University to take part in inaugural festival exploring what it means to be human

The University of Aberdeen is to take part in Being Human, the UK's first festival of the humanities.

The institution has been awarded a grant from the School of Advanced Study, University of London, supported by the Arts & Humanities Research Council and the British Academy, to hold events celebrating excellence in humanities research and demonstrating its relevance today.

The festival will take place from November 15-23, and University academics are being encouraged to submit ideas for potential events which will inform and ignite the public’s imagination around this area of research.

Dr Rhiannon Thompson of the University’s Public Engagement with Research Unit said: “We are delighted that the University of Aberdeen is a part of this new UK-wide initiative to celebrate contemporary research in the arts and humanities.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the exciting, forward-thinking work that is being undertaken at the University in the arts and humanities.

“We are calling for our academic community to get involved in the Festival by submitting proposals for potential event ideas which will demonstrate the impact that humanities research has on the world today.”

Being Human is led by the School of Advanced Study in participation with the Arts & Humanities Research Council and the British Academy with the participation of arts and cultural organisations and universities across the UK.

The festival programme will focus on activities that make humanities research accessible to the general public and demonstrate its role in the cultural, intellectual, political and social life of the UK.

Staff and students at the University wishing to become involved in Being Human should visit www.abdn.ac.uk/engage/beinghuman or contact the Public Engagement with Research Unit by emailing peru@abdn.ac.uk .

Thirty-six grants have been awarded to universities and arts and cultural organisations across the UK to participate in the nine days of festival events taking place across the UK, from Truro to Orkney, Swansea to Belfast and Norwich to Liverpool.

For more information about the Being Human Festival visit www.beinghumanfestival.org  and follow the festival on Twitter at @BeingHumanFest