National Creative Writing Graduate Day
Friday 6th November | Free
Geoffrey Manton Building

Creative Writing student or graduate? Or just interested in a career in creative writing? Not sure how to go about exploring your options? Struggling to make connections in the publishing/commissioning world? This is for you. Designed to help and inspire you as begin your creative writing career, we’ve assembled a brilliant line-up of authors and publishing professionals to advise and encourage you.

Soon Is Now for Humanities, Languages and Social Science Students
Wednesday 11th November, 12noon – 5pm | Free
Geoffrey Manton Building

Soon Is Now is a faculty event which will introduce you to many different people, from recent graduates to established professionals, who started where you are now. Many will be MMU alumni; all graduated with degrees in Humanities, Languages or Social Sciences. This event is an opportunity to meet graduates in your subject area and to hear about the journeys their degrees took them on.  The aim is to raise your aspirations and broaden your horizons at the beginning of your own career.

MMU Student Press Office Journalism Workshop
Wednesday 11th November, 2pm – 3pm | Free | Book here
MMU Business School

Dave Porter and Natalie Carragher

This is a workshop open to all MMU students where the MMU Student Press Office will be offering training in journalism, editorial work, blogging and online publishing (WordPress). This will be an opportunity to enhance your skills and find out about how to join the Humanity Hallows team. We are currently recruiting a team of student editors, commissioned writers and social media marketers. Visit our Work With Us page for more information on the roles. For more information contact Natalie Carragher –  N.Carragher@mmu.ac.uk

PHOTOBOMB – A Dialogue
Thursday 12th November, 12noon – 1.30pm | Free | Book here
No. 70 Oxford Street

Presented by Jenna Brager and Adi Kuntsman

As mobile digital technology continues to spread around the globe, becoming easier and cheaper than ever for more and more people to access, so we have also seen a new saturation of images of the self. From the Oscars to the street corner, the rise and rise of the selfie has encompassed everyone from duck pouting reality stars to disgruntled First Ladies. But the selfie has also taken centre stage in areas of political turmoil, conflict and protest. Join us for two fascinating presentations that discuss what it means to be a ‘selfie citizen’, or even a member of a ‘selfie militia’.

BODY/CAM Workshop
Thursday 12th November, 2pm – 6pm | Free | Book here
Holden Café Space, Grosvenor Building

A workshop for postgraduate students, artists and activists – Guided by Jenna Brager

In this workshop, participants will creatively encounter viral images, particularly of state violence and activist resistance, focusing on the ways in which meaning is ascribed to pictures in online networks. From our group discussion, participants will individual create visual compositions using collage, text, and other expressive practices in order to amend, annotate, and engage images to contribute to a group exhibition after the workshop.

Activist Photojournalism
Friday 13th November, 12noon – 1.30pm | Free | Book here
No. 70 Oxford Street

Convened by Simon Faulkner

In the past, documentary photographers have responded to particular political situations by forming groups with the aim of reporting issues overlooked by the mainstream media. This was the case with the Afrapix organisation in South Africa during Apartheid. Such groups embraced the idea that photography was a powerful means of showing reality, but at the same time they also believed that photographers should adopt political positions.

Two contemporary photographic collectives of this kind are the Israel/Palestine-based group ActiveStills and the Istanbul-based group NARPhotos. This panel brings together members of both collectives to discuss their work and the role of Activist Photojournalists in the contemporary world.

PHOTOBOMB Exhibition
Friday 13th November – Friday 20th November | Free | Book here
Holden Café Space, Grosvenor Building

This exciting and challenging exhibition will be formed of three elements, associated with and generated from the PHOTOBOMB element of the WAR theme of this years’ Humanities in Public Festival. The first part of the exhibition will be a series of projections of social media and selfie images associated with war, conflict and protest from around the globe. Secondly, we will feature installations of activist journalists’ work as provided and curated by Activestills. Finally, we will feature the brand new work made as part of the BODY/CAM workshop taking place in the gallery on the day before opening.

Creativity: In Place of War
Wednesday 25th November, 5pm – 7.30pm | Free | Book here
No. 70 Oxford Street

Professor James Thompson, Ruth Daniel, Zoë Marriage (SOAS) and Professora Paulinha (Capoeira Bem-Vindo

Join us for a panel discussion drawn from the founders of and contributors to In Place of War – an award winning initiative at the University of Manchester that has researched theatre and performance projects in sites of contemporary armed conflict.

Gala at Number 70: Manchester Writing Competition prize-giving
Friday 27th November, 7pm | Free | Book here
No. 70 Oxford Street

Since its launch in 2008, Carol Ann Duffy’s Manchester Writing Competition has attracted over 10,000 submissions from more than 50 countries and awarded £95,000 to its winners. Join us at Number 70 Oxford Street – the new home for creative writing, arts and culture at MMU – for the announcement of the winners of this year’s £10,000 Manchester Poetry and Fiction Prizes – the UK’s biggest literary awards for unpublished writing.

The evening will open with a drinks reception and there will be short readings from each of the poetry and fiction finalists before Chair of Judges Nicholas Royle offers his thoughts on this year’s submissions and the two £10,000 winners are announced. Regular hosts James Draper and Matthew Frost return to present the evening and there will be live musical entertainment.