Fun and Curiosity at Resonate Festival 2023
After a successful Resonate Festival last year, we were so excited to bring it back again for 2023. Keep reading to find out what we got up to…
Resonate Festival Lates
On Wednesday 5th July 2023 we held a ‘Resonate Late’ at Warwick Arts Centre. Dr Nighat Arif celebrated the upcoming launch of her new book, ‘The Knowledge’ by giving her first ever ‘standup’ talk about perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. This was followed by an engaging Q&A session, felt like ‘an intimate chat with friends’ according to Dr Arif. Local writing royalty, Mike Gayle, took the stage next in a conversation with Catherine O’Flynn. He shared stories and insights from his 25 years as a novelist, as well as reading an extract from his new novel ‘A Song About Me and You’.
Over in the more intimate Creative Learning Space, Dr Alex Baker gave a talk exploring how small chemical changes to medicines, such as morphine, can turn them into illicit drugs. The history and impact of these small changes on biochemistry and humanity was considered, covering topics from solubility to the War on Drugs in the United States. Sarah Woodward, a postgraduate student from Warwick’s English Department outlined how new research within her faculty could be used by criminal justice agencies to tackle the crimes of coercive and controlling behaviour.
The following evening, Thursday 6th July 2023, we were back at Warwick Arts Centre for another evening of discovering and learning. Our very own Professor Alex Sharpe , from the Department of Law, gave her third talk in a series of lectures about David Bowie. This final instalment focused on ‘Ideas on Love’, and will be available to watch online soon online. Dr Helena Verrill, from Warwick’s Maths Department, used maths to introduce us to 17 different kinds of wallpaper patterns in a hands-on and creative workshop. Lils Dobber, an undergraduate student here at Warwick, lead an intimate discussion drawing on trans theory and personal experience to explore the complex temporalities of transitioning and going through puberty a second time. A short comedy set by student Vish Ratnajothy brought humour to the often confusing topic of trying to figure out ones own mind. To wrap-up the evening, Ruth Jones joined us to discuss her newest novel, ‘Love Untold’, in conversation with Leena Norms.
Across both evenings we filled the Arts Centre Foyer with hands-on, tabletop activities for visitors to enjoy. Dr Clare Rowan, from the Department of Classics and Ancient History, let visitors handle ancient coins and tokens as we considered the question: ‘What role did tokens play in the Roman Empire?’. Jack Woolley, the platform manager for the Warwick Centre for Ultrafast Spectroscopy, introduced us to lasers and lights, including how to steer light for scientific experiments such as when identifying pigments on historic paintings. Members of the Energy and Sustainability Team encouraged people to write or draw ‘Letters to Tomorrow’.
We also had live music, Kenilworth Books, E-Sports, a sample of collaborative exhibition ‘Coventry: Lost, Found, Imagined’ by artists John Whitmore, Emma O’Brien and Amanda Glanville, Economics Comics and artworks by local secondary school students!
Resonate Festival- Day Out!
On Saturday 8th July 2023, we took over three buildings on the Warwick University campus and filled them with activities for all the family.
In the Oculus building, colleagues from Warwick Business School led a Hindi Writing Workshop. Visitors could also try their hand at Lego Engineering, exploring space in the Planetarium, Chinese Calligraphy with the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, mathematical origami with Dr Helena Verrill, or hear ‘Stories of the Medicine Garden’ with Foleshill Community Centre and learn ‘How to Freeze a Human’ with Dr Alex Baker.
Over in the Faculty of Arts Building, Keneish Dance led a family dance workshop and shared ‘Balance’, a collaborative performance with Warwick’s Microbiology Department that is still in the research and development stage. Film director, artist and Human Rights Activist Salma Zulfiqar shared her incredible art film ‘The Migration Blanket, Climate Solidarity’, which explores the unique impact of climate change on women across the world. Lynnebec’s Astro Groovers showcased ‘You’re Out of This World’, a pop-up interactive show that celebrates self-expression through dance. We also settled in to play, make, listen and create at Kate’s Storytree, a space designed for stories to be told and shared. Facepainting and live music also ensured the FAB was full of fun all day!
We didn’t let the rain stop any of our plans, so Circus Skills with House of Mash moved into the Warwick Arts Centre and visitors got stuck in with ariel hoops, juggling, plate spinning and more! Also in the Arts Centre, Cheylesmore Community Centre performed two sets of live music and we had a variety of bookish activities. Alongside Kenilworth Books, authors Julia Rawlinson, Patrick Kincaid and Dr Poppy Kamel Sall led activities related to their children’s books. We tried our hand at bookmark making, and some activities related to Bethany Walker’s book ‘Olly Brown, God of Hamsters’. James Campbell had us laughing our socks off with his children’s comedy show, as did Stefan Gates with his brand new ‘Rude Science’ show. Visitors could also explore the world of Slime Molds with Ian Hands-Portman, discuss all things satellites with William Crofts from the Satellite Engineering Team, chat with staff from the Centre for Lifelong Learning and Warwick Research for Kids.
Resonate Festival 2023 was a fabulous way to celebrate the activities and partnerships that have taken place in the last year. We couldn’t have held this event without lots of wonderful staff, students and visitors, so thank you to everyone who took part!
