Welcome to the 2024 Being Human Festival

An introduction to the festival from Dr Jenny Kidd.

A warm welcome to everyone who will be joining us for Being Human Festival 2024.

Cardiff University is delighted to have been chosen as one of five festival hubs across the UK to host the Being Human Festival 2024, the UK’s national festival of the humanities.

The festival’s theme this year is ‘Landmarks’ and we will be partnering with a range of community partners to deliver our events pan-Wales. This theme celebrates any and all aspects of 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 to create exciting and engaging events for public audiences. These work with local communities to share ideas for mutual benefit.

Our free public events will be aimed at a range of ages, as well as underrepresented or specific groups, and will include walks and tours, hands-on demonstrations, and workshops. The festival also offers opportunities for people to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences, to feed into research and to co-produce activities and events.

All our events engage researchers and broader communities in making a difference. In the rapidly shifting times in which we live, our humanities research inspires and enriches our everyday lives and help us to understand ourselves and our relationships with others.

We wish you all a super Festival!

Best wishes,

Jenny