. He came to York in 2005, having worked on the Tudor desk at the Dictionary of National Biography and as a teaching fellow at Lincoln College, Oxford. His research focuses on royal propaganda, palaces and politics during the 16th century. He recently led the AHRC-funded ‘St Stephen’s Chapel’ project, which explored the medieval royal chapel in the Palace of Westminster which became the first House of Commons in 1548. He has acted as a historical consultant to the BBC and Starz, and is actively involved with the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Dr Louise Hampson is Head of Heritage Research and Partnerships for The Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture, University of York. She works on medieval and early modern culture and stained glass, and has a growing interest in Jewish history. She completed a PhD in History of Art at the University of York in 2016 on the post-medieval reception and care of the stained glass of York Minster. She has published on the Minster, and on Thomas Becket and has a book based on her thesis in preparation with Brill’s Art and Material Culture in Medieval and Renaissance Europe series.

Keely Hayes-Davies is an Impact and Outreach Co-ordinator at the University of York. She is an early modern historian specialising in Henry VIII's royal progresses, seeking to build a complete itinerary for the reign of Henry VIII for the first time. She has a particular interest in exploring personal monarchy, politics, and the relationship between power and space. Currently in the final year of her PhD at the University of York, she has previously been involved with the AHRC-funded Henry on Tour Network, a collaborative network between historians, curators, archaeologists and heritage professionals. 

Patrick Gibbs is Head of Technology at Heritage360 at the University of York. His expertise ranges from web design and mobile technologies through to 3D visualisation, photography and digital visitor engagement. He also teaches user experience design at the University of York. Patrick is interested in how digital technologies can help visitors to museums, heritage sites and historic cities better understand and enjoy their surroundings.

James Osborn is the Digital Technology Specialist at Heritage360 at the University of York. He started his career as an archaeologist after studying at Bournemouth University. After completing further studies at the University of York he specialised in 3D visualisation. James is interested in how 3D visualisations can enhance user experience and can be used as an analytical tool by academics and practitioners.