Queen Mary University of London in collaboration with King’s College London, has created one of five festival hubs for Being Human 2019.
The 2019 Festival kicks off on 14 November, and is focused on promoting public engagement with humanities research through a range of fun, inspiring events. The Queen Mary and King’s College collaborative hub is uncovering the secrets of the lives happening around us, looking at the world from a more personal perspective under the umbrella theme ‘This Time It’s Personal’.
For the This Time It’s Personal programme, researchers will be heading to venues across London and beyond to explore the stories of the people who call the city their home.
Dr Natt Day, Public Engagement Officer at Queen Mary’s Centre for Public Engagement said: “Queen Mary University of London has been taking part in the Being Human Festival for years and it’s always been a fantastic way to engage audiences with the world-leading research that we do here. We are thrilled this year to collaborate with King’s College London and bring more events to life across the capital and beyond.
“In such uncertain times, it’s never been so important for us to take some time to discover all the different stories and experiences that are happening to the people around us so that we can understand ourselves and people we have never met before. We hope that everyone who comes along will have a newfound sense of what makes up the human experience across the world and can take the stories they’ve heard with them” added Dr Day.
On the beach: discovering early humans in Happisburgh, Norfolk (Talks)Fri 15 Nov, 19:30 – 22:00 Wenn Evans Centre, Norfolk
Come and learn about the earliest humans in Britain. In an evening talk and family-friendly day of activities, explore our distant past through the discoveries that have been made on the beach at Happisburgh in Norfolk.
On the beach: discovering early humans in Happisburgh, Norfolk (Activities)Sat 16 Nov, 11:00 – 16:00 Wenn Evans Centre, Norfolk
Humanising MedicineTues 19 Nov, 17:30 – 19:30 Barts Pathology Museum, London
An evening of art and storytelling in celebration of the humanity and artistry at the core of medicine. Featuring an exhibition depicting the lived experiences of people involved in all aspects of healthcare, and a chance to hear the personal stories of health, illness and care from doctors, nurses, students and patients.
GateThu 21 Nov, 10:00 – 12:00 Queen Mary Library, Mile End
The gate will open - the gate will close. What does it mean to pass through the barrier? This interactive workshop led by artist Janetka Platun will explore the poetics and power of gates and the relationships between our bodies, barriers, breaches and gaps.
Listening LivesSat 23 Nov, 12:00 – 14:00 Gnome House, Walthamstow
Afternoon story-telling event in Waltham Forest with local refugee storytelling and street food project Stories & Supper. Eat delicious snacks and listen to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers sharing their stories about journeys, home and belonging.
The Secret Lives of Costume: A Multi-sensory walk at the NTSat 23 Nov, 12:00 – 13:15 & 15:00 – 16:15 National Theatre, London
Costume is often understood as a visual medium. This sensory walk backstage at the National Theatre invites audiences to pay attention to the other senses involved in theatre costume, to the smell of sweat, or the sensation of a corset, or the sound of armour, or the taste of thread. Visitors are invited to consider the meanings of theatre costume for the people who work with it, and to think about the peculiar experience of wearing clothes.
The topic for the 2019 Festival is Discoveries and Secrets and over 200 events nationwide will be exploring this topic in a range of different ways. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy, Being Human is a national forum for public engagement with humanities research. The festival will highlight the ways in which the humanities can inspire and enrich our everyday lives.
More information:
For media information, contact: