Think Human Festival returns to Oxford Brookes

The Think Human Festival returns to Oxford Brookes this April with a free programme of theatre, music, film and poetry.

From the sound of grassroots and non-league football, to extracts performed by actors of speeches made by defendants in Russian courtrooms, this year’s programme examines how ideas shape our lives and influence politics, culture and community.

Running from 15 to 18 April, the festival is organised by the University’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) and welcomes students, staff and the wider Oxford community to engage with academics, writers, performers and activists. 

Katharine Craik, Professor of Early Modern Literature and Director of the Think Human Festival, said: “We're
incredibly proud of the ways our research continues to open up space for thoughtful debate in an increasingly complex world. We're excited about the quality of this year’s sessions, and the diversity of the events we have planned.”

Highlights include:

Stick it in the mixer! The sounds of non-league and grassroots football

From muddy pitches to shouted instructions and clattering studs, this performance lecture will tune into the overlooked soundscape of grassroots football. The event will feature a screening of Dutch photographer Hans van der Meer’s 2004 documentary ‘Saturday Night, Sunday Morning’, followed by poetry, discussion with local players, coaches and spectators. 

New Labour, New Britain?

Glen O’Hara, Professor of History at Oxford Brookes and author of ‘New Labour, New Britain?’, revisits a pivotal decade in modern British politics. Examining the Blair years (1997–2007), the event will ask if lessons can be learned that are still relevant for today’s political leaders. A short talk will be followed by a roundtable discussion and audience questions and answers.

The Oxford Quartet: Women philosophers against the tide

Discover how Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley and Iris Murdoch reshaped moral philosophy against a backdrop of war, friendship and intellectual rebellion. This special event will include a panel discussion and readings by actor Annette Badland (‘EastEnders’, ‘Outlander’). Attendees can also join an Oxford walking tour with Professor Gary Browning, exploring the streets, pubs and colleges connected to these four pioneering thinkers.

Try me for treason: Voices against Putin’s war

Actors will bring to life courtroom speeches by Russian anti-war defendants, tried for acts of sabotage in opposition to the war with Ukraine. The performance will be followed by a discussion on repression and resistance with Simon Pirani, translator and editor of ‘Voices Against Putin’s War’, in conversation with academics and activists. 

Entering the loophole: Surveying American slavery in an English village

In 1845, Harriet Jacobs, one of the most remarkable African American figures of the nineteenth century, arrived in the Oxfordshire village of Steventon, having escaped from slavery only a few years earlier. This event explores her time there and how it can be remembered today. Oxford Brookes academics Dr Niall Munro and Dr Alys Beverton will examine Jacobs’s life in the context of the period leading up to the American Civil War. 

For more information and to book visit the Think Human Eventbrite page.