Don't just take our word for it...

We're a friendly bunch at Academic Archers and the conferences and online community have been a joy to be part of, in part for all the laughs we have, and in part for all the support we receive from everyone involved. 

selection of Feedback from the 2017 conference

It was humorous whilst teaching me something new and re-invigorating a few brain cells!

Whilst not an academic myself, I found all the presentations accessible and this has made me think I might do some sort of academic study again.

…the inclusiveness, especially for non-academics.

It will change the way I listen to The Archers…I may also consider a paper for next year!

It was interesting to see something so everyday and convention as The Archers deconstructed by people who are enthusiastic about their discipline.

This, like last year’s conference, was an outstanding example of academics turning their skills and expertise upon a familiar phenomenon. I enjoyed the playfulness of the presentations and the seriousness of its focus.

Fantastic to get together with like-minded people and find out what The Archers means to them. The sense of community is fantastic.

Fascinating to hear others interpretations, there is no substitute for face-to-face conversations

I loved the genuine interdisciplinarity of it within the general envelope of a roomful of people who enjoy talking about The Archers and why it matters to them. There was some genuinely fascinating application of real world research approaches to the world of Ambridge.

I'd like to thank you for the excellent organisation of the conference, the superb presentations, and the hours of preparation needed to bring the event to fruition, not least in managing the peer review panel. Last year was enjoyable but this year's event has set a new high bar. I'm looking forward to next year already.

Just to say firstly thank you fort asking me to participate in the conference. It really was very jolly and not quite like any conference I have been too before, my conferences tend to rather dour affairs about dark topics. So although serious issues were discussed it was all done in a great spirit and thoroughly enjoyable as well as informing. You are doing the nation a great service and hope you duly recognized and rewarded.

Very many congratulations and thanks for the 2017 Academic Archers Conference. What a triumph. I now have a much better idea of the approach and format you are taking and it is remarkable. Not only does it inform, educate and entertain about The Archers but also about so many fascinating facets of life, research and academia.

I wanted to thank you and Cara (and the rest of the gang!) for all your hard work, for putting together such a well prepared event - you’d make Lynda Snell envious of your smooth production! I was great to hear such breath and range of papers, but what made it for me was being able to talk about the Archers with people who share my passion without them looking for the nearest exit. It was lovely how we all gelled together as group and circulated - and such a range of different people. It was heartening to spend time with some of the ‘young ‘uns’ who will form the next generation of listeners.

feedback from the 2016 conference 

I just wanted to say thank you for organising yesterday - I had a lovely, lovely day, and you should all be proud of being responsible for such a successful event.  It's no mean feat to keep an entire room engaged and interested through an entire day, including the afternoon slot! It was also great to have so many different disciplines represented.  I really liked that variety, and again, it's a rare thing to have that spread of interests at a conference. 

I'd like to thank you and your colleagues for organising such a tremendous event. It was thoroughly enjoyable, with an excellent programme, built towards appropriate climaxes at each break, and treated of some very profound themes. It was great to see the way the presenters took seriously the questions and processes without taking themselves - or The Archers - too seriously.

Thank you everyone for such wonderful papers, and congratulations to the organisers for putting together such an engaging, hilarious and truly interdisciplinary day. I was really happy to be involved, and humbled by the Archers expertise in the room!

A very unusual conference - the interdisciplinarity linked by a fictional text really worked. And the audience just loved it. Quite an achievement as Archers fans can be very critical! 

The energy and encounters coming out the day are what conferences should be about. A fun-filed, focused, interdisciplinary, critical celebration.

The range of presentations and subject matter were outstanding and so humorous and some touched with sadness. There were many sobering issues dealt with in such an informative light way. Obviously using a soap as a medium to deliver education is clearly the way forward in education. I must remember this for my own undergrads and post grads.

it was great to take part in such a fascinating set of interdisciplinary discussions and to be able to talk to such an enthusiastic audience!

I learned a lot and laughed a lot, which is a fantastic combination.

Your conference showed academics have got a sense of humour and don't take themselves too seriously.

It was a fabulous day. I've been talking about it ever since!

The conference was just brilliant! A remarkable and memorable day!

A brilliant idea! I look forward to attending events in the future!

Thank you so much for making this happen

Telling everyone I went to an Archers conference seems to be making me very popular, everyone wanting to know what it was like. I think, 25 years after we left school, it might be safe to be out to my school friends about it, now they've all become listeners too...