The festival, now in its eighth edition, will feature over 40 projects across multiple city centre venues, marking the final Festival of the Mind under the leadership of outgoing Director Professor Vanessa Toulmin. This year's event promises to be the most ambitious yet, bringing together Sheffield’s creative talent and cultural sector with its academic minds.
Collaborations between local artists and academics will translate complex research, ranging from historical drink recipes and Roman glassmaking to fusion energy and interstellar nurseries, into engaging public events. Highlights include an immersive star-birth installation, tastings of centuries-old drinks, an exhibition exploring an ancient mystery, and a live performance by dub pioneers The Black Dog.
By taking research out of lecture theatres and into public spaces, the festival aims to explore how university research addresses significant societal issues. Topics covered span robotics, sustainable futures, history, culture, politics, and the arts, with more than 300 showcases across 43 projects.
Venues for the festival include the Millenium Gallery, the Winter Gardens, Persistence Works, and the newly added Channing Hall on Surrey Street. One-off events will also take place at the Sheffield Library Theatre and the Sheffield and District African Caribbean Community Association (SADACCA).
While all the events and exhibitions are free to attend, advance registration is recommended for events and performances at Channing Hall.
Events from the Faculty of Social Sciences include 'way/mark/ing' on 12th November at SADACCA, exploring art and activism in city spaces with Dr Andrew Belfield. 'Ashes to Ashes' at Persistence Works, inspired by Dr Camilla Allen’s research on trees, examines environmental change and loss. 'Calling Barnsley' offers interactive audio stories from Barnsley, developed by Dr Ryan Bramley and LUNG Theatre.
Other exhibitions include 'Care is a Future-Oriented Act' at the Millenium Gallery, featuring artist Nadia Mehdi’s patchwork jacket inspired by Ames Clark’s research on care. 'COVID’s Hidden Scars' at Persistence Works, developed by Dr Martyn Griffin, reflects on the psychological trauma of critical care nurses during the pandemic. 'Cracks in the Façade' at Persistence Works empowers men to confront mental health challenges through art, in collaboration with Dr Will Mason.
The festival also features 'Furnace to Fusion' at the Millenium Gallery, connecting the region’s industrial past with a low-carbon future through research by Samuel Forbes-Fairfax, supervised by Dr Emma Heywood. 'Space Glaciers!' by silversmith Holly Clifford, translating Dr Frances Butcher’s research on Mars's glacial history, will be in the Millenium Gallery foyer.
Understanding AI, with live robotics demos and zine workshops, will be held at Channing Hall on 7th November, featuring experts like Dr Susan Oman. 'What Does Care Mean to You?' at the Millenium Gallery shares voices on care through photographs and reflections, developed with photographer Les Monaghan and the NIHR School for Social Care Research.
