Festival archive

2023

The 2023 Festival of Social Science at the University of Leicester featured:

Criminology film season

A series of film screenings to encourage members of the community to think about crime and justice and how we use this as a source of entertainment. Each film was introduced by an academic working within the Centre for Hate Studies research hubs and focussed on how film represents crime and justice, what this means for the subject, and highlighted the current research in the area.

Well-being at the end: Time to reform the law on assisted dying

This one day participatory event, aimed at young people interested in justice and social issues, enabled participants to discover how laws are reformed and the processes involved in this, including the involvement of the public and role research plays.

Mast Khana Swasth Khana - eat well, eat healthy and Nacho Nacho - Dance, Dance

These two interactive events, led by the Centre for Ethnic Health Research, promoted healthy alternatives to Indian cooking during the Diwali celebrations and physical activity in a fun and culturally appropriate style.

Revisiting the Harms of Hate: Film premiere and live podcast

Ten years on from producing the award-winning film ‘The Harms of Hate’ this event reconnected with the original film participants and other victims of hate crime to assess how their experiences have been affected by a decade characterised by hostility, volatility and toxicity. This followed a live podcast of ‘Hidden Hate’ with special guests, the CEOs of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and Stop Hate UK.

Joe Orton’s Leicester by bike

A 10-mile cycle tour around Leicester with talks about leading twentieth century playwright Joe Orton (1933-1967) featuring 9 stops at sites significant to Orton's life readings from his unpublished teenage diaries. The tour ended at the University of Leicester giving attendees the opportunity to look at material in the Orton archive.

"We know all about you”: how are teenagers commercially influenced online?

This event showcased the different forms of commercial harm experienced by teenagers online enabling teenage participants to explore together different forms of online commercial harm experienced by teenagers.

Bodies that matter: Celebrating the social history of the body in the Viking age

This interactive exhibition of a number of body-objects explored bodies and bodily matters in the Viking age and invited reflection upon ideas of bodily wellbeing and the social construction of body norms, both past and present.

EmpowerED: Shaping healthcare research together

Healthcare workers, especially those from ethnic minority backgrounds, face a higher risk of COVID-19 infection and adverse outcomes. These interactive sessions featured games and brainstorming activities focussing on understanding the barriers to research engagement for non-clinical staff including games designed specifically for non-clinical healthcare workers. 

You need to see this: Realities of public service work today

This conversation-based forum on the nature of public service work in Leicester and Leicestershire aimed at raising awareness of the issues facing the public service worker today with the aim of supporting dialogue and networking across the sector.