Warwick Faculty of Arts

Coventry's year as 'UK City of Culture 2021' draws to a close in April 2022. The University of Warwick will celebrate Coventry's magnificent tenure with a campus finale of the , taking place from the 19th - 21st April 2022 (to see what's on, visit https://www.resonatefestival.co.uk/ - all events FREE!).

But what does it mean to be a 'City of Culture', and from where did this scheme originate? Who chooses the 'winning' city, what sorts of criteria are used to select the winner, and what is expected of a city once they have been awarded the title?
In this episode of , PhD Researcher Emily Dunford - whose research specifically focuses on Coventry's tenure as UK City of Culture 2021 - will answer these questions and more, providing insights into the wider social, economic and political aspects of the scheme and how it shapes the places where we live.

Further reading and resources:
- Belfiore, Eleonora, and Oliver Bennett. The Social Impact of the Arts. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
- Brook, Orian, Dave O’Brien and Mark Taylor. Culture Is Bad for You. Manchester University Press, 2020.
- Harvie, Jen. Staging the UK. Manchester University Press, 2005.
- Turnbull, Olivia. Bringing Down the House. Intellect Books, 2008.
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publica...
- https://culturechangecoventry.com/

Early Career Researchers working on topics related to cities of culture are invited to join the Cities of Culture Early Career Research Network. Contact Emily for more information.

Theatre & Performance Studies, University of Warwick Warwick Institute of Engagement Coventry UK City of Culture 2021

This month the showcases , focusing on women’s lives, women’s stories, and the work of great women who have pushed all areas of all our lives forward.

Accordingly, in this video Professor Sarah Richardson from The History Department at the University of Warwick tells us about the Mapping Women's Suffrage project, which aims to identify, plot and record the everyday lives and locations of as many Votes for Women campaigners as possible across England at the height of the suffrage movement in 1911. In particular, Sarah introduces us to some local and women who made their mark in the suffrage effort.

📌Intrigued to discover the story of the suffragette who lived down your street? You can check out the interactive map database here:
https://www.mappingwomenssuffrage.org.uk/

📌Want to hear more about the Coventry women who fought for women’s right to vote? You can walk in their footsteps as part of the :
Coventry Women’s Suffrage Walk
Sat 19 March 2022
11:00 -12:00
Starting at Coventry Transport Museum CV1 1JD.
FREE event - book your place here:
https://www.resonatefestival.co.uk/events/coventry-womens-suffrage-walk

This month’s Resonate Festival theme asks the question, ‘What does it mean to be human?'. Dr Martha McGill, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History, discusses historical beliefs about supernatural beings and how these shaped the ways that our ancestors thought about their own humanity.

Want to hear more? Sign up for ‘Invisible Worlds – Humans and the Supernatural’ taking place as part of the Resonate Festival on Thursday, 24th February, 6:30-7:30pm at Canley Community Centre, CV4 8FT. Warwick Institute of Engagement

https://www.resonatefestival.co.uk/events/invisible-worlds-humans-and-the-supernatural

Tying in with the Food GRP’s programme of events for this month’s Resonate Festival theme of ‘Feast!’, in this Faculty of Arts at Home video Professor Rebecca Earle discusses the history of mulled wine and other Christmas drinks. Grab your glass and hear how these drinks have been part of Christmas celebrations over the centuries!

Find out more about the Food GRP's Feast! Programme: https://warwick.ac.uk/about/cityofculture/get-involved/programme/upcoming-events/feast

In the latest Faculty of Arts at Home video, Dr Paul Grigsby discusses Coventry’s ancient history, tying in with the Resonate festival’s theme of ‘Coventry in the World’ for November. Dr Grigsby uses the history beneath our feet to explore how Coventry has been a place of continual cultural change since prehistoric times, using archaeological evidence to trace how people from around the world have come to this diverse city.

As countries around the world come together to tackle the threat of climate change at the COP26 climate summit, the question of how cities can become more sustainable has never been more important. Tying in with the Resonate Festival’s theme of Futures, Dr Jonathan Clarke in Global Sustainable Development discusses what some of the key challenges are for transforming our cities to become more resilient, equitable and sustainable to adapt to our changing world.

Speaking on the topic of Freedom as part of the Resonate Festival, the University of Warwick’s year-long programme of events for City of Culture, Professor Kate Astbury discusses her research into the experiences of the Napoleonic Prisoners of War who were held at Portchester Castle, and the performances that they staged while they were there.