HUMAN A FESTIVAL OF THE HUMANITIES
LOST & FOUND Produced in partnership with
17–25 NOVEMBER 2017
Contents Director’s welcome
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How to use this guide
About the festival
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Festival map
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Festival preview
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Festival broadcasts
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International events
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Events are listed by region, then alphabetically by town, city, then by date, then by time. Each listing states the event title, the name of the organising institution, the date and time, and the name of the venue. The information in this guide is subject to change; please check our website for the most up-to-date information: beinghumanfestival.org.
Hubs
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Event highlights
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Events listings: Scotland
16
Events listings: Northern Ireland
24
Events listings: Wales
27
Events listings: North East
31
Events listings: North West
34
Events listings: Yorkshire and the Humber
37
Events listings: East Midlands
41
Events listings: West Midlands
49
Events listings: East of England
52
Events listings: South West
56
Events listings: South East
60
Events listings: London
67
Events listings: International
89
Events by date
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Follow Being Human twitter.com @BeingHumanFest facebook.com /BeingHumanFest
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instagram @beinghumanfest
Booking The majority of our events are free and open to the public, although a fee may apply in a few cases. Some events have limited capacity. At the bottom of each event description in this guide is a notice about whether advance booking is required. For complete booking information, please visit our website at beinghumanfestival.org.
Accessibility If you have any questions about whether a specific event is accessible, please contact the organiser of that event; details are provided on the individual event pages at beinghumanfestival.org.
Event podcasts Selected events are recorded and available to view, listen to, or download from iTunes and YouTube. Please check beinghumanfestival.org for details.
#BeingHuman17 Visit beinghumanfestival.org/ e-news-sign-up/ to join our mailing list and receive the latest information on the festival. Being Human 2017 beinghumanfestival.org
Welcome
Being Human 2017 Director’s welcome
It’s an exciting time for the Being Human Festival. Now in our fourth year, we are delighted to return with a programme that showcases the best, most exciting and innovative humanities research around the country. Our theme this year is Lost and Found. We have been amazed by the variety and quality of events that have come forward in response to our call for participation. From shipwrecks and lost treasures to histories uncovered in archives, our programme demonstrates how humanities research is shaping the debates and shifting our understanding of the human world. We have events on the history of language and music, walking tours of landscapes and cities, explorations of art and the senses, and discussions of cricket and British wrestling. From our preview event at the British Museum to activities taking place at our five festival hubs— Belfast, Dundee, Glasgow, Nottingham and Swansea—to activities in more than 50 cities and towns across the UK, the scale of the programme this year is remarkable. In 2017 we will be taking Being Human even further out into the world, with our first programme of international events. In September we will present events in collaboration with the University of Melbourne in Australia. In October we will be working with the British School at Rome; in November we will be in Singapore, working alongside the Singapore Writer’s Festival. Finally, during the festival itself, we will be in Paris, exploring the ‘missing persons’ of that city. None of this would be possible without the continuing support of our partners and funders, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. I would like to thank them, and the University of London Convocation Trust, for supporting us. Welcome to our Lost and Found programme. We are very proud of it, and of all those who have worked hard to make it possible. Professor Sarah Churchwell Director, Being Human festival Chair in Public Understanding of the Humanities, School of Advanced Study, University of London
Being Human 2017
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Being Human is the UK’s only national festival of the humanities. It was established in 2014 to create a national platform to share cutting-edge research in the humanities with diverse audiences in ways that are accessible, engaging, and fun. The festival is led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London—the UK’s national centre for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities. Being Human runs in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy, who also fund the festival. This partnership brings together three of the major coordinating bodies for humanities research in the UK. Every year we allocate small grants to fund festival activities across the UK. We also feature a number of activities within our programme that are not funded directly by grants. From our office in Senate House, the team provides help and support to organisers across the country, drawing together a national programme of events and activities celebrating humanities research and its essential role in our everyday lives.
Partners The School of Advanced Study, University of London, is the UK’s national centre for the promotion and support of research in the humanities. The School is proud to serve as the national coordinating hub for the Being Human festival. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) invests around £98m every year in research and postgraduate training. The research supported by this investment of public funds provides considerable economic, social, and cultural benefits to the UK. The AHRC is proud to support the Being Human festival of the humanities and its work to engage the public in world-leading arts and humanities research. The British Academy was established by Royal Charter in 1902. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise, and support excellence and high achievement in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value. The British Academy is delighted to support the festival for a fourth year to highlight exciting work happening in the humanities in the UK.
A Particular Theatre: Shakespeare, Suffragists and Soldiers (School of Advanced Study, University of London, Being Human festival 2016)
About the festival
About the festival
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Being Human 2017
Festival map
Festival map This year, the festival features more than 300 events organised by 89 universities and research organisations in partnership with cultural and community groups in 54 cities and towns across the country. Hubs include Belfast, Dundee, Glasgow, Nottingham, and Swansea.
Scotland p16 Aberdeen Dundee Edinburgh Glasgow
North East p31 Durham Newcastle upon Tyne North Shields Southwick Yorkshire Sunderland
Northern Ireland p24
and the Humber p37
Belfast
Bradford Hull Leeds Ottringham Sheffield York
North West p34 Blackburn Chester Liverpool Manchester
East Midlands p41 Leicester Lincoln Northampton Nottingham
East of England p52
Wales p27 Merthyr Tydfil Swansea
London p67
West Midlands p49 Birmingham Stoke-on-Trent Stratford-upon-Avon Worcester
South East p60 South West p56 Bridport Bristol Cullompton Exeter Paignton Sherborne Southampton
Being Human 2017
Cambridge Hatfield Norwich
Brighton Canterbury Chichester Colchester Jaywick Milton Keynes Oxford Portsmouth Reading
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Festival previews
Festival previews Lost and Found: Twenty Years of Treasure Discoveries in England, Northern Ireland and Wales Friday 20 October, 18:30–20:00 BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, London Ever dreamt of finding lost treasure? This special preview event organised in collaboration with the British Museum and chaired by Being Human festival director Professor Sarah Churchwell marks the 20th anniversary of the Treasures Act. Join a panel of experts and curators from the British
Museum as they dig deep into two decades of lost and found treasures and debate the best discoveries. Who owns these treasures, how do we care for them, and what do they tell us about the histories of different regions? This free event introduces the Being Human 2017 Lost and Found theme and is part of the British Museum’s year-long ‘Treasure 20’ series of events. Booking required | £5 (adult), £3 (concessions), with a limited number of free tickets available online
Gulliver’s Worlds Saturday 4 November, 10:00–17:00 Dundee Science Centre, Dundee Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a giant? Or what it would be like to become microscopic? Explore exciting and different ways to view the world and the environments around us in this special museum takeover from creatives and researchers at the University of Dundee. Expect special guests, amazing experiments, and marvellous discoveries inspired by the adventures in Gulliver’s Travels. No booking required | Fee on entry: £3.98 (adult), £3.48 (concession), £2.98 (child) 4
Being Human 2017
Festival broadcasts
Festival broadcasts Free Thinking at Being Human Lost and Found on BBC Radio 3 Thursday 16 November, 22:00 Tuesday 21 November, 22:00 As part of this year’s Being Human festival, BBC Radio 3’s flagship arts and ideas discussion programme Free Thinking will broadcast two special programmes on the theme of Lost and Found. In the first, Matthew Sweet travels the country talking to researchers investigating the lost and the found in peculiar places. How, for example, can the reflections of a warrior-poet from the distant past and the adventures of an Iron Age tribesman from the far future help us rethink our relationship with a local shopping centre in the Britain of today? In the second, BBC Radio 3 New Generation Thinkers Shahidha Bari and Laurence Scott will host a special studio discussion looking at how the themes of loss and rediscovery play out in disciplines across the humanities, featuring research from universities across the UK.
Being Human 2017
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International events
International events In 2017 the world is in many ways a smaller place than ever. At the same time, it is deeply divided by debates on the limits of global collaboration, resurgent nationalism and protectionism, movements of displaced populations, threats of environmental catastrophe, ‘nowheres’ versus ‘somewheres’ and local versus global. These pressing issues facing humanity are the natural terrain of humanities research. With this in mind we are delighted to announce our first series of international Being Human events, taking place across Europe, Asia and Australia from September onwards as an extension of our UK-based Lost and Found programme. In a divided world, we hope these events will make a contribution to a global human conversation.
Melbourne – University of Melbourne Trump, the Humanities, and the American Dream Tuesday 19 September University of Melbourne Being Human festival director Professor Sarah Churchwell will kick off our international strand of activities with a lecture and series of related activities exploring the value of the humanities in Melbourne, Australia. In the first year of the Trump presidency, the shockwaves of which have reverberated around the world, what role can the humanities play in reshaping global discourse and underpinning global resistance? This lecture will situate the rise of Donald Trump within some of the history of the American Dream and America First in order to consider their relation to the struggle for democracy and the role the humanities play in that struggle.
Rome – British School at Rome Lost and Found: Places, Objects, and People Friday 27 October British School at Rome Across the Mediterranean, places, objects, and people have been subject to processes of loss, destruction, and recovery. Our environments and our lives are both terrifyingly fragile and wondrously resilient. This 6
Being Human 2017
International events
workshop, organised especially for Being Human, brings together archaeologists, classicists, and others leading the fight to preserve our shared human culture. From recovering stolen artefacts and battling illicit trade in antiquities to creating satellite images of endangered archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa, this event explores the ways in which international researchers are combatting global problems.
Singapore – Nanyang Technological University and the Singapore Writers’ Festival Imagining Asia Saturday 11 November Nanyang Technological University On this panel, chaired by Being Human festival director Professor Sarah Churchwell, writers Tash Aw, Boey Kim Cheng, and Madeleine Thien consider some of the implications of being Asian writers writing about, and within, Asia. Reflecting on their varied contexts, which extend from Australia, China, Malaysia, and Singapore to Canada, the UK, and the US, these three authors will explore writing from a diverse range of vantage points. They will explore what it means to be an Asian writer and the challenges of ‘imagining Asia’, sometimes against a long history of orientalist image- and story-making.
Paris – University of London Institute in Paris Missing Persons: Lost and Found in Paris Friday 17 November University of London Institute in Paris Street names and transport stations are often the first words of a foreign language adopted by migrants. Sometimes these names are familiar and meaningful long before arrival. This is the case today for the Parisian districts known as La Chapelle and Stalingrad, key rallying points for people fleeing fear and deprivation around the world. Through a series of photography workshops and interventions on the streets of Paris, this project will explore what is hidden or lost in these names, and what other lost histories are there to be unlocked in the surrounding streets. Being Human 2017
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School of Advanced Study, University of London Lost and Found The School of Advanced Study, based in the University of London’s iconic Senate House in the heart of the global city of London, serves as the coordinating hub for the Being Human festival, the School’s flagship public engagement initiative. A number of activities responding to the festival’s Lost and Found theme will be hosted in Senate House, including a residency by Queerseum, a grassroots initiative campaigning for a permanent home for queer voices lost and found to history. We will also host visits from the Migration Museum, From Syria with Love, and from Ruth Barnett, one of the original passengers on the Kindertransport, the rescue effort that brought nearly 10,000 refugee Jewish children to Britain from Nazi Germany in 1938 and 1939. Our programme will also feature lunchtime talks, workshops, performances, and drop-in sessions from some of the School of Advanced Study researchers working in Senate House—from philosophical sensory experiments to 3D printing of lost classical temples.
Queerseum installation at the Tate Britain
Hubs
Coordinating Hub
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Being Human 2017
Hubs
Hubs Gulliver! A Fantastical Pantomime (p 17) Written and performed by Playing Small Parts Theatre company, this highly irreverent and topical retelling of Gulliver’s Travels is a fantastical feast for all ages. The pantomime will engage the audience’s collective participation in the time-honoured traditions of British pantomime. Who will Gulliver meet on his wondrous voyages around the world? You decide! The Imaginarium (p 17) Come along to a unique expo of outrageous thought experiments inspired by Jonathan Swift’s fantastical mock-academy at Lagado. What is bullet time? Are lie detectors always honest? Expect talks by leading experts in the arts and sciences, as well as pop-up activities and performances for the whole family, such as the use of a mini green-screen film studio! Swift at 350: The Graphic Anthology (p 18) Join comic book creatives and experts for the book launch of Swift at 350: The Graphic Anthology, featuring the work of local artists and competition winners. Learn more about the process of bringing ideas to life through comics. Details about the competitions, which will run during the festival, will be available on the Dundee Comics Creative Space website and the Being Human festival website.
University of Dundee Jonathan Swift at 350: Lost and Found The world’s greatest satirist, Jonathan Swift, turns 350 years old in November 2017. Lost in a series of fantastical places, the narrator of his most famous work, Gulliver’s Travels, enthrals everyone he meets with his adeptness in lying (‘the thing which is not’)— that is, storytelling. Through a series of hands-on activities and immersive events centred on ‘tall tales’ in the City of Discovery, Jonathan Swift at 350: Lost and Found engages with the extraordinary legacy of a man who found wondrous and shocking perspectives on being human.
Programme highlights Telling Tall Tales (p 18) Our daily lives are filled with fictions large and small. Through a series of fun and frolicsome activities, this highly innovative creative writing workshop will look at the history of telling ‘tall tales’ before you have a go yourself! Who will you choose to be as you spin your own yarns fit for the social-media generation? Zero creative writing experience required. Hosted by popular local actor and tutor Eddie Small. Being Human 2017
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Hubs University of Glasgow Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Join the University of Glasgow and rediscover people, places, and stories you thought you knew. Glasgow comes to life with curiosity and creativity as a special series of events takes you from prehistoric art to the futuristic worlds of science fiction. With art, poetry, music, films, exhibitions, and more, you’re invited to explore familiar worlds in unfamiliar ways. This hub programme is our first-ever in Glasgow, and we are delighted to present it as a core part of Being Human 2017.
Programme highlights Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten (p 19) This photographic exhibition invites an alternative look at abandoned buildings through images collated by urban explorers, a subcultural community who discover, explore, and photograph derelict buildings. They follow a simple code—‘take only photographs, leave only footprints’—to digitally preserve these urban relics. This exhibition encourages people to reimagine abandonment and gives voice to neglected heritage. Finding Meaning in Myth (p 20) Come along to this free workshop to find out how ancient myths and legends are updated for new audiences. Why do authors return to the stories of Medea, Oedipus, or Troy? How do they update these
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stories, and what can these myths tell us about our own time? The workshop will include a reading by the poet and playwright Liz Lochhead, author of Medea and Thebans, and a talk by the broadcaster and classicist Edith Hall that will question whether women hear ancient myths differently to men. There will also be the chance to get involved in a creative writing session, during which you can rewrite a myth of your own. New Light on Old Books (p 20) Learn how digital technologies are being used to help unlock the secrets of medieval manuscripts. This event will showcase and explain some of the digital tools and techniques that libraries and researchers are using to uncover lost details of centuries-old books. You will also have the opportunity to get creative with electric ink and discover the Glasgow connection to the history of UV light technology. Fantasy Scotland – A Night at the Museum (p 22) The Hunterian Museum will come to life to celebrate Scottish histories and heritage. From Peter Pan to Outlander, modern Scottish fantasy in literature, art, film, and TV underpins this dazzling event. See the museum bathed in atmospheric lighting, enjoy musical and literary performances and activities and delight in some amazing library treasures on display for this event only. Discover what creature inspired the Loch Ness Monster, where in Scotland you might find evidence of the legends of King Arthur, and the University of Glasgow’s equivalent to Hogwart’s ‘Sorting Hat’.
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Hubs You’re Only as Old as You Feel (p 26) Explore ageing in these inter-generational drama workshops aimed at teenagers and the over-69s. Use hand-manipulated puppets to explore individual stories of ageing, focusing on how the sense of self can be lost and may need to be re-found as we age. Experiment with the use of puppetry in applied theatre and explore what ageing means to you.
Queen’s University Belfast Belfast Celebrates the Humanities We are delighted to feature our first-ever festival hub in Northern Ireland. Popping up at venues across Belfast will be an exciting and highly diverse programme inspired by this year’s festival theme of Lost and Found. Events include workshops, screenings, and discussions on topics as wide ranging as aesthetic living, kidney transplants, hearing loss, ageing, conflict, teenage girls on screen, and histories of the First World War.
Hearing Loss and Found Identities – The Sound of Silence (p 24) Join this performance and workshop aimed at those who have experienced sensory changes such as hearing or sight impairment. The performance will present extracts of immersive theatre from Nessa Haynes’ Can You Hear Me Now?, which explores her experience of hearing loss in collaboration with sonic artist John D’Arcy. The event will also feature extracts from the work of choreographer and dancer Helen Hall, whose evocative dance performance Reflective Moves explores her experiences of limited and diminishing sight. The practical workshop will be facilitated by dramatist Hanna Slattne. Beauty in Belfast circa 1884 (p 25) Based on the work of Oscar Wilde, this event will explore the clothing, interior design, and lifestyles of the late-Victorian period. By looking at the various societies and institutions that emerged at that time, the talk will consider the aesthetics of late-Victorian Belfast and the role it played in transforming the city into a dynamic metropolis.
Programme highlights Storytelling from Conflict (p 24) Join this workshop using material from the Prisons Memory Archive to explore how to identify, source, and exhibit individual stories about conflict, and examine how storytelling can contribute to issues of understanding the ‘other’ in a divided society. The Archive, which was filmed during the conflict in Northern Ireland, features a collection of 175 filmed walk-and-talk recordings from a range of participants, including prison staff, prisoners, relatives, teachers, chaplains, lawyers, doctors, probation officers, and maintenance staff. These recordings capture how everyday life was affected by the conflict and builds a rich tapestry of the story of the prisons, as well as those who had a connection with Armagh Gaol, the Maze and Long Kesh Prison. Being Human 2017
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Hubs
Hubs Swansea University Voices, Faces and Places Our Wales hub features creative and interactive activities on a diverse range of subjects. Be transported to the magical realm of Egyptian mummies and friendly and menacing demons, uncover family histories relating to the British Empire, make faces and stories, dress up in 1920s clothes, become a film critic, take multilingual snaps, and even have a medieval makeover. Audiences can join poets Simon Armitage and Daljit Nagra, experience an evening of Welsh national football fever with director Jonny Owen, or discover lost and new voices in the multilingual city of Swansea.
Programme highlights Wales/Cymru, Refugees, Voices, (Hi)stories (p 28) What does it mean to travel to Wales as a refugee and settle on a more permanent basis? How have refugees’ voices and (hi)stories been interpreted and understood? Come along to Swansea Museum to meet contemporary refugees, hear their (hi)stories and voices, respond to their stories through performance and other creative activities, and learn about oral history. Making Faces: Beauty Lost and Found (p 29) Discover the fascinating world of the face, from medieval beauty regimes to the disfiguring effects of work, from historic dental routines to the changing attitude towards spectacles. Take the ‘implicit bias
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test’ to see just how you respond to faces that look different, and find out about the work of the charity Changing Faces. Join in a discussion about computer games that use scarring and facial disfigurement as entertainment and find out who has won the ‘make a face’ competition. And get ready to take interesting selfies. Bring along your own device! Ages 14+. Football Fever (p 28) Join award-winning director (and Welsh football fan!) Jonny Owen, sports historians, and film experts for a Q&A and special screening of Don’t Take Me Home, which documents the Welsh national football team’s incredible run to the semi-finals of the 2016 European Championships. The film tells the story of a success that gripped a nation and took the football world by surprise from the perspective of the players and the fans. An Evening of Poetry with Simon Armitage and Daljit Nagra (p 30) Come along to this rare dynamic double-bill of awardwinning poets. As well as being two of the most exciting and relevant writers in the UK today, Simon Armitage, Oxford Professor of Poetry, and Daljit Nagra, Poet in Residence for Radio 4, are also experienced broadcasters. Nagra will read from British Museum, a book that asks profound questions of our ethics and responsibilities at a time of great challenge to our sense of national identity. Armitage will read from The Unaccompanied, which documents a world on the brink. A discussion and Q&A will follow the reading.
Being Human 2017
University of Nottingham How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Being Human 2017 sees the University of Nottingham join forces with Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature to offer a cross-city approach to delivering their UNESCOinspired mission of building a better world with words. How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words is a brief guide to writers, writing, reading, and storytelling across languages for the citizens of Nottingham and those who are inspired to visit them.
Programme highlights Switchboard (pp 45 and 48) Try your hand on the old exchange, reminisce over the Mickey Mouse character telephone, or listen for ghostly voices on the wires. Exploring the different voices that have been lost or found down the line, Switchboard is a three-part series of events exploring the literary legacy of the telephone. Switchboard I will explore the cultural history of the telephone and inspire and support writers of all levels in the production of new creative work. Participants will also have the chance to share their work at Switchboard III, a live literary event on Thursday 23 November. (Re)connecting with Nature through the Power of Wild Words (p 44) Wild words, whether in the form of poetry, literature, or spoken language, have the power to inspire an emotional and enduring connection with the natural Being Human 2017
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world. This day of workshops and interactive sessions will explore the positive power of wild words to help us reconnect with the natural world. Learn how words can challenge us to view our surroundings differently and change our relationships to nature. All ages welcome. Images in Translation: Screen Printing Workshop (p 44) Think about what is found in translation and turn those ideas into beautiful screen prints. How do works in translation take us to other places? When literature is translated into English, we gain not just a physical book, but a whole new host of descriptions of places, people, and ideas. Join experts in Russian and Slavonic Studies to think about other cultures and work with artists to capture your ideas. At the end of the session, participants will be able to take away their prints and a new way of thinking about literature in translation. Lost Authors: Geoffrey Trease (p 48) This workshop for children explores the work of Nottingham-born writer Geoffrey Trease, a successful writer of historical fiction for children in the 20th century. His radical viewpoint was a change from the conventional tone of most children’s literature of the time. He was one of the first authors who deliberately set out to appeal to both boys and girls and to feature strong lead characters of both sexes. This workshop will explore the impact the often-overlooked Trease had on children’s literature through two of his books, Bows Against the Barons (1934) and Tales Out of School (1949). 13
Event highlights
Event highlights Fantasy Scotland – a Night at the Museum Glasgow The Hunterian Museum will come to life to celebrate Scottish histories and heritage. From Peter Pan to Outlander, modern Scottish fantasy in literature, art, film and TV underpins this dazzling event. See the museum bathed in atmospheric lighting and enjoy musical and literary performances and activities.
An Evening of Poetry with Simon Armitage and Daljit Nagra Swansea Come along to this rare dynamic double-bill of two award winning poets. Nagra will read from British Museum, a book that asks profound questions of our ethics and responsibilities at a time of great challenge to our sense of national identity. Armitage will read from The Unaccompanied, which documents a world on the brink. A discussion and Q&A will follow the reading.
Live British Wrestling: History and Resurgence Leicester This Being Human event is an exploration of the history of British professional wrestling—a chance to watch some wrestling and talk about gimmicks, chair shots, and top rope flips. Whether you have been a fan for 40 years or don’t know your hurricanrana from your cobra clutch, everyone is welcome. Spandex optional!
S ee page 22 for event information
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Storytelling from Conflict – Lost and Found Stories Belfast Join this workshop using material from the Prisons Memory Archive to explore how to identify, source and exhibit individual stories about conflict, and examine how storytelling can contribute to issues of understanding the ‘other’ in a divided society. The Archive, which was filmed during the conflict in Northern Ireland, features a collection of filmed recordings, which capture how everyday life was impacted by the conflict and builds a rich tapestry of the story of the prisons. S ee page 24 for event information
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Finding Mr Hart Blackburn At the dawn of the 20th century, Robert Edward Hart lived a quiet life in Blackburn, managing the family rope making business. Few people realised he was spending his family’s wealth to create one of Britain’s most impressive book and coin collections. Using interviews, letters, business records and Hart’s personal notes, this creative theatre show takes audiences into the quiet but imaginative world of one of Britain’s most important collectors. S ee page 34 for event information
Being Human 2017
Event highlights Switchboard I, II and III Nottingham Come and try your hand on the old exchange, reminisce over the Mickey Mouse character telephone, or listen for ghostly voices on the wires. Exploring the different voices that have been lost or found down the line, Switchboard is a three-part series of events exploring the literary legacy of the telephone.
Tattoos and Travel Essex Travel has often been integral to tattooing, from its use amongst pilgrims, its presence in nautical and seafaring cultures, and as a feature in today’s holiday tattoos. This event discusses the meaning of tattoos and invites the audience to discuss their own experiences.
Bass in the Attic London Rediscovering the black British music heritage you have at home in this panel of music makers and thinkers. Musical objects and associated memories will be the springboard for a conversation and call to action around heritage, which aims to reconnect individuals and families to their musical heritage through memorabilia and mementos.
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Vanished: A Historian’s Guide to Extinction Birmingham Over 90% of beings that ever lived on Earth are now extinct – if you’re reading this, you’re lucky enough to be in the 10% that survived! But, as a scientific theory, extinction is surprisingly modern. This talk will be a whistle-stop tour of the history of extinction from a historian’s perspective. S ee page 50 for event information
Being Human 2017
The Great Yiddish Parade London The Great Yiddish Parade is a re-enactment of a protest march by Jewish immigrants in Victorian Whitechapel who demanded better conditions for all East End workers. Experience the intensity of political culture in the Victorian East End with a band of klezmer musicians and singers performing lost Victorian Yiddish protest songs in their original setting. S ee page 71 for event information
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Scotland
Scotland Aberdeen Home Abroad: Lost and Found University of Aberdeen Tuesday 21 November Friday 24 November 19:00–21:00 Aberdeen Science Centre, Aberdeen Booking required
Join us at Aberdeen Science Centre for a series of discussions based around heritage and identity. Members of Aberdeen’s Polish Association and researchers from the University of Aberdeen will lead lively discussions on the place of migration and identity in modern Scotland, especially from the point of view of the Polish immigrant community. A second discussion will look at what might happen in a post-Brexit future. At both these events, Polish culture and tradition will be celebrated and the way in which groups have settled into Scotland will be discussed.
Dundee Gulliver’s Travels: Lost and Found University of Dundee Series: Jonathan Swift at 350: Lost and Found Saturday 18 November 09:30–17:30 Monday 20 November – Friday 24 November 09:00–18:00 (closed Wed) Dundee Central Library, Dundee
Explore Dundee Central Library’s special exhibition of rare and unusual copies of Gulliver’s Travels, including beautifully illustrated French translations and Doctor Who spin-offs. Alongside the exhibition, the library will host various family-friendly activities, including readalong sessions and a drop-in pop-up book surgery with local experts. Come along and make pop-up versions of your favourite novels!
Booking required
Languages Lost and Found University of Dundee Series: Languages Lost and Found Saturday 18 November 10:00–16:00 Various venues across Scotland No booking required
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This series of events aim to make visible the hidden richness and diversity of languages and cultures in Scottish society. Try your hand at crafts, painting, dancing, singing, calligraphy and many more fun activities through community-led workshops and demonstrations. Different languages and cultures can be lost and hidden from the public eye, so come along and make these languages and cultures more visible in your community.
Being Human 2017
Scotland
Scotland Gulliver! A Fantastical Pantomime University of Dundee Series: Jonathan Swift at 350: Lost and Found Saturday 18 November 15:00–16:00 The Chaplaincy, Dundee Booking required
Written and performed by Playing Small Parts Theatre company, this highly irreverent and topical retelling of Gulliver’s Travels is a fantastical feast for all ages. The pantomime will engage the audience’s collective participation in the time-honoured traditions of British pantomime. Who will Gulliver meet on his wondrous voyages around the world? You decide!
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver University of Dundee Series: Jonathan Swift at 350: Lost and Found Sunday 19 November 11:30–15:00 Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee Booking required
Marvel at stunning visual effects during this special screening of the 1960 film The 3 Worlds of Gulliver. Accompanied by Bernard Herrmann’s rousing score, this event promises to bring Jonathan Swift’s satirical work to life in an unforgettable adaptation, accompanied by an illustrated talk on the history of ‘trick shots’ in the cinema.
The Imaginarium University of Dundee Series: Jonathan Swift at 350: Lost and Found Wednesday 22 November 14:00–17:00 Dalhousie Building, Dundee Booking required
Being Human 2017
Come along to a unique expo of outrageous thought experiments inspired by Jonathan Swift’s fantastical mock-academy at Lagado. What is bullet time? Are lie detectors always honest? Expect talks by leading experts in the arts and sciences, as well as pop-up activities and performances for the whole family, such as the use of a mini greenscreen film studio!
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Scotland
Scotland Dundee Telling Tall Tales University of Dundee Series: Jonathan Swift at 350: Lost and Found Wednesday 22 November 16:00–17:00 Dalhousie Building, Dundee Booking required
Our daily lives are filled with fictions large and small. Through a series of fun and frolicsome activities, this highly innovative creative writing workshop will look at the history of telling ‘tall tales’ before you have a go yourself! Who will you choose to be as you spin your own yarns fit for the social-media generation? Suitable for all, especially ages 8–12. Zero creative writing experience required. Hosted by popular local actor and tutor Eddie Small.
Swift at 350: The Graphic Anthology University of Dundee Series: Jonathan Swift at 350: Lost and Found Saturday 25 November 18:00–20:00 Dundee Comics Creative Space, Dundee Booking required
Join comic book creatives and experts for the book launch of Swift at 350: The Graphic Anthology, featuring the work of local artists and competition winners. Learn more about the process of bringing ideas to life through comics. Details about the competitions, which will run during the festival, will be available on the Dundee Comics Creative Space website and the Being Human festival website.
Edinburgh Understanding Our Multilingual World University of Cambridge Series: Understanding Our Multilingual World Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 09:00–17:00 Grassmarket Centre, Edinburgh No booking required
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Taking place in Belfast, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Nottingham, this exciting set of events aims to explore multilingualism through photography. Taken by members of the public, these photographs will display what multilingualism means to different people and their communities. You are invited to explore multilingualism, and how visible it is in your environment, through the themes and messages that emerge from the photographic contributions.
Being Human 2017
Scotland
Scotland LitLong Edinburgh – Making Paths through a Literary City The University of Edinburgh Series: LitLong – Exploring Edinburgh’s Digital Literary Cityscape Saturday 18 November 10:00–16:30 The Project Room, Edinburgh Booking required
LitLong Edinburgh is a unique way of putting the city’s literary history on the map. Working with huge collections of digitised books and selected publishers, we have created a collection of around 50,000 excerpts from stories, novels, memoirs and travel writing that make Edinburgh their setting. But a map is a still thing—cities are places of movement. In this event we will be bringing writers, artists and critics together to trace some of the many dimensions of literary pathmaking—from trailblazing to orienteering, from charging ahead to meandering along.
Lost Literary Edinburgh – a Wikipedia editathon The University of Edinburgh Series: LitLong – Exploring Edinburgh’s Digital Literary Cityscape Friday 24 November 10:00–16:00 50 George Square, Edinburgh Booking required
Edinburgh has a long literary history, and many famous authors have made the city their setting and subject. But it’s also a place rich in voices and stories that are now just the faintest of echoes around its streets and tenements. The LitLong app and web resource recovers some of these lives and stories, giving them back to the city and its readers. But LitLong users rely on the common store of knowledge built up elsewhere online, so in this event we’ll be adding to that store by creating and improving Wikipedia pages for neglected or overlooked authors in the LitLong database.
Glasgow Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 09:00–17:00 New Victoria Hospital, Glasgow No booking required
Being Human 2017
This photographic exhibition invites an alternative look at abandoned buildings through images collated by urban explorers, a subcultural community who discover, explore and photograph derelict buildings. They follow a simple code—‘take only photographs, leave only footprints’—to digitally preserve these urban relics. This exhibition encourages people to reimagine abandonment and gives voice to neglected heritage.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Scotland
Scotland Glasgow Finding Meaning in Myth University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Saturday 18 November 10:00–18:00 University of Glasgow, Glasgow Booking required
Come along to this free workshop to find out how ancient myths and legends are updated for new audiences. Why do authors return to the stories of Medea, Oedipus or Troy? How do they update these stories, and what can these myths tell us about our own time? The workshop will include a reading by the poet and playwright Liz Lochhead, author of Medea and Thebans, and a talk by the broadcaster and classicist Edith Hall that will question whether women hear ancient myths differently to men. There will also be the chance to get involved in a creative writing session, during which you can rewrite a myth of your own.
New Light on Old Books University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Saturday 18 November 11:00–16:00 University of Glasgow Library, Glasgow No booking required
Come along and find out how digital technologies are being used to help unlock the secrets of medieval manuscripts. This event will showcase and explain some of the digital tools and techniques that libraries and researchers are using to uncover lost details of centuries-old books. You will also have the opportunity to get creative with electric ink and discover the Glasgow connection to the history of UV light technology.
Women and War: Margaret Cavendish’s Bell in Campo University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Sunday 19 November 14:00–16:00 Dram Bar, Glasgow No booking required
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Margaret Cavendish’s Bell in Campo is a powerful political drama by a pioneering 17th-century female writer, written in the wake of the English civil wars. This event includes a discussion of the play and readings by Glasgow University students and staff. Public participation in the reading is also warmly encouraged. The performance follows a group of women who insist on serving on the frontline, forming an army of their own. Their struggle to be recognised as soldiers is paralleled by the story of the women left behind by the war, including two war widows.
Being Human 2017
Scotland
Scotland Cultural Encounters:What’s in a Letter? University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Monday 20 November – Friday 24 November 12:30–13:10 Alliance Française, Goethe Institute, Glasgow No booking required
How do people around the world connect with each other? For centuries, letters have brought the world to Scotland and Scotland to the world. Come and rediscover Scotland’s letter-writers—from scientists and musicians to politicians, prisoners and royalty. With five talks to choose from, each with live music and a different letter-writer, the workshops will consider current global and international relationships and explore the place of letters in history, musical culture and everyday life. What is lost in transit and what connections can be found, both between the original letter-writers and readers today?
Postcard Poetry: Philip Hobsbaum’s Inclusive Writers’ Groups University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Thursday 23 November 18:00–19:30 Mitchell Library, Glasgow Booking required
Join this very special reading and discussion with some of Glasgow’s most celebrated writers, all of whom were encouraged early on by workshop pioneer Philip Hobsbaum. This open house of creativity will feature a trio of renowned and award-winning authors: Liz Lochhead, Bernard MacLaverty and Marcella Evaristi. Seamus Heaney praised Hobsbaum’s ‘energy, generosity, belief in community’; tonight we’ll explore the value of the contemporary writers’ group and invite contributions on a postcard from the audience. Linked workshops will run with local writing groups in Glasgow.
Getting By: Young People, Poverty and Stigma during Austerity University of Strathclyde Friday 24 November 10:00–16:00 University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Booking required
Being Human 2017
Getting By invites young people, service providers and policy makers to come together and discuss the impact of austerity on young people’s lives. It presents findings from a study on young people’s experiences of poverty and the resources they draw on to cope with austerity. Based on research carried out with young people and service providers in the city of Glasgow, the event discusses issues around poverty and stigma and how it affects young people aged 14–25 living in the city and surrounding areas.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Scotland
Scotland Glasgow Write the Future: Science Fiction Writing Workshop University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Friday 24 November 16:00–18:00 University of Glasgow Library, Glasgow Booking required
Calling all young writers! This workshop, led by science fiction author Russell Jones and creative writer Katy Hastie, will teach you to write science fiction and encourage you to think about how your writing can change the world. There will be awards for the three best pieces of work, which will be published online, giving you a chance to share your futuristic visions. This event is aimed at secondary school students.
Fantasy Scotland – a Night at the Museum University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Friday 24 November 19:00–22:00 The Hunterian Museum, Glasgow Booking required
The Hunterian Museum will come to life to celebrate Scottish histories and heritage. From Peter Pan to Outlander, modern Scottish fantasy in literature, art, film and TV underpins this dazzling event. See the museum bathed in atmospheric lighting, enjoy musical and literary performances and activities and delight in some amazing library treasures on display for this event only. Discover what creature inspired the Loch Ness Monster, where in Scotland you might find evidence of the legends of King Arthur, and the University of Glasgow’s equivalent to Hogwart’s ‘Sorting Hat’.
Lost Limbs and Posthuman Enhancement University of Glasgow Series: Finding Glasgow: Hidden Secrets and Lost Meaning Friday 24 November 19:00–20:30 University of Glasgow Library, Glasgow Booking required
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Prosthetic technology was intended to help those who had lost limbs, but as technology improves we may access further human enhancements. At this event there will be a chance to talk to experts about prosthetics of the past and present, as well as to learn about speculative, futuristic designs. This will be followed by a lively panel discussion about technology and our changing humanity.
Being Human 2017
Scotland
Scotland Scottish Borders Mapping the Borders University of Sunderland Saturday 18 November 10:00–12:00, 14:00–18:00 Sunday 19 November 10:00–16:00 Saturday 25 November 10:00–16:00 Various venues across Scotland Booking required
Being Human 2017
Mapping the Borders explores the culture around the Scottish borders through a weeklong series of events. Come and listen to flash talks about the contested history of the borders and see an exhibition of contemporary artworks. There will also be a guided walk exploring the landscape with a digital app mapping sites mentioned in famous Scottish literature, such as the poems of James Hogg, as well as an exciting opportunity to take part in a glass mapmaking workshop. See online for details.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Belfast Understanding Our Multilingual World University of Cambridge Series: Understanding Our Multilingual World Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 09:00-17:00 East Belfast Mission, Belfast No booking required
Taking place in Belfast, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Nottingham, this exciting set of events aims to explore multilingualism through photography. Taken by members of the public, these photographs will display what multilingualism means to different people and their communities. You are invited to explore multilingualism, and how visible it is in your environment, through the themes and messages that emerge from the photographic contributions.
Hearing Loss and Found Identities – the Sound of Silence Queen’s University Belfast Series: Belfast Celebrates the Humanities Sunday 19 November 16:00–19:00 Brian Friel Theatre, Belfast Booking required
Join this performance and workshop, aimed at those who have experienced sensory changes such as hearing or sight impairment. The performance will present extracts of immersive theatre from Nessa Haynes’ Can You Hear Me Now?, which explores her experience of hearing loss in collaboration with sonic artist John D’Arcy. The event will also feature extracts from choreographer and dancer Helen Hall, whose evocative dance performance, Reflective Moves, explores her experiences of limited and diminishing sight. The practical workshop will be facilitated by dramatist Hanna Slattne.
Storytelling from Conflict – Lost and Found Stories Queen’s University Belfast Series: Belfast Celebrates the Humanities Tuesday 21 November 12:30–15:30 Public Records Office, Belfast Booking required
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Join this workshop using material from the Prisons Memory Archive to explore how to identify, source and exhibit individual stories about conflict, and examine how storytelling can contribute to issues of understanding the ‘other’ in a divided society. The Archive, which was filmed during the conflict in Northern Ireland, features a collection of 175 filmed walk-and-talk recordings from a range of participants, including prison staff, prisoners, relatives, teachers, chaplains, lawyers, doctors, probation officers and maintenance staff. These recordings capture how everyday life was impacted by the conflict and builds a rich tapestry of the story of the prisons, as well as those who had a connection with Armagh Gaol, the Maze and Long Kesh Prison. Being Human 2017
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Beauty in Belfast circa 1884 Queen’s University Belfast Series: Belfast Celebrates the Humanities Tuesday 21 November 16:30 Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast
Based on the work of Oscar Wilde, this event will explore the clothing, interior design and lifestyles of the late-Victorian period. By looking at the various societies and institutions that emerged in the period, the talk will consider the aesthetics of late-Victorian Belfast and the role it played in transforming the city into a dynamic metropolis.
Booking required
The First World War and Community Memory Queen’s University Belfast Series: Belfast Celebrates the Humanities Tuesday 21 November 18:00 Brian Friel Theatre, Belfast Booking required
This performance and screening examines research into local and family histories of the First World War. The event will present excerpts from performances created in partnership between researchers and facilitators at Queen’s University Belfast and six community groups. The groups explored the history and legacy of the War in their local communities, work that has been transformed into art in the form of performances, films and plays.
Find Your Voice! Exploring Teen Girl Issues on the Screen Queen’s University Belfast Series: Belfast Celebrates the Humanities Wednesday 22 November 13:00–17:00 Queen’s Film Theatre 2, Belfast Booking required
Being Human 2017
What do teen movies have to offer? The predominantly American-made films for teenagers frequently introduce characters, themes and images that have no relation to real teenage experience. This event focuses on how film can be a useful way to discuss difficult topics such as health, bullying, relationships and sexuality while acknowledging the unrepresentative nature of teen flicks. This film screening and discussion is programmed in collaboration with the Queen’s Film Theatre and the Cinemagic Film Festival, which works with young people to explore film and the ways it can help us to understand our lives.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Belfast You’re Only as Old as You Feel Queen’s University Belfast Series: Belfast Celebrates the Humanities Wednesday 22 November 17:30–19:00 (for ages 69+) Friday 24 November 15:00 (for ages 15–19) Drama and Film Centre, Queen’s University, Belfast
Explore ageing in these intergenerational drama workshops aimed at teenagers and the over-69s. Use hand-manipulated puppets to explore individual stories of ageing, focusing on how the sense of self can be lost and may need to be re-found as we age. Experiment with the use of puppetry in applied theatre and explore what ageing means to you.
Booking required
Hope, Lost and Found: Kidney Disease – Power of Art Queen’s University Belfast Series: Belfast Celebrates the Humanities Thursday 23 November 18:00–21:00 Brian Friel Theatre, Belfast Booking required
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Join the Renal Arts Group (RAG) and help create a mobile that will be diplayed as part of an exhibition at Queen’s Brian Friel Theatre. The group was started as a collaboration between patients, carers, clinicians, academics and artists to help support people affected by kidney disease. The aim of the group is to support activity related to improving the quality of life of people with end-stage kidney disease, and provide additional therapeutic support alongside existing treatment. The exhibition will be accompanied by a screening of Gift of Donation made by patient and RAG member William Johnston, to raise awareness of kidney disease.
Being Human 2017
Wales
Wales Merthyr Tydfil Recollecting Popular Music Memories in Merthyr Tydfil University of South Wales Friday 17 November 10:00–16:00 (Memory Capture Workshop) Saturday 25 November 13:00–15:30 (Public event at Theatre Soar) Dowlais Library, Merthyr Tydfil; Theatre Soar, Merthyr Tydfil; various schools around Merthyr Tydfil Booking required
How can lost musical memories and memorabilia of the past be relevant to young people today? This series of workshops gives residents and school children the chance to discover the rich history of popular music that has taken place in their town between 1955 and 1975. The activities begin with a day-long workshop to help community members explore what they remember, before recording a series of short individual digital stories. These stories will then be used as a creative starting point for school children to recreate and perform their own interpretations of these lost histories. The musical memories generated from the workshops will then be used as a creative starting point for school children to recreate and perform to the general public their own interpretations of these lost histories.
Swansea We Want Your Welsh! Rho Dy Gymraeg I Ni! Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Friday 17 November 13:00–15:00 Tŷ’r Gwrhyd, Stryd Holly, Pontardawe, Swansea Booking required
Siarad Cymraeg? If so, then come along and be a film critic for the afternoon! We will be showing short clips from different videos and inviting you and your friends to say what you think. You will also get the chance to hear about an exciting community driven project called CorCenCC, which is collecting all kinds of Welsh from across Wales and storing it in a fantastic new app. This event is aimed at Welsh speakers aged 16+ and proficient adult learners of Welsh.
Egyptian Mummy Meets Demons:Voices, Faces, Faraway Places Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Saturday 18 November 11:00–12:30 Swansea Museum, Swansea Booking required
Being Human 2017
Come along and be transported into the magical realm of mummies and meet friendly and menacing demons for a fun-packed morning with mummy and demon expert Dr Kasia Szpakowska. Link voices and faces in our ‘matching pairs’ game, learn about demons and ancient Egypt, meet the mummy and have a chance to decorate your own mummy in our creative workshops. All mummy and demon-inspired costumes welcome and encouraged! This event is family friendly. Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Wales
Wales Swansea Bay of Plenty: Stories of the City, Campus and Culture Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Saturday 18 November 13:30–15:30 National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
Come along to this familyfriendly event exploring the 100-year history of Swansea University. Hear stories about the University and city, dress up in 1920s clothes and robes, and have fun recreating Swansea University’s oldest building, Singleton Abbey.
No booking required
Football fever – Jonny Owen and Don’t Take Me Home Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Monday 20 November 19:30–21:30 Cinema & Co, Swansea Booking required
Join award-winning director (and Welsh football fan!) Jonny Owen, sports historians and film experts for a Q&A and special screening of Don’t Take Me Home, which documents the Welsh national football team’s incredible run to the semi-finals of the 2016 European Championships. The film tells the story of a success that gripped a nation and took the football world by surprise from the perspective of the players and the fans. Ages 12+.
Wales/Cymru, Refugees,Voices, (Hi)stories Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Tuesday 21 November 13:00–15:00 Swansea Museum, Swansea Booking required
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What does it mean to travel to Wales as a refugee and settle on a more permanent basis? How have refugees’ voices and (hi)stories been interpreted and understood? Come along to Swansea Museum to meet contemporary refugees, hear their (hi)stories and voices, respond to their stories through performance and other creative activities and learn about oral history. This event is aimed at 14–18-year-olds.
Being Human 2017
Wales
Wales My Family and Empire Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Tuesday 21 November 18:15–19:45 Swansea Central Library, Swansea Booking required
Do you have a family story connected to the British Empire? Or are you simply interested in learning more? Here’s a chance to put your own experiences, and those of relatives and friends, into historical context. Bring along letters, photographs and objects and explore how and where to research your own family histories. The event is led by Dr Catherine Fletcher, whose grandparents worked as missionaries in India in the mid-1900s. Ages 11+ (under16s accompanied by an adult).
Making Faces: Beauty Lost and Found Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Wednesday 22 November 11:00–16:30 YMCA Swansea, Swansea Booking required
Come along and discover the fascinating world of the face, from medieval beauty regimes to the disfiguring effects of work, from historic dental routines to the changing attitudes towards spectacles. Take the implicit bias test to see just how you respond to faces that look different, and find out about the work of the charity Changing Faces. Join in our discussion about computer games that use scarring and facial disfigurement as entertainment and find out who has won our ‘make a face’ competition! And get ready to take interesting selfies. Bring along your own device! Ages 14+.
Voices for Today Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Wednesday 22 November 19:00–20:30 Oystermouth Library, The Mumbles, Swansea Booking required
Being Human 2017
Is literature the most powerful means we have for recording and exploring lived experience? Can fiction, poetry or memoir capture the tumultuous times we live in, or is literature merely escapism? Award-winning writers Jasmine Donahaye, Anne Lauppe-Dunbar, Francesca Rhydderch, and Rebecca F. John read from new work and talk about the challenges facing writers in times of great political and cultural change. Come along and share the title of a favourite book that has made you think about the connections between literature, society and politics.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Wales
Wales Swansea An Evening of Poetry with Simon Armitage and Daljit Nagra Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Thursday 23 November 19:30–21:00 The Great Hall, Swansea Booking required
Come along to this rare dynamic double-bill of two awardwinning poets. As well as being two of the most exciting and relevant writers in the UK today, Simon Armitage, Oxford Professor of Poetry, and Daljit Nagra, Poet in Residence for Radio 4, are also experienced broadcasters. Nagra will read from British Museum, a book that asks profound questions of our ethics and responsibilities at a time of great challenge to our sense of national identity. Armitage will read from The Unaccompanied, which documents a world on the brink. A discussion and Q&A will follow the reading.
Multilingual Swansea – a Celebration! Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Friday 24 November 19:30–21:30 Volcano Theatre, Swansea Booking required
Swansea has a rich variety of language communities, dialects, accents, alphabets and scripts— how much of this can be captured in pictures? Join us for Multilingual Swansea, a family-friendly evening of photography, poetry and music. You’ll see photographic responses from the public; engage with local poets, artists and musicians; and find out our competition winners who has won our competition.
Pieces of a Jigsaw: Portraits of Artists and Writers in Wales Swansea University Series: Voices, Faces and Places Saturday 25 November 11:00–12:30 Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Booking required
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This event is an exhibition and book launch featuring Pieces of a Jigsaw, a unique collection of portraits from the Welsh arts scene taken by Bernard Mitchell. The book features a selection from the Welsh Arts Archive project which began in 1966 with a series of portraits of Dylan Thomas’ Swansea friends, including artists Ceri Richards and Alfred Janes, poet Vernon Watkins and composer Daniel Jones. In 1990 Bernard Mitchell recommenced his work and added many more artists and writers including Will Roberts, Mererid Hopwood, Josef Herman, John Petts, Ivor Roberts Jones, Glenys Cour and Ernest Zobole. Being Human 2017
North East
North East Durham Raptures of the Deep: Free-Diving Film Night Durham University Thursday 23 November 18:30–20:00 TESTT Space, Durham Booking required
Free-divers can seem like super humans! They have extraordinary, seemingly implausible control over their bodies, particularly their breathing, and offer a fascinating insight into the connection between mind and body. A series of short films featuring record breakers, including Johanna Nordblad, Guillaume Néry and Wim Hof, will set the scene for discussing why the experience of losing one’s breath can be both terrifying and exhilarating. With free-diver David Dupuis, artist Emma Critchley and researchers Rebecca Oxley and Arthur Rose.
Lost Voices from the North East Durham University Series: Who Do You Think We Were? Saturday 25 November 15:30–16:30 University Music School, Durham Booking required
‘Lost Voices from the North East’ retrieves and presents voices, melodies, and popular traditions in the region, from Anglo-Saxon to Victorian times. The show includes songs that inspired Stevie Smith, Walter Scott and Dylan Thomas. Come and be amazed by the haunting soul dirges, fire-andbrimstone preaching by Puritans, and dances for the dead. Listen to echoes from the past, when All Hallows’ Eve struck fear in people’s souls!
Newcastle upon Tyne A Taste of the Past Durham University Series: Who Do You Think We Were? Sunday 19 November 11:00–15:00 Blackfriars Restaurant and Banquet Hall, Newcastle Booking required
Being Human 2017
Come and find out about medieval food and culture, including the earliest medieval recipe collection, found in a manuscript originally held by Durham Cathedral. Interactive activities, tastings and a poster exhibition promise a flavoursome journey to the past. Set in Blackfriars Restaurant, the event showcases a long-term collaboration between researchers and the restaurant, bringing inspiration for the modern table from the Middle Ages.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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North East
North East Newcastle upon Tyne The Great Knitting Workshop: Picking up Dropped Stitches Northumbria University Series: Hidden Histories and Recovering Cultures Thursday 23 November 14:00–16:30 The Literary and Philosophical Society Library, Newcastle upon Tyne Booking required
Learn how the ingenuity of historical knitters shapes what we can create today in this workshop on the rediscovery of the lost art of hand-crafting. Pastimes such as knitting and sewing have become popular again, with magazines dedicated to various crafts and TV shows such as The Great British Sewing Bee. This event explores the current knitting renaissance with a talk on 18th- and 19th-century education and fashion, as well as collaborative blanket knitting using instructions from 19th-century pattern books.
Sparks of Life: Frankenstein and Regeneration at Carliol House Newcastle University Thursday 23 November 17:30–19:30 Friday 24 November 17:30–19:30 Saturday 25 November 12:00–18:00 Carliol House, Newcastle upon Tyne Booking required
Through a Frankenstein-themed installation, screening, and talks from a group of architectural researchers, this event invites the public to discover more about the electrical past and contemporary revitalisation of Carliol House by the NewBridge Project. Debate the regeneration of the East Pilgrim Street Area, learn how our cities’ buildings adapt to changing needs and economies, and what energies can bring old buildings to life.
On Y’bike: Cycling in Postwar Tyneside Northumbria University Series: Hidden Histories and Recovering Cultures Saturday 25 November 14:00–17:00 The Journey/ Recyke y’Bike, Newcastle upon Tyne Booking required
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Following the Second World War, many young Geordies got on their bikes and rode out across the country. Come to a free exhibition that explores this little-known cycling past through oral histories, private photographs, memorabilia and film of the Tyneside Vagabonds Cycling Club. There will also be short talks, a screening of archival film, and an open discussion. Discover how many cyclists joined clubs to ride competitively and learn about the people who took advantage of their bikes to get to work, socialise, or see the countryside. Being Human 2017
North East
North East North Shields Paths across Waters Newcastle University Monday 20 November – Saturday 25 November 10:00–17:00 The Old Low Light, North Shields No booking required
Embark on a journey across seas, oceans and rivers that revives the shared history of Tyneside and the West Indies. This interactive and multimedia exhibition charts the lost connections between the two regions through artworks, images, sounds, and performance. Add your own memories to a story-telling booth and explore history in the making—from slaves and the Caribbean seamen who fought in two world wars, to the sailors who left the North East to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Sunderland Putting Southwick on the Map University of Sunderland Monday 20 November – Saturday 25 November 10:00-16:00 Austin House Family Centre, Southwick Booking required
Being Human 2017
Based on Southwick’s cultural and artistic life, this event features research developed by the project Putting Southwick on the Map. Join researchers for an exhibition featuring visual artworks, a digital culture map and an experimental workshop in which participants can try out techniques developed by community researchers and discuss ideas provoked by the work. This event will explore Southwick as a community rich in heritage, with a distinctive cultural life, a strong sense of identity and a wealth of stories from the profound to the subversive.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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North West
North West Blackburn Finding Mr Hart School of Advanced Study, University of London Friday 24 November 11:00–12:00, 17:30–19:30 Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, Blackburn The Cotton Exchange, Blackburn Booking required
Chester Sensing the Past University of Chester Series: Sensing the Past Wednesday 22 November 18:00–19:30 Friday 24 November 18:00–19:30 Storyhouse, Chester Booking required
At the dawn of the 20th century, Robert Edward Hart lived a quiet life in Blackburn, managing the family ropemaking business. Few people realised he was spending his family’s wealth to create one of Britain’s most impressive book and coin collections. Using interviews, letters, business records and Hart’s personal notes, this creative theatre show takes audiences into the quiet but imaginative world of one of Britain’s most important collectors. Staged in London at Senate House and at a special opening of the historic Blackburn Cotton Exchange.
Join experts at this series of events exploring the history of our senses. Discover Dr John Hope’s botanical teaching sensorium and investigate how people learned about plants in the late 18th century, join a virtual foraging expedition, and learn how prehistoric people used their sense of taste to navigate their landscapes. You can also record and share your sounds of contemporary Chester on Twitter by using #soundsofchester.
Liverpool Childhood Revisited University of Liverpool Friday 17 November 16:00–17:00 Monday 20 November 18:00–21:00 Wednesday 22 November 17:00–19:00 Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, Merseyside and FACT, Liverpool Booking required 34
This series of activities explores the experiences and memories of lost children, from forced adoption to those who have had to flee war-torn countries. Learn how childhood experiences can shape identities through talks, including a session with Lord Dubs, a film screening of Philomena and story-telling sessions about child asylum seekers and their mothers. Activities will show how recovered childhood experiences have long-lasting impacts on campaigns against injustice, on philanthropy and on sustaining political causes.
Being Human 2017
North West
North West Paradise (Street) Lost and Found University of the West of England Saturday 18 November 10:00–12:00, 14:00–16:00 Liverpool One Management Suite, Liverpool Booking required
You visit the city centre all the time, but just how public is your city? Have you ever thought about who owns your city and what that means for you as a member of the public? This event will explore these questions by looking at the difference between public and private space in your city through a guided walking tour of Liverpool One and surrounding areas.
The Tangled Veil and the Cloud of Unknowing – LOL Liverpool John Moores University Wednesday 22 November 20:00–21:30 Laughterhouse Comedy Club, Liverpool Booking required
The Tangled Veil and the Cloud of Unknowing – LOL is a comedy performance drawing on people’s experiences of living with dementia. Using immersive, verbatim (a form of documented theatre in which plays are constructed from the precise words spoken by people interviewed) and other theatrical forms such as labyrinths, the performance explores the healing role of comedy for those living with dementia. Resembling a cerebral cortex, the labyrinth’s pathway provides profound meditative experiences. The maze provides a perfect place for people living with dementia to find a sense of wellness and calm. Participants are invited to be lost and found in our labyrinth of laughter.
Manchester Sleep: Lost and Found University of Manchester Saturday 25 November – Sunday 26 November 11:00–16:00 Manchester Museum, Manchester No booking required
Being Human 2017
Struggling to get a good night’s rest? You’re not alone. Bring your family to a fun-packed weekend of sleepthemed activities at the Manchester Museum where you can test out your sleep knowledge, design your ideal bedroom, and get top tips from a range of sleep experts to improve your rest. Sleep historians from the University of Manchester will introduce you to the ‘golden age’ of sleep, while sleep nutritionists and staff from The Children’s Sleep Charity will be on hand to help you design a brand new set of bedtime routines.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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North West
North West Manchester Paradise Lost   Manchester Metropolitan University Series: Paradise Lost Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 09:00–17:00 See online for venue details No booking required
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Following the Asia Triennial symposium Imagined Homeland at Manchester International Festival 2017, Paradise Lost will continue the dialogue around partition and the complexities of relocated identities and cultures. This series will offer trailblazer events in community and cultural locations around Manchester, leading into Asia Triennial 2018.
Being Human 2017
Bradford ADAPT Live Royal Holloway, University of London Series: Adapt Live Thursday 23 November 16:00–late Friday 24 November 10:00–12:00 The National Science and Media Museum, Bradford Booking required
A series of events offering the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in how television was made in the early days. ADAPT Live brings together some of the most extraordinary television pioneers and veteran TV crews, demonstrating the great skills that brought us the first colour TV shows and the first documentaries shot on film and on location in the 1960s/70s. You’ll have the chance to get hands-on with some of the original kit and view unique footage filmed by the ADAPT team at RHUL. Q&A sessions will give you the opportunity to find out exactly what making early TV was like, and our Memory Booth is your chance to tell us what television in the early days meant to you!
Hull Searching for Theatrical Ancestors: Lost and Found University of Hull Tuesday 21 November 14:00–16:00 Hull History Centre, Hull Booking required
Ever wondered if members of your family trod the boards and found fame and fortune in the spotlight? This workshop explores the Searching for Theatrical Ancestors website, providing an interactive introduction to researching theatre history archives. This will be followed by a group discussion and the opportunity to deposit information about found stars for the website. Take an innovative approach to family research and theatre history and see what, and who, you will find!
Leeds Art History in the Pub Association for Art History Series: Art History in the Pub Monday 20 November 19:00–21:00 See online for venue details No booking required
Being Human 2017
This event brings the wonders of the museum into the comfort of the pub! Learn about objects in local arts collections and discover more about artefacts from your local community—where are they from, have they ever been lost or stolen? Talks and film screenings last for about 40 minutes with a break for food and drink, followed by open discussions.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber Leeds Age Seeking Youth: The Rejuvenation Emporium University of Leeds Tuesday 21 November 18:00–19:30 Rupert Beckett Lecture Theatre, University of Leeds, Leeds No booking required
How do we know we’re getting old? When and how does our youth ‘go’ and can we ever get it back? Join historians as they explore the untold history of ageing and rejuvenation in Britain across the 20th century. The event will look at the commercial, medical, and social factors associated with anti-ageing solutions past and present, including electrotherapy machines, hormone replacement surgeries, and skin care. You’ll also get a chance to explore The Rejuvenation Emporium: a hands-on exhibition showcasing the stories of our regenerative desires and attempts to achieve them.
Ottringham Hubert Nicholson and Sunk Island University of Hull Series: Reading the Ridings/ Writing the City Saturday 18 November 10:30–17:00 Coach pick up from University of Hull (main entrance) at 10:30 Booking required
Join a guided coach tour/walk around the area associated with Hubert Nicholson’s east coast novel Sunk Island (1956). The tour will take in specific landmarks and include performed readings from the novel. It will begin with introductory talks and a Yorkshire lunch at Ottringham Village Hall before moving on to Sunk Island finishing in Holy Trinity Church and Heritage Centre with light refreshments and an exhibition on Nicholson and the history and geography of Sunk Island, with local recollections and photographs of the 1953 east coast flood.
Sheffield The Room of the Lost and Found University of Sheffield Series: Lost and Found in Sheffield Saturday 18 November 11:00–15:00 Weston Park Museum, Sheffield No booking required
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Have you ever lost or found something? Share your losses and celebrate your finds with experts from Museums Sheffield and academics from the University of Sheffield. Participate in the creation of a display of things loved and lost and the amazing things people find when they least expect it.
Being Human 2017
Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber Bestsellers Lost and Found Sheffield Hallam University Saturday 18 November 13:00–16:00 Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Booking required
This hands-on event will use the colourful Wills Cigarette cards Famous British Authors of 1937 series to explore who the best-selling authors of the ‘30s were, and why we remember some and have forgotten others. Come and explore the unusual inclusion of famous British authors in the series and see their bestselling books. Learn about the authors who were once read by millions before television became dominant. Why have some faded from memory, while others are still as popular as ever?
Finding the Diary of Madeleine Blaess University of Sheffield Series: Lost and Found in Sheffield Saturday 18 November 14:00–15:30 Weston Park Museum, Sheffield Booking required
Being Human 2017
Find out about the amazing life of Madeleine Blaess in a film about her time as a student in Paris, presented by Dr Wendy Michallat, filmmaker James Parsons and head of special collections Jacky Hodgson. Madeleine was a British student from Yorkshire who was trapped in Paris when the Germans invaded France in 1940. She wrote a daily diary about her experiences and later became a lecturer in the French department at the University of Sheffield. Her diary was found after her death in 2003.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber Sheffield The Lost Songs of MGM University of Sheffield Series: Lost and Found in Sheffield Thursday 23 November 19:30–21:30 Upper Chapel, Sheffield Booking required
Join Dr Dominic McHugh for an evening of lost songs from film musicals produced by the legendary studio MGM. Responsible for many genredefining films including Singin’ In the Rain and Gigi, MGM also commissioned original scores featuring many well-loved songs of the last century. With live performances of previously unheard songs, this event will delve into the history of many of MGM’s popular classics, including The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St Louis, Ziegfeld Follies, Cabin in the Sky and The Barkleys of Broadway.
York Telling the Bees University of York Saturday 18 November 15:00–16:30 King’s Manor, York Booking required
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This interactive performance will explore the past, present and future of bees and beekeeping. Youth theatre company GrowTheatre will take you through a series of stations, combining drama and interactive tasks to help you explore different aspects of bee-related research. You’ll discover what a Beespoon is, learn how the honey bee got her sting, and get a glimpse into the possible futures of our bees.
Being Human 2017
East Midlands
East Midlands Leicester Live British Wrestling: History and Resurgence De Montfort University Sunday 19 November 18:00–20:00 Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester Booking required
In 1988, after its cancellation on ITV, it seemed that British wrestling had died. Recently, however, there has begun an unlikely resurgence. British wrestling now leads the world: shows sell out in minutes, local athletes are admired worldwide. This Being Human event is a celebration of British professional wrestling—a chance to watch some wrestling and talk about gimmicks, chair shots, and top rope flips. Whether you have been a fan for 40 years or don’t know your hurricanrana from your cobra clutch, everyone is welcome. Spandex optional!
Re/discovery of Miraculous Statues in Early Modern France De Montfort University Monday 20 November 18:30–21:00 De Montfort University, Leicester Booking required
In 1625 a farmer in Brittany called Yves Nicolazic found a lost statue of St Anne in a field on his farm by following a series of spectral lights over the site. This became the most important pilgrimage shrine in Brittany at Auray. Join De Montfort University for an exciting talk that will explore a series of rediscoveries of lost statues in early modern Europe that were followed by the creation of pilgrimage sites. These findings occurred in a period of religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics, warfare and social and economic change.
Olimpick Games and Olympian Games, Lost and Found De Montfort University Tuesday 21 November 18:30–21:00 De Montfort University, Leicester Booking required
Being Human 2017
Before the modern Olympic Games were established in the 1890s, numerous sporting events called Olimpick, Olympian, and Olympic took place throughout England. Come to an illustrated talk that will explore some of these events, especially the Cotswold Olimpicks and the Wenlock Olympian Games. Discover how Olimpick sporting events ranged from small town activities to professional largescale games such as the Morpeth Olympic Games that started in the 1880s and ran until the 1950s. Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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East Midlands
East Midlands Leicester Lost and Found Shakespeare De Montfort University Wednesday 22 November 18:30–21:00 De Montfort University, Leicester Booking required
In the past 20 years, scholars have discovered that Shakespeare wrote rather more than was previously thought. This engaging talk will explain just how it is that we are now able to detect Shakespeare’s writing within larger works that were either published anonymously or published under someone else’s name. It will explore how several of Shakespeare’s contributions to others’ plays were lost because his name did not appear on their title-pages and have only been recently rediscovered by the application of computational stylistics.
An Imaginative Journey through the James Watt Archives De Montfort University Thursday 23 November 18:30–21:00 De Montfort University, Leicester Booking required
Join De Montfort University for an exciting talk that uses archival material to rediscover the intriguing genius of James Watt, inventor of the separate condenser, the letter-copier and machines for copying sculpture. While many museums feature James Watt displays, the complexity of Watt as a person is often missing. Come along and discover what’s been uncovered in the archive in this special talk.
Lincoln Becoming Teachers:Women’s College Life from 1862 to 1918 Bishop Grosseteste University Saturday 18 November 11:00–16:00 Thursday 23 November 11:00–16:00 Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln Booking required
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Come and explore the lives of women who trained as teachers at Bishop Grosseteste University from the 1860s to suffrage. Discover their personal stories and their voices, which, up until recently, had been hidden. There will be talks, an imaginative retelling by young writers taking part in SlamJam and First Story, as well as an exhibition that, for the first time, displays the trainee teachers’ photographs, needlework, bulletins, and letters.
Being Human 2017
East Midlands
East Midlands Northampton Leather at Lunchtime University of Northampton Tuesday 21 November – Thursday 23 November 12:00–14:00 National Leather Collection, Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Northampton No booking required
Northampton has a strong connection with the history of leather—a material with unique properties and many unexpected uses. Northampton was historically the centre of Britain’s leather and shoe trades and it is also home to the National Leather Collection. For the first time in decades, this important collection is going to be fully accessible to the public in a new museum. This event is a fascinating opportunity to rediscover the history of leather. Come to hear introductory talks, handle objects and make your own leather crafts.
Nottingham Understanding Our Multilingual World University of Cambridge Series: Understanding Our Multilingual World Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 09:00–17:00 Hyson Green Library, Nottingham No booking required
Taking place in Belfast, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Nottingham, this exciting set of events aims to explore multilingualism through photography. Taken by members of the public, these photographs will display what multilingualism means to different people and their communities. You are invited to explore multilingualism, and how visible it is in your environment, through the themes and messages that emerge from the photographic contributions.
How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Launch University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Friday 17 November 18:00–19:30 See online for venue details
Join researchers and distinguished guests to explore the BBC’s National Short Story 2017 shortlist and launch the Being Human festival programme in Nottingham.
Booking required
Being Human 2017
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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East Midlands
East Midlands Nottingham (Re)connecting with Nature through the Power of Wild Words University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Saturday 18 November 10:00–15:00 Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottingham Booking required
Wild words, whether in the form of poetry, literature or spoken language, have the power to inspire an emotional and enduring connection with the natural world. This day of workshops and interactive sessions will explore the positive power of wild words to help us reconnect with the natural world. Learn how words can challenge us to view our surroundings differently and change our relationships to nature. All ages welcome.
Migration Stories – Then and Now University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Saturday 18 November 13:00–15:45 Nottingham Central Library, Nottingham Booking required
Join experts and creative writers to explore and create stories about Viking migrants to the East Midlands. Handle replicas of objects used by Vikings in the region, including jewellery and practical items of everyday use and create your own stories, poems or plays about the experiences of these Scandinavian migrants. Explore their lives and learn how they worked with existing communities in farming and trade while maintaining their own culture, including language, dress and religion.
Images in Translation: Screen Printing Workshop University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Sunday 19 November 10:30–13:00, 14:00–16:30 Malt Cross, Nottingham Booking required
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Think about what is found in translation and turn those ideas into beautiful screen prints. How do works in translation take us to other places? When literature is translated into English, we gain not just a physical book, but a whole new host of descriptions of places, people and ideas. Join experts in Russian and Slavonic studies to think about other cultures and work with artists to capture your ideas. At the end of the session, participants will be able to take away their prints and a new way of thinking about literature in translation.
Being Human 2017
Switchboard I University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Sunday 19 November 11:00–15:30 Nottingham Industrial Museum, Nottingham Booking required
Come and try your hand on the old exchange, reminisce over the Mickey Mouse character telephone, or listen for ghostly voices on the wires. Exploring the different voices that have been lost or found down the line, Switchboard is a three-part series of events exploring the literary legacy of the telephone. Switchboard I will explore the cultural history of the telephone and inspire and support writers of all levels in the production of new creative work. Participants will also have the chance to share their work at Switchboard III, a live literary event on Thursday 23 November (p 48).
Gallery Tour of the Exhibition Collected Words University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Monday 20 November 11:00–12:00 Weston Gallery, Nottingham Lakeside Arts, Nottingham Booking required
Join curators for a guided tour of the City of Literature exhibition Collected Words. Hear some of the stories behind the unique archives, manuscripts and rare printed books on display; view a masterpiece of medieval poetry; learn why DH Lawrence’s Pansies had to be smuggled into the country and discover the writings of Margaret Cavendish of Welbeck Abbey, the world’s first female science-fiction author.
Switchboard II University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Tuesday 21 November 13:00–15:30 Dialling In, Nottingham No booking required
Being Human 2017
The second of a series of three events exploring the literary legacy of the telephone, this pop-up event will take place at Dialling In, a disused Nottingham telephone box refashioned as a coffee shop. Members of the public will be invited to enter the phone booth to leave their own answer machine messages, reflecting on the significance of the telephone in their lives or imagining calls yet to be made. Selected extracts from these recordings may be used with the authors’ permission during Switchboard III, a live literary event on Thursday 23 November (p 48).
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands Nottingham The Rise, Fall and Revival of the Modern Bookshop University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Tuesday 21 November 19:00–20:00 Five Leaves Bookshop, Nottingham Booking required
This discussion of the history of the bookshop explores the rise and fall of bookshops and how bookshops such as City Lights in San Francisco and Shakespeare and Company in Paris have been important institutions in the development of modern literature and culture. Following declines in the numbers of bookshops and physical books sold, the UK Publishers Association have recently revealed that sales of print books rose again in 2016 and the American Booksellers’ Association announced a rise in the number of new independent bookshops, boldly claiming that the word ‘endangered’ and ‘bookstores’ should be decoupled.
Hungry for Words? Let’s Talk about Food – with Men University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Wednesday 22 November 13:00–15:30 Various venues across Nottingham No booking required
Calling all men! Join these cafe drop-in sessions to share your thoughts about food. Visitors are invited to talk openly and to contribute a few words, sentences or images to a storyboard to raise awareness of men’s concerns about weight, body shape, diet, exercise and over- or under-eating. These drop-ins for men of all ages, ethnic groups and backgrounds are not offering therapy but a space to talk openly one-to-one in a public space to a good listener.
Opening up the Archives of Manuscripts and Special Collections University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Wednesday 22 November 14:00–15:30 Manuscripts and Special Collections, University of Nottingham, Nottingham Booking required
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Join this behind-the-scenes tour of the Manuscripts and Special Collections literary archive and view some of the treasures to be found in more than 80,000 rare books and 3.5 million manuscripts dating from the 12th to the 21st centuries. Among the collection strengths are literary archives—the subject of the current Weston Gallery exhibition ‘Collected Words’—including papers by and about the famous local author DH Lawrence and rare works from our extensive collection of children’s literature.
Being Human 2017
East Midlands
East Midlands Your First Digital Story University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Wednesday 22 November 17:00–19:00 Nottingham Video Arcade, Nottingham Booking required
Ever thought about creating and publishing your own digital story? If so, this event, hosted by the National Videogame Arcade, is for you. Take part in a two-hour ‘storyfest’ in which you’ll be introduced to the Twine digital platform and taken through the basics of interactive, digital narrative building. You’ll create your own story and then be shown how to publish it on the web. No skills or knowledge of digital storytelling are necessary—simply bring enthusiasm and lots of creativity.
Losing Yourself in a Book – the Boots Booklovers Library University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Wednesday 22 November 18:00–19:00 Five Leaves Bookshop, Nottingham Booking required
Discover the national circulating library created by Sir Jesse Boot, the Nottinghamian who transformed his family’s herbal store into Boots the chemist. The library, which ran as a loss leader, was renowned for its service and the attractiveness of the environment that it created for its subscribers. Learn why Jesse Boot went to the trouble of running such a popular service; examine the style and elegance of the libraries, which were show pieces of contemporary interior design; and discover the stories of the librarians who worked there.
Shoe and Tell: a Celebration of Teenage Identity Nottingham Trent University Thursday 23 November – Friday 24 November 10:30–17:30 Saturday 25 November 10:00–12:00 Nottingham Writers’ Studio, Nottingham No booking required
Being Human 2017
With so much emphasis on image and individuality, how do today’s teenagers negotiate identity? This exhibition of photographs and narratives takes visitors on an exploration of teenage identity through the lens of shoes. Images of teenagers from Nottingham illustrate the role that shoes, as everyday objects, have in communicating the complexity of identity. The exhibition asks participants to reflect on what it means to be a teenager now, while triggering personal reflections of teenage experiences. Visitors are invited to contribute a teenage shoe story to the ‘Shoe and Tell Memory Tree’.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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East Midlands
East Midlands Nottingham Switchboard III University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Thursday 23 November 18:00–19:30 Wired Café Bar, Nottingham Booking required
This live literature event explores the legacy of the telephone and celebrates the relationship between writing and calling. Listen to stories and poems about the telephone or share your own experiences of dialling in. This is part of the regular ‘Totally Wired’ literary events organised by staff and students at Nottingham Trent University, led by Dr Sarah Jackson, BBC New Generation Thinker and winner of the Seamus Heaney Prize for Poetry.
Lost Authors: Geoffrey Trease University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Friday 24 November 14:00–15:30 Lakeside Arts, Nottingham Booking required
This workshop for children explores the work of Nottinghamborn writer Geoffrey Trease. A successful writer of historical fiction for children in the 20th century, his radical viewpoint was a change from the conventional tone of most children’s literature of the time. He was one of the first authors who deliberately set out to appeal to both boys and girls and to feature strong lead characters of both sexes. This workshop will explore the impact the oftenoverlooked Trease had on children’s literature through two of his books, Bows Against the Barons (1934) and Tales out of School (1949).
“What I Want to Say is”... Finding Meaning in Language University of Nottingham Series: How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Saturday 25 November 10:00–15:30 Meadows Library, Nottingham Booking required
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Join this creative writing workshop to explore what it means to be multilingual. The morning session, ‘If I can find the words’, invites participants to think about what they can and can’t (yet) say in their languages, and what is important to them to say. In the afternoon, participants will write in their own language about what they find in their pockets in the workshop ‘What has it got in its pocketses?’.
Being Human 2017
West Midlands
West Midlands Birmingham Beyond the Battlefields:Women and Photography in WW1 University of Birmingham Saturday 18 November 11:00–16:30 Library of Birmingham, Birmingham Booking required
This workshop will explore the role of women photographers across Europe during the First World War, many of whom took photos of everyday life at home during the conflict. There will also be an opportunity to explore an exhibition of photographs at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the University of Birmingham by German amateur photographer Käthe Buchler, lent by the Museum of Photography in Braunschweig, a collection that has never been displayed before outside Germany.
Babbling Beasts University of Birmingham Sunday 19 November 11:00–12:30, 14:00–15:30 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham Booking required
Befriend a beast and create an adventure together at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery! A group of friendly furry animals are searching for treasures—they are feeling lost and need your help! Can you rescue them by telling a story to guide them through the museum? Join poet Roz Goddard, games designer John Sear and reading researcher Danielle Fuller for a workshop. Or, come and meet the beasts and discover their stories in the week after the workshops. Suitable for children aged 8+ accompanied by an adult.
Sovereignties of Birmingham University of Birmingham Sunday 19 November 13:00–14:00 Monday 20 November 15:30–17:00 MAC Birmingham and Edgbaston Campus, University of Birmingham, Birmingham Booking required
Being Human 2017
It was one of the most searched words on Google last year, but what exactly is sovereignty? Is it taking back control? Is it legitimacy? How does it shape our local and national history, past, present and future? Join us for a series of talks that explore this topical notion through the lens of Birmingham, the city where Theresa May gave her 2016 Brexit speech in support of reclaiming sovereignty back from the EU.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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West Midlands
West Midlands Birmingham Vanished: A Historian’s Guide to Extinction University of Birmingham Friday 24 November 12:30–13:30 Lapworth Museum of Geology, Birmingham Booking required
Over 90% of beings that ever lived on Earth are now extinct - if you’re reading this, you’re lucky enough to be in the 10% that survived! But, as a scientific theory, extinction is surprisingly modern. This talk will be a whistle-stop tour of the history of extinction from a historian’s perspective. It will show how scientists have gone from believing that extinction can only be due to human actions to accepting that it is an endemic feature of the natural world.
Must Bankers be Bad? University of Birmingham Saturday 25 November 13:00–15:00 Birmingham Impact Hub, Birmingham Booking required
Stoke-on-Trent Play with Plastic Keele University Saturday 18 November 14:00–17:00 Saturday 25 November 14:00–17:00 B-Arts, Stoke-on-Trent Booking required
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Financial scandals are a regular part of 21st-century capitalism—from Libor-fixing to subprime mortgages and Fred ‘the Shred’ Goodwin. But are these symptoms of a lost sense of morality, or just a few lost sheep? This panel discussion brings history and philosophy together with real-world experience to find new ways of thinking about good and bad among the masters of money. What are the ethics that guide financial professionals, and how do individual motives fit within the enormous and impersonal structures of the global economy?
Puzzled by plastics? Want to find creative solutions to the problem of plastic waste? Then join two afternoons of activities, where you can explore objects, 3-D printing, and hands-on making. There will also be readings, writing workshops and film screenings to enjoy. Watch, think, reflect, debate and play with stuff! You’ll be working with local artists and facilitators from Keele University who believe community creativity can help the UK revalue everyday materials that are all too often lost to waste. Being Human 2017
West Midlands
West Midlands Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare’s Emotions, Lost and Found University of Birmingham Friday 17 November 16:30–18:00 The Other Place Studio Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon Booking required
Worcester Suffrage Tea University of Worcester Series: Suffrage-fest Sunday 19 November 13:00–16:00 Croome Park High Green, Worcester Booking required
How is emotion represented in Shakespeare’s plays, and what does this mean for us today? This event will explore both the familiarity and strangeness of emotional experience in Shakespeare’s writing. Join academics from the University of Birmingham’s Shakespeare Institute and theatre practitioners from the Royal Shakespeare Company as they discuss the theatrical, historical and personal dimensions of emotion in Shakespeare. Attendees will also have the chance to work with passages from his plays as part of this interactive event.
One hundred years ago Edwardian suffragette campaigners spread their message by holding ‘suffragette teas’—now it is your chance to join in on all the fun they had. Play suffragette board games, view an exhibition, design badges and banners, buy a little jam or sample suffragette themed cakes and chat to those studying and writing about women’s suffrage. Find out about the Croome Park’s connection to Sophia Duleep Singh, a suffragette who made marmalade and jam to raise funds, joined parades, and refused to pay taxes, including dog licences.
Suffrage Talk and Taste University of Worcester Series: Suffrage-fest Monday 20 November 14:00–16:00 St Swithun’s Church, Worcester Booking required
Being Human 2017
A talk exploring the significance of food, cooking and recipes for many suffrage campaigners and an opportunity to taste recipes that the suffrage campaigners included in their fundraising cookery books. There will also be the chance to see inside St Swithun’s Church, an impressive Grade I listed Georgian building located in the heart of Worcester. It has an outstanding interior, retaining all the furnishings of its time, including box pews, an early English organ and a rare three-decker pulpit.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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East of England
East of England Cambridge Understanding Our Multilingual World University of Cambridge Series: Understanding Our Multilingual World Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 09:00–17:00 Michaelhouse Cafe, Cambridge No booking required
Taking place in Belfast, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Nottingham, this exciting set of events aims to explore multilingualism through photography. Taken by members of the public, these photographs will display what multilingualism means to different people and their communities. You are invited to explore multilingualism, and how visible it is in your environment, through the themes and messages that emerge from the photographic contributions.
Writing in the Sand University of Cambridge Saturday 18 November 14:00–15:30 Great St Mary’s Church, Cambridge Booking required
Be transported to the sands of Egypt and spend an afternoon in the company of the Coptic community, the modern heirs of the civilisation over which the Pharaohs once ruled. Activities include hearing the haunting chant of the centuries-old Coptic liturgy, listening to a member of the community speak about what it means to be a Copt in modern Britain, and learning how to write your name in the unique Coptic alphabet.
Being Multilingual, Being Well University of Cambridge Wednesday 22 November 18:00–19:30 English Faculty, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Booking required
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Come and explore emerging research on the connections between multilingualism and wellbeing. There will be expert talks as well as an opportunity to engage in the interactive mapping of your own experiences, including community languages and lifelong language learning. For many of us, life is a journey of finding—and losing—languages. We may gradually give up a language of our parents because it is not English, or embark on learning a new language. Good communication in families is consistently associated with positive wellbeing in young people—so come and discuss what happens when more than one language is spoken at home.
Being Human 2017
Lost and Found: The Serendipity of Collecting University of Cambridge Saturday 25 November 14:00–16:00 Cambridge University Library, Cambridge Booking required
In 19th-century Cambridge, scientists relied on serendipity to acquire specimens when setting up museums. One of the greatest found objects was a whale that washed up on Pevensey Bay, Sussex, in 1865. Today, artist Jo Atherton works with such objects gathered on the UK coastline. In this talk, she will discuss the nature of lost and found objects with historian Boris Jardine. They will reflect on the moment of discovery, explore when lost becomes found, and examine the very human desire to collect. You can also view an exhibition of found objects from Cambridge University Library and Atherton’s collection.
Hatfield Redeeming the Wolf: A Story of Persecution, Loss, Rediscovery University of Hertfordshire Saturday 18 November 14:00–17:15 University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield Booking required
Are you scared of the Big Bad Wolf? Hunted to extinction in Britain, wolves haunt the human imagination. This event sheds light on the cultural narratives that have shaped our understanding of the wolf and could be preventing its return. A short film introduced by the UK Wolf Conservation Trust and a series of illustrated talks (around lupophilia, monstrous werewolves, children raised by wolves, beauties and beasts) will interrogate humankind’s perception of the Big, Bad Wolf in literature, folklore, and film, before participants debate redeeming and re-wilding this much maligned ‘beast’ and what the wolf can teach us about ‘being human’.
Norwich Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp University of East Anglia Series: Losing and Finding Home: Refugee History, Memory and Culture Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 11:00–18:00 Norwich Cathedral, Norwich No booking required Being Human 2017
Come and explore the creativity that came out of the darkness of the Calais ‘Jungle’. Protestimony is an interactive art exhibition that provides a fresh look at the refugee crisis. The exhibition is made up of paintings, documentaries, animations, sculptures and illustrations created by refugees who lived in the Calais refugee camp. These artworks challenge the often dehumanising anti-refugee and migrant rhetoric that can be found in mainstream media. Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England Norwich Borderline University of East Anglia Series: Losing and Finding Home: Refugee History, Memory and Culture Tuesday 21 November 16:30–19:45 The Garage, Norwich No booking required
Borderline is a satire about the Calais ‘Jungle’ that takes a brave and original look at the controversial refugee crisis. The performance features seven refugees from Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria who experienced Calais firsthand, and six British, French and Chilean experts in physical comedy. The organisation Protection Approaches will then run a workshop focusing on the individual stories of those who have experienced identity-based violence as refugees. Come along and investigate these stories through interactive activities and role play.
Reels of History: On The Bride’s Side screening University of East Anglia Series: Losing and Finding Home: Refugee History, Memory and Culture Wednesday 22 November 20:30–22:30 Cinema City, Norwich Booking required | Fee: £8
On The Bride’s Side is a timely look at the refugee crisis and the winner of the Venice International Film Festival’s Human Rights Nights Award. Come along to a screening of the film, which has an unexpected take on the immigrant road movie. Afterwards, join Salah El Nagar, a Norwich-based writer, activist and refugee from Egypt, for an informal talk about issues raised in the film and how we can challenge misconceptions about Islam and promote human rights.
Refugee History panel University of East Anglia Series: Losing and Finding Home: Refugee History, Memory and Culture Thursday 23 November 19:30–21:00 The Forum, Norwich Booking required
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Ever shouted at the TV programme Question Time with a burning question about current British politics and society? If so, come along to this high-profile Question Time-style panel talk where experts will answer your questions about the local and national refugee situation. It’s hard to pin down clear facts and explanations of this topic, so this is a chance to ask and be answered by Clive Lewis MP (Norwich South), journalist Rachel Shabi, investigative author Daniel Trilling, campaigner and refugee Ahmad Al-Rashid and Omar Khan of the Runnymede Trust.
Being Human 2017
East of England
East of England New Impressions: Redesigning Norwich’s Renaissance Books University of East Anglia Saturday 25 November 10:30–16:30 Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, Norwich No booking required
Being Human 2017
The Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library’s collection of Renaissance books is one of Norwich’s greatest treasures, just waiting to be discovered. To show how inspiring these books can be today, East Anglian designers have been asked to produce their own creative responses to this wonderful collection. Drop in, find out what they’ve made and get your hands on the Renaissance books that inspired them.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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South West
South West Bridport Sound: Lost and Found Goldsmiths, University of London Saturday 18 November 10:00–19:30 Salt House, Bridport Booking required
Sound: Lost and Found is an encounter with environment based on sound and listening. Attendees will walk from West Bay to Bridport using specialist field recording equipment to seek out lost and hidden sounds. Following an afternoon workshop session, these recordings will be used to help create a soundscape composition, The Lost and Found Symphony. This will be produced live during an improvised performance at the Salt House.
Bristol Looking for Archie: Cary Grant’s Bristol University of the West of England Saturday 18 November Sunday 19 November 14:00–16:00 Bristol Cathedral, Bristol Booking required
Cary Grant, Hollywood’s most debonair star, was born Archibald Leach in Bristol in 1904. Many Bristolians are unaware that he grew up here and enjoyed an enduring relationship with the city. This walking tour retraces Archie’s hometown haunts and uncovers Bristol’s hidden cinema history in the places where it actually happened. Participants will be led on a guided tour of Bristol City Centre, including the locations that inspired Archie’s journey from Horfield to Hollywood, and the spots where the Bristol Post snapped him on his many visits home after he’d reinvented himself as Cary Grant.
Art History in the Pub Association for Art History Series: Art History in the Pub Monday 20 November 19:00–21:00 See online for venue details No booking required
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This event brings the wonders of the museum into the comfort of the pub! Learn about objects in local arts collections and discover more about artefacts from your local community—where are they from, have they ever been lost or stolen? Talks and film screenings last for about 40 minutes with a break for food and drink, followed by open discussions.
Being Human 2017
South West
South West Gasp! Exploring Breath through Creative Arts University of Bristol Sunday 19 November (Horfield) 14:00–17:30 Friday 24 November (Arnolfini) 19:30–21:30 Horfield Quaker Meeting House, Bristol and Arnolfini, Bristol Booking required
Whilst many of us take our breath for granted, for those living with episodic or chronic breathlessness, it is the suffering of ‘air hunger’ that is invisible to others. Join us for a series of events including a creative writing workshop which explores how we think, feel and relate to our breath. Watch work in progress and join researchers from the Life of Breath Project for a panel discussion alongside an artist, puppeteer, performer and writer exploring breath and breathlessness in their work. You can even add your own ‘breath signature’ to the installation piece Suspended Breath.
Bristol Waters Lost and Found: An Evening of Music, Film and Art Bath Spa University Saturday 25 November 18:00–22:00 All Hallows Hall, Bristol Booking required
Cullompton Making History! University of Exeter Series: (Re)discover and Resist Friday 24 November 19:00–21:30 The Walronds, Cullompton Booking required
Being Human 2017
An evening of music, film, and art about Bristol rivers and waterways—including lost streams, holy wells, eel pies, Bristol’s amazing tides (the second highest in the world), and their history, ecology and culture. Expect a set of watery songs by the prize-winning Bristol-based Fantasy Orchestra, and films, artworks and maps created by Bristol artists working with local communities and schools.
For centuries, artists and writers have used the past as an inspiration for new works: from the history paintings of Raphael and Reynolds to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. This event gives you a chance to explore your artistic side, responding to particular stories and histories from the Tudor and Stuart periods to create your own art or piece of creative writing. Bring your own materials, or use the ones supplied and get creative with the past. For ages 16+.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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South West Exeter Art and Loss of Social Housing University of Exeter Series: (Re)discover and Resist Friday 17 November 14:00–19:00 (exhibition) 19:00 (screening and discussion) Exeter Phoenix, Exeter Booking required
Our sense of self is intimately connected with where we live. The loss of social housing in the UK has impacted how people relate to their homes, marginalising those unwilling or unable to buy by ongoing demolition, regenerations, and policy interventions. This event explores how art can facilitate ‘finding’ in conditions of housing loss and precarity, through a screening of the film Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle, an exhibition of the works of artist Jordan McKenzie and a panel discussion.
Thinking through Fragments: Might and Right University of Exeter Series: (Re)discover and Resist Thursday 23 November 19:00–21:00 Exeter Community Centre, Exeter Booking required
How can we use the past to think about the present? The ancient Greek historian Thucydides helped his readers understand war, politics and power—but his ideas are often used to make the world seem simpler than it really is, with dangerous consequences. This event will use games and role-playing to explore a key episode in Thucydides’ account, opening up issues of might and right, realism and idealism. A performance will then bring these debates to life, followed by a talk on how he can help us make sense of the world.
Paignton Paignton Lantern Procession University of Exeter Series: (Re)discover and Resist Friday 17 November – Friday 24 November Various venues across Paignton No booking required
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Create your own lanterns in this series of workshops aimed at children and young people, which will conclude with a the magical Paignton lantern procession. The procession aims to reclaim Paignton town centre, animating this historic seaside town with the involvement of local families, schools and community organisations..
Being Human 2017
South West
South West Sherborne Hidden in the Home: The Concealed Revealed Roadshow University of Hertfordshire and Sherborne Museum Friday 17 November 19:00–21:00 Digby Memorial Hall, Sherborne Booking required
Have you ever found something strange concealed in a wall? Houses can yield mysterious finds: shoes up chimneys, cats bricked up in walls, horse skulls under hearthstones. These objects have been deliberately concealed. But why? Dr Ceri Houlbrook of the University of Hertfordshire has been querying this in her project The Concealed Revealed. In collaboration with Sherborne Museum, who hold a fascinating collection of concealed objects, Houlbrook will lead an evening workshop that explores these objects’ histories and theories surrounding their concealments. Audience members will have an opportunity to share their own experiences.
Southampton Let’s Get Lost: Southampton as the Situationist City Southampton Solent University Friday 17 November – Thursday 23 November Various venues across Southampton Booking required
Being Human 2017
Come and experience unheard individual and collective stories in this series of events linked to the city of Southampton through images, sounds, objects and spaces. Get involved in exploring the map of hidden narratives, highlighted by contemporary artists evoking distant voices, absences and presences. Get lost, found, and lost again and explore the city in a new way through Situationist workshops and tours. Contribute to unique artworks, create your own map of experiences and participate in a collective exhibition. See online for details.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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South East
South East Brighton They Taught Me Laughing to Keep from Crying University of Sussex Series: As Waves of One Sea Monday 20 November 20:00–22:00 Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton Booking required
Join Doug Haynes, Diarmuid Hester, Jo Pawlik and celebrated performance artist Harold Offeh as they bring to life Sussex University’s rich archival holdings on African American culture in the form of a theatrical lecture, full of surprises. The event explores the remarkable relationship between Dutch collector, teacher and concentration camp survivor Rosy Poole, and African American literary titans like poet Langston Hughes. This is the first of three events in the As Waves of One Sea series devised especially for Being Human festival.
Treasures from the Rosey Pool Library University of Sussex Series: As Waves of One Sea Tuesday 21 November 12:30–14:00 Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton Booking required
How much can you tell about a person by looking at their bookshelves? Treasures from Rosey Pool’s Library introduces non-specialists to key works held by the University of Sussex with a series of short, show-and-tell talks by leading academics on slave narratives, the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts movement. This is the second of three events in the As Waves of One Sea series devised especially for Being Human festival.
Looking For Langston and Q&A with Director Isaac Julien University of Sussex Series: As Waves of One Sea Tuesday 21 November 20:00–22:00 Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton Booking required
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Join pioneering British filmmaker Isaac Julien for a special screening of his cult 1989 drama-documentary Looking for Langston. A personal meditation on the life and loves of African American poet Langston Hughes, Looking for Langston explores the all-male homosexual underworld of black Harlem society from the 1920s to the 1950s and beyond. The screening will be introduced by director Isaac Julien, who will join Langston Hughes expert Shima Jalal Kamali and film programmer Jacob Engelberg for a post-screening discussion and Q&A. This is the third of three events in the As Waves of One Sea series devised especially for Being Human festival.
Being Human 2017
South East
South East Canterbury Belief, Lost and Found: The Unbelief Cafe University of Kent Saturday 25 November 13:00–15:30 Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury Booking required
Religion in Britain in changing. Around half the population say they have no religion, while many others are exploring religious and spiritual questions outside of traditional religious settings. Join an afternoon of talks and activities, explore your own beliefs and learn from leading experts in the field about what it means to be an unorthodox believer or unbeliever in the modern world.
O What We Ben! Discovering Post-Apocalyptic Landscapes Canterbury Christ Church University Friday 17 November 13:00–16:00 Friday 24 November – Saturday 25 November 13:00–14:30 Canterbury Christ Church University and Westgate Gardens, Canterbury Booking required
On this interactive walking tour you will uncover the hidden post-apocalyptic landscapes of Canterbury through the narratives of Russell Hoban’s Riddley Walker and the Anglo-Saxon Andreas. Come and be submerged in the world of Riddley Walker, who lives in a futuristic Kent that has faced nuclear devastation, and then learn about the ruins of an Anglo-Saxon city peopled by devil-worshipping cannibals. More than a thousand years separate the writing of these works of literature, but together they have much to tell us about the enduring power of ruinous urban landscapes on the popular imagination.
Chichester Language and Song: Finding Our Lost First World War Heritage University of Chichester Friday 17 November 18:00 University of Chichester, West Sussex Booking required
Being Human 2017
Uncover our lost First World War heritage by exploring language and song, and learn something new about a war we think we know so well. Over the last few years, an extensive programme of commemoration has marked the centenaries of the First World War. However, while we remember the events of 1914–1918, there are parts of that history we have forgotten. Through this interactive event, you will discover the lost heritage of the First World War and learn how individuals and communities adapted to the war and developed new skills. Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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South East
South East Colchester Displaced and Replaced University of Essex Friday 17 November 19:00 Mercury Theatre Studio, Colchester
This staged reading of dramatic work Priority Seating by Mary Mazzillione, will deal with the difficulties of migration and the ways identity is formed and reformed over time as links to home are lost and found. The drama will be followed by a Q&A session.
Booking required
Jaywick Tattoos and Travel University of Essex Monday 20 November 19:00 Jaywick Martello Tower, Jaywick Booking required
The process of selecting and experiencing tattoos is profoundly related to identity. People who have experienced the process of body modification and who wear and display their tattoos can be said to be performing identity. Travel has often been integral to tattooing, from its use amongst pilgrims, its presence in nautical and seafaring cultures, and as a feature in today’s holiday tattoos. This event discusses the meaning of tattoos and invites the audience to discuss their own experiences.
Milton Keynes Off the Grid: Lost and Found in Milton Keynes The Open University Saturday 18 November 10:30–19:00 Thursday 23 November 13:00–14:00 Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes Theatre and Open University Hub Theatre, Milton Keynes Booking required
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It’s not just concrete cows and roundabouts: Milton Keynes has a rich cultural history waiting to be rediscovered. For the city’s 50th anniversary the Open University, along with MK Gallery and MK Theatre, are running a range of thought-provoking, hands-on activities for all ages that will uncover the city’s cultural life. Activities include a book hunt and poetry trail, an art making workshop, an exhibition and a fascinating perspective on ‘new’ towns such as Milton Keynes. See online for details.
Being Human 2017
Oxford Lost Languages on Found Objects – a Language Tour University of Oxford Series: Understanding Our Multilingual World Friday 17 November 14:00–15:00 Tuesday 21 November 14:00–15:00 Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Have you ever seen an interesting script on an artefact in a museum and wondered what language it is or what it says? Now you can find out in this interactive event that brings these lost languages back to life with a range of objects from the Ashmolean Museum. From family letters to curses and recipes, the deciphered texts reveal not only the meaning of the scripts, but they also give an intriguing insight into what it meant to be human thousands of years ago.
Booking required
Lost Late: Night at the Museums TORCH, The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities Friday 17 November 19:00–22:00 Parks Road, Oxford Booking required
Join TORCH at Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum for Lost Late: Night at the Museums. Surrounded by the fantastic collections, you will enjoy a programme that includes exciting live performances of dance and music, digital installations, workshops and interactive talks. The Museums will come alive for an entire evening with researchers exploring lost and found worlds across humanity.
Portsmouth The Lost of Portsmouth and Sussex University of Portsmouth Series: Disappearing Acts Sunday 19 November 13:00–15:00 Wymering Manor, Portsmouth Booking required
Being Human 2017
Visit Britain’s most haunted house, Wymering Manor in Portsmouth, for three interactive tales of the lost and found of Portsmouth and Sussex. These three stories are based around a pair of missing Portsmouth children from the 1920s, the lost things that inhabit historic places such as Wymering, and the life of the forgotten Victorian poet Bessie Parkes Belloc. These haunting stories will spark off each other to create uncanny echoes in a ghostly space and begin an interesting exploration of the ways in which stories haunt places.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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South East
South East
South East Portsmouth Missing Children Found: A Creative Workshop University of Portsmouth Series: Disappearing Acts Sunday 19 November 15:00–18:00 Wymering Manor, Portsmouth Booking required
This creative writing workshop at Wymering Manor explores the haunting story of two children who ran away from their home in Southsea in 1925 with a cake, a saucepan, and the works of Shakespeare. They were found less than two days later, no worse for wear. What were their motivations? How did parents and locals respond? Why did the incident hit the papers in Aberdeen and Dundee? Participants will be provided with contemporary newspaper reports of the incident to help tease out the various perspectives and possibilities in their writing.
Dickensian Disappearances University of Portsmouth Series: Disappearing Acts Saturday 25 November 11:30–12:45, 13:30–14:45, 15:30–16:45 Charles Dicken Birthplace Museum, Portsmouth Booking required
Charles Dickens: novelist, social reformer, journalist ... and conjuror? Dickens, a keen watcher of magic, gave a number of magic performances in the 1840s at Christmas and during summers on the Isle of Wight. This event, a blend of talk and performance, uses the unique setting of the Dickens Birthplace Museum in Portsmouth to discover Dickens’ involvement in the world of magic. Explore his engagement with famous conjurors, the influence of magic on his fiction, and what goes on behind the scenes of performances to learn the secrets of Victorian sleight of hand.
Reading Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections University of Reading Series: Revealing Hidden Stories Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November Digital event No booking required
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In 2017 the University of Reading Collections hit the headlines when librarian Erika Delbeque found a previously undiscovered, unique example of 15th-century printed text by the English printer William Caxton. During the festival, you are invited to view a specially curated online exhibition across the University of Reading’s social media accounts introducing the hidden treasures that can be found in the University’s spectacular museums, libraries, and archives. To follow the exhibition online, use the hashtag #UoRLostandFound.
Being Human 2017
South East
South East Home at MERL (Workshops) University of Reading Series: Revealing Hidden Stories Thursday 23 November 18:00–21:30 (workshop 1 of 2) Saturday 25 November 10:00–13:00 (workshop 2 of 2) Saturday 25 November 14:00–15:00 (performance) The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), University of Reading Booking required
Join Reading’s Reside Dance for two pop-up dance workshops at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL). The performances will highlight experiences of migration and resettlement while responding to the history, architecture, collections and spaces within the Museum. Workshop particpants with then guide an audience on a journey of migration and encourage others to discover their own sense of belonging within the community and the spaces we all inhabit. No previous dance experience is required.
Write Your Story Your Way University of Reading Series: Revealing Hidden Stories Wednesday 22 November 14:00–16:00 Battle Library, Reading Booking required
What is it like to be a children’s author? As part of National Novel Writing Month, find out from award-winning writer Wendy O’Shea-Meddour, author of A Hen in the Wardrobe and creator of Wendy Quill. Write your own stories in a creative writing workshop hosted by O’Shea-Meddour, get some top tips, ask questions and learn how to create your own exciting and diverse stories.
Excavating the World’s First Farmers in Iraq and Iran University of Reading Series: Revealing Hidden Stories Wednesday 22 November 20:00–21:30 Palmer Building, Reading Booking required
Being Human 2017
Join expert archaeologists at the University of Reading in this richly illustrated discussion presenting the latest discoveries from excavations at Bestansur and the Iranian Neolithic site of Sheikh-e Abad. Hear about the unique experiences, opportunities and pleasures of working in excavation sites in Iraq and Iran, exploring the first farming settlements of the Middle East and investigating all aspects of life during the transition from hunting to farming.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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South East
South East Reading A Flower for Oscar Wilde University of Reading Series: Revealing Hidden Stories Saturday 25 November 10:00–13:00 Reading Museum, University of Reading, Reading Booking required
Did you know that Oscar Wilde was an inmate at Reading Prison in the late 1800s? If you are aged 16–25 and part of the LGBTQ+ community, join the University of Reading in creating an installation dedicated to Wilde. Made up of 3D-printed flowers, the artwork will be displayed in relation to the Artist as Critic exhibition running at Reading Museum as part of Reading International Autumn 2017.
Home at MERL (Performance) University of Reading Series: Revealing Hidden Stories Saturday 25 November 14:00–15:00 The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), Reading Booking required
Come to the Museum of English Rural Life and let Reside Dance and members of the local community take you on a journey of migration. Discover your own sense of belonging to the people around you and the different spaces you inhabit. The promenade performance highlights the performers’ past experiences of migration and resettlement while responding to the history, architecture and collections of the museum. By witnessing and experiencing migration and resettlement, can you find a sense of home through empathy, commonality and physical action?
War Child University of Reading Series: Revealing Hidden Stories Saturday 25 November 15:00–16:00 The Museum of Rural Life (MERL), University of Reading Booking required
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This pop-up exhibition and film screening will examine and reflect on the creation of the Evacuee Archive and the experiences of migrant children. Based on the research project War Child, the event will offer an opportunity for audiences to explore the Evacuee Archive based at the Museum of English Rural Life, watch films created during the project and ask questions about these creative responses to the migrant experience.
Being Human 2017
London
London Talking Orwell University College London Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 09:00–17:00 Senate House, London No booking required
Talking Orwell is an installation at Senate House— the inspiration for the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s Nineteen EightyFour—that explores what it means to be surrounded by hundreds of digital devices, all networked and all talking to each other. Throughout the venue, find 3D-printed busts of Orwell that you can talk to on your smartphone. As you speak with them, you might be surprised by what they’re learning about you. With technologies like Amazon Echo and Google Home appearing in our homes, this is increasingly the world we live in.
Lost Rights, Found Justice? School of Advanced Study, University of London Friday 17 November 16:30 (exhibition launch) Saturday 18 November 14:00–16:00 (workshop) Saturday 18 November – Saturday 25 November 09:00–19:00 (exhibition) Senate House, London Booking required
Lost Rights, Found Justice? is a photography exhibition aimed at increasing public understanding of the rights of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers through creative visual and legal tools. The exhibition will include photographs selected by a panel of experts in photography and human rights. The opening event will feature a guided commentary enabling audiences to expand their knowledge of the legal framework in an accessible way, and a workshop by documentary photographer Kevin McElvaney on his #RefugeeCameras project.
Finding Mr Hart School of Advanced Study, University of London Friday 17 November 19:00–21:00 Senate House, London Booking required
Being Human 2017
At the dawn of the 20th century, Robert Edward Hart lived a quiet life in Blackburn, managing the family ropemaking business. Few people realised he was spending his family’s wealth to create one of Britain’s most impressive book and coin collections. Using interviews, letters, business records and Hart’s personal notes, this creative theatre show takes audiences into the quiet but imaginative world of one of Britain’s most important collectors. Staged in London at Senate House and at a special opening of the historic Blackburn Cotton Exchange.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London
London Conceiving Histories (Exhibition) Birkbeck, University of London Series: Conceiving Histories Friday 17 November – Saturday 25 November 10:00–20:00 (Saturday hours: 10:00–17:00, closed on Sunday) Peltz Gallery, London No booking required
How can something that hasn’t happened have a history? How can there be a material trace of un-pregnancy in the archive? This exhibition explores this paradox, finding and considering a material history of pregnancy feigned, imagined, hidden and difficult to diagnose. Conceiving Histories is a collaboration between academic and literary historian Isabel Davis and visual artist Anna Burel. The results are fantastical and fictional reworkings of archival materials and a re-materialising through photography, sculpture and drawing.
Archives Weekend National Army Museum Saturday 18 November and Sunday 19 November 10:00–17:00 National Army Museum, London Booking required
Come along for exclusive talks, tours and object handling sessions uncovering the collections held at the National Army Museum. The Museum’s archives date from the English Civil War to the present day, and cover the life of the British Army and its soldiers. Get top tips on researching using archives and have hands-on access to the collections. If you’re an amateur researcher, an expert historian or a family looking for a fun day out, there’s something for everyone at the National Army Museum.
Beauty of Craftmanship London Metropolitan Archives Series: Healing through Archives Saturday 18 November 11:00–15:00 British Museum, London Booking required
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Come and enjoy a taste of Somali culture with an afternoon of talks, weaving and object handling. Enjoy the new Somali object display at the British Museum, hear about its development and take part in a practical workshop session with Numbi Arts to recreate traditional basketry using recycled material. There will be an opportunity to share stories and learn new skills, which will be presented in a pop-up exhibition exploring how objects can both reveal and conceal aspects of history.
Being Human 2017
London
London Finding through Feeling The Foundling Museum Saturday 18 November 13:00–16:00 The Foundling Museum, London Booking required
This handling session offers visitors a unique opportunity to hold and examine a selection of objects mirroring those in the Museum’s collection, including tokens and children’s clothing. Led by Janette Bright, researcher for our exhibition Basic Instincts, you’ll gain a deeper insight into the plight of mothers who were forced by circumstance to give up their babies to the Foundling Hospital.
The Inspiration Machine: Creative Writing for Everyone Queen Mary University of London Series: A Sense of Belongings Saturday 18 November 14:00–17:00 The V&A Museum of Childhood, London Booking required
If you’re asked to write a story about anything, you might feel quite stuck. But if you’re told that the story must include a goldfish, a gun and the Queen of England, then ideas suddenly start to sprout. This is the creative magic of constraint. This playful workshop is an opportunity to learn how famous (and infamous) writers use creative constraints, and to try some out for yourself. The workshop will be led by children’s authors Anna Kemp (Dogs Don’t Do Ballet, The Worst Princess), and Sylvia Bishop (Erica’s Elephant, The Bookshop Girl). Suitable for aspiring writers, the curious, and the silly. Ages 10+.
Coming to Our Senses School of Advanced Study, University of London Saturday 18 November 14:00–17:30 Senate House, London Booking required
Being Human 2017
The experience of daily life is shaped by our senses and yet there is still so much we don’t know about them. Discover senses you didn’t know you had and learn what they do. Find out what it’s like to live with sensory loss and what can be done to overcome it. The team from the Centre for the Study of the Senses will guide you through the world of sensory experience with hands-on demonstrations. Explore sensory substitution and sensory extension, and discover what the arts and industry are doing to enhance your sensory landscape.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London
London Who Tells Your Story? Latin America at the British Library School of Advanced Study, University of London Saturday 18 November 14:00–18:00 The British Library, London Booking required
How will our stories be found and our lives remembered in the future? And how might our stories connect with those who have gone before? This workshop invites Latin Americans in the UK to explore these questions through the physical and online collections of the British Library. Participants will share their own objects and materials such as songs, websites and books as we explore what we would like remembered and what we may want to be lost or forgotten. Together we will ask how we can shape archives and collections and use them to discover and tell our own individual and collective histories.
London: A Labyrinth of Loss University of Birmingham Saturday 18 November – Sunday 19 November 14:00–15:30 Snow Hill Police Station, London Booking required
Amidst London’s vibrant streets, this walking tour will explore shifting attitudes towards lost property. Discover how objects, and the people who lost and found them, shed light on the hidden history of the growing metropolis. This interactive journey from Snow Hill Police Station to Fenchurch Street Station will take you back in time, bringing to life illicit 18th-century practices of reclaiming stolen goods before examining how a lawful system developed in the 19th century.
Left Luggage: Reading Sam Selvon in Waterloo Station Queen Mary University of London and Migration Museum Series: A Sense of Belongings Saturday 18 November 14:30–16:00 Waterloo Station, London Booking required
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The dramatic backdrop of Waterloo Station, point of arrival in London for Caribbean migrants in the 1950s, provides the setting for this guided walk. Experience the vibrant writing of Trinidadborn novelist Sam Selvon, who evokes the expectations and apprehensions of new arrivals at Waterloo as well as feelings of loss and nostalgia. Our stroll around the station and its environs will take in Selvon’s lyrical and witty reflections on London transport, railway travel, the pleasure of chance meetings and the alienation of encountering a city of strangers.
Being Human 2017
London
London Lost Cities of the Strand: An Exploration Oxford Brookes University Saturday 25 November 15:00–17:30 Somerset House, London No booking required
To navigate the city, we need to find things: our starting point, our destination, our way about. But for everything that can be found in an ancient metropolis like London, many other things have been lost. This architectural– philosophical walking tour seeks out vanished monuments in the tangled streets between Somerset House and St Paul’s, locating what no longer exists via imprints left in the contemporary cityscape. Reflect en route on how absence, as much as presence, shapes the urban realm. Bring a smartphone or tablet for enhanced digital content.
The Great Yiddish Parade Queen Mary University of London Sunday 19 November 11:00–12:30 Whitechapel High Street, London Booking required
The Great Yiddish Parade is a re-enactment of a protest march by Jewish immigrants in Victorian Whitechapel who demanded better conditions for all East End workers. Experience the intensity of political culture in the Victorian East End with a band of klezmer musicians and singers performing lost Victorian Yiddish protest songs in their original setting. Participation is warmly encouraged and songsheets will be provided (no knowledge of Yiddish is required). March from Aldgate to Mile End Waste, where you will find out more about East London’s forgotten heritage of protest in poetry and song.
Doing Day: Body/Brain/Archive School of Advanced Study, University of London Sunday 19 November 11:00–16:00 Siobhan Davies Studios, London Booking required | Fee: £10
Being Human 2017
Art history, neuroscience and contemporary dance combine in this experimental workshop designed by dance artists and experts in psychology. The event is inspired by art historian Aby Warburg’s ideas on how we communicate through our bodies and by research in neuroscience on what we reveal and conceal through movement. Participants will be able to experience and experiment with the connection between body and brain through dance. No dance or choreographic experience required to take part.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London Bass in the Attic University of Westminster Sunday 19 November 12:00–14:00 Ritzy Cinema, London Booking required
Join the Bass Culture Research project for a conversation about rediscovering and revaluing the black British music heritage you have at home. A panel of music makers and thinkers will bring a piece of personal music heritage—perhaps an old photograph, flyer, a treasured LP. These objects and associated memories will be the springboard for a conversation and call to action around heritage: What is it? Why is it important? What are the risks and challenges for black British music heritage in particular? How can we all be part of tracing and preserving it? Join the discussion at this intergenerational event, which aims to reconnect individuals and families to their musical heritage through memorabilia and mementos.
Lost for Words The Foundling Museum Sunday 19 November 13:00–16:00 The Foundling Museum, London Booking required
Come along to this poetry workshop with acclaimed poet Deanna Rodger and literary historian Dr Emma Newport, who will introduce the rhymed notes of the Foundling Hospital billet books, written by mothers who gave up their children to the care of the Hospital. Billet books are bound ledgers of registration forms, including notes and tokens, for each child brought to the Hospital in the 18th century.
A Walk Remembering First World War Conscientious Objectors Haringey First World War Peace Forum Sunday 19 November 13:30–15:00 Finsbury Park, London Booking required
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This guided walk is based on the detailed research that has been carried out to create a lasting memorial of the conscientious objectors connected to the Haringey area. It will explore an aspect of the First World War on the home front that is all too often overlooked. The walk will begin in Finsbury Park and conclude at the Salisbury Hotel, both of which were known for anti-war protests. Through a number of different sites, forgotten histories will meaningfully illustrate the nature of conscientious objection and the opposition to conscription. The walk will take approximately one-and-a-half hours and is suitable for all ages. Being Human 2017
London
London From Syria With Love From Syria With Love Monday 20 November 11:00–17:00 Senate House, London No booking required
Come along to this pop-up exhibition showcasing artwork made by children living in refugee camps. This unique collection was created in workshops run by From Syria With Love. See how art provided the perfect channel for young people to express their emotions and experiences, and for us to learn about the trauma and tragedy they have faced. Explore the thoughts and feelings of those who are at threat of becoming a lost generation through war and conflict. This is a special chance to see the exhibition, which has travelled internationally and was recently housed in the Imperial War Museum.
London Locations: Lost and Found Obsrvtry Monday 20 November – Saturday 25 November 12:00–18:30 The Greenwich Gallery, London No booking required
London Locations: Lost and Found is a virtual reality installation inspired by psychogeography that takes you on a journey through London, revealing just how mysterious the nature of time really is. The journey connects several locations to discover spaces that are not only imbued with the history of their past, but also with their contemporary purpose, creating layers through which the city can be experienced and understood. The journey ends at Bunhill Fields, the resting place of both William Blake and Daniel Defoe.
All Our Stories: The Migration Museum Migration Museum Monday 20 November 12:30–13:30 Senate House, London Booking required
Being Human 2017
Join this free interactive workshop exploring the many ways migrants and refugees have been lost and found in Britain. Learn about the story of movement into and out of Britain in fresh and engaging ways and find out how migration has always shaped our nation. If you peel back the layers of anybody’s family history you will find a migration story. Come along and explore individual experiences and national narratives with the Migration Museum, a leading voice in the national conversation about migration, identity, history and all aspects of Britishness.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London
London China: New Nation, New Art, 1911–32 Gresham College Series: Chinese Art Monday 20 November 13:00–14:00 Museum of London, London No booking required
This free talk will discuss what was lost and found in post-imperial Chinese art. China in the 1920s began with the chaos of warlordism, but the approach of the Nationalist Party soon allowed for a flowering of creativity. As the old system collapsed, the New Culture Movement focused debate on modernity and tradition. How could ancient techniques be relevant in the modern world? What did it mean to be modern and Chinese?
Stimulating All the Senses: Art, Food, Music and Dementia University of West London Monday 20 November 14:00–16:30 Pillars Restaurant, London Booking required
Prepare, discuss and eat food specially designed for people with dementia using the University of West London’s state-of-the art catering facilities. Immersed in a live music performance, you will be served afternoon tea, whilst art about dementia and by people living with dementia will complement the experience. Our experts will help you find out more about the impact of music, food and art on people with dementia. This will be a fun, interactive and stimulating session about how multisensory activities can delight the mind, body and soul.
Found Theatre and Poetry: Disrupting the Everyday University of Westminster Monday 20 November – Friday 24 November 13:00–14:15 Westminster Law School, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London Booking required
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Disrupt your day with a visit to London’s most famous lost theatre. Westminster University invites you to an hour of discovery and surprise in the basement home of the former Soho Poly—pioneer of lunchtime theatre in the 1970s and 80s. Visitors will be introduced to the space and an exhibition of memorabilia by original artistic director Fred Proud. Experience a newly commissioned piece of digital theatre from Hannah Bruce & Company and live poetry celebrating the value of the arts, curated by the poet Mike Garry.
Being Human 2017
London
London Emotional Objects: From Lost Amulets to Found Photos Queen Mary University of London Series: A Sense of Belongings Monday 20 November 14:00–17:00, 18:00–21:00 Royal College of Nursing, London Booking required
A lost necklace received as a gift from a loved one, a stash of photographs found in a dusty attic… What objects are you emotionally attached to, and what feelings do they conjure up? Join Queen Mary University of London’s Centre for the History of the Emotions for this drop-in event at the Royal College of Nursing, where visitors will enter a pop-up world of activities, talks and performances investigating what we feel about objects. Expect puppetry workshops, emotional talismans and displays of healing objects. This event will run in two sessions. See online for details.
Co-existing with Hal 9000: Being Human in a World With AI School of Advanced Study, University of London Monday 20 November 18:00–19:30 Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London Booking required
This event will focus on the implications of the increasingly significant role of artificial intelligence (AI) in society and the possible ways in which humans will co-exist with AI in future, particularly the impact that this interaction will have on our liberty, privacy, and agency. Will the benefits of AI only be achieved at the expense of these human rights and values? Do current laws, ethics, or technologies offer any guidance with respect to how we should navigate this future society?
Playing Doctors Guildhall School of Music and Drama Monday 20 November 18:00–19:00 Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London Booking required
Being Human 2017
Can theatre help to ‘humanise’ medicine? Come along to this performance-lecture that explores the relationship between medical professionals and their patients. Seeing a medical professional and receiving treatment can often feel like a dehumanising experience. Similarly, overstretched nurses and doctors can sometimes struggle to empathise with those in their care. This theatrical piece will address these issues by repositioning medicine and our ability to care for each other as one of the greatest human achievements, which needs celebrating and maintaining. Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London Voices from London University of East London Monday 20 November 18:00–19:30 (launch) Friday 17 November – Sunday 25 November (exhibition) Stratford Library, London No booking required except for exhibition launch on Monday 20 November
Voices from London is an interactive exhibition featuring the stories of people who used to live in the Calais ‘Jungle’ refugee camp and now live in East London. Their experiences are explored through art, photography and the written word, including a postcard collection by ‘deep: black’, artwork from the Birds Crossing Borders collection and stories from the book Voices from the ‘Jungle’. Experts from the University of East London will be on hand to answer questions.
Breton Ballads British Academy Monday 20 November 18:30–21:00 British Academy, London Booking required
Explore Breton culture in this special British Academy late. Dr Mary-Ann Constantine, co-author of recently published Miracles and Murders: An Introductory Anthology of Breton Ballads, will give a short talk followed by a performance of Breton ballads and an opportunity to try traditional Breton dancing.
Music in the Age of Artificial Creation Kingston University and Queen Mary University of London Series: Lost Skills Monday 20 November 19:00–21:00 St Dunstan and All Saints Church, London Booking required
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Folk music, by its nature, involves folks. So it is absurd to think a computer can compose such music. This unique event—part presentation part concert—shows how we can use automatic style imitation as a starting point for a creative process. Come and see a computer program that can generate an endless number of folk tunes and how it can help revolutionise music performance and composition. This event will explore the state of the art in ‘machine learning’ applied to music making and how humans can enhance their creativity with such computer collaborators.
Being Human 2017
London
London Art History in the Pub Association for Art History Series: Art History in the Pub Monday 20 November 19:00–21:00 See online for venue details No booking required
This event brings the wonders of the museum into the comfort of the pub! Learn about objects in local arts collections and discover more about artefacts from your local community—where are they from, have they ever been lost or stolen? Talks and film screenings last for about 40 minutes with a break for food and drink, followed by open discussions.
Lost Skills:Wills University College London Series: Lost Skills Tuesday 21 November 13:10–13:50 Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London No booking required
How do you write a will? How do you make it legally binding? Be inspired by a 3,000-yearold example preserved on papyrus from ancient Egypt. Discover how philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s will had an impact on modern ideas about death. Find out more about these historic examples and get advice on will writing.
Astronomy and the Meaning of Life Gresham College Series: Are Science and Faith at War? Tuesday 21 November 13:00–14:00 Museum of London, London No booking required
Being Human 2017
What did the skywatchers of the ancient world think about the night sky and its implications for human existence? Come to a talk about the great discoveries of Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo. Consider the deeper significance of these discoveries for God and the meaning of life, and look at recent interpretations that show the religious issues at stake. What do they tell us about human beings, or about the authority of science?
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London Revealing the Reformation Tour Senate House Library, University of London Tuesday 21 November 11:00–12:00 Thursday 23 November 15:00–16:00 Saturday 25 November 11:00–12:00 Senate House Library, University of London Booking required
Explore the English Reformation and its communication from its roots to its impact on culture and society at home and abroad in an exclusive tour of the exhibition Reformation: Shattered World, New Beginnings. Discover all that was lost and found in this turbulent period, with stories ranging from a lost son, lost histories and lost manuscripts to newly found relationships and technology. Lose yourself in the rarely displayed books and manuscripts, and find connections with today’s world deep in the heart of the library.
React and Reimagine – Finding the Future in Our Past Queerseum Wednesday 22 November – Saturday 25 November Senate House, University of London Booking required
Queerseum is a group of artists and activists building the first queer museum in the UK. Queerseum invites the LGBTIQA+ community and beyond to explore the need for a permanent space to hold, share and transform queer lives and histories. Throughout a week of workshops, talks, performances and installations, participants are invited to help build this museum through shared experience and conversation. Interact, imagine and be part of creating a legacy reflecting the cultural fluidity that queer sexual desire, identity and experience deserve.
Classics and History in 3D: Lunchtime Workshop School of Advanced Study, University of London Wednesday 22 November 13:00–14:00 Senate House, London No booking required
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Take a tour of the Temple of Isis in Pompeii without leaving London. The new Classics and History 3D Lab at Senate House is exploring how 3D imaging, modelling, printing, and virtual reality (VR) can inform modern research. In this interactive workshop, you will learn about what is going on in the lab and can share your ideas and questions about how you would like to see these methods used in teaching, research and public events. Come and play with scanned and 3D-printed artefacts, and take a stroll through the Temple of Isis on a VR headset (without fear of the goddess’s wrath). Being Human 2017
Women and War: the West End and the Western Front University of Lincoln and UK Parliament Vote 100 Wednesday 22 November 13:00–16:00 See online for venue details Booking required
A few days after the outbreak of the First World War, women began setting up organisations to help those in need—organisations that grew and diversified throughout the war years. Take part in a special living literature walk from Westminster to Covent Garden that explores the work of women in wartime through site-specific performances, autobiographical writing and new work commissioned by Dr Naomi Paxton and feminist production hub Scary Little Girls.
Fake News: The Heads of Jeremy Bentham and Flinders Petrie University College London Wednesday 22 November 13:10–13:50 The Octagon Gallery, London Booking required
It has often been said that the philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s head was used as a football or that the widow of the Egyptian archaeologist Flinders Petrie brought Petrie’s head to England in her hatbox. Yet neither of these stories is true! Find out more from the curators of the groundbreaking exhibition What It Means to be Human, which explores how such myths are made and other examples of fake news.
Debating Matters Competition Brunel University London Series: Knowing Our Rights Wednesday 22 November 13:30–19:00 Brunel University London, London Booking required
Being Human 2017
Come to the London finals of the Youth National Debating Competition, organised in partnership with the Institute of Ideas. This year’s debate is themed around lost and found human rights. Be part of the conversation and vote for or against the topic being discussed at the beginning and end of the debate—can your mind be changed and whose arguments will be most convincing?
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London Cromwell and Communications Senate House Library, University of London Wednesday 22 November 14:00–16:00 The National Archives, Kew Booking required
The Reformation was not just a transformation of the religious structures of England—it also presented opportunities for change in other areas, such as government. Join Senate House Library and The National Archives for a workshop exploring new interpretations of key documents relating to Thomas Cromwell, communications and the Reformation. This is an exciting opportunity to consider key questions concerning what was lost and found in the Reformation. How did changes in government and communications influence medieval culture and society and what was gained moving forward?
Finding Lost Science in Early Modern Poetry University College London Wednesday 22 November 16:30–18:00 Reading Room and Library Viewing Room, Wellcome Collection, London No booking required
Come to the unique Wellcome Library to learn how people understood science through literature in the 16th and 17th centuries. You will have the opportunity to look closely at early printed books describing scientific phenomena through poetry and containing remarkable images. We will discuss how science was conveyed through poetry, what this tells us about the intended audiences, and how these rare and beautiful books were produced and used.
Recovering the Past: Egypt and Greece University College London Wednesday 22 November 17:30–19:30 Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London, London No booking required
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Few ancient cultures have been studied as intensely as ancient Egypt and Greece. But how exactly do we learn about these ancient cultures and their connections? This multimedia event looks at the many ways in which the GraecoEgyptian past has been recovered. Come and find out all about it—the recuperation of texts on papyri, the deciphering of hieroglyphs, Freudian theories of Moses and the exodus from Egypt, and the representation of priests of Isis in films.
Being Human 2017
London
London Conceiving Histories – Behind the Exhibition Birkbeck, University of London Series: Conceiving Histories Wednesday 22 November 18:00–20:00 Keynes Library, London Booking required
This event is run in conjunction with the Conceiving Histories exhibition, featuring work by visual artist Anna Burel, which has emerged from her collaboration with literary historian Isabel Davis. Come and hear about the making of the work and some of the research behind it. This event will explore the curious material history of un-pregnancy, or pregnancies feigned, imagined, hidden and difficult to diagnose. How can this history be reimagined and re-materialised to think about conception and fertility today?
Buried Treasure: The Wreck of The London School of Advanced Study, University of London Wednesday 22 November 18:00–21:00 Institute of Historical Research, London Booking required
In 1665 The London exploded and sank off Southend, concealing herself for centuries on the estuary bed. Her wreck was found in 2005, revealing a hidden history of early modern life. Join an immersive evening, exploring food, drink and ballads from the time of The London. Plunge beneath the waves in a virtual dive of the wreck and see her glow in digitally mapped projection. Fill a pipe, knot rope and interact with artefacts. Meet the archaeologists bringing The London to the surface and resurrecting the life of the warship that carried Charles II to England during the Restoration.
Lost and Found: 20 Years Since Hong Kong’s Return to China China Exchange Wednesday 22 November 18:30–19:30 China Exchange, London Booking required
Being Human 2017
This year marks 20 years since Hong Kong’s reunification with mainland China. The previous century, during which the British ruled Hong Kong, has been seen as a time where Hong Kong was lost to China and ruled by a foreign power, with reunification a cause for celebration. For others, ‘finding’ China again has thrown up questions over identity and belonging. Join China Exchange for a panel discussion that will reflect on the social, economic and political impact of the last two decades and explore what the anniversary means to people in Hong Kong, other parts of China, and elsewhere.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London Positive in Prison: HIV Stories from a Dublin Jail London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Series: A Sense of Belongings Wednesday 22 November 18:30–20:30 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London Booking required
The 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis may be recent history, but the experiences of those who lived through it are rapidly disappearing from the public mind. This event reintroduces one specific collection of experiences, from the HIV/AIDS separation unit in Dublin’s largest prison. Captured through oral histories, these stories are being transformed into an audio drama. Come and hear the drama, and discuss this history and the process of retelling it with the creative team.
Lost and Found through the Migrant Experience Queen Mary University of London Series: A Sense of Belongings Wednesday 22 November 18:30–20:30 Autograph ABP, London Booking required
This event will explore how objects, such as photo albums and personal artefacts, can evoke complex stories of displacement. Filmmaker Eithne Nightingale and researcher Argun Imamzade will discuss Life is a Destiny, a film about 13-year-old Argun, who saved his family photograph album during the 1964 Cypriot conflict. Photographer and activist Gideon Mendel will also discuss Dzhangal, a powerful exhibition that uses objects gathered during visits to the Jungle refugee camp in Calais. There will also be a chance to explore the use of images and social media by migrants on the move today.
Seen and Not Heard: The Untold History of Homelessness School of Advanced Study, University of London Wednesday 22 November 18:30–21:30 Cardboard Citizens, London Booking required
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Come and take part in a timely conversation about the unheeded history of homelessness. How can we find ways to listen to the voices of those who lack access to housing, sustenance or security? This workshop brings together researchers, activists, actors and artists to ask how the experiences of the homeless can shape the way we write the histories of excluded groups. Participants include Cardboard Citizens, leading pioneers of Forum theatre techniques, and the book designer Esther McManus.
Being Human 2017
London
London Myths and Origins: Piltdown Man’s Cricket Bat School of Advanced Study, University of London Wednesday 22 November 19:00–21:00 Senate House, University of London Booking required
In 1912, in the midst of a wet cricketing season, a surprising find was unearthed in a Sussex gravel pit. ‘Piltdown Man’ seemed to be the palaeontological find of the century: a Darwinian missing link. Dubbed the ‘first Englishman’, he was even found buried with an elephant bone tool that looked suspiciously like a cricket bat. In this lecture, historian and keen cricketer Tom Holland explores the case of Piltdown Man. One of history’s greatest hoaxes, what can this case tell us about myths of national identity, our desire to explore our origins, and the mythic power of cricket itself? Followed by wine reception.
I Stood Up: This City is Ours University of the Arts London Thursday 23 November 10:00–16:00 Museum of London, London No booking required
In 2050 more than 70% of us will be living in cities, changing the ways we live with each other and our surrounding environment. This event looks at how fashion can bring together skills, practices and materials to inspire deeper connections between people and place. You are invited to take part in these conversations and to participate in a hands-on t-shirt design workshop, which will explore our individual and collective voices. Through this everyday item, the workshop will create a visualisation of the city that recognises the importance of community in different places.
A Voyage into the Past London Metropolitan Archives Series: Healing through Archives Thursday 23 November 11:00–15:00 London Metropolitan Archives, London Booking required
Being Human 2017
Explore the histories of Somali seamen in a workshop and guided walk led by the London Metropolitan Archives and Refugee Council Archive. Explore and share what an archive does and the importance of holding records as collective memory. View and handle original documents that refer to the life of the Somali seamen that lived in East London and take part in a ‘Hido Raac ’—a walking odyssey exploring the Somali presence and living histories of East London. The heritage walk will set off to explore the entangled narratives of commerce, culture and colonialism between Somali peoples and the city. Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London Lost Skills: Letter Writing University College London Series: Lost Skills Thursday 23 November 13:10–13:50 Petrie Musuem of Egyptian Archaeology, London No booking required
Inspired by letters from ancient Egyptians, discover the art and etiquette of letter writing in an age of social media. Explore letters the ancient Egyptians sent to each other, from the formal letter full of etiquette but no content to the gossipy about the behaviour of a wife and the rude full of insults. Then write your own using the Egyptian formulas.
The Journey of Maternal Matter Royal College of Art Thursday 23 November 14:00–17:00 The Royal College of Art, London Booking required
This event will investigate bereavement and mental health issues through textiles. Participants will share experiences of loss and refinding home. It will explore the idea that art can be a transformational journey, in which we can learn something new about ourselves and others through the use of textile materials.
Memory and Oblivion in the Library’s Mind School of Advanced Study, University of London Saturday 18 November and Saturday 25 November 14:00–16:30 The Warburg Institute, London No booking required
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Memory and Oblivion in the Library’s Mind explores the ways in which imagery and ideas can be lost and found by the human brain and the mind of a library alike. Eight interactive talks will survey the removal and resurfacing of the past through curious case studies in art, religion, science, philosophy and astrology. The programme offers a unique opportunity to thumb through the history of the Warburg Library by looking at some of its rarest books and an invitation to explore a memory ward of paper through the words of its current researchers.
Being Human 2017
London
London Books of Blood: Objects Lost and Found Bishop Grosseteste University Thursday 23 November 13:30–16:30 Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, London No booking required
This event sees mysterious, unique and bloody objects lost in the Science Museum’s archives uncovered in a way that enables the curious history of each piece, and its relationship to blood and the body, to be sensationally recovered. This show-and-tell writing and drawing workshop will be based on Clive Barker’s notion of the body as a ‘book of blood’ that can be read. Participants’ responses to the curious objects will form diverse narratives on being human that will be shown in the public space for others to enjoy.
The Royal Institute of Philosophy Debate The Royal Institute of Philosophy Thursday 23 November 18:00–19:30 Senate House, London Booking required
Chaired by Melvyn Bragg, this year’s debate explores the notion that ‘in 2017, cultural appropriation is an inappropriate method for writers.’ The debate includes Being Human festival director Sarah Churchwell, British author and novelist Monica Ali, and professor of philosophy James Young. At a time in which people are generally more aware of sensitivities arising from cultural differences, we need to explore the extent to which cultural appropriation in works of literature is desirable or appropriate.
Rediscovering the Art of Victorian Graphic Journalism University of Kent Thursday 23 November 18:00–20:00 British Library, London Booking required
Being Human 2017
Newspaper readers today are familiar with debates about fake news, the use of embedded war correspondents and the desire for immediacy that drives our 24hour news culture. But who were the first special correspondents and artists and what made them ‘special’? Professor Cathy Waters and Dr Ruth Brimacombe will answer these questions in discussing their online exhibition, Picturing the News, which rediscovers this new breed of 19th-century newspaper reporter and highlights the extraordinary nature of their achievements. This illustrated lecture will be followed by a wine reception.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London Voices Lost and Found: 50 Years since Decriminalisation Palgrave Macmillan Thursday 23 November 18:30–21:00 The Stables, London Booking required
2017 marks 50 years since homosexuality was partially decriminalised in the UK. To observe this anniversary, come along to a debate that looks at the evolution of gay, lesbian and queer studies in the humanities, with a panel of authors from Palgrave Macmillan. Delve into what it has meant to be a lost, marginalised and even criminalised voice, and examine the degree to which these voices have been found since the momentous Act of Parliament was passed.
Terrorists Have Rights Too Brunel University London Series: Knowing our rights Thursday 23 November 19:00–20:30 Frontline Club, London Booking required
In the aftermath of the London Bridge attacks, Theresa May has threatened to remove specific human rights if they undermine the fight against terrorism. Terrorists Have Rights Too will bring together important thinkers and leading actors in this area to explore the inherent conflict between human rights and combating the threat of terrorism. Speakers include Head of Red Lion Chambers Max Hill QC, the Guardian’s Roy Greenslade and Director of Britain in Europe Dr Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos.
Festival in a Box: Pop-Up Archive School of Advanced Study, University of London Friday 24 November 12:30–13:30 Senate House, London No booking required
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Since 2013 the Festival in a Box project has been taking a ‘cultural meals on wheels’ service to socially isolated older people in Bloomsbury and Camden. Taking artists and performers into peoples’ homes, the project delivers a mobile festival experience to vulnerable people in the community. Over four years the project has developed an archive of Bloomsbury stories, memories and artworks created in collaboration with local communities. Pop in to Senate House to view the collection, have a chat about Bloomsbury history, and add your stories to the archive!
Being Human 2017
London
London The Kindertransport: A Home Lost, a New Life Found? School of Advanced Study, University of London Thursday 24 November 18:00–20:00 Senate House, London Booking required
The Kindertransport enabled nearly 1,000 child refugees to flee from Nazi-occupied territories to the UK in 193839. This event brings together Kindertransportee Ruth Barnett and the German author Ursula Krechel, who based the novel Landgericht, which won the German Book Prize in 2012, on archival material documenting Barnett’s family story. It provides an opportunity to see extracts from the 2016 TV adaptation of the novel and to take part in a discussion on the Kindertransport and its place in fiction.
Ruin and Rebuild: Exhibition of Urban Dereliction Birkbeck College, University of London Saturday 25 November 12:00–17:00 43 Gordon Square, Birkbeck College, London No booking required
This unique pop-up exhibition uses creative work to reflect on what it means to live within urban spaces subject to dereliction and reconstruction. Join researchers and interact with art, photography, film and artefacts to explore city ruination in exciting ways. By combining numerous disciplines including art and geography, this event offers something for everyone. Whether you have a few spare minutes or a few hours, join in and talk with the artists behind the work. You can even contribute to a public exhibit in this highly interactive event.
Discovering Roehampton’s Hidden Treasures University of Roehampton Saturday 25 November 13:00–17:00 Grove House, Roehampton No booking required
Being Human 2017
Hidden in odd corners of Roehampton’s modern campus, are fragments of the ancient world: vases and sculptures, heroes and goddesses. Follow the Activity Trail to discover how they came to be there, and what it felt like to rediscover and recreate these artefacts. Handle a collection of ancient pottery, arrange your own sculpture gallery or test your skill at imitating the exhibits, and learn about the fascinating history of Roehampton’s Grove House as you explore its grounds. Bring your sense of adventure, and prepare to travel back in time. Suitable for all ages.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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London The Lost Film Shows: Screening Films on The Home Front School of Advanced Study, University of London Saturday 25 November 15:00–17:00 Senate House, London Booking required
Dress up in your favourite 1940s-inspired attire for this film show recreation in the former home of the Ministry of Information (MOI). The screening will include a selection of films and documentaries on the war effort and the home front. In 1940, the Ministry of Information launched its mobile film show scheme, which ran for the remainder of the war. The MOI mobile film units were vans containing projectors and screens, driven around the country by a driver-projectionist, that gave free shows in village halls, schools and factories. The Lost Film Shows will celebrate the many shows screened for voluntary groups. The films will be followed by tea and cake.
The Queer Allure of Art Deco Victoria & Albert Museum Saturday 25 November 15:00–17:00 Victoria & Albert Museum, London No booking required
Join the V&A for an archival visit to the prints and drawings study room exploring queer aesthetics in original Art Deco prints and designs in the Museum collection. Delve into the work of stage and costume designers George Barbier, Leon Bakst and Erté; photographers Cecil Beaton and Paul Tanqueray; and performers such as Nazimova, Nijinsky and Valentino. The archive tour will be followed by screenings of specially selected excerpts from key productions of the era, including Camille (1921), Monsieur Beaucaire (1924) and The Hollywood Revue of 1929.
Bloomsbury and the Grounds of Philanthropy Queen Mary University of London Saturday 25 November 18:30–20:30 Foundling Museum, London Booking required
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Since 1739, when Thomas Coram established the Foundling Hospital on what was then the northern edge of London, Bloomsbury has been associated with philanthropic innovation. It was followed by a plethora of pioneering charitable organisations, such as Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (founded 1852), the first of its kind in the UK. In this event, Bloomsbury expert Dr Matthew Ingleby will lead a panel discussion exploring the role that urban geography plays in the advancement of human sympathy and the invention of new technologies of care.
Being Human 2017
International
International Missing Persons: Lost and Found in Paris  University of London Institute in Paris Friday 17 November 19:00–21:00 University of London Institute in Paris, Paris Booking required
Being Human 2017
Working with a group of asylum seekers and secondary-school pupils in the current migration hotspot of La Chapelle, Paris, this project will explore the differences in our maps of a shared, if provisional, home. Through guided walks and workshop exercises, participants will produce city maps that reflect how names and landmarks affect behaviour and belonging, and discover whether unlocking some of the lost histories contained in the fabric of the city can help build connections.
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Events by date
Events by date Event descriptions can be found on the pages indicated Friday 17 November Art and Loss of Social Housing, Exeter, 58 Childhood Revisited, Liverpool, 34 Conceiving Histories (Exhibition), London, 68 Displaced and Replaced, Colchester, 62 Finding Mr Hart, London, 67 Hidden in the Home: The Concealed Revealed Roadshow, Sherborne, 59 How to Lose and Find Yourself in Words Launch, Northampton, 43 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 53 Language and Song: Finding Our Lost First World War Heritage, Chichester, 61 Let’s Get Lost: Southampton as the Situationist City, Southampton, 59 Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten, Glasgow, 19 Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Digital, 64 Lost Languages on Found Objects – a Language Tour, Oxford, 63 Lost Late: Night at the Museums, Oxford, 63 Lost Rights, Found Justice?, London, 67 Missing Persons: Lost and Found in Paris, Paris, 89 O What We Ben! Discovering Post-Apocalyptic Landscapes, Canterbury, 61 Paignton Lantern Procession, Paignton, 58 Paradise Lost, Manchester, 36 Recollecting Popular Music Memories in Merthyr Tydfil, Merthyr Tydfil, 27 Shakespeare’s Emotions, Lost and found, Stratford-upon-Avon, 51 Talking Orwell, London, 67 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Edinburgh, 18 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Nottingham, 43 Voices from London, London, 76 We Want Your Welsh! Rho Dy Gymraeg I Ni!, Swansea, 27
Saturday 18 November Archives Weekend, London, 68 Bay of Plenty: Stories of the City, Campus and Culture, Swansea, 28 Beauty of Craftmanship, London, 68 Becoming Teachers: Women’s College Life from 1862 to 1918, Lincoln, 42 Bestsellers Lost and Found, Sheffield, 39 Beyond the Battlefields: Women and Photography in WW1, Birmingham, 49 Coming to Our Senses, London, 69 Conceiving Histories (Exhibition), London, 68 90
Egyptian Mummy Meets Demons: Voices, Faces, Faraway Places, Swansea, 27 Finding Meaning in Myth, Glasgow, 20 Finding the Diary of Madeleine Blaess, Sheffield, 39 Finding through Feeling, London, 69 Gulliver! A Fantastical Pantomime, Dundee, 17 Gulliver’s Travels: Lost and Found, Dundee, 16 Hubert Nicholson and Sunk Island, Ottringham, 38 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 54 Languages Lost and Found, Scotland, 16 Left Luggage: Reading Sam Selvon in Waterloo Station, London, 70 Let’s Get Lost: Southampton as the Situationist City, Southampton, 59 LitLong Edinburgh – Making Paths through a Literary City, Edinburgh, 19 London: A Labyrinth of Loss, London, 70 Looking for Archie: Cary Grant’s Bristol, Bristol, 56 Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten, Glasgow, 19 Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Digital, 64 Lost Rights, Found Justice?, London, 67 Mapping the Borders, Scotland, 23 Memory and Oblivion in the Library’s Mind, London, 84 Migration Stories – Then and Now, Nottingham, 44 New Light on Old Books, Glasgow, 20 Off the Grid: Lost and Found in Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes, 62 Paignton Lantern Procession, Paignton, 58 Paradise (Street) Lost and Found, Liverpool, 35 Play with Plastic, Stoke-on-Trent, 50 (Re)connecting with Nature through the Power of Wild Words, Nottingham, 44 Redeeming the Wolf: A Story of Persecution, Loss, Rediscovery, Hatfield, 53 Sound: Lost and Found, Bridport, 56 Talking Orwell, London, 67 Telling the Bees, York, 40 The Inspiration Machine: Creative Writing for Everyone, London, 69 The Room of the Lost and Found, Sheffield, 38 Understanding our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Nottingham, 43 Voices from London, London, 76 Who Tells Your Story? Latin America at the British Library, London, 70 Writing in the Sand, Cambridge, 52
Being Human 2017
Events by date
Events by date Event descriptions can be found on the pages indicated Sunday 19 November
Monday 20 November
Archives Weekend, London, 68 A Taste of the Past, Newcastle, 31 A Walk Remembering First World War Conscientious Objectors, London, 72 Babbling Beasts, Birmingham, 49 Bass in the Attic, London, 72 Doing Day: Body/Brain/Archive, London, 71 Gasp! Exploring Breath through Creative Arts, Bristol, 57 Hearing Loss and Found Identities – the Sound of Silence, Belfast, 24 Images in Translation: Screen Printing Workshop, Nottingham, 44 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 54 Let’s Get Lost: Southampton as the Situationist City, Southampton, 59 Live British Wrestling: History and Resurgence, Leicester, 41 London: A Labyrinth of Loss, London, 70 Looking for Archie: Cary Grant’s Bristol, Bristol, 56 Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten, Glasgow, 19 Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Digital, 64 Lost for Words, London, 72 Mapping the Borders, Scotland, 23 Missing Children Found: A Creative Workshop, Portsmouth, 64 Paignton Lantern Procession, Paignton, 58 Sovereignties of Birmingham, Birmingham, 49 Suffrage Tea, Worcester, 51 Switchboard I, Nottingham, 45 Talking Orwell, London, 67 The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, Dundee, 17 The Great Yiddish Parade, London, 71 The Lost of Portsmouth and Sussex, Portsmouth, 63 Understanding our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Nottingham, 43 Voices from London, London, 76 Women and War: Margaret Cavendish’s Bell in Campo, Glasgow, 20
All Our Stories: The Migration Museum, London, 73 Art History in the Pub, Bristol, 56 Art History in the Pub, Leeds, 37 Art History in the Pub, London, 77 Breton Ballads, London, 76 Childhood Revisited, Liverpool, 34 China: New Nation, New Art, 1911–32, London, 74 Co-existing with Hal 9000: Being Human in a World With AI, London, 75 Conceiving Histories (Exhibition), London, 68 Cultural Encounters: What’s in a Letter?, Glasgow, 21 Emotional Objects: From Lost Amulets to Found Photos, London, 75 Football fever – Jonny Owen and Don’t Take Me Home, Swansea, 28 Found Theatre and Poetry: Disrupting the Everyday, London, 74 From Syria With Love, London, 73 Gallery Tour of the Exhibition Collected Words, Nottingham, 45 Gulliver’s Travels: Lost and Found, Dundee, 16 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 54 Let’s Get Lost: Southampton as the Situationist City, Southampton, 59 London Locations: Lost and Found, London, 73 Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten, Glasgow, 19 Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Digital, 64 Music in the Age of Artificial Creation, London, 76 Paignton Lantern Procession, Paignton, 58 Paths across Waters, North Shields, 33 Playing Doctors, London, 75 Putting Southwick on the Map, Sunderland, 33 Re/discovery of Miraculous Statues in Early Modern France, Leicester, 41 Sovereignties of Birmingham, Birmingham, 49 Stimulating All the Senses: Art, Food, Music and Dementia, 74 Suffrage Talk and Taste, Worcester, 51 Talking Orwell, London, 67 Tattoos and Travel, Jaywick, 62 They Taught Me Laughing to Keep from Crying, Brighton, 60 Understanding our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Nottingham, 43 Voices from London, London, 76
Being Human 2017
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Events by date
Events by date Event descriptions can be found on the pages indicated Tuesday 21 November
Wednesday 22 November
Age Seeking Youth: The Rejuvenation Emporium, Leeds, 38 Astronomy and the Meaning of Life, London, 77 Beauty in Belfast circa 1884, Belfast, 25 Borderline, Norwich, 54 Conceiving Histories (Exhibition), London, 68 Cultural Encounters: What’s in a Letter?, Glasgow, 21 Found Theatre and Poetry: Disrupting the Everyday, London, 74 Home Abroad: Lost and Found, Aberdeen, 16 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 54 Leather at Lunchtime, Northampton, 43 Let’s Get Lost: Southampton as the Situationist City, Southampton, 59 Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten, Glasgow, 19 Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Digital, 64 Looking For Langston and Q&A with Director Isaac Julien, Brighton, 60 Lost Languages on Found Objects – a Language Tour, Oxford, 63 London Locations: Lost and Found, London, 73 Lost Skills: Wills, London, 77 My Family and Empire, Swansea, 29 Olimpick Games and Olympian Games, Lost and Found, Leicester, 41 Paignton Lantern Procession, Paignton, 58 Paths across Waters, North Shields, 33 Putting Southwick on the Map, Sunderland, 33 Revealing the Reformation Tour, London, 78 Searching for Theatrical Ancestors: Lost and Found, Hull, 37 Storytelling from Conflict – Lost and Found Stories, Belfast, 24 Switchboard II, Nottingham, 45 Talking Orwell, London, 67 The First World War and Community Memory, Belfast, 25 The Rise, Fall and Revival of the Modern Bookshop, Nottingham, 46 Treasures from the Rosey Pool Library, Brighton, 60 Understanding our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Nottingham, 43 Voices from London, London, 76 Wales/Cymru, Refugees, Voices, (Hi)stories, Swansea, 28
Becoming Teachers: Women’s College Life from 1862 to 1918, Lincoln, 42 Being Multilingual, Being Well, Cambridge, 52 Buried Treasure: The Wreck of The London, London, 81 Childhood Revisited, Liverpool, 34 Classics and History in 3D: Lunchtime Workshop, London, 78 Conceiving Histories – Behind the Exhibition, London, 81 Conceiving Histories (Exhibition), London, 68 Cromwell and Communications, London, 80 Cultural Encounters: What’s in a Letter? Glasgow, 21 Debating Matters Competition, London, 79 Excavating the World’s First Farmers in Iraq and Iran, Reading, 65 Fake News: The Heads of Jeremy Bentham and Flinders Petrie, London, 79 Find Your Voice! Exploring Teen Girl Issues on the Screen, Belfast, 25 Finding Lost Science in Early Modern Poetry, London, 80 Found Theatre and Poetry: Disrupting the Everyday, London, 74 Gulliver’s Travels: Lost and Found, Dundee, 16 Hungry for Words? Let’s Talk about Food – with Men, Nottingham, 46 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 54 Leather at Lunchtime, Northampton, 43 Let’s Get Lost: Southampton as the Situationist City, Southampton, 59 London Locations: Lost and Found, London, 73 Losing Yourself in a Book – the Boots Booklovers Library, Nottingham, 47 Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten, Glasgow, 19 Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Reading, 64 Lost and Found Shakespeare, Leicester, 42 Lost and Found through the Migrant Experience, 82 Lost and Found: 20 Years Since Hong Kong’s Return to China, 81 Making Faces, Beauty Lost and Found, Swansea, 29 Myths and Origins, Piltdown Man’s Cricket Bat, London, 83 Opening up the Archives of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Nottingham, 46 Paignton Lantern Procession, Paignton, 58 Paradise Lost, Manchester, 36 Paths across Waters, North Shields, 33 Positive in Prison: HIV Stories from a Dublin Jail, London, 82 Putting Southwick on the Map, Sunderland, 33 React and Reimagine – Finding the Future in Our Past, London, 78 Recovering the Past: Egypt and Greece, London, 80 Reels of History: On The Bride’s Side screening, Norwich, 54 Seen and Not Heard: The Untold History of Homelessness, London, 82
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Event descriptions can be found on the pages indicated Sensing the Past, Chester, 34 Talking Orwell, London, 67 Telling Tall Tales, Dundee, 18 The Imaginarium, Dundee, 17 The Tangled Veil and the Cloud of Unknowing – LOL, Liverpool, 35 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Edinburgh, 18 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Nottingham, 43 Voices for Today, Swansea, 29 Voices from London, London, 76 Women and War: the West End and the Western Front, London, 79 Write Your Story Your Way, Reading, 65 Your First Digital Story, Nottingham, 47 You’re Only as Old as You Feel, Belfast, 26
Thursday 23 November A Voyage into the Past, London, 83 ADAPT Live, Bradford, 37 An Evening of Poetry with Simon Armitage and Daljit Nagra, Swansea, 30 An Imaginative Journey through the James Watt Archives, Leicester, 42 Becoming Teachers: Women’s College Life from 1862 to 1918, Lincoln, 42 Books of Blood: Objects Lost and Found, London, 85 Conceiving Histories (Exhibition), London, 68 Cultural Encounters: What’s in a Letter? Glasgow, 21 Found Theatre and Poetry: Disrupting the Everyday, London, 74 Gulliver’s Travels: Lost and Found, Dundee, 16 Home at MERL (Workshops), Reading, 65 Hope, Lost and Found: Kidney Disease – Power of Art, Belfast, 26 I Stood Up: This City is Ours, London, 83 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 54 Leather at Lunchtime, Northampton, 43 Let’s Get Lost: Southampton as the Situationist City, 59 London Locations: Lost and Found, London, 73 Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Reading, 64 Lost Skills: Letter Writing, London, 84 Off the Grid: Lost and Found in Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes, 62 Paignton Lantern Procession, Paignton, 58 Paradise Lost, Manchester, 36 Paths across Waters, North Shields, 33
Being Human 2017
Postcard Poetry: Philip Hobsbaum’s Inclusive Writers’ Groups, Glasgow, 21 Putting Southwick on the Map, Sunderland, 33 Raptures of the Deep: Free-Diving Film Night, Durham, 31 React and Reimagine – Finding the Future in Our Past, London, 78 Rediscovering the Art of Victorian Graphic Journalism, London, 85 Refugee History Panel, Norwich, 54 Revealing the Reformation Tour, London, 78 Shoe and Tell: a Celebration of Teenage Identity, Nottingham, 47 Sparks of Life: Frankenstein and Regeneration at Carliol House, Newcastle upon Tyne, 32 Switchboard III, Nottingham, 48 Talking Orwell, London, 67 Terrorists Have Rights Too, London, 86 The Great Knitting Workshop: Picking up Dropped Stitches, Newcastle upon Tyne, 32 The Journey of Maternal Matter, London, 84 The Kindertransport: A Home Lost, a New Life Found? London, 87 The Lost Songs of MGM, Sheffield, 40 The Royal Institute of Philosophy Debate, London, 85 Thinking through Fragments: Might and Right, Exeter, 58 Understanding our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Voices from London, London, 76 Voices Lost and Found: 50 Years since Decriminalisation, 86
Friday 24 November ADAPT Live, Bradford, 37 Conceiving Histories (Exhibition), London, 68 Cultural Encounters: What’s in a Letter? Glasgow, 21 Fantasy Scotland – a Night at the Museum, Glasgow, 22 Festival in a Box: Pop-up Archive Performance, London, 86 Finding Mr Hart, Blackburn, 34 Found Theatre and Poetry: Disrupting the Everyday, London, 74 Gasp! Exploring Breath through Creative Arts, Bristol, 57 Getting By: Young People, Poverty and Stigma during Austerity, Glasgow, 21 Gulliver’s Travels: Lost and Found, Dundee, 16 Home Abroad: Lost and Found, Aberdeen, 16 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 54 London Locations: Lost and Found, London, 73 Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten, Glasgow, 19
Book online: beinghumanfestival.org
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Events by date
Events by date
Events by date
Events by date Event descriptions can be found on the pages indicated Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Reading, 64 Lost Authors: Geoffrey Trease, Nottingham, 48 Lost Limbs and Posthuman Enhancement, Glasgow, 22 Lost Literary Edinburgh – a Wikipedia Editathon, Edinburgh, 19 Making History! Cullompton, 57 Multilingual Swansea – a Celebration! Swansea, 30 O What We Ben! Discovering Post-Apocalyptic Landscapes, Canterbury, 61 Paignton Lantern Procession, Paignton, 58 Paradise Lost, Manchester, 36 Paths Across Waters, North Shields, 33 Putting Southwick on the Map, Sunderland, 33 React and Reimagine – Finding the Future in Our Past, London, 78 Sensing the Past, Chester, 34 Shoe and Tell: a Celebration of Teenage Identity, Nottingham, 47 Sparks of Life: Frankenstein and Regeneration at Carliol House, Newcastle upon Tyne, 32 Talking Orwell, London, 67 Understanding our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Edinburgh, 18 Understanding our Multilingual World, Nottingham, 43 Vanished: A Historian’s Guide to Extinction, Birmingham, 50 Voices from London, London, 76 Write the Future: Science Fiction Writing Workshop, Glasgow, 22 You’re Only as Old as You Feel, Belfast, 26
Saturday 25 November A Flower for Oscar Wilde, Reading, 66 Belief, Lost and Found: The Unbelief Café, Canterbury, 61 Bloomsbury and the Grounds of Philanthropy, London, 88 Bristol Waters Lost and Found: An Evening of Music, Film and Art, Bristol, 57 Conceiving Histories (Exhibition), London, 68 Dickensian Disappearances, Portsmouth, 64 Discovering Roehampton’s Hidden Treasures, London, 87 Jungle Protestimony: An Echo of the Camp, Norwich, 54 Home at MERL (Performance), Reading, 66 Home at MERL (Workshops), Reading, 65 Lost, Abandoned and Forgotten, Glasgow, 19 Lost and Found: An Online Exhibition from the Collections, Reading, 64 Lost and Found: The Serendipity of Collecting, Cambridge, 53 94
Lost Cities of the Strand: An Exploration, London, 71 London Locations: Lost and Found, London, 73 Lost Rights, Found Justice? London, 67 Lost Voices from the North East, Durham, 31 Mapping the Borders, Scottish Borders, 23 Memory and Oblivion in the Library’s Mind, London, 84 Must Bankers be Bad? Birmingham, 50 New impressions: Redesigning Norwich’s Renaissance Books, Norwich, 55 O What We Ben! Discovering Post-Apocalyptic Landscapes, Canterbury, 61 On Y’bike: Cycling in Postwar Tyneside, Newcastle upon Tyne, 32 Paradise Lost, Manchester, 36 Paths Across Waters, North Shields, 33 Pieces of a Jigsaw: Portraits of Artists and Writers in Wales, Swansea, 30 Play with Plastic, Stoke-on-Trent, 50 Putting Southwick on the Map, Sunderland, 33 React and Reimagine – Finding the Future in Our Past, London, 78 Recollecting Popular Music Memories in Merthyr Tydfil, Merthyr Tydfil, 27 Revealing the Reformation Tour, London, 78 Ruin and Rebuild: Exhibition of Urban Dereliction, London, 87 Shoe and Tell: a Celebration of Teenage Identity, Nottingham, 47 Sleep: Lost and Found, Manchester, 35 Sparks of Life: Frankenstein and Regeneration at Carliol House, Newcastle upon Tyne, 32 Swift at 350: The Graphic Anthology, Dundee, 18 Talking Orwell, London, 67 The Lost Film Shows: Screening Films on the Home Front, London, 88 The Queer Allure of Art Deco, London, 88 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Belfast, 24 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Cambridge, 52 Understanding Our Multilingual World, Nottingham, 43 Voices from London, London, 76 War Child, Reading, 66 “What I Want to Say is “… Finding Meaning in Language, Nottingham, 48
Being Human 2017
Down and Out in Paris and London (University of London Institute in Paris, Being Human festival 2016)
Night at the Library: Books of Hope and Fear (School of Advanced Study, University of London, Being Human festival 2016)
Programme produced by: Marketing and Communications School of Advanced Study, University of London Printed by: Image Data Group, Willerby, East Yorkshire Cover
Creative Commons via the Wellcome Library, London Faiseur de lunettes, the Glasses Maker, with tools costume and apparatus (c. 1721) by Martin Engelbrecht
Please refer to our website for all other copyright and credit information: beinghumanfestival.org We would like to thank all those who contributed to the Being Human 2017 programme. Special thanks to Emma Bohan-Leigh, Robert Kelly, Laura Say, Uneesah Khalil, Lauren De’Ath and Rosemary Lambeth.
The Being Human festival team Professor Sarah Churchwell, festival director Dr Michael Eades, festival curator and manager Jo Chard, festival coordinator Dr Kristan Tetens, head of marketing and communications Dr Amanda Phipps, festival assistant Charlotte Bell, festival assistant
This material is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact beinghuman@sas.ac.uk
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Being Human festival School of Advanced Study Senate House Malet Street London WC1E 7HU United Kingdom Email beinghuman@sas.ac.uk beinghumanfestival.org