Talks & Lectures
Take a look below to see the talks, workshops and cultural events on offer at The Hive this autumn...
University of Worcester Public Lecture Series: Professor Nicoleta Cinpoeş
Who Needs a Shakespeare Festival?
Tuesday 8 October, 6:30pm-8pm
Freshly returned from Ukraine and Moldova, where she co-launched two International Shakespeare Festivals this year, Professor Nicoleta Cinpoeş explores how festivals – of Shakespeare in particular – are more than a model of reparative festivity and benevolent cultural exchange, but function as spaces of safety, survival strategies and guardians of heritage.
Nicoleta Cinpoeş is Professor of Shakespeare at the University of Worcester, theatre historian and occasional translator. She is particularly interested in Shakespeare on the page, the stage, the screen, in festivals and in the digital world, as well as in reviewing as resistance in totalitarian regimes, Shakespeare and national identity, and Shakespeare transcreations from the non-English speaking world.
Green Libraries Week screening
The Days After Tomorrow: Climate Fiction for the Future
Thursday 10 October, 6:30pm-7:45pm
Part of the British Library's The Natural Word series in 2021, this panel of Climate Fiction writers explores whether we can reimagine our relationship with nature and protect the future. With roots in science fiction, Climate Fiction or 'Cli-Fi' is expanding across genres and styles from poetry to thrillers and more experimental work, seeking to reinvent the way we envisage tomorrow. How can we marshal our collective imagination, accelerate global transformations and move towards a more sustainable way of life? How can we get beyond dystopian visions of climate chaos and focus on more positive, equitable and community-led futures?
Sex and the Devil with Professor Darren Oldridge
Thursday 31 October, 7pm-8pm
The Devil has long been associated with dangerous sexual passions. This talk explores the history of this complicated relationship - from the punishment of sexual transgressions in hell to the imagined excesses of seventeenth-century witches - and reflects on some of its implications today. The talk will include some graphic material that is not suitable for children.
Nudge Behaviour: Psychological Research Strategies for Healthy Dietary Choices and Behaviour Change with Dr Felix Why
Friday 1 November, 6:30pm-8pm
Psychological research investigating indirect methods to create healthy behavioural change has been flourishing in recent years. From moving your biscuits to the top shelf (adjusting your physical surroundings) to adding a new smell into the environment (using sensory cues) methods of changing behaviour involve a diverse set of strategies that can be applied cross-culturally with great success.
In this session, Dr Felix Why (University of Worcester - UK) presents our recent collaborative research with the Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES; Indonesia). Our purpose for this session is to showcase how indirect methods can be incorporated in the workplace and to explore collaborative opportunities between UNNES, the University of Worcester, and the wider non-academic community for further research.
University of Worcester Public Lecture Series: Denisse Levermore
The Emotional World of a Baby: How to support an infant's social and emotional development and the science behind this
Tuesday 12 November, 6:30pm-8pm
A renewed focus on infant mental health and the importance of the first 5 years of life (even before birth) highlights the need to support parents and young children as early as possible. The aim being to prevent and treat mental health conditions and promote infant mental wellbeing and resilience (RCP, 2023).
An infant’s mental health and wellbeing is located within the relationship with the adults in their lives. This talk will increase understanding of the importance (and the science behind) how to build a baby’s emotional brain. Good infant mental health promotes positive outcomes during childhood, adolescence and influences the adult we become. More than anything it helps us to support pregnant women and very young babies/children, who deserve the very best of care and support within this wonderous and exciting period of life.
Being Human Festival
'What is Worcester Today?' Writing and Walking Workshop with Katy Wareham Morris
Saturday 16 November, 10am-11am
How do you see Worcester? Explore Worcester through poetry, writing live on location.
This guided writing and walking workshop focusses on how we see Worcester today, encouraging adults from a range of age groups, backgrounds and writing experience to engage in creative writing, exploring personal perceptions of the city. Participants will walk a wheelchair friendly route through the city, pausing to write and listen to poetry. Katy Wareham Morris will provide writing inspiration based on Worcester’s exciting cultural landmarks. Katy’s poetry is informed by the practice of walking and her personal connections to places and spaces. She will also perform from her published poetry live on location.
Meet at the entrance to The Hive at 9:45am, the workshop will last one hour from 10am. Participants should wear comfortable footwear and clothing, appropriate for the weather conditions on the day, and should bring their own writing materials.
Follow up writing workshops with Katy are available at The Hive on 20 and 27 November.
This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK's national festival of the humanities, taking place 7-16 November 2024. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org