'All That is Buried' Film Premiere (11 Nov)

Join us for the premiere of All That Is Buried. Shot in Cape Town, South Africa, this short film showcases the talents of poet Zizipho Bam, writer Sindiswa Busuku, artist/activist Haroon Gunn-Salie and musician Dizu Plaatjies as they move between their homes, work and sites of inspiration in and around the city. The film explores the lasting impacts of colonialism and apartheid in and on South African art forms, as the four creatives explain the role of art, music and writing in responding to ongoing racial and gender inequalities in South Africa today.

The event includes a welcome drink, film screening, and Q+A with filmmakers Maire Tracey and Simon Stanton-Sharma, and researchers Dr Jade Munslow Ong and Dr Sanja Nivesjö.

This event is part of the Being Human festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 10–19 November 2022. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.

life in the metaverse (16 NoV)

The metaverse has become a big point of discussion in a post-covid world, where digital lives have become even more compelling, abundant, and technological, but what will this mean for how societies function and how people relate to one another? Should we be anxious about a future mediated by virtual reality devices, or look forward to even greater freedoms?

This event invites people to enter a unique virtual reality environment and explore what social life in the metaverse will be like. It will take place in Salford University’s virtual reality campus and will be accessible to people in person or remote.

Participants will be invited to enter a unique virtual reality space through Oculus Quest VR headsets or through mobile devices and computers to experience life in virtual reality, examine what being social means in the metaverse, and consider what a future might look like where our world is mediated by technology.

Led by leading expert in the Metaverse and digital culture, Professor Andy Miah with experts from the University of Salford Metaverse Special Interest Group and beyond.

Part of the AHRC Being Human Festival

All Shapes and Sizes (19 Nov)

Come along to for this family friendly event to experiment with hands on activities that explore steam engines. Visitors will get the chance to try out augmented reality concepts and a paper-craft activity that encourages tinkering and playfulness.

Steam engines come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and were designed for a variety of different tasks. But almost all have the same five important engine parts – cylinder, crank, flywheel, governor, and belt connection.

Join the University of Salford’s(Opens in new window) Digital Curation Lab to explore these huge and powerful engines in this family fun day. Your input will also help the Science and Industry Museum(Opens in new window) to think about the future development of the 'Power Hall', an exhibition of working steam engines due to re-open to the public in 2024.

New Perceptions of Familiar Places (19 Nov)

New Perceptions of Familiar Places is a public engagement event. It showcases a video and sound installation of walks in Salford and several other cities around the world. The installation will take place in Salford Museum from 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm, and visitors can engage with the videos and sound recordings and respond in creative ways. The event breaks through geographical and perceptual barriers that may prevent us from understanding and engaging with urban environments. To view familiar places in new ways, we are using “La Dérive”, a way of walking and seeing that was developed by the Situationists International, and Hildegarde Westerkamp’s “soundwalking”. La Dérive or “drifting” deliberately avoids following prescribed or familiar pathways within cities. Soundwalking is group walking led in silence and to help participants pay attention to sounds in an environment. The goal of the event is to enhance attention of visitors to the Museum to details within their environment by engaging all the senses and by raising awareness of familiar surroundings.

Not the last resort:
interprofessional training care home schemes (4 Nov)

What’s on offer?

The event takes place at Manchester Piccadilly train station and aims to promote awareness about how an interprofessional training care home scheme impacts health and social care students, care home staff and care home residents. This event engages and informs the general public with key findings from the University’s small-scale pilot study ‘Not the last resort'. The academics will engage with the general public by displaying key findings on pull-up posters, handing out leaflets and talking to those who engage with the outdoor event. To measure the level of engagement, each person who has actively engaged with the outdoor event will be given a sticker.

What’s it about?

By sharing the findings of the ‘Not the last resort’ pilot study, the outdoor event aims to: increase awareness of what interprofessional training is and the benefits it has for students and the health and ocial care sector in terms of knowledge sharing, skills, and personal development; and create engagement in how interprofessional education can promote person-centred care and create a health and social care workforce that is rich in knowledge and skill for our ageing population.  

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Melanie Stephens, Senior Lecturer and Siobhan Kelly, Research Assistant, University of Salford.

Open to

Anyone over the age of 18.

Coercive Control and The PsychoSocial Quicksand Model™ Implications for local practice in prevention and recovery (5 Nov)

What’s on offer?

A video presentation of the The PsychoSocial Quicksand Model™ for coercive control in abusive relationships and groups will start this interactive educational online event. A panel of experts and professionals in the field of helping survivors and in the prevention of coercive control will then discuss live the application of this educational model for real life scenarios and settings. The audience will be invited to ask questions and give feedback.

What’s it about?

The PsychoSocial Quicksand Model™ is an educational resource and toolkit designed to help survivors, families and the public to understand better about the nature of coercive control in abusive relationships and groups. The event will begin with a video presentation of the model followed by professionals and experts reflecting on the utility of the model along with audience input and feedback.

Who’s leading the event?

Kate Amber, End Coercive Control USA, along with Dr Rod Dubrow-Marshall and Dr Linda Dubrow-Marshall, Co-Programme Leaders of the MSc Psychology of Coercive Control at the University of Salford.

Open to

Everyone aged 18 and over.

Fitness, Fun and Functional (7 NOV)

What’s on offer?

A 1.5 hour panel discussion discussing the nature of Active Travel and how to communicate it.

What’s it about?

There appears to be a contradiction in what we aspire for as an active travel nation, and the messages we convey. We often hold up the Dutch model of mobility as a utopian vision of how transport systems should operate, that cycling is an activity for getting from A to B in our everyday clothes. But then we often hear messages from government and local authorities that active travel can be used to improve fitness and reduce the need for other physical activity such as gym memberships. This conjures up images of lycra, racing bikes and sweating! Or is cycling simply fun? Therefore, our question is what is Active Travel? Is it fitness, fun or functional? Or is it all of the above, and messaging designed to encourage modal shift should tap into all three aspects of this activity? The event will be available to watch online and viewers are encouraged to engage in the interactive discussion.

Who’s leading the event?

The session is chaired by Ian Cookson of Salford University, with a panel comprising Dr Gemma Bridges (Running Mayor of Leeds), Dr Stephen Parks (Sheffield Hallam University) and Dr Justin Spinney (Cardiff University).

Open to

The general public.

Fence to freedom:
photography of place, belonging and citizenship (10-13 Nov)

This specifically focuses on refugees and people seeking asylum

What’s on offer?

This engagement event will be based on a photovoice project that was conducted in 2019 with a group of people currently seeking asylum or with refugee status. Photovoice is a research methodology where participants take photographs to represent their experiences of a particular research theme or question. In this project participants used photography to represent their experience of place, belonging and citizenship in Manchester, Salford and the surrounding areas. The aim of this event is to exhibit some of the photographs from the project to a wider audience including the public, third sector organisations and relevant stakeholders. The event will consist of an exhibition of some of the photographs that will be up for four days and an opening event.

What’s it about?

This event is about the ways in which configurations of race, migration, belonging and citizenship, play out in the lives of asylum seeker and refugee populations through their experiences of bordering, racism and exclusion – as represented by these people themselves, through photography. But it is also about the ways in which people seeking asylum and with refugee status navigate wellbeing, belonging, and hope largely through interactions with various places within the city, including local cultural grocery stores, Piccadilly Gardens, and local parks, thus highlighting the significance of local areas (the festival theme) in the lives of this group.

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Jo Biglin, lecturer in Social Psychology in collaboration with participants who took part in the photovoice project.

Open to

Everyone.

Reproductive Coercion – Policy and Practice across Contexts and Communities (12 Nov)

What’s on offer?

This online event will feature a video presentation about reproductive coercion in the context of religious and cultural beliefs and groups. A panel of professionals and academics in the field of reproductive coercion and coercive control more broadly will discuss how responses to such coercion can be constructed from the ground up including locally in Salford. The audience will be invited to participate through questions and comments on this timely subject.

What’s it about?

The fight for reproductive rights has been in the headlines across the world, from the US Supreme Court's rulings to debates surrounding reproductive health in our local communities. Understanding how an individual experiences coercion that leads to the loss of reproductive autonomy empowers such conversations. Theological beliefs, cultural factors, and/or abusive power dynamics in interpersonal relationships can all be used as controlling mechanisms surrounding reproductive choice. Learning from the diverse experiences of those who have suffered a loss of reproductive autonomy across multiple contexts can help us understand the complexity of the issues we face and inform how we respond both individually and as a community.

Who’s leading the event?

Ashlen Hilliard, from People Leave Cults LLC, along with Dr Linda Dubrow-Marshall and Dr Rod Dubrow-Marshall, Co-Programme Leaders, MSc Psychology of Coercive Control, University of Salford.

Open to

Anyone aged 18 and over.

Young People and Crime (9 Nov)

What’s on offer?

This event is a taster for college students from across Greater Manchester (GM). The day will consist of short lectures from Salford staff looking at local issues that impact on young people in GM e.g. knife crime. The students will also have the opportunity to take part in exercises where they deal with real life scenarios in Salford’s outstanding simulation suite. Students will take part in briefing and debriefing sessions. The sessions include reflection on the use of personal communication skills and teamwork.

What’s it about?

The day is aimed at 6th form students who are interested applying for a University course in policing, criminology or related area. The taster day will give students the experience of studying at Uni using modern cutting-edge facilities. Simulation as an approach allows students to develop and test skills in a safe learning environment. The taster day is designed to show that universities are committed to inclusivity and diversity.

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Ian Cummins, Dr Cliff Bacon, Ms Vic Gregson, University of Salford.

Open to

Sixth form students across Greater Manchester.

Of particular interest to

Sixth form students who are taking a range of public service-related courses to focus on their options post-A level and future career choices.

20 Minute Neighbourhoods (12 Nov)

What services are available in your neighbourhood within 20 minute walking distance?

What’s on offer?

The event centres around an interactive mapping exercise designed to facilitate discussion on how people experience their neighbourhoods, how they access services and social activities, and what factors deter them from travelling around the neighbourhood (e.g. fear of crime, concerns about road safety, poor pavement surfaces). You will have opportunity to examine and comment on the 20 minute neighbourhood areas in Manchester and Salford. The map will be on a large print display with post-its and pins/papers for you to add your comments. Dr Caglar Koksal, University of Manchester, and Graeme Sherriff, University of Salford, will both be available throughout the day to answer questions on the map and the underpinning research. There will also be an online version of the map for anyone to peruse the map and comment online - this will be available for one month.

What’s it about?

The concept of the 20 minute neighbourhood is generating growing international interest. The idea is based on living locally, with residents able to access the services and amenities they need within 20 minutes of their home whether by walking, cycling, micro mobility or using public transport. The benefits of this concept are multiple: people become more active, improving their mental and physical health; traffic is reduced, and air quality improved; local shops and businesses thrive; and people see more of their neighbours, strengthening community bonds. However, not all neighbourhoods are equal. There is a differential service provision between neighbourhoods – whilst some are well serviced and have plenty, high-quality amenities within a walking distance, others lacked necessary services. In this event, we showcase a map of Salford and Manchester in the size of A1 poster on a stand showing which households access to how many types of services within 20 minute walking distance.

We want to find out: Whether people think the use of 20-minute neighbourhood concept is useful to better understand their area; What services people think are essential to have within walking distance and how they would like to access other services; What factors limit the ways in which people use their neighbourhood and access the services they need?

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Graeme Sherriff, University of Salford and Dr Caglar Koksal, University of Manchester.

Open to

All residents of Greater Manchester and Salford.

Of particular interest to

Local residents.