Heritage and Culture
Programme
All activities are in the Students' Union (Percy Gee Building) unless otherwise stated, running from 1200-1600 (Full access guide.)
Drop-in sessions
- Leather working demonstrations and activities with Watermead Leather.
- Help create a 3-D artwork with artist Mandeep Dhardialla.
- Make Roman amulets and discover Roman mystery cults with students from the School of Heritage and Culture at the University of Leicester.
- Try your hand at life-saving skills with Heartwize.
- Guess the microbe and understand more about how human cells work to keep us healthy with the Institute for Precision Health.
- Handle real archaeological artefacts and have a go in our dig pit with University of Leicester Archaeological Services.
- Way of the Wyrd Border Morris, dancing a mixture of traditional and locally-inspired dances, with the opportunity to join in and have a go!
Living History
Join members of the Vikings of Middle England to get a taste of life in ancient Leicester! Our friends from the Vikings of Middle England will be roaming the halls bring a sense of the Nordic to the event. At their stall you will find handling objects galore, and you may even want to challenge them to a game of hnefatafl (like Viking chess). Many of our independent stallholders will also be running interactive activities, and will be showcasing their research and programmes.
Explore list of full stall holders
Attenborough Arts Centre
Why not pop down to Attenborough Arts Centre and tour their exciting exhibitions? And don’t forget the Attenborough Arts Centre Shop!
From art materials, to gifts and cards, to work by local artists – the Attenborough Arts Centre shop has something for everyone. All proceeds from their shop support ongoing work.
Explore Attenborough Arts Centre website
Literary Leicester
We are teaming up with Literary Leicester! Start your day at the University of Leicester’s Botanic Gardens, with Literary Leicester’s family-friendly ‘Maths With A Story’, hosted in collaboration with Letter Box Club, or learn about the city’s literary connections on a book-focused bike tour of Leicester. Check out our Ticket Tailor site to explore the programme and book your free tickets.
Self-guided tours of our campus
Why not take a tour of our campus? Copies of our trails will be available from the Heritage Hub stall at the main entrance to the event. The trails can also be accessed online.
Main Campus Trail
The University of Leicester campus is not just a place of study. It is the site of world-changing discoveries; it reflects more than 150 years of local history, and it is home to one of the finest collections of modern art in the East Midlands. Follow this heritage trail to explore some of Leicester’s best-kept secrets. Our trail starts at College House, and ends at Attenborough Arts Centre, where you can enjoy their latest exhibitions and events.
Fielding Johnson Trail
The Fielding Johnson Building occupies a prominent hill on what was called the South Field, outside Leicester’s original Borough walls. When it was built, it was remote from the centre of Leicester, and close to the Cattle Market. The building predates Welford Road Cemetery (1849), the establishment of Victoria Park (1866) that was formerly a racecourse (1806-1883) and also predates the park’s Grandstand (1866, demolished in 1940 after landmine damage). The Asylum also predates the first Freemen’s Cottages (1856) and De Montfort Hall (1911). During its lifetime, the Fielding Johnson Building has witnessed some fascinating history and has had three main uses. This tour explains the building’s original extent and how it has evolved over time.
These trails were created by Amy Mckay (illustrator) and Elizabeth Blood (researcher). They were funded by the University of Leicester's Heritage Hub as part of their ongoing programme of events.
Amy McKay also created the designs on our Heritage Hub t-shirts and bags.