Festival set to uncover the impact of our digital lives and celebrate social science research

Academics are set to share their work with new audiences as part of this year’s Festival of Social Science.

The Festival of Social Science is an annual celebration to engage the public with social science research happening at universities across the UK. The festival delivers hundreds of free public events led by over 40 partner institutions. Taking place from 19 October to 9 November, this year’s festival is centred around the theme of ‘our digital lives’ as well as a wide range of other social science topics.

Cardiff University is working with a range of community partners to host free events in the capital and across Wales in support of the festival. Highlights will include a creative art workshop for young adults to explore the challenges to mental health caused by our digital world, a masterclass in developing a professional Instagram profile for women in the business community, roadshows in Aberystwyth, Llanelli, Cardiff and Newport on how to stay active in the digital age, and a talk and workshop for parents and educational professionals to explore the use of national data to support children with additional learning needs in school.

There will be events for the creative, cultural and heritage sector, including a workshop for professional artists and creative practitioners to experiment with generative artificial intelligence, and explore its impact on their work; and a workshop exploring the creation of digital afterlives in cultural contexts to discuss and navigate the responsible use of emerging deep learning technologies that enable digital data to be changed or manipulated – such as ‘holographic’ resurrections of celebrities, deepfake historical figures, and animated archive photos.

Professor Claire Gorrara, Dean for Research and Innovation for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, said: “The Festival of Social Science provides us with an exciting opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness of our outstanding social science research. Our impactful research is informing the development of policies, services and innovation, and addressing major societal challenges in Wales, the UK and internationally.”

The festival programme collaborates with a variety of community, cultural and higher education research partners, including Gwella - an Arts in Health organisation based in South Wales that uses creativity to improve social and wellbeing outcomes, inclusive cycling charities across Wales, and Kings College London.

View our festival programme hosted by Cardiff University.

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

View the UK-wide Festival of Social Science programme here.

The Festival of Social Science is made possible thanks to funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).