We are currently inviting humanities researchers (including PhD candidates) to hold Being Human Cafés as part of this year’s Being Human festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities taking place 10-19 November 2022.

Being Human Cafés are based on the idea that you can engage with some fascinating new ideas and research in the humanities in the time that it takes to have a cup of tea. Find out more here: https://beinghumanfestival.org/get-involved/

As with our other festival activities, Being Human Cafés should be fun, creative, and aimed at an audience without an existing relationship to a university/ research. If you’re stuck for an idea but would like to take part, we encourage you to use this year’s festival theme of ‘Breakthroughs’ as a starting point. We would particularly like to hear from people in the East of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, the North East, the West Midlands and the South West.

Here are just a few reasons to get involved with the festival and hold a café:

• Participate in a national campaign to champion and celebrate research and the humanities
• Try out public engagement if you haven’t before
• Develop skills in event planning
• Use it as a catalyst to get a project up and running which might not happen otherwise
• Engage with a new audience and get refreshing new perspectives on research
• Get public engagement advice and support
• Work with new cultural partners or develop an existing relationship
• Make contacts and start collaborations with other researchers nationally
• Raise visibility of your research nationally and within your own institution

The deadline for café applications is 5pm Friday 26 August.