Arts & Humanities Festival 2013

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by Bryony Harrison (subscribe)

Freelance writer and poet from London; if you would like to read my poetry, please check out my book, 'Poems on the Page', available from goo.gl/Ta4oAX.

Event: 11/10/2013 - 25/09/2013

Being Human

'Seven Conspirators' by Gilbert Whyman ARBS.

The Arts & Humanities Festival at King's College London is an annual celebration of academic achievement infused with a good dose of creativity and culture. This year's even takes place between the 11th - 25th October and focusses on the theme of Being Human. What does it mean to be human? The question has been asked by scientists, philosophers, sociologists, writers, and artists for centuries, and we have been trying to answer it for just as long. So why has no one come up with an answer yet? Well people have, but the problem is, everyone gives a different response. You see, being human is such a subjective thing; no two humans are alike, and therefore, what it is to be human is different for every individual.

What does it mean to be human? The question is impossible to answer, but it has not stopped anyone from trying. In this year's festival, both scholars and performers explore the diversity of human culture through lectures, exhibits and plays. The festival opens with a discussion about Written on Skin, a modern play that debuted at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2012, and has been described as 'a landmark event in contemporary theatre'. This will be followed by a reception at 8pm.

After a weekend break, from 14th October, you will be able to attend talks on various topics, such as image worship, the period of Enlightenment, psycho-analysis, and death.

If you would like to get more hands on, there will be practical workshops that explore our use of animals in medicine and how we have used drawing as a way of communication. There will also be exhibitions, film screenings, live performances, and a poetry reading, all of which a free to attend, but require bookings.

The only event that you do have to pay for is play by Jingan Young. The T-Group will be performed on the 14th, 17th, and 23rd October, and costs £5. It is a black comedy about a group of medical practitioners who have committed crimes, and have been sent on a sensitivity training course. .

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