Festival of Social Science Day

Join us at Central Library for a day of free activities and events celebrating The Festival of Social Science – an annual celebration of research and knowledge about humans and society and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. The festival is an opportunity for anyone to explore topics relating to social science, from health and wellbeing to crime, equality, education and identity, through events run by researchers from UK universities. There’s no cost to attend, and most are open to everyone, though some are aimed at specific groups.

As the world changes, so does the way we work. This year, the festival is hosting a series of events that explore how our jobs, and our working lives, are evolving. Many of today’s roles didn’t exist just a decade or two ago. With rapid advances in technology, the workplace has transformed dramatically over the past 100 years. But one thing remains constant: people want access to good jobs that are safe, healthy and provide a decent standard of living. Join us as we explore what the future of work could look like and how we can shape it together.

See below for activities and booking details:

Anthro4Teens: Design Your City, 10.30 – 12.30, book here

Join researchers from the Social Anthropology Department at the University of Manchester for a fun, hands-on workshop where you design a city from scratch! Decide where to place things such as parks, schools, hospitals, and housing, establish your own rules, and prepare for challenges like fires or floods.

Work in teams, play city-themed games, win prizes and share your ideas with the group.

All materials and refreshments provided, just bring your imagination!

This event is designed specifically for ages 11-17 but is open to all.

Help, I didn’t get paid this month! 13.30 – 15.30, book here

This session gives young people a chance to learn more about part-time working during full-time education. Hosted by academics, the event will give you the opportunity to:

• Learn about your rights at work
• Discuss your work experiences with your peers.
• Hear findings from the L-earning research project.
• Connect with organisations and advice services that can support you.

Our goal is to equip young people balancing full-time education with work with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate for their employment rights.

Open to young people aged 14+

Building Brighter Futures with LEGO®: A Family Workshop, 10.00 – 16.00, book here

Come and join us for a playful, hands-on workshop where families use LEGO® to explore learning, life, and the future.

Through simple building challenges, children and parents/carers, teachers and tutors will:

• Build models of school, work, and dreams for the future
• Explore what helps children to learn and succeed
• Talk about barriers and challenges in a safe, creative way
• Share hopes for brighter futures together

No experience is needed — just your imagination! Children and adults will work side by side, building stories and ideas with LEGO® bricks. You’ll then be given your own LEGO® pack to create a small model for display.

Suitable for families with children aged 5+

Giant Insect World, 13.00 – 15.00, Free – just drop in!

Giant Insect World invites you to explore the hidden lives of insects. These tiny creatures are all around us, and yet we so often overlook their complexity, beauty, and importance to our world. Through immersive digital storytelling and interactive play, this event magnifies the tiny into the extraordinary, offering a fresh perspective on the unseen world.

Led by anthropologist Dr Jessica Symons of VisioningLab, the workshop blends science, art, and speculative thinking to ask:

• What can insects teach us about existence, value, and survival?
• How can digital tools help us perceive the world in a new light?
• What happens when we shift our focus to the small, the strange, and the unseen?

The event is open to anyone who wants to explore the activities. Children and families are very welcome.

Playful places: designing spaces that reimagine work, rest and play, 13.00 – 15.00, Free – just drop in!

Help us create and imaginary neighbourhood that teaches us how to work rest and play in world where work can seem all encompassing.

We will have craft activities for ages 5 – 15 (and beyond) lasting between 5 – 15 minutes. We will be making models of parks and streets that consider how to inspire healthy working lifestyles. There will be the opportunity to design your ideal house and situate it in an ideal street to create inclusive communities and inject playfulness back into our daily working lives.

This is a drop-in session with a maximum capacity of 30 people. Creative making and drawing activities are aimed at ages between 5 – 15 and last between 5 to 15 minutes. Stop by and make your mark on the playful neighbours and cities of the future!

Work Greener, Live Better: Energy Simulations for a Sustainable Future, 14.00 – 16.00, More details to follow

Open to ages 14+

This event explores how integrating renewable energy sources into homes and workplaces can lead to significant benefits in terms of cost efficiency and environmental impact.

Activities include

• Poster exhibition on the benefits of renewable energy integration
• Live demo: Calculating emission reductions, break-even time, and cost analysis for homes, small businesses, and industries using HOMER software
• Interactive discussions with interested participants

The festival is led and funded by the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which supports research and training in social science subjects. Part of the research that ESRC funds is focused on improving the experience of work. Since work is a major part of most people’s lives, ESRC is committed to understanding how it can be made better for everyone.