ARTS & HUMANITIES DAY AT WESTERN!
Register by: February 10th at noon!
The Faculty of Arts & Humanities welcomes high school students to "Arts and Humanities Day," at Western University. This day promises to be a wonderful opportunity for your students to immerse themselves in the humanities through interactive and insightful sessions. It also provides a chance to connect with university faculty and students, shedding light on the importance of the arts and humanities in a rapidly changing world.
Entire classes (grades 10-12) or individual students are welcome to attend. Please note that registration is required for each student and teacher attending. The capacity of this event is 450 people.
Registration is open now until February 10.
Schedule
*Please note, the below schedule is a general outline, timings may change slightly and will be confirmed before the day! More event details to come!
The day will begin at 10am with a general introduction. After that, students and teachers will break into their sessions. A free lunch will be provided, as well as drinks and snacks throughout the day. Sessions will end at 1:45 to allow teachers and students to regroup and board buses between 1:45-2pm.
The Faculty of Arts & Humanities and the Department of History are each holding their own outreach event on February 20. Students and teachers will have the opportunity to register to participate in either A & H Day or History Day. We hope that this format will allow more high school students to visit Western University’s campus and engage in our disciplines.
Greetings to Arts and Humanities Day Guests (10 -10:30AM)
Opening Remarks with Associate Dean Jan Plug (10 -10:30AM)
Note: Students attending the early morning workshops with Studio Arts do not attend the Greetings to Arts and Humanities session from 10:00am-10:30am.
Early Morning Workshops with Visual Arts (10-11:10AM)
Create a Digital Photo Collage with GIMP
- Visual Arts: In this workshop with Eeva Siivonen, students will learn how to make a digital photo collage in GIMP, a free and open-source image editing tool. Participants will learn how to select and arrange images, work with layers, and use various tools to blend and transform photos into a unique digital collage. (registration capacity: 20)
Sculpey Character Creation
- Participants in this one hour demonstration with Andrew Silk will be provided with Sculpey polymer clay and use of tools to follow along in a guided tutorial with the opportunity for self determined modifications to create their own sculpted figurine. (registration capacity: 16)
Experiments Figure Drawing
- Visual Arts: "Experiments Figure Drawing" with Prof. Jessica Karuhanga The human figure is a crucial subject throughout the history of art. This workshop is inspired by 1960s drawing experiments, in which artists such as Trisha Brown or David Hammons used their bodies as both a drawing tool and a surface to explore unconventional ways of making an image. Participants will use skin-safe oil-based substances, such as lotion, on their hands or faces and press them against paper. They will then use powdered pigments, charcoal and graphite dust to highlight the detailed impressions of their skin. (registration capacity: 20)
Lectures and Workshops A (10:40-11:20AM)
Lecture A: "Your Brain on Story-Telling"
- Lecture A: "Your Brain on Story-Telling" with Prof. Aara Suksi Cognitive science tells us that story-telling is an essential element in the process of becoming human. How do stories help us learn, perhaps even before we know language? How do they affect our brain chemistry, and as a result, our behaviour? Are humans addicted to storytelling? We’ll consider these questions and discover the amazing power of story-telling to shape our thoughts, our behaviour, and ultimately our world. (registration capacity: 178) LOCATION: Conron Hall, University College 3110
Workshop with Classical Studies: “The Ancient Greek Symposium: A 3D Experience”
- Workshop with Classical Studies: “The Ancient Greek Symposium: A 3D Experience” with Cheyenne Eversole Have you ever been fascinated by Ancient Greece? Have you ever wished you could travel in time and experience the ancient world? Now's your chance! Celebrate with us at an ancient Greek Symposium! During this workshop, you will learn about the Ancient Greek Symposium and have a chance to recline, philosophize, and ask questions about the Greek world. Additionally, you can participate in a classical game called Kottabos, just like the Greeks did, with 3D-printed cups moulded from authentic ancient Greek pottery! Join us and experience this ancient Greek tradition. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies: “Liberation Manifestos”
- Workshop with Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies: “Liberation Manifestos” with Prof. Green-Barteet and Prof. Cayen Manifestos are “literary tantrums” that provoke radical social change. Although theatrical, they are rooted in your actual feelings and experiences in the world. Join us as we bulldoze over established traditions and imagine something new by writing your own manifesto for liberation! (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Languages & Cultures: “Goal! A World Tour of Soccer in Languages and Cultures”
- Workshop with Languages & Cultures: “Goal! A World Tour of Soccer in Languages and Cultures” with Prof. Victoria Wolff and Sylvia Kontra: Explore the global game of soccer through language and culture! In this interactive workshop, dive into the world’s soccer traditions, unique expressions, and cultural stories with a university professor. From chants to team rivalries, discover how soccer connects communities worldwide. No prior knowledge required—just bring your passion for the game! (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Writing Studies: “Writing Collective Consciousness"
- Workshop with Writing Studies: “Writing Collective Consciousness" with Prof. Andrew Wenaus Join Western Writing Studies professors for a fun and thought-provoking writing session. We’ll explore the Surrealist practice of collective consciousness writing. We’ll craft a single, strange piece of literature, with each writer contributing without knowing what the others have written. This collaboration highlights group creativity to combat loneliness and isolation. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Philosophy: “Ethical Problems for Tomorrow's Leaders”
- Workshop with Philosophy: “Ethical Problems for Tomorrow's Leaders” with Prof. Anthony Skelton. In this workshop, we will explore some of the ethical issues that future leaders will have to contend with, including what we owe to future generations, the treatment of non-human animals, and AI safety.(registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Linguistics: "Linguistics, or things you know about language you don’t know you know”
- Workshop with Linguistics: "Linguistics, or things you know about language you don’t know you know” with Prof. Jacques Lamarche. In this workshop, students will explore aspects of the vast unconscious knowledge they possess about their native language, from understanding the processes behind producing and perceiving audible realities (sounds) to the knowledge that these sounds form words organized into inaudible abstract structures that govern their interpretation of language productions. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Theatre Studies: “Can Theatre Changes the World?”
- Workshop with Theatre Studies: “Can Theatre Changes the World?” Join Prof. Kim Solga as we explore how theatre and performance practitioners respond to events both global and local. We will learn how applied theatre artists make work with communities about the things those communities care about, and we'll talk about how researchers in the field of Performance Studies understand our everyday lives and actions as forms of performance that we can use to stand up to injustice. Be prepared for both discussion and play, but rest assured nobody will be forced to step too far outside their comfort zone. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with English Studies: “A Day in the Life of an English Student”
- Workshop with English Studies: "A Day in the Life of an English Student" What’s it like to be a university student in English? Live a day in forty minutes in this interactive workshop. We’ll take you through the three main components of English student life—reading, attending lectures, and participating in tutorials—to give you a first-hand experience, at top speed, of English studies at Western. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with French Studies: “Unlocking French Slang: The Cool Side of the Language”
- Workshop with French Studies: “Unlocking French Slang: The Cool Side of the Language” with Prof. Nadine De Moras: In this interactive workshop, after listening to a French hip-hop song, we will compare some oral phenomena in English and French slang. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Medieval Studies: "Hand-Written: Medieval Manuscripts from Western's Special Collections Library”
- Workshop with Medieval Studies: "Hand-Written: Medieval Manuscripts from Western's Special Collections Library” with Prof. Kyle Gervais. We’ll explore several of the handwritten medieval books held by Western’s Special Collections Library (from a giant Latin choir book to a tiny French prayerbook to a tantalizing fragment of a work by Julius Caesar). Students will see the books up close and in person, and learn about their construction, decoration, text, history, and conservation. (registration capacity: 25)
Lecture and Workshops B (11:30AM-12:10PM)
Lecture B: “Has the internet always been this messy?”
- Lecture B: “Has the internet always been this messy?” with Dr. Ruth Skinner Students often tell me they love AND are also freaked out by technology. We spend much of our days online. It's hard to navigate digital spaces in a good way—whether researching or just expressing ourselves. This talk is a quick introduction to how we got here and how we can start to feel a bit more confident in online spaces. (registration capacity: 178) LOCATION: Conron Hall, University College 3110
Workshop with Classical Studies: “The Ancient Greek Symposium: A 3D Experience”
- Workshop with Classical Studies: “The Ancient Greek Symposium: A 3D Experience” Have you ever been fascinated by Ancient Greece? Have you ever wished you could travel in time and experience the ancient world? Now's your chance! Celebrate with us at an ancient Greek Symposium! During this workshop, you will learn about the Ancient Greek Symposium and have a chance to recline, philosophize, and ask questions about the Greek world. Additionally, you can participate in a classical game called Kottabos, just like the Greeks did, with 3D-printed cups moulded from authentic ancient Greek pottery! Join us and experience this ancient Greek tradition. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Writing Studies: “Writing Collective Consciousness"
- Workshop with Writing Studies: “Writing Collective Consciousness" with Prof. Andrew Wenaus Join Western Writing Studies professors for a fun and thought-provoking writing session. We’ll explore the Surrealist practice of collective consciousness writing. We’ll craft a single, strange piece of literature, with each writer contributing without knowing what the others have written. This collaboration highlights group creativity to combat loneliness and isolation. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Theatre Studies: “Can Theatre Changes the World?”
- Workshop with Theatre Studies: “Can Theatre Changes the World?” Join Prof. Kim Solga as we explore how theatre and performance practitioners respond to events both global and local. We will learn how applied theatre artists make work with communities about the things those communities care about, and we'll talk about how researchers in the field of Performance Studies understand our everyday lives and actions as forms of performance that we can use to stand up to injustice. Be prepared for both discussion and play, but rest assured nobody will be forced to step too far outside their comfort zone. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Languages & Cultures: “¡Hola y Adiós! Spanish Through Popular Songs”
- Workshop with Languages & Cultures: “¡Hola y Adiós! Spanish Through Popular Songs” with Alba Devo and Felipe Quetzalcoatl Quintanilla: Learn Spanish through the rhythm of popular songs! In this interactive workshop, two dynamic university professors will guide you through greetings, farewells, catchy lyrics, and cultural stories in Spanish. Sing along, uncover hidden meanings, and see how music makes learning a language fun and memorable. No experience necessary! (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies: “Queer Behaviors in the Animal Kingdom”
- Workshop with Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies: “Queer Behaviors in the Animal Kingdom” with Cynthia Lam and Elk Paauw Dive into the natural world to see how animals defy our concepts of gender and sexuality! Join us to learn about how temperature determines the sex of crocodiles, how clownfish can change sexes in response to social dynamics, and more fascinating examples of non-heteronormative behaviors that show the fluidity of nature’s spectrum. (registration capacity: 25)
Lunch 1 in Mustang Lounge (11:30AM-12:10PM)
Lecture and Workshops C (12:20-1PM)
Lecture C: "Why Ghost Stories Matter"
- Lecture C: "Why Ghost Stories Matter" with Prof. Chris Keep From Hamlet's ghost to Miyazaki Hayao's Spirited Away, the figure of the ghost has haunted the popular imagination. This lecture will ask why, even in an age of science, where only facts matter, we remain fascinated by the prospect of spectres, apparitions, and spirits, and what they can tell us about both our cultural past and future. (registration capacity: 178) LOCATION: Conron Hall, University College 3110
Workshop with French Studies: “Unlocking French Slang: The Cool Side of the Language”
- Workshop with French Studies: “Unlocking French Slang: The Cool Side of the Language” with Prof. Nadine De Moras: In this interactive workshop, after listening to a French hip-hop song, we will compare some oral phenomena in English and French slang. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Linguistics: "Linguistics, or things you know about language you don’t know you know”
- Workshop with Linguistics: "Linguistics, or things you know about language you don’t know you know” with Prof. Jacques Lamarche. In this workshop, students will explore aspects of the vast unconscious knowledge they possess about their native language, from understanding the processes behind producing and perceiving audible realities (sounds) to the knowledge that these sounds form words organized into inaudible abstract structures that govern their interpretation of language productions. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Medieval Studies: "Hand-Written: Medieval Manuscripts from Western's Special Collections Library”
- Workshop with Medieval Studies: "Hand-Written: Medieval Manuscripts from Western's Special Collections Library” with Prof. Kyle Gervais. We’ll explore several of the handwritten medieval books held by Western’s Special Collections Library (from a giant Latin choir book to a tiny French prayerbook to a tantalizing fragment of a work by Julius Caesar). Students will see the books up close and in person, and learn about their construction, decoration, text, history, and conservation. (registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with Philosophy: “Ethical Problems for Tomorrow's Leaders”
- Workshop with Philosophy: “Ethical Problems for Tomorrow's Leaders” with Prof. Anthony Skelton. In this workshop, we will explore some of the ethical issues that future leaders will have to contend with, including what we owe to future generations, the treatment of non-human animals, and AI safety.(registration capacity: 25)
Workshop with English Studies: “Breaking and Making Poetry“
- Workshop with English Studies: “Breaking and Making Poetry“ If you’ve ever wondered if a picture really is worth a thousand words, this workshop is for you. Join us for an interactive introduction to poetry that combines elements of visual art, graphic design, and the written word. You’ll learn about visual poetry and how to create your own. (registration capacity: 25)
