Festival of the Mind: Listings
The Tactile Image
Thurs 18 – Sun 28 Sept (10.30am–5pm)
Delivered in partnership with the RNIB, The Tactile Image makes traditional 2D photos fully accessible to blind people, with tactile versions of images by local photographer Clive Egginton alongside Braille and large-print booklets. The project was inspired by Egginton, who recently lost his sight after being diagnosed with brain cancer in January.
Aprirsi
Thurs 18 – Sun 28 Sept (10.30am–5pm)
Subtitled ‘Opening a Serene Sound Space for People With Dementia’, Aprirsi is a collaboration between long-running local band In The Nursery and the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, with the aim of creating an immersive sound environment using 3D stereo effects.
Fairness on the 83
Thurs 18 – Sun 28 Sept (10.30am-5pm)
Life expectancy for females falls by almost ten years across Sheffield’s 83 bus route. This film and photography exhibition project talks to people on the street about inequality and what we can do to make Sheffield a fairer place for everyone. The films will be viewable online from 18 September and on a vintage double decker bus on Fargate on 19 September. The photo exhibition runs at Castle House throughout the festival.
Gaze-Shift
Thurs 18 – Sun 28 Sept (10.30am-5pm)
For Gaze-Shift, artist Paul Evans has created an installation designed to stimulate specific areas of the brain. A ‘brain map’, assembled by Professor Peter Redgrave of the Department of Psychology, illustrates the effects graphically. Talk and Q&A at Castle House on 18 September, 5.30-6.30pm.
Digital Democracy Debate
Thurs 25 Sept (2pm-8pm)
Subtitled ‘Exploring New Ways of Reconnecting Parliament and Citizens’, this debate will focus on how new technologies like social media and mobile devices could create more of a direct democratic line between government and the people.
VENUES
Castle House (Angel Street)
Spiegeltent (Barker’s Pool)
Sheffield Cathedral
Winter Garden
Bank Street Arts
Exchange Place Studios
Octagon Centre
Firth Court
Arts Tower
Alfred Denny Building
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Tales From Sheffield
Various dates (12-1pm)
Tales From Sheffield is a series of talks and workshops documenting the rich history of Sheffield. Hosted in association with Off The Shelf Festival of Words, subjects will include ‘Sheffielders on Holiday’, ‘Place Names and Surnames’ and ‘Sheffield Dialect, Customs and Folklore Since WWII’. Full details in the programme.
Cabaret Boom Boom
Fri 19 Sept (8pm)
Always good for a laugh and a raised eyebrow, Cabaret Boom Boom specialises in offbeat entertainment. This time it’s silly violinist Sid Bowfin, beer balancer Matt Barnard and escapologist Gareth Jones, plus regular comperes. Tickets available at Rocky Horrors, Beeches of Walkey and online at cabaretboomboom.co.uk, priced at £12/£10.
Codebreaker
Weds 24 Sept (5.30-7pm)
Codebreaker is a drama documentary about Alan Turing, whose genius codebreaking set in motion the computer age. His homosexuality led to his persecution and ultimately his tragic suicide in 1954. A special screening followed by a panel discussion with Dr Allan Pacey and executive producer Patrick Sammon.
Mind Reading: Man vs Machine
Sat 20 Sept (5-6pm) & Sun 21 Sept (11.30am-12.30pm)
A stand-off between a professional mind reader and a state-of-the-art MRI scanner. Which will perform best, and is it really possible to read minds?
The New Age of Robotics
Various dates (4-5pm)
Sci-fi enthusiasts take note – this is a rare opportunity see robots inspired by human and animal forms which could become part of our everyday lives in the coming decades. Talks and events on 19 & 21-25 September from 4pm (check the programme), and a chance to interact and play with the robots on Saturday 27 September, 2-4pm.
X Lectures
18, 21, 22 & 24 Sept (8-9pm)
A series of adult-only lectures exploring harmful mating behaviour (Thurs 18 Sept, Professor Mike Siva-Jothy), human-robot interaction via technology (Sun 21 Sept, Adrian David Cheok), sexual selection in the animal world (Mon 22 Sept, Professor Tim Birkhead), and the secret life of sperm (Weds 24 Sept, Dr Allan Pacey).
The Great Sheffield Mash Up
21 Sept (2pm & 5pm)
Artist Christopher Green is transformed into OAP rapper Ida Barr for these exciting and engaging workshops, which aim to unite disparate groups of people from across the city. Presented by Home Live Art.
Other Venues
Sounds of the Cosmos
Thurs 18 Sept (4-6pm & 7.30-9pm), Octagon
The Sheffield Rep Orchestra performs Gustav Holst’s The Planets with planetarium visuals courtesy of Humanstudio, alongside short talks by the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Free to attend but requires booking at festivalofthemind.group.shef.ac.uk.
Sheffield Ignite Academy
Thurs 26 Sept (6.30-9pm), Coffee Revolution
A series of quick-fire talks from some of the city’s leading researchers in an informal setting. The aim is to enlighten and inform in five minutes.
Alfred Denny Museum
Sat 20 – Sun 21 Sept (10am-2pm), Fri 26 – Sat 27 (5-8pm & 10am-2pm)
For over 100 years, the Alfred Denny Museum was inaccessible to anyone but biology students. Last year it began opening its doors for guided tours. This emporium of strangeness features fossilised dinosaurs, several fully articulated skeletons and a bisected dolphin. Tours are free but booking is required at sheffield.ac.uk/alfred-denny-museum.
festivalofthemind.group.shef.ac.uk
Image: Humanstudio
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