Come along and listen to speakers talk about subjects they are passionate or knowledgeable about (contact jen.townend@northampton.ac.uk if you’d like to be a future speaker).
Speaker: Anne-Marie Langford, Learning Development Tutor.
Thurs 10th October 2024
12.30 to 1.30pm
The Hide (Learning Hub)
Black History Month event
According to legend, Anansi, the trickster spider, was half god and half human but has since evolved into a multifaceted being who is not quite animal and not quite man. This change in Anansi’s fortunes reflects the changes experienced by African enslaved people who used this oral tradition of story-telling to maintain a connection with their history and culture in a time of rupture.
During the Triangular Trade, or transatlantic slave trade (circa 1526-1867), enslaved people were forcibly carried between Africa and the Caribbean. The stories travelled with enslaved people, spreading this story-telling from Africa to the Caribbean, Americas and Europe, through people of African ancestry and evolving across generations.
This talk includes an exploration of the historical and social context of Anansi stories and their journey across the globe, followed by a 20 minute interactive story-telling performance of “Why all stories are spider stories” which is an introduction to a performance project happening later this year.
Register for The Triangular Trade and the Trickster Spider
Speaker: Dominic Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Education.
Wednesday 23rd October 2024
12.30 to 1.30pm
Senate building 405
Think back to your school days. Can you remember a time when a teacher said something to you which really made you feel good about yourself, boosted your confidence, maybe even changed your life? And, when at about a time when something a teacher said had the opposite effect – made you shrivel up inside, doubt yourself, maybe still affects you now?
Word matter. Words have power. Sometimes, we’re aware of the effects that our words can have on others; but it is often little everyday comments – things we are unaware of – that can have negative effects on others.
This talk considers micro-aggressions – those little everyday unconscious slights – and how they can be counteracted by micro-affirmations - small conscious positive words and actions. I believe that all of us have the ability to improve people’s lives through the words we use.