We are delighted to announce that between 19 October to 9 November 2024, the annual Festival of Social Science returned to Manchester for its eleventh year, with events taking place at three different venues across Greater Manchester.  The festival is a key element of the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) commitment to promote awareness of UK social sciences to new audiences.

The events shaping our world, from climate change to geopolitical tensions and civic protests, reveal how social science is more important than ever to understanding the world.  From big ideas to the most detailed observations, social science affects us all every day – at work, in school, when raising children, within our communities, from the personal and the local, to the national and global level.  The ESRC Festival of Social Science offers a fascinating insight into some of the country’s leading social science research and how it influences or social, economic and political lives – both now and in the future.  Discover how it shapes public policy and contributes to making the economy more competitive, as well as giving people a better understanding of 21^st-century society.

Dive into ‘Our Digital Lives’ at this year’s festival.  Explore the fascinating intersection of social sciences and technology as we unravel the complexity of human-digital interactions.  Our carefully curated programme offers a compelling look at how social sciences illuminate our evolving relationship with the digital world.

Stian Westlake, ESRC Executive Chair, said: “The ESRC Festival of Social Science offers a unique insight into UK social science research and its relevance to individuals, society and economy.  There are hundreds of free events taking place across the UK and online, including The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Salford.  We hope you enjoy the events and finding out more about social scientists’ work.”

Philip Drake, Director of Social Responsibility for the School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester said: “It is a great privilege for me to be involved in an event as wonderful as the ESRC festival, where profoundly impactful societal research is celebrated and made available and accessible to the people in our local communities.  Academia can often be seen as situated in an ivory tower, away from the people that it can most benefit, but this festival allows the coming together of people, communities and research, where ideas can be shared and we have the opportunity to learn from each other.  This year’s programme has a fantastic mix of projects, with something for everyone, and we hope many people will join us to celebrate both research and the communities that we hope to positively impact and benefit.”

Join us to explore the work of social science; from 19 October to 9 November 2024.  Take a look at our range of free events, for all ages and tastes!

• For a complete calendar of events and details on how to register, we invite you to visit the festival’s official website.  
• This festival was made possible thanks to funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which is part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).