Birkbeck Arts Week returns with four days of free events celebrating research and creativity
From 5 to 8 May 2026, the free festival will include a hands-on workshop on storytelling, a panel exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping ideas of authorship and creativity, and a conversation on acting for stage and screen with one of the UK’s leading character actors.
Birkbeck’s annual Arts Week returns from 5 to 8 May 2026, bringing together a dynamic programme of free events showcasing the research, teaching and creative work of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Spanning performances, talks, screenings, workshops and panel discussions, the festival offers opportunities to engage with new ideas, explore creative practice and connect with the work of academics, artists and collaborators across disciplines.
Event Highlights
Political Laundry: a Taster Workshop
5 May 2026
A reflective, hands-on workshop exploring personal and collective political identity through creative note-making and discussion.
Adaptation for the Stage – a transformative experience between languages and genres
5 May 2026
An interactive session examining how a short story evolves across languages and into theatrical form, followed by a performance and Q&A.
French literary polemics: Céline, Sartre and Isou
5 May 2026
A talk uncovering lesser-known debates in 1940s French literature, philosophy and politics.
The Disappeared Woman: The dramaturgy of tropes and trauma
5 May 2026
A panel discussion on how theatre can challenge harmful narratives around gender and violence.
Japan in transition: the documentary cinema of Haneda Sumiko
5 May 2026
A roundtable with film clips celebrating the work and legacy of pioneering Japanese documentarian Haneda Sumiko.
William Morris and Utopia
5 May 2026
An illustrated talk exploring the relationship between Morris’s artistic designs and his utopian ideas.
The Country of Words
5 May 2026
A conversation and workshop on storytelling, belonging and the role of creative writing in contemporary life.
Decolonial Poetics and Ecology Workshop
5 May 2026
A participatory workshop exploring ecological archives through decolonial and poetic approaches.
Adapting John le Carré’s “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold”
6 May 2026
A panel discussion on translating a landmark novel to the stage, with insights from the creative team.
Turning Points: Journeys of New Knowledge Producers
6 May 2026
A documentary screening and Q&A exploring the experiences of Black and working-class academics in health research.
Women, History and the Stage: Creative Encounters with the Medieval Past
6 May 2026
A performance and discussion examining how women’s histories are researched, interpreted and staged.
The Architecture of Post-War British Homes
6 May 2026
A talk investigating how post-war housing reflects social, racial and economic narratives.
Poetry Reading by Keith Jarrett
6 May 2026
An evening of poetry and discussion with award-winning writer and performer Keith Jarrett.
The Art of Couture Embroidery Live
6 May 2026
An illustrated talk and live demonstration exploring fashion through the lens of art history.
Writing Town and Village in Seventeenth Century England
7 May 2026
A panel exploring overlooked literary cultures beyond London, culminating in a keynote lecture.
Masterclass with Actor Roger Ashton-Griffiths
7 May 2026
A conversation on acting for stage and screen with one of the UK’s leading character actors.
30 Years of Edward Yang’s Mahjong: Screening & Discussion
7 May 2026
A special anniversary screening followed by discussion of the film’s continuing relevance.
Fed on Scraps: Bits of Animals in the Early Modern Archive
7 May 2026
A talk examining human–animal relationships through archival fragments from the early modern period.
Cosmopolitan Cities? Politics, Language and Spaces of Consumption
7 May 2026
Focusing on Barcelona, London and Shanghai, this panel explores food, citizenship and consumption. Q&A.
Elvira Notari: Beyond the Silence
8 May 2026
A documentary screening and discussion revisiting the legacy of a pioneering silent-era filmmaker.
The Post-Human Desert: Toward a definition of Authorship in an age of AI
8 May 2026
A panel exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping ideas of authorship and creativity.
The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living
8 May 2026
A conversation on medieval approaches to wellbeing and what they can teach us today.
All events are free and open to the public, offering a welcoming space to discover new perspectives and take part in Birkbeck’s vibrant research culture.