Council Welcomes Proposals for “Being Human Festival 2018”

July 31, 2018

In November 2018, Princeton will join in the international Being Human Festival,” an annual celebration that aims to engage the public with innovative research taking place across the humanities.

Originating with the School of Advanced Study, University of London, the “Being Human Festival” brings the university creatively into the community for hands-on activities, shared experiences, conversations, performances – engagement beyond the usual academic settings of seminars, symposia, and lectures. This year’s participants include nearly 80 institutions of higher learning in the U.K and international partners the University of Melbourne, the British School at Rome, and the Paris Institute of Art and Culture of the University of Kent, who will present events on the theme of “Origins and Endings.”

To launch a Central New Jersey site for the festival, the Humanities Council is offering grants of $250 to $2500 for Princeton undergrads, graduate students, faculty and staff who plan events jointly with public institutions (including schools, library, etc), stores, cafes, and arts venues. Events will be designed to share ideas, ponder issues, and explore challenges with the public, preferably in an off-campus setting. Grantees will be notified by the Humanities Council executive committee soon after the September 28th deadline; events should take place during the month of November or early December 2018.

Grants are intended to defray costs for materials, space, tech support, and refreshments. We welcome proposals for events large (75–100 people) and small (15-25 people). As you draft your proposal and plan your event, you may wish to contact staff at ProCES (proces@princeton.edu), the Pace Center (pace@princeton.edu) or the McGraw Center (mcgrawtip@princeton.edu). These offices are ready to help you locate partners in the community, if you have not already done so. Bear in mind that the timespan from notification to event is about six weeks. A mandatory planning workshop for those receiving grants will be held in mid-October.

The festival provides a unique opportunity for exchange and experimentation; some of the most successful events have been transformative for research projects already underway. For information on successful activities from last year’s “Being Human Festival” in the U.K., please see the case studies.

Practicable joint proposals of 1-2 pages, including objective, venue, personnel, projected audience size, and budget, are due by Friday September 28th.

Please submit via this online form.

Questions about the festival and proposals should be directed to Sara Brooks at the Humanities Council.

The Humanities Council present the Being Human Festival in cooperation with the Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES, formerly CBLI), the Pace Center for Civic Engagement, and the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning.

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