Being Human Festival
Celebrating research with the public through the UK’s national festival of the humanities
Funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Arts and Humanities Research Council and British Council, Being Human is an annual festival of the humanities that takes place at a whole host of universities, presenting hundreds of free events across the UK and beyond.
In 2023, Cardiff University was chosen as one of five flagship hubs across the UK for Being Human Festival 2023, in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.
The festival celebrates the ways in which humanities researchers inspire and enrich our everyday lives, help us to understand ourselves, our relationships with others, and the challenges we face in a changing world.
Learn more about what makes the Being Human Festival unique in this short video.
About the Festival
Each year the festival invites researchers at universities and other research organisations to collaborate with local community and cultural partners to create exciting and engaging free events for public audiences and share ideas for mutual benefit.
The 2023 festival was delivered alongside Amgueddfa Cymru, and a host of third sector event partners, around the theme of “rhyme and reason”. Together, we hosted 13 events over a 10 day festival period and engaged 780 visitors in humanities research that relates to the areas in which our institutions are based, and Wales more broadly.
Each year the festival invites researchers at universities and other research organisations to collaborate with local community and cultural partners.
2023 Festival highlights
Our festival programme drew on a range of research spanning archaeological excavations, artwork conservation, the use of artificial intelligence in journalism, fungi collections, an exhibition of veterans’ mental health stories, and an exploration of colonial and industrial Welsh history from Penrhyn Castle.
Our free public events were aimed at a range of ages, as well as underrepresented groups, and included walks and tours, demonstrations, object handling, and family arts and craft workshops.
Our free public events were aimed at a range of ages, as well as underrepresented groups.
Working with Schools
Our dedicated school engagement sessions made up 15% of the total festival audience, each supporting the key themes within the curriculum in Wales.
Young people from Cantonian High School were invited to National Museum Cardiff to find out how conservators use science to understand how and why the materials used by artists have changed over time. Participants enjoyed a tour of the art galleries to examine technical aspects of familiar paintings, and discover hidden surprises through x-rays, microfading and x-ray fluorescence.
"The pupils really enjoyed the opportunity to visit the museum when it was closed and see the work the art conservationists do behind the scenes. The highlight for them was being able to experience familiar art work up close and engage with the speakers. It was a great chance for pupils to see what jobs are available within the art industry and learn more about art history from industry professionals." Teacher from Cantonian High School
The festival also welcomed 29 pupils from Ysgol Plasmawr and Cardiff West High School to Caer Heritage Centre, situated in the west Cardiff suburbs of Caerau and Ely, for a co-created art and storytelling workshop. Alongside historians and a community artist, pupils created a storyboard of medieval characters who might have inhabited Caerau hillfort, inspired by exploring the hillfort’s history, and handling excavated artefacts.
Our dedicated school engagement sessions made up 15% of the total festival audience, each supporting the key themes within the curriculum in Wales.
Boosting collaboration across the Higher Education and the Heritage sector in Wales
Cardiff University teamed up with Amgueddfa Cymru | Museum Wales to deliver the Being Human Festival programme as part of a wider strategic partnership to boost collaboration across Higher Education and the Heritage sector in Wales.
This important strategic partnership is working together across five areas: research and innovation; safeguarding and restoring the environment; digital cultures and adaptive technologies; skills, talent and lifelong learning; and ensuring wellbeing and inclusive representation through an appreciation of heritage.
The festival also welcomed 29 pupils from Ysgol Plasmawr and Cardiff West High School to Caer Heritage Centre for a co-created art and storytelling workshop.
Making a difference
Through our partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru, festival events succeeded in opening up subjects, collections and spaces not normally accessible to or visited by participating audiences.
The Being Human Festival presented an opportunity to demonstrate the power and impact of diverse and meaningful collaborations that are not only beneficial to each partnering organisation, but also to the communities that we serve in Cardiff and the surrounding areas.
All our festival events engaged researchers and broader communities in making a difference. In the rapidly shifting times in which we live, our humanities research continues to inspire and enrich our everyday lives and help us to understand ourselves and our relationships with others.
Our local community projects
We use our wide range of expertise to support and deliver impactful community led projects alongside student and staff volunteers.
