From November 15th to the 23rd, the U.K. is hosting the Being Human festival. The first-annual event is focused on engaging people in the humanities. The festival has a wide-range of workshops and activities that all focus on the universal theme of ‘being human.’

The entire festival is organized by the University of London’s School of Advanced Study and is in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Academy and the British Academy. Over 60 universities and 120 partner organizations across the U.K. will host more than 150 free to attend public events.

The event gathers together leading artists, scientists, scholars, authors, artists, poets and writers together. The mission of the festival is to create a national forum to engage the public in the discussion of humanities. The festival aims to:

• Inspire and enrich everyday lives;
• Help people to understand themselves, their relationships with others, and the challenges they face in a changing world;
• Foster world-class knowledge that is vibrant, vital and accessible to all.

The activities collectively seek to demonstrate the importance of the humanities through a cultural, intellectual, political, social and optimistic viewpoint.

Some of the events include working with The Joking Computer, a group that builds billions of jokes in a matter of minutes. The festival also features an evening improvisation group and the discussion of the importance of laughter in the world.

The Being Human festival is an event to learn more about human life and the way we function in the world.

– Charisma Thapa

Sources: Optimist World, Being Human Festival
Photo: Vimeo