Being Human 2021 highlights

Being Human 2021 highlights

From 11 to 20 November 2021, thousands of people came together for the national Being Human festival; ten days of free events celebrating the ways in which the humanities help us understand what it means to be human and the world around us.

Festival activities including museum take-overs, walking tours, performances, installations, exhibitions, creative workshops, and discussions and debates were led by academics and researchers in collaboration with local community and cultural partners.

Events took place in 51 towns and cities across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, with activities designed to showcase research in fun, creative and relevant ways — from a shopping centre pop-up in Lincoln exploring Caribbean culture, to a museum late exploring the cultural legacy of COP26 in Glasgow. 

This year's online offering included a cook-a-long of Roman recipes, an immersive, virtual reenactment of an early twentieth century rare book auction, and a hybrid dance performance connecting contemporary dancers in New York and London, via remote connection technology. You can catch up on some of the recordings of online events over on our YouTube channel.

Take a look at our short film below, for a recap of some of the highlights. 

A huge thank you to everyone who took part by organising an event, and to all who came along or tuned-in to an event from home — the festival couldn't happen without you. Watch this space for more information about Being Human 2022!