Residents of Worcester can get a taste of some of the interesting work and research happening in their City at a three-day festival of knowledge sharing.
The University of Worcester is running the Pint of Science event next month, in which academic staff and students will be giving talks at a local pub and cafe about the work they are doing, from tackling sexism and misogyny, to supporting people living with dementia, to the UK constitution.
Events take place each evening from May 13 to May 15 at The Arch Rivals pub, in Netherton Court, and at Francini Cafe de Colombia, in Angel Place, with two talks each evening running from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Sessions are pitched at a general public audience.
The events have been organised by staff and students from the Doctoral School at the University.
Esther Dobson, from the Doctoral School, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Pint of Science back to Worcester this year. It was a joy to be part of the festival last year and showcase some of the important research our colleagues are doing, whilst engaging with the local community and wider public. No matter what your interests, we hope there is something in this year’s programme that sparks people’s imagination or gives them a chance to learn something new.”
The University first got involved in Pint of Science, an international initiative that aims to bring researchers and academics from universities across the UK, Europe and globally into local venues to share their work, back in 2019. Universities across the country are involved.
Each evening’s talks are based around themes. On May 13, The Arch Rivals hosts an evening titled ‘It’s On All of Us: The importance of understanding and displaying healthy behaviours’. This will feature a presentation on positive sexual consent, and another on the role of bystander intervention in tackling sexism and misogyny. Meanwhile, over at Francini Cafe de Colombia, under the title ‘Doing Health Research Differently’, academics will be exploring the value of working collaboratively with communities when doing research. There will be a separate talk exploring support for those living with dementia to keep them connected.
On May 14, visitors to The Arch Rivals can learn under the topic ‘Facing the Music: Exploring Controversy and Collectivity in a Digital World’, with one session looking at cancel culture and the other focused on how covers of famous songs became popular in the Covid-19 pandemic as a bonding tool.
Over at Francini Cafe de Colombia, there is a focus on UK law and politics, with an exploration of the UK constitution through ‘US Office’ memes and another talk on how the UK responds to periods of political turmoil.
Then, on May 15, The Arch Rivals hosts sessions on ‘Innovations for Wellbeing: Putting Women and Disability in the Spotlight’, with one talk about research helping to improve females’ health and performance during extreme heat events and another on the impact of the Düsseldorf 2023 Invictus Games.
The Café’s final evening will focus on education and children under the theme ‘Tuning into Children: Their rights to be respected and protected’. One talk is on the link between pupil-teacher relationships and pupils feeling disengaged or alienated from school, and the other will explore the rights of the child and the support available to them.
For more information visit https://pintofscience.co.uk/events/worcester.