This Saturday, the Arts Festival will once again take over the Harmonie building. It’s a showcase of everything the Faculty of Arts has to offer. Unsure how to choose between the workshops, mini-lectures, and other activities? UKrant is here to help guide you through the day.
For those who like hands-on activities
Feeling active? Then join one of the many workshops. Discover the difference between learning a new language and learning to play a musical instrument during the djembe percussion workshop. Or, learn how to distinguish real news from fake news in the fact-checking workshop.
Prefer diving into a historical puzzle? Try the workshop ‘A Day as an Archaeologist: Imagining Ancient Tombs’, where UG archaeologists will take you through burial rituals of the ancient Mediterranean. Can you place the tombs in the correct time period?
Food for thought
If you want an intellectual challenge, you can find plenty of inspiration at one of the mini-lectures. For example, learn about the arguments used by young climate activists worldwide in court cases against their governments. In the lecture ‘Youth Climate Activism in Court’, you’ll also hear how they persuade their governments to implement climate legislation.
Or attend ‘The Sounds That Stick’, where you can learn more about how sounds, memories, and archives are interconnected. Did the 1970s sound different from now? And what does that mean for ‘community memory’?
For those bringing children
The Arts Festival is open to all ages which means there are also activities for children. Have you always wanted to design your own historical animal? Visit ‘Beasts from the Past’, where you can decide how animals might have looked in ancient times. You can pick their limbs, colours, the habitat, and of course, a name. The creator of the most imaginative creature wins a trip to the bones attic at the Archaeology Institute.
Prefer a treasure hunt? Join the ‘Groninger Multilingual Quest’. A message from space has arrived at Zernike Campus, but it needs to be decoded. Clues are hidden around the Harmonie building. Can you crack them and help decipher the space message? UG hoodies will be raffled off among the winners.
For food lovers
Feeling hungry after all that learning? Be sure to visit the Harmonie square, where various food trucks will be offering tasty treats, from falafel wraps and frozen yoghurt to a fresh cup of coffee or a warm toastie.
Finished eating? Check out the other stalls on the square. For instance, bookshop Van der Velde will be selling books by various festival speakers. And if you’ve visited the book doctors during the Literary Clinic, you might just find the book or graphic novel from your personal prescription.
The Arts Festival will take place on Saturday, September 21, in and around the Harmonie building in the city centre. The festival kicks off at 1:00 p.m. For the full programme, visit the festival’s website.