Half-term is a great time to expose kids to new ideas and experiences. With this in mind, the Cambridge Festival of Ideas, which runs 19 October to 1 November, has produced a huge array of workshops, performances, exhibitions and tours. These events are designed specifically for different ages, interests and abilities.
Younger children, even in the age of hashtags and emoji, can learn to enjoy and engage with poetry in the most fun and fulfilling way – just as their medieval Viking counterparts enjoyed it back when they took part in poetry slams for mass entertainment. Lessons on what makes superheroes ‘tick’ will be essential learning into the motivations and morals needed for anyone aspiring to save the world.
The popular children's writer and author of the much-loved Fizzlebert Stump series of books, A.F. Harrold will perform a contemporary story with a classic feel about imaginary friends ‘The Imaginary – a story about the power of imagination’ - a stand-out introduction to the theme of imagination, which Festival coordinator, Malavika Anderson said “runs as a backbone through all family-friendly events.”
Another popular local children’s author speaking at this year’s Festival is Helen Moss, who will be talking about why children’s mystery novels are so popular. Helen Moss is the author of all 14 books in the top-selling children's series Adventure Island, as well as the more recent books The Phoenix Code and The Dragon Path.
The Festival’s events for teens aim to get young minds actively engaged. They will be able to solve tricky problems and appreciate a variety of historical and contemporary perspectives. Older teenagers (15yrs+) can try their hand at running the British economy or comic storytelling (12yrs+), and learn about the real life Game of Thrones that played out in Britain between 500 and 850 CE (12yrs+).
Finally, because there is no reason for the parents and pre-school siblings to miss out, there is a particular wealth of activities for the entire family this year. Prepare to be inspired by top young composers, find out how medieval families, just like us, didn’t always get along either, and how we can all harness the power of imagination in creativity and learning.
A diversity of hands-on events ensures the most is gained from participating, no matter the person’s age. Through art, poetry, performance and games - the whole family can each discover their superpowers (French or otherwise), the horrible histories behind broken sculptures, and simply the astounding power of engagement and learning when enjoying activities based on the most recent research into childhood development.
Drop in to the Cambridge Archaeological Unit throughout the day on the 24th of October to experience how our prehistoric ancestors lived and thrived. Budding archaeologists, from eight months to 80 years, can try a hand at the various daily activities and skills needed to survive back in a time very different to now. Try your hand at ‘hunting’ with a spear thrower or bow and arrow, or making your own rock art and pottery. Similarly, join the Cambridge Mexican Society and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to harness your craft skills and help a Day of the Dead altar take shape across the entire final festival weekend.
Other events suitable for children, young people and families include:
Did all of you recite today? No: Discipline in the medieval classroom In Anglo-Saxon England, students learned Latin through dialogues about their daily life. Come find out what they did – you may be glad that schools have changed since then!
The avengers in the North: Monstrous superheroes in the Viking age Superheroes like the Incredible Hulk are nothing new. Find out about the large, ugly heroes of the Viking Age, not to mention the original Thor!
The secret life of languages and cultures Many of the 7,000 languages of the world can be classified as endangered. Around 2,100 of them have fewer than 50,000 speakers. Join us on an interactive trip around the world to explore the stories of some of the most endangered languages of the world and the cultures associated with them.
Exploring abstraction: Big draw special Explore how artists in Kettle’s Yard and the Fitzwilliam Museum use shapes, colours and gestural marks to create abstract art, and then have a go at creating your own artwork with artist Isabella Martin.
Power play! In this lively workshop, we’ll be teaching the principles of resistance and conductivity by connecting everyday items to a computer with the help of an ingenious device called Makey Makey.
Established in 2008, Cambridge Festival of Ideas aims to fuel the public’s interest in arts, humanities and social sciences. The events, ranging from talks, debates and film screenings to exhibitions and comedy nights, are held in lecture halls, theatres, museums and galleries around Cambridge. Of the over 250 events at the Festival, most are free.
The Festival sponsors and partners are Cambridge University Press, St John’s College, Anglia Ruskin University, RAND Europe, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Cambridge Live, University of Cambridge Museums and Botanic Garden, Arts Council England, Cambridge Junction, British Science Association, Heritage Lottery Fund, Heffers, WOW Festival, Southbank Centre, Collusion, TTP Group, Goethe Institut, Index on Censorship and BBC Cambridgeshire.
Image copyright: mary via Flickr
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