Work by researchers at the University of South Wales (USW) is being showcased this November as part of Being Human Festival – the UK’s national festival of the humanities.
A celebration of humanities research through public engagement, Being Human is led by the School of Advanced Study at the University of London, the UK’s national centre for the pursuit, support and promotion of research in the humanities.
Now in its 10th year, the festival works in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy to support humanities public engagement across the UK.
Every year the event helps researchers in the humanities – from literature and history, languages and philosophy, art history and classics, and more – produce enjoyable events for public audiences that emphasise working with local communities to share ideas for mutual benefit.
USW is co-leading three events during November, all of which showcase research from the Faculty of Business and Creative Industries:
Monday 11 November, 6pm to 8pm, USW Cardiff Campus
A screening of Four Parts of a Folding Screen, a feature-length film exploring themes of exclusion and statelessness and the theft and sale of an individual family’s household possessions by the Nazi regime.
Shot in Berlin, the film visualises and recounts this troubling and forgotten past in the present. The screening will be introduced by the filmmakers – Ian Wiblin, senior lecturer in Photography at USW, and Anthea Kennedy, director and producer – and has been organised with support from the Welsh Refugee Council and the Jewish History Association of South Wales.
The event will also include a Q&A session on the film and contemporary experiences of exile and seeking sanctuary from oppression.
Wednesday 13 November, 11am to 12.30pm, St Fagans National Museum of History
Bawso Stories: Landmarks of Personal History, a screening of short films that celebrate the lives and experiences of BME women who have travelled to Wales from across the world.
Using Amgueddfa Cymru’s objects and sites as starting points, the Bawso Stories are conversation-starters about memories and personal moments from across the landscape of Wales. Visitors will be invited to join a discussion around the making of the stories, and celebrating the lives of people supported by Bawso.
Together, the Bawso Stories draw attention to marginalised and under-represented experiences, challenge ideas about heritage and belonging, and build a picture of a rich and diverse Wales. Bawso is the only Wales-wide specialist domestic abuse organisation dedicated to supporting BME survivors of violence.
This project is a partnership between USW’s George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling, Bawso and Amgueddfa Cymru.
Friday 15 November, 3pm to 8pm, Docklands Community Centre, St Paul’s, Bristol
A screening of Plant Power, a documentary about two St Paul’s residents, by award-winning filmmaker Professor Florence Ayisi.
The event will start with a workshop activity from 3pm to 5pm, run by the Bristol Rainforest, focusing on growing the food we eat.
There will then be a screening of the film and a Q&A session from 6pm to 8pm, with Prof Ayisi and the participants in the film, who will be discussing co-creating with communities and sharing insights on working with nature for wellbeing.
Plant Power vividly shows how two residents (Amrish and Judit) found immense joy in their shared commitment to growing and caring for plants during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, in the city’s most nature-deprived areas. Life after lockdown brings renewed hope as Amrish and Judit actively share their passion with community members, highlighting how plants can enhance overall wellbeing.
To book a place for any of these event, visit Eventbrite.
The Being Human Festival will take place from Thursday 7 to Saturday 16 November.
