Events

Tom’s talk will introduce his research that is working to better understand the reality of marine litter on heavily-littered shorelines with the help of community experts.   Plastic pollution and marine litter have emerged as pressing environmental challenges of our time, impacting the health of our ocean and ecosystems. With the relentless production and disposal of plastic materials, our planet has become a dumping ground for an alarming array of plastic debris. From microplastics, to larger plastic items like bottles and bags, these pollutants pose a threat to marine life, the food chain, human health and the delicate balance of our planet's aquatic environments.   Tom is is a Senior Lecturer in Geography at Loughborough University. As an interdisciplinary environmental researcher, Tom’s work combines environmental science, human geography, ethnography, and material cultures disciplines to better understand society’s material footprints on the pl...

Francesco Sani   Scholar and theatre practitioner Francesco Sani explores the use of community-based theatre to discuss political economy and labour rights. Francesco has undertaken research aimed at identifying modalities of engagement with the practice of political theatre that would be accessible to non-traditional theatre audiences and explores different possibilities of performance production outside of the professional industry. The applications of this work can range from education to community-oriented cultural activities.   All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover  costs.  ...

A Look at the Society's Website then joining at 7pm A BELIEF IN DIALOGUE EVENT on Zoom 'One God - Many Masks We have been unsuccessful in booking a speaker for this Sunday and will therefore begin with a review of what is available on our website before joining this Zoom event from the Hall. As you will see below you can register to join the event from home if you prefer.   Is there just one way to God, or are there many ways? Or is there no God at all, only the mystery and gift of life on this earth. Does this diversity of perspectives make any difference? Can we still live together and all our children flourish?   The  subject will be addressed b...

Phil Cooper   Phil will give an illustrated talk on the highlights from his trip of a lifetime 20 or more years ago  from Cairo visiting the oldest functioning monastery in Mount Sinai;  Jordan’s Wadi Rum and of course Petra;  fortresses in Syria, the oldest Byzantine Mosaics at Madaba;  Palmyra and Aleppo before the destruction of the civil war,; finishing in Turkey with Cappadoccia and Istanbul.

Ned Newitt   The Shoe Strike Girl", a true story about a girl who was at the centre of a strike at the Co-operative Society Boot and Shoe Factory in Enderby, Leicestershire, in 1913. The unfair dismissal of 19 year old Olive Coulson led to an eight week strike which involved 1,800 workers. The film was made by Pudding Bag Productions, a community heritage group which involves local people in making historical drama films. The film is about 30 minutes long and will be introduced by Ned who undertook the research which provided the starting point for Wendy Freer's script and film.   Ned has written several books, most relating to the history ...

Vignesh Rajahmani & Karthick Ram Manoharan   This public conversation brings together Vignesh Rajahmani (The Dravidian Pathway) and Karthick Ram Manoharan (Periyar: A Study in Political Atheism, co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to Periyar) to explore how the Dravidian movement reshaped the meaning and practice of secular politics in India. From Periyar’s radical anti-caste and rationalist critique of religion to the DMK’s transformation of social reform into a durable political project, the discussion will examine how secularism can function as a mass political ethos grounded in social justice, dignity, and democratic mobilisation. Vignesh Rajahmani is a researcher affiliated with King's College London and KITLV-Leiden, specialising in Indian and Indonesian politics, with a PhD from King’s College London. His work spans public policy, political strategy, and democratic development. Karth...

Joshua Thorpe Elizabeth Heyrick was a pioneering abolitionist and philanthropist whose contributions to social justice have been largely forgotten. This talk will explore her life, her impact on Leicester and beyond, and the reasons her memory has faded. It will also highlight the work of the Elizabeth Heyrick Society.  Joshua is Chair of the Elizabeth Heyrick Society. He gained an MSc in Empires, Colonialism and Globalisation at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2020 and then  taught English and History in Girona, Spain. He is now a UK Civil Servant, working for the Department for Business and Trade. Joshua is originally from Leicestershire and has deep roots in the county.  ...