The Coventry University Festival of Social Science: 6 – 17 November 2023

The Festival of Social Science (FoSS) offers a fascinating insight into some of the country’s leading social science research and how it influences our social, economic and political lives – both now and in the future. Discover how it shapes public policy and contributes to making the economy more competitive, as well as giving people a better understanding of 21st-century society.

The Coventry University festival features a mix of online and face-to-face events, held across Coventry city centre and the university campus. Participants will be able to take part and hear about social science research at the festival’s many engaging events.

Coventry University’s programme of FoSS events are free to attend and designed for *people of all ages

Events

From using game design to imagine and build sustainable cities to testing an app designed to help teenage girls open discussions around mental health, there is something for everyone.

There are 12 events taking place between 6-14 November across Coventry city centre and the university campus. Please see below for event listings and further information.

*Some events are more appropriate for families whereas others are for professionals in the workplace, with each event stating whether it will be held in-person, online or in a hybrid format.

Doing Anti-Colonial Food Justice

An interactive event for community food workers (including volunteers) and anyone interested in the topic.

Creative Fabric Puppetry

Exploring character creation, narratives and fabric upcycling to create a personalised small scale “hero” puppet.

Digital Mandala Creation

Combining physical and digital creation to create mindful mandala or “zen tangle” art-work.

Play in Education, Seriously?

Play games for education and meaningful experience.

Composing with Found Sound

Also known as Acoustic ecology, explore and capture sounds around you before turning them into your very own soundscape.

Teenage Girls, Positive Minds

How friendships can tackle depression.

Remote4All: How to create an inclusive workplace for neurodiverse and/or disabled remote workers

How to create an inclusive workplace for neurodiverse and/or disabled remote workers.

Building the Sustainable City, The Game

Use playful imagination and game design techniques to imagine what a sustainable city might look like.

Finding Queer Joy Through Food

Discussion and exploration around Queer Enjoyment of Food.

Enhancing Financial Wellbeing Mini Fair

Those attending the event should benefit from a better understanding of locally available resources and sources of help that can be used to improve how they manage and plan their finances.

Personal identities and the transition from school to university

In this session, our research will be shared prior to splitting into ‘story circles’ where participants can share ideas and experiences. We encourage you to bring an object which represents your identity as a discussion piece (ex: a trinket, photo, clothing).

What do we mean by "belonging"?

The UK Government 5-year suicide prevention strategy for England highlights autistic people as a priority for suicide prevention and recommends tackling feelings of not belonging as an important intervention.

ESRC Impact Acceleration Account Award

The ESRC awarded Coventry University a £1.25 million Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) in March 202 to deliver a five-year programme of impact activities, starting in April 2023.

Find out more