Thursday, 10 August 2023
Cheese tastings with a touch of cultural history and city tours that show the role bears played in popular culture and entertainment in Tudor England are coming to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ later this year as part of a national humanities festival.
The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ has been chosen as one of just five places to host a Being Human Festival Hub. The festival celebrates arts and humanities research and demonstrates how it is directly relevant to people’s lives and interests.
Researchers from the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ are putting together an exciting programme of free events that will include food and drink tours with history experts, Viking poetry performances, craft activities, art therapy sessions to improve mental wellbeing, language learning and much more.
Dr Colette Davies and Dr Anna Walas, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Officers at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, are curating the programme. They explain: ‘We are ecstatic to be a Hub in this year’s Festival. We have strived to make the programme relevant to people today and so we are also offering a range of events that explore the connections between mental health and art, philosophy and performance”.
We have chosen to celebrate local people and places, spotlighting quirky histories that local communities might not have heard of before. We are using the festival to bring to light the stories of once world-famous ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ medieval sculptors, pioneering ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½-based female science and science fiction writers, local Suffragettes, our lace-makers, 18th century protesters against the rising food prices, as well histories of local accents and the many languages spoken in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ today.
The festival is led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and The British Academy. The theme this year is ‘Rhyme and Reason’, and it will be brought to life through theatre and poetry performances, walks and tours, craft activities, and history-themed food and drink events. Every event is free to attend and each session will consider how our understanding of reason and logic has changed throughout history, and how humans have used rhyme to express their experiences.
We’re proud to be able to showcase the world-class humanities research at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. This festival will demonstrate how humanities subjects are vital to society, and the events will be a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge with local communities and celebrate local arts, culture and history.
Further details about the festival will be announced later this year. Information about previous festivals can be found
Story credits
Image credit: Being Human Festival - School of Advanced Study, University of London
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About the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what’s next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ invests in the city of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and in future generations of talent. Alongside ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we’re creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.