Coventry's year as 'UK City of Culture 2021' draws to a close in April 2022. The University of Warwick will celebrate Coventry's magnificent tenure with a campus finale of the Resonate Festival, taking place from the 19^th - 21^st April 2022.

But what does it mean to be a 'City of Culture', and from where did this scheme originate? Who chooses the 'winning' city, what sorts of criteria are used to select the winner, and what is expected of a city once they have been awarded the title?

In this episode of #FacultyofArtsatHomeLink opens in a new window, PhD Researcher Emily Dunford - whose research specifically focuses on Coventry's tenure as UK City of Culture 2021 - will answer these questions and more, providing insights into the wider social, economic and political aspects of the scheme and how it shapes the places where we live.

This month the Resonate FestivalLink opens in a new window showcases Amazing WomenLink opens in a new window, focusing on women’s lives, women’s stories, and the work of great women who have pushed all areas of all our lives forward.

Accordingly, in this videoLink opens in a new window Professor Sarah RichardsonLink opens in a new window from the Department of History tells us about the Mapping Women's SuffrageLink opens in a new window project, which aims to identify, plot and record the everyday lives and locations of as many Votes for Women campaigners as possible across England at the height of the suffrage movement in 1911. In particular, Sarah introduces us to some local Coventry and Warwickshire women who made their mark in the suffrage effort.

Intrigued to discover the story of the suffragette who lived down your street? You can check out the interactive map database hereLink opens in a new window.

Want to hear more about the Coventry women who fought for women’s right to vote? You can walk in their footsteps as part of the Resonate Festival:

Coventry Women's Suffrage Walk

• Saturday 19 march 2022
• 11:00-12:00
• Starting at Coventry Transport Museum CV1 1JD
• FREE event - book your place hereLink opens in a new window

This month’s Resonate Festival theme asks the question, ‘What does it mean to be human’? Dr Martha McGill, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History, discusses historical beliefs about supernatural beings and how these shaped the ways that our ancestors thought about their own humanity.

Want to hear more? Sign up for 'Invisible Worlds - Humans and the Supernatural', taking place as part of the Resonate Festival on Thursday, 24th February, 6:30-7:30pm at Canley Community Centre, CV4 8FT.

Tying in with the Food GRP’s programme of events for this month’s Resonate Festival theme of ‘Feast!’, in this video Professor Rebecca Earle discusses the history of mulled wine and other Christmas drinks. Grab a glass and hear how these drinks have been part of Christmas celebrations over the centuries!

In the latest Faculty of Arts at Home video, Dr Paul Grigsby discusses Coventry’s ancient history, tying in with the Resonate festival’s theme of ‘Coventry in the World’ for November. Dr Grigsby uses the history beneath our feet to explore how Coventry has been a place of continual cultural change since prehistoric times, using archaeological evidence to trace how people from around the world have come to this diverse city.

As countries around the world come together to tackle the threat of climate change at the COP26 climate summit, the question of how cities can become more sustainable has never been more important. Tying in with the Resonate Festival’s theme of Futures, Dr Jonathan Clarke in Global Sustainable Development discusses what some of the key challenges are for transforming our cities to become more resilient, equitable and sustainable to adapt to our changing world.

Speaking on the topic of Freedom as part of the Resonate Festival, the University of Warwick’s year-long programme of events for City of Culture, Professor Kate Astbury discusses her research into the experiences of the Napoleonic Prisoners of War who were held at Portchester Castle, and the performances that they staged while they were there.

Tying in with the Resonate Festival, the University of Warwick’s year-long programme of events for City of Culture, and its focus on Sanctuary throughout the month of June, Professor Alison Ribeiro de Menezes (Hispanic Studies, School of Modern Languages and Cultures) brings us the film ‘Chilean Exiles in the UK: Capturing Historical Experiences of Sanctuary’. Alison’s film explores her work on the history of Chilean exiles who were brought over to the UK through assistance from World University Service. Her research has traced the impact of the grants which helped 900+ Chilean scholars escape the brutal regime of Augusto Pinochet in the 1970s. We also hear here from one of these scholars, Professor Eleuterio Toro, about his experiences of the scheme and its impact on his life and work.

Tying in with the launch of the Resonate Festival, the University of Warwick’s year-long programme of events for City of Culture, and its focus on the idea of Invention throughout the month of May, Dr Richard Wallace (Film and Television Studies) brings us the film ‘Digitalisation and Cinema Projection in the UK’. Rick’s film explores his work on the AHRC funded ‘Projection Project’ and the history of film projection practices, reaching from the earliest days of cinema to the current digital revolution in film exhibition.

Dr James Hodkinson (German Studies, School of Modern Languages and Cultures) delivers a conversation with one of his key collaborators, the artist Mohammed Ali MBE (https://www.soulcityarts.com), explores the relationship between his research into Islam in Germany in the 19th Century and his public engagement projects including the Art of Empathy (2019) and Congregate (2020-), a collaborative livestream of visual art, film, music and conversation. James explores the concepts of kinship and empathy, and the power of art to allow us to view the world from alternate cultural perspectives.