Being Human Festival

Book onto our free online Introduction to Creative Public Engagement training on Thursday 5 March!

Led by Engagement Strategist & Facilitator Rosie Stanbury, this session will provide an introduction to creative methods for delivering public engagement activities.

Book here: bit.ly/4rAfYlb

Whether you're a researcher with experience in public engagement or are trying it for the first time, our @beinghumanfest.bsky.social training programme has been designed to cover some of the key knowledge and skills to help you connect the wider public with your research: https://bit.ly/4j3UOHN

Sign up to our Apply to Being Human Festival 2026 Webinar on Wednesday 25 February, 11am-12pm, and learn more about the festival and application process.
Dr Lucy Ella Rose joins us from @uniofsurrey.bsky.social to talk about her application for a 2025 Festival Hub
bit.ly/4bX9vvB

#BeingHuman2026

Our 2026 Public Engagement training programme is now live!
We've got 8 training sessions, running between March and October.

But first, sign up to our Apply for Being Human Festival 2026 Webinar on 25 February to find out more about submitting your application: bit.ly/4kxQzWx

#BeingHumanFestival

Two grant schemes from the School of Advanced Study are now open for applications: Being Human Festival 2026 and the Centre for Public Engagement Practice in Arts and Humanities’ new Collaboration and Innovation Grant.

Go to bit.ly/3ZoolUq for details on how to apply

Save the date! Being Human Festival 2026 will take place from 5 to 14 November across the UK. More information coming in early February about how to get involved!

#BeingHumanFestival

Sharing Hidden Histories: Reflections on ‘Digital Storytelling for Local History’ as part of the Being Human Festival - On History IHR Fellow Maxine Beuret shares the experience of a hands-on ‘Digital Storytelling for Local History’ workshop—a space where stories, history, and memories were brought to life through digital media,…

New #OnHistory blog from IHR Fellow @maxinebeuret.bsky.social reflecting on the Digital Storytelling for Local Historians that she ran as part of @sas-news.bsky.social @beinghumanfest.bsky.social blog.history.ac.uk/2026/01/shar...

UK-Ireland DH Association 2026 Annual Event - CFP Information Session

There are just 3 weeks left to submit your proposal for the 2026 Annual Event, to be held at the University of Southampton, 15-16 June. Theme: Sustainability. digitalhumanities-uk-ie.org/2026-annual-...

Questions about the CFP? Join our drop-in session on Wednesday www.sas.ac.uk/digital-huma...

Being Human Festival 2025 Film Discover some of our 2025 festival highlights in our short film

Our 2025 festival highlights film is here! Thank you to everyone who contributed 🎬
bit.ly/49jmaqK

Researchers invited to express their interest for the Community Connections Grant The Centre for Public Engagement Practice in Arts and Humanities (CPEP) is piloting a new community-focused grant between January and May 2026.

The Centre for Public Engagement Practice in Arts and Humanities is inviting academic researchers in the arts, humanities & social sciences to collaborate with community groups as part of a new community-led grant. The pilot will run from January to May 2026. Info here: www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

The Living Library OVERVIEW: visiting a pop-up exhibition of eco-poetry

Sharing a wonderful write-up of ‘The Living Library’, a collaborative exhibition with @royalholloway.bsky.social and Landmark Arts Centre for @beinghumanfest.bsky.social 🧡
open.substack.com/pub/thelimin...

We had a great time leading our “Women Writers in Early Modern London” walking tours this month, as part of the Being Human Festival 2025 @beinghumanfest.bsky.social !
We’re already excited to take part in next year’s Festival, but there’ll be plenty more Neo-Latin events before then so stay tuned!

⛪ At @beinghumanfest.bsky.social Dr Sebastian Matzner, Dr Anna Linton and Dr Thomas Biskup unveiled the forgotten history of London's 18th century German community through the story of Georg Andreas Ruperti, Lutheran minister at St Mary’s and Court Preacher at St James’s Palace ⬇️

Can you spot the statues of two giants in London's Guildhall in this 1842 lithograph?

I loved telling stories about giants and so much more on Saturday's 'Legends of London' walking tours, as part of this year's @beinghumanfest.bsky.social.

Photo by Art Institute of Chicago on Unsplash.

A huge thank you to everyone who organised and attended over 220 free events across the UK!
We have loved seeing the variety of humanities research, activities and events with audiences from all over the country.
There will be more Being Human festival 2025 highlights coming soon!
#BeingHuman2025

Herstory Walking Tour in progress Being Human Festival at Bristol

A slightly soggy start to today’s @beinghumanfest.bsky.social @hannahmore.bsky.social ‘Herstory Walking Tour’ of significant Bristol women writers, but an enthusiastic audience! @engagebristol.bsky.social

Thanks to @petebrownbeer.bsky.social for a brilliant talk last night at Small Bar. Great to bring your research & your new book to our lovely Bristol crowd. Thanks @beinghumanfest.bsky.social for the funding that made it possible!

Photo credits @dominicalder.bsky.social & @kellywasgcb.bsky.social

The littlun & I really enjoyed a spooky storytelling session with Olivia Armstrong in the atmospheric setting of Sopwell ruins as part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social - we heard about the Green Lady of Hertfordshire (witch, fairy or ghost? It was up to us to decide) & the Tale of Little Grey

A image of the indenture agreement between the governors of St Bartholomew's Hospital and Tobias Preist for carpenter's work for the West Wing, 1748/1749 [SBHB/HA/19/14], projected onto the facade and windows of Barts North Wing

A image of the petition of Frances Turner of St Mary Islington for admission to St Bartholomew's Hospital, signed by B Wood, governor, 1828 [SBHB/MR/6/4], projected onto a pillar in the archway of Barts North Wing

An image of the profile portrait photograph of Ethel Bedford Fenwick, nee Gordon Manson, former Matron at St Bartholomew's Hospital and a key figure in the campaign for nursing registration, taken 1920s [SBHPP/MAN/28], projected onto the facade of Barts North Wing

An image of a black and white photograph of the 1947 View Day procession passing the North Wing of St Bartholomew's Hospital, showing the beadle in ceremonial robe with his staff of office at the front and Matron Helen Dey in uniform behind [SBHB/MP/2/54], projected onto Barts North Wing

It was wonderful to hear so many stories from the St Bartholomew's Hospital archives woven together beautifully by Nadia Valman, alongside images of documents and photos from our collections projected onto @bartsnorthwing.bsky.social as part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social on Monday night😍

Beyond Words: How Music Creates Meaning Join us for a free orchestral concert for all the family, and explore how music creates meaning and connections beyond words, and across generations. Musicians from the University of Surrey and the to...

Odaline de la Martinez’s ‘Suite from Imoinda’ will be performed at the University of London’s Being Human Festival on Saturday
@beinghumanfest.bsky.social
www.beinghumanfestival.org/events/beyon...

Motherhood - Bite-sized talks at George Marshall Medical Museum FREE — Worcester Medical Museums Come along and learn about aspects of motherhood in this series of bite-sized talks, and explore the George Marshall Medical Museum after hours! The short talks will explore representations of being, ...

Tonight we enjoy bite-sized talks with experts about what it is to be, and not to be, a mother in the UK in history. All part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social and our current project to discover the history of motherhood and birth @voicesofmotherhood.bsky.social

medicalmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/202...

Legends of London Travel back in time on this walking tour to discover the late-medieval legends that defined London’s sites and streets for centuries.

It's almost time for 'Legends of London', my walking tour through fictions for Being Human Festival. I can't wait for Saturday! Fingers crossed for sunshine. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/legends-of...

@beinghumanfest.bsky.social, @qmul.bsky.social

An amazing night @ihr.bsky.social making toy theatres as part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social 2025! Led by @pdwebster.bsky.social, we explored toy theatres as heritage reconstruction - and staged the shows of our dreams! So much joyful creativity in the room & lots of first-time visitors to the IHR.

Comics for change being human festival

This afternoon @beinghumanfest.bsky.social

Being Human Festival 2025 is now in full swing across the UK. So far we have seen a wide variety of activities and events including cooking workshops, walking tours, cabaret performance, and lots more! The UK’s national festival of the humanities runs until 15 November 2025.
#BeingHuman2025

Terrific day at the Albany in Deptford for our mini Festival of Migration as part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social. Bringing Goldsmiths researchers together with local residents and community partners to explore stories and histories of migration. A JOYOUS event in increasingly dark political times.

Great day at @beinghumanfest.bsky.social with the @sharinglands.bsky.social crew. Sharing #Choctaw Bvnaha & #Irish Yellowmeal Bread will all & collecting related #recipes from all over the world. #baking #cooking #sharing #bread #deptford

Weaving Together: A Conversation With Choctaw & Irish Basket Makers Join Choctaw and Irish basket makers Aliyah Myers, Colton James, and Tom Delaney as they discuss and demonstrate their crafts.

Visited us at @beinghumanfest.bsky.social and want to know more about the Choctaw-Irish connection?

Join @padraigkirwan.bsky.social for a conversation with #Choctaw and #Irish weavers as they explore the resonances between their crafts.

Free, booking required.
www.eventbrite.com/e/weaving-to...

Our @beinghumanfest.bsky.social chocolate tasting, Raising the Bar, ranging over the sensory, historical, ethical and environmental dimensions of chocolate production. A collaboration between Spencer Hyman of Cocoa Runners and @ip-sas.bsky.social Centre for the Study of the Senses

Louise Creechan and Mary Robson, organisers of Between the Lines: A Research Cabaret, standing in front of the stage at the Radisson Blu Hotel.

Ruben Verwaal holding a beaker of yellow liquid, performing at Between the Lines.

Louise Creechan performing Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush at Between the Lines.

Audience members dancing at Between the Lines.

💃🎶 Last week's Research Cabaret led by @louisecreechan.bsky.social and @maryrobbo.bsky.social was a resounding success! Catch up on what we got up to as part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social 👇
tinyurl.com/yntr9362