No, we’re not talking about Brexit this time, but the theme
of this year’s Being Human Festival – the national celebration of the
Humanities.
The University’s staff and students have responded to this
year's Being Human festival theme of 'Origins and Endings'. They have organised
a series of events across Newcastle exploring 'Life Stories' – tales of new
beginnings, origins of art and literature, death, afterlives, and the end of
the world.
This week sees two more events taking place – Constructing Remembrance and Dead Famous, before The End of Nature event this Saturday
evening at the Great North Museum.
The
End of Nature?
Are we driving our planet to destruction? Are human beings
the most important drivers of environmental change? Explore these questions and
more during a night at the Great North Museum, through case studies from the
River Tyne to central America, the slave trade in the Caribbean and alligators
in Florida. This interactive event provides a new way of thinking about the
relationship between human history and the natural environment, and the deep
historical causes of climate change.
One of the academics leading Saturday’s event, Professor
Matt Kelly, said: “'We're living
through an environmental catastrophe. Whether it's extreme weather events,
forest fires or wildlife extinction, and the consequences this has for humans
and non-humans alike, it is hard not to feel overwhelmed.
“This event offers some historical perspective
on our present, asking what is the age of the human and why have we found
ourselves in such a predicament. If we can better understand how we've got
here, we might just be able to start thinking about what we can do
about it.”
Book a
ticket for The End of Nature now by clicking here.
Dead
Famous: Tales of Celebrity Undead
Do celebrities ever really die? Some famous figures are
believed to live on not just in terms of their cultural legacy, but also in a
more literal sense. Join us for an evening of talks, screenings, and music to
share some of these strange stories, from post-mortem sightings to re-enacted
resurrections.
Book a
ticket for Dead Famous at The Tyneside Irish Centre on Friday 23 November by
clicking here.
Constructing
Remembrance
The Longbenton RAF Cadets will share their ideas about
memorialisation and the memorials they have created. Join us for the opening of
their exhibition to discuss the varied forms memorialisation can take and the
challenges involved in creating a war memorial. Special guests will include the Lord Lieutenant for Tyne
and Wear, Susan Winfield OBE.
Dr Laura O’Brien has helped organise Northumbria’s
contribution to the festival.
“Northumbria has had a long-standing involvement in the
Being Human Festival, and we’re really looking forward to our special series of
events in 2018: ‘Life Stories,” she said. “There’s so much rich and exciting
research happening in Humanities at Northumbria and Being Human is the perfect
opportunity to showcase this.
“We believe passionately in the value of the humanities to
help us make sense of ourselves and the world around us, and events like the
Being Human festival prove this year after year.”
So far this year, Northumbria’s academics have led a unique
workshop, How to Make a Killing in Crime Fiction (see pictures), which took
place in the University’s mock court room with Professor Katy Shaw, and a
‘Historical Death Café’ where attendees were encouraged to reflect on death and
loss in a friendly setting. Northumbria offers a range of outstanding courses
in the Humanities. Find out more by coming along to Saturday’s Open Day on
campus or go to: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/humanities/
For a full list of Northumbria’s Being Human events and how
to book go to: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/humanities/being-human-festival/
