Oliver Coulson Receives Research Support Grant

Oliver Coulson, Doctoral Student in History of Art and Architecture at Brown University, was awarded a Research Support Grant in 2022. Below Oliver details the research activities he was able to undertake as a result of the award:

"In spring 2021, I was awarded a Research Support Grant to assist me in pursuing my investigations into the relationship between the Lollard heresy and the proliferation of angel roof sculptures in East Anglian parish churches. This project was born out of my PhD, supervised by Professor Sheila Bonde in the department of History of Art and Architecture at Brown University. My wider doctoral research project: Blind Sticks and Dead Stones: Iconoclasm and Religious Art and Architecture in England, ca.1382–1500, explored the impact of heresy on the material culture of late medieval England.

With the support of the grant, I was able to conduct archival work in record offices in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, as well as making many site visits to study architectural sculpture in person. I travelled widely in the eastern counties of England and built a comprehensive collection of photographs, which was invaluable to my research. The main aim of the work I did with the assistance of the Paul Mellon Centre grant was to provide material for a publishable article. I presented my research at the Complutense University of Madrid in March 2022 and am very close to submitting an article to peer review.

My research on medieval churches in Norfolk also led me to discover the work of the Norwich Historic Churches Trust (NHCT). I have recently taken up a new position with the organisation as Head of Operations, Conservation and Heritage. Norwich boasts the greatest number of surviving medieval churches of any city north of the Alps. The Trust is responsible for the conservation of eighteen magnificent medieval churches that are no longer used as places of worship.

These church buildings house a diverse array of vibrant charities, businesses and cultural organisations, including the Norwich Arts Centre, the Norwich Puppet Theatre and the Oak Circus Centre. In short, the Research Support Grant from the Paul Mellon Centre was instrumental in helping me take the next step in my career after my PhD and I remain very grateful for the award."