ESRC Festival of Social Science 2021
Discover Oxford’s exciting programme of fascinating, FREE, family-friendly events exploring “Our Environment” as part of this year’s ESRC Festival of Social Science. The Festival of Social Science is a national celebration of social sciences research, with over 350 events taking place across the UK and online throughout November.
Most of our events are happening at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, over the weekend of 6 - 7 November, and many are drop-in activities – take a look at our full programme of activities below to find out more.
Entrance to the Pitt Rivers Museum is via the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PW. Once inside the Museum of Natural History, walk straight past the dinosaurs and take a left at the statue of Darwin - that's where you will find the Pitt Rivers' arched door. Come down the steps and you'll see our welcome desk, where you'll find directions to the various activities. We hope to see you there!
Note: many of the events are drop-in, so you can come and go as you please! For bookable events, please see individual programme items for booking links. If you would like to register but do not wish to do so via Eventbrite, please email esrciaa@socsci.ox.ac.uk.
You can also follow us on Twitter @oxsocsci and join the conversation at #ESRCFestival.
Our programme
Saturday 6th November 10:00-14:00, Lecture Theatre, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Come and join us to explore your child’s microbiome! How do microbes get into and out of your body? Which bits of your body provide the best habitat for microbes? Are these microbes good for you, bad for you, or completely indifferent to you? How can we encourage the ‘good’ germs and discourage or get rid of the ‘bad’ ones? Create a body map of your child and explore your understanding of how microbes in our internal environment play a key role in our health, in this fascinating, hands-on activity. The activity takes 20-30 minutes to complete.
Suitable for families with children 4-10 (older siblings are welcome to participate). This is a drop-in activity - just turn up!
This event will be led by Dr Beth Greenhough, Dr Maaret Jokela-Pansini and Professor Jamie Lorimer, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford
Saturday 6th November 10:00-16:00, Clore Balcony, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Can a country disappear? This might sound like something from science fiction but climate change is causing global sea levels to rise and could cause some entire low-lying island countries to be underwater by the end of this century. We will be asking what a country is and thinking about how climate change is affecting island communities in the South Pacific. Through film, writing and drawing – and talking to our researchers - you’ll learn more about climate change, island communities, and think about what we can do to bring about change both locally and nationally.
Suitable for everyone. This is a drop-in activity - just turn up!
This event will be run by Liam Saddington and Daniel Hall, School of Geography and Environment, Steffan Williams, St Catherine's College, University of Oxford
Saturday 6th November 10:00-16:00, Old Library, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Coastal ecosystems such as seagrasses and wetlands are diverse and underappreciated habitats that play a crucial role in the health of the planet, including as carbon stores. See behind the scenes of how scientists have teamed up with artists to produce creative interpretations of blue carbon habitats. Explore their series of video shorts and artworks, take part in ‘blue’ craft activities, and chat with the artists themselves. Scientists from the Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab will also be on hand to talk about why these areas of the ocean are so essential in helping to deal with the effects of climate change.
Suitable for everyone. This is a drop-in activity - just turn up!
This event will be led by Dr Lisa Wedding, School of Geography and Environment, University of Oxford, with artists Jenny Lines and Alejandra Mora Soto and members of the Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab.
Saturday 6th November 14:30-15:30, Lecture Theatre, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
How is economic inequality in the UK related to climate change? Just how unequal are we? How does this inequality compare to other countries in Europe or the world? Does it really matter much; or is it ok if we just pretend it matters to us and that we are going to do something about it? Come and discover the evidence in this interactive session, and maybe even share your views. Please pre-book as places are limited.
Suitable for everyone but most suitable for people aged 15+
This event will be led by Professor Danny Dorling, School of Geography and Environment, University of Oxford
BOOK HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/192999676227
Sunday 7th November, 10:30 / 12:30 / 14:30, departing from the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
A guided 20 minute walk, using air sensors to see how pollution varies in locations across the city centre. During this event we will share personal experiences of air pollution and, together, test out different types of air sensors, exploring air quality in real-time as we walk through the city. Afterwards, stay for a discussion back at the Museum about what we've discovered and what we can do to help tackle air pollution.
Event lasts around 50 minutes in total. Accessible route. Event will still run if it rains, though not if it pours!
Open to everyone. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. Please pre-book as spaces are limited.
This event will be led by Kayla Schulte, Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, University of Oxford
BOOK HERE:
10.30 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/193013567777
12.30 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/193014390237
Sunday 7th November, 11:00 / 14:00, Old Library, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
In this 45 minute, story-guided session you will create your own excavation and explore the hidden items our characters left behind. With the aid of real archaeologists, together you’ll build a story of how people occupied your landscape through time. Did they experience drought or flooding? How did they fare during times of war? See how your landscape layers build-up, and what they can tell us about being sustainable and human impact through time. Afterward, you will take home your excavation and can uncover your hidden treasures.
Suitable for children aged 8+. Must be accompanied by an adult.
Please pre-book as spaces are limited.
This event will be led by Ruby-Anne Birin, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford.
BOOK NOW:
11:00 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/193005774467
Sunday 7th November, 10:00-16:00, Old Library, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Join our sensory introduction to modern Mongolia! This thriving democracy, sandwiched between Russia and China, is home to extensive grasslands called steppes. Steppes are cared for by nomadic farming communities, who also look after herds of horses, camels, goats, sheep and yak. The area is also one of the biggest suppliers of cashmere in the world, as well as valuable minerals such as gold and copper. Immerse yourself in contemporary Mongolian art, and traditional Mongolian games, food and drink, as we think about the link between everyday items in our homes, and the people looking after the steppes.
This is a drop-in activity - just turn up!
Suitable for all ages
This event will be led by Keiko Kanno, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography; Dr Ariell Ahearn Ligham, School of Geography and Environment, University of Oxford.
Wednesday 10th November, 18:00, University of Oxford Museum of Natural History, Oxford
Join students, educators and artists for a pop-up exhibition and panel discussion on creative responses to the climate and nature crises. The panel will share their creative collaborations and discuss how educators can harness the arts to engage students with environmental issues.
The panel includes:
- A 6th form student participating in the Autumn 2021 “letters from the future” digital storytelling workshop
- Bill Finnegan, doctoral student at the Oxford School of Geography and Environment, Environmental Change Institute Energy Group, creator of the “letters from the future” digital storytelling project
- Trisha Gopalakrishna, doctoral student at the Oxford School of Geography and Environment, Environmental Change Institute Ecosystem Lab, collaborator on the “The Salvage Eaters” artwork
- Temujen Gunawardena, artist, animator and visual scribe (@tem.jam), creator of “Message from 2050” animation based on the “letters from the future” digital storytelling project
- Neeli Malik, graduate of the Oxford Ruskin School of Art, Artist in Residence at the Ecosystems Lab as part of the Oxford Art, Biodiversity and Climate network, creator of “The Salvage Eaters” artwork
- Sarah Watkinson, Emeritus Research Fellow in Fungal Biology at the Oxford Department of Plant Sciences, recent Writer in Residence at Wytham Woods, author of the poem 'Woodland Restoration’
Partners include the Buckinghamshire and Oxford School Sustainability Networks, Oxford Festival of Social Science, and the TORCH Climate Crisis Thinking in the Humanities and Social Sciences network.
This event is aimed at secondary school teachers attending with their students. Please contact Bill Finnegan (william.finnegan@ouce.ox.ac.uk) if you are interested in attending.
Thursday 25th November, 17:00-18:30, online via Zoom
Culture has a vital role in framing our understanding of the climate crisis and addressing how society can start to tackle it. Participants will join discussions about what Climate Creativity looks like, how creative writing and language play a role and how we can use our own creativity to bring about change. This 90 minute online workshop will give participants a chance to engage with cultural attitudes to climate change through discussion, reflection and creative writing.
Open to those aged 15-18. No writing experience is required. Pre-booking is essential.
This event will be led by Dr Philip Seargeant, Dr Nessa O'Mahony and Dr Anne Caldwell, The Open University.
The ESRC Festival of Social Science is a national celebration of social science research, with over 350 events taking place across the UK and online throughout November.
This year’s Festival takes "Our environment" as its central theme, linking in with the UN COP26 conference running 31 October–12 November.
To see the ESRC’s full Festival programme, visit https://festivalofsocialscience.com/
