Think Human Festival 2020

Festival of humanities - questioning what it means to be human
Courtesy of Oxford Brookes University
Various venues, Sat 1st - Fri 14th February 2020

This weekend marks the beginning of Think Human Festival, an engaging and wide-ranging event that seeks to explore the most important issues of the modern world through music, comedy, debate, film and other media. Organised by Oxford Brookes University, the festival encompasses 30 talks, screenings and performances that will be taking place in venues across Oxford over the course of two weeks. All are free to attend, though registering a place through Eventbrite is advised.

The opening weekend's line-up is a testament to the festival's variety and ambition. Visit the Human Library to borrow a 'book' (in the shape of an academic from the university) who can tell you about the theme of "enough is enough". Dancing Human Rights dissects the way that art can reflect and challenge the current socio-political turmoil we find ourselves in, while Toby Jones leads an evening of music and poetry to mark the 200th anniversary of John Clare's first book.

And the festival continues in a similarly eclectic but fascinating vein. Diverse human journeys both physical and emotional are explored through an exhibition on the migrant experience and a discussion about recovering from substance abuse. Two seminars address human rights and racism: 'Fighting Torture' focuses on how we can create a world without torture, while 'Stories of Hatred' is about how writers tackle Islamophobia. Identity is also a central theme, whether it's exploring race and culture through poetry, being male in the age of toxic masculinity, or making sense of motherhood.

Away from the more discussion-based events, there are performances of blues music, a screening of Life is Wonderful: Mandela's Unsung Heroes, a sustainable craft workshop and an evening of comedy entitled 'Stand Up for Human Suffering'. Bringing the festival to a close on Valentine's Day is a trio of talks about love and power, as well as live performances of love songs from David Gedge of The Wedding Present and Oxford band Candy Says. Whatever your field of interest, Think Human's dizzying array of events presents new ways to think about the major issues of our time.

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