Being Human 2016 – All Roads Lead to Poems/All Odes Lead to Rome

November brings Being Human 2016 (The National Festival of the Humanities) to Canterbury with a series of events organised by staff and students of the Department of Classical and Archaeological Studies.

Friday 18 November
Hopes and Fears of Archaeology: Poetry and Artefacts Workshop
This event combines writing with archaeology. Join Dan Simpson at Canterbury Archaeological Trust for a poetry workshop where you can get your hands dirty.
6-8pm, Canterbury Archaeological Trust

Saturday 19 November
Poetry on the Move
Combining the introversion of poetry with the tactility of archaeology, this event permits you to explore artefacts from Canterbury’s Roman past in a poetry workshop/museum tour with poet Dan Simpson.
Canterbury Roman Museum
Three sessions: 10.15-11.45am; 12.15-1http://canterburymuseums.co.uk/romanmuseum/.45pm; 2.15-3.45pm

Identifying Roman Artefacts
Ever wondered what archaeologists do with the objects found in their excavations? Come along to this hands-on workshop to find out, and learn to identify some common Roman objects. This event is led by Dr Ellen Swift, who is one of Kent’s experts on Roman artefacts.
Canterbury Roman Museum
2-3pm

Sunday 20 November
Walking the Start of Via Francigena
Walk in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims past the World Heritage sites including Canterbury Cathedral and Saint Augustine’s Abbey, achieving a multisensory immersion in the historic human experience of walking long-distance to dwell on one’s hopes and fears.  This event is led by Julia Peters, a PhD student at Kent, who walked to Rome on the Via Francigena in 2015.
Meet at the entrance to the Cathedral
9am-3pm

Poetry Workshop: From Museum Objects to Words
What is an object? What did it do in the past? This poetry workshop led by Dan Simpson will help participants develop their own poem(s) about the Roman past, focusing on the theme of ‘hopes and fears’.
Beaney House of Art and Knowledge
Three sessions: 10.15-11.45am; 12.15-1.45pm; 2.15-3.45pm

Tuesday 22 November
Hopes and Fears of the Humanities
Reflecting upon the past decade, the event begins with a screening followed by a panel discussion and debate about the role of the humanities and the hopes and fears of researchers in the 21st century.
Grimond Lecture Theatre 1 (University of Kent – Canterbury)
6-7pm

Wednesday 23 November
Techno-artefacts: 3D Laser Scanning and Printing
We are at a new dawn of design technology where we can create something seemingly from nothing at the push of a button. At our drop-in event, learn how 3D laser-scanning technology works.
Beaney House of Art and Knowledge
11am-3pm

Thursday 24 November
Sensing the Past: From Smell to Sound
What did the past taste, smell and sound like? This workshop, led by University of Classical & Archaeological Studies PhD student Paula Lock, takes you outside the museum to consider how the other senses perceive the world of the past.
Meet at Entrance of the Canterbury Roman Museum
2-3.30pm

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