Birkbeck Arts Week 2025: A celebration of creativity and culture

Birkbeck, University of London, is delighted to announce the return of its annual Arts Week, running from 6-9 May 2025. This eagerly anticipated event will showcase the latest creativity and research from Birkbeck’s vibrant community of artists, scholars, and students. 

Organised by Birkbeck’s School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication, but a celebration of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ work, Arts Week 2025 promises an eclectic programme of free events designed to captivate and inspire audiences. The festival will feature a diverse array of art, performance, and intellectual inquiry, highlighting the intersection of art, research, and culture. 

Professor Fintan Walsh, Head of Birkbeck’s School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication, commented:

"We are excited to welcome everyone to Birkbeck Arts Week 2025, a celebration of the incredible creativity and scholarship within our community. This year's programme offers a diverse range of events that not only showcase the talents of our staff and students but also encourage meaningful conversations and connections. Arts Week is a unique opportunity annually, to experience the transformative impact of the arts and research in fostering a vibrant and inclusive community." 

Below is an overview of the events currently on offer, with more to come:   

Tuesday 6 May  

• The Launching of the Mary: A Script-in-Hand Exploration 
  Join us for a script-in-hand investigation of an unknown English Renaissance play.
  
  
• Contested Transparency and the Fragile Peace: Secrecy and Openness in Northern Ireland 
  Explore how openness and secrecy shape the past, present, and future of Northern Ireland with Birkbeck's Ben Worthy.
  
  
• Woven Threads 
  Participate in an interactive spinning and weaving workshop. Discuss provenance and data flows while making a textile.
  
  
• Digital Dramaturgies 
  Attend a practical workshop and discussion rethinking the integration of the digital and theatre space, chaired by Birkbeck’s Seda Ilter with speakers including Kirsty Housley and Maddy Costa.
  
  
• Narrating the Self: From Montaigne to Instagram 
  Explore self-narration across time, media, and disciplines, from Montaigne’s essays to Instagram stories.

Wednesday 8 May  

• New French Song: Why Should We Set Poetry to Music? 
  Listen to French songs performed and explore the music in French poetry and the poetry inside the music. 
  
  
• The Man Who Painted His House 
  Join us for a film introducing the extraordinary painted house of David Parr, followed by a panel discussion.
  
  
• Cursed Objects in Museum Shops: Live Show 
  Delve deeper into the meanings of cursed objects with the Cursed Objects podcast's live show team. 

Thursday 8 May 

• Dogeared 
  A contemporary performance inspired by seventeenth-century non-elite writing. Devised and performed by students on Birkbeck’s MFA Theatre Directing programme. Q&A with performers and researchers. 
  
  
• Picture This! Eighteenth-Century Prints In and Out of Books 
  Investigate what happens to prints when they enter or come out of books with a panel discussion. 
  
  
• Cursed Objects in Museum Shops: Live Show 
  Delve deeper into the meanings of cursed objects with the Cursed Objects podcast's live show team. 

Friday 9 May

• Writing Queer Performance 
  Performers Dickie Beau, Liv Morris, Louise Mothersole, and Vijay Patel discuss queer performance, joy, gravity, and grief.
   
• An Evening of Hong Kong Anglophone Poetry 
  Enjoy a poetry reading by UK-based Hong Kong Anglophone poets followed by a Q&A session. 
  
  
• Conversations with the Past: Writing Workshop 
  Join us for a writing workshop that uses prompts from nature to explore aspects of the past. 
  
  
• The Netherhole Martyr 
  Theatre collective Good Friends for a Lifetime perform and read from their newly published drama The Netherhole Martyr with a discussion to follow.