The English team at Bishop Grosseteste University are celebrating the Humanities this November as part of the Being Human 2020 festival.
Being Human is the UK’s national festival of the humanities led by the School of Advanced Study (University of London) in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. As part of their contribution to the festival’s theme, ‘New Worlds’, the team are sharing the passion for the outdoors and literature of the environment of our staff and students with two virtual events:
Plotting Outdoor Worlds Café on Friday 20th November 2020, 10:00am - 11.30am
Plotting New Worlds Outdoors on Tuesday 24 November 10:00 - 12.00pm
Plotting Outdoor Worlds Café - Event description:
Whether fleeing infection or screen time, open spaces promise new worlds. As the conservationist Octavia Hill put it in 1877, by being outdoors we all gain ‘a little pause, a little more room.’ Join us for this Being Human Café to discover how the Victorians campaigned for the right to access the outdoors, to compare their efforts to contemporary activists locally, nationally and internationally, and to be inspired by the award-winning nature poet Isabel Galleymore. Led by Jonathan Memel, BGU researchers will introduce the topic of Victorian epidemics and outdoor space to outline connections to environmental activism today and share our pursuit of a new Charter of Open Space. Together we will talk about environmental activism and writing. Isabelle Galleymore will read from her collection Significant Other (John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize Winner, 2020) and respond to questions from public participants. You can book your free place to take part by clicking here.
Plotting New Worlds Outdoors - Event description
Envision an open space for all by discovering how the Victorians campaigned for the right to access the outdoors, and learning how their actions compare to contemporary global movements. During this online session, you will produce a Charter of Open Space that will be shared online as an output and legacy of this event. You will receive resources and instructions on how to prepare in advance of this online event. You will receive resources and instructions on how to prepare before the event online. The virtual event will build a community plotting new worlds outdoors and working to realise a new Charter of Open Space. Follow-up activities will facilitate new worlds outdoors by providing resources to learn more about nature and ways to conserve, enrich, and protect it. With your participation, we aim to plot lasting, enriching worlds outdoors.
Plotting New Worlds Outdoors launches a project through which we with aim to create a sustainable legacy which will begin with a new, collaborative Charter of Open Space, and which will develop into a resource tool enabling the investigation of natural worlds, the conservation and protection of the existing ones, and the creation of new ones. Join us to see what we are plotting.
You can book your free place for the event by clicking here.
You can also get involved with the English courses at BGU through our Open Days (taking place in November and December) and our free Masterclass on 19 November. The class will explore ‘Writing the Environment’ new module in English whose students are involved in the Being Human events. You can book your place on our website.
