Academic Sessions for Schools and Colleges

Stand Up Comedy & Mental Health

Description

Are you interested in stand-up comedy and how it might connect with ideas of political or cultural representation?  This talk addresses the subject of stand-up comedy and mental health, focussing on British and Australian comedians whose material addresses conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. Based on the analysis of live events and one-on-one interviews, the talk looks at the relationship between comedians and their material, arguing that comedy can help us both reconsider what we mean by mental illness and help understand mental health recovery.

This event is aimed towards students interested in studying Theatre and Performance at university.

If you are interested in booking in a session, please contact Dr Matt Hargrave: matt.hargrave@northumbria.ac.uk

Marketing Sessions

Social Media and Your Brain: How they Keep You Hooked

This talk explores the hidden psychology behind popular social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. It explores how these platforms are designed to exploit cognitive biases and keep users engaged for extended periods. Key topics include the attention economy, persuasive technology, and the impact of constant notifications on focus and mental well-being. Using relatable examples, the talk unpacks how algorithms prioritise content, why certain posts go viral, and what happens in our brains during endless scrolling. The session encourages critical thinking about online habits and strategies for managing screen time/attention are also discussed.

AI and You: The Future of Technology in Everyday Life

This talk introduces artificial intelligence (AI) in a way that connects directly to everyday experiences, such as how YouTube recommends videos or TikTok curates "For You" pages. It explains the basics of AI, including the difference between rule-based systems and machine learning, and explores the more recent generative AI technologies like ChatGPT and image creation tools. The talk highlights the opportunities AI brings to entertainment, education, and work, while also addressing challenges like algorithmic bias and the spread of misinformation. By linking these ideas to familiar examples, it offers a clear understanding of AI's role in shaping the digital world.

To book in a session, please contact Dr Kim Hardcastle: kimberley.hardcastle@northumbria.ac.uk

Music / History / Wellbeing Workshops for Years 7-13

Workshops inspired by Tudor rounds and catches, tailored for different year groups, abilities, and aims:

• Singing in Harmony
• Singing History: Renaissance / Tudors / Reformation
• Singing for Wellbeing / Belonging
• Singing and Creating (new words for old tunes)
• Composing Rounds and Canons (some musical literacy required)

For more information please contact Katherine Butler: katherine.butler@northumbria.ac.uk and to see more please click here.

Throughout the 2024/25 academic year, Northumbria University hosted 15+ subject taster days for Year 12 and 13 students. These events allowed students to understand what it would be like to study these courses at Northumbria, participating in student life and exploring our world-class campus.

Approximately 550 students visited us for these days, and they got to experience the following subjects:

2024/25 Taster Days

Law x2

Psychology x2

Applied Sciences

Business x2

Midwifery, Nursing & Health courses (Health Alive)

Geography and Environmental Science x2

Maths, Physics & Chemistry Week (NUSTEM Experience Week)

Architecture

During the 2023/24 academic year, we held over a dozen taster events. These events allowed the students to gain an insight into what it would be like to be a Northumbria student, as well as the opportunity to experience our world-class facilities.

2023/24 Taster Days

Maths

Business x2

Midwifery, Nursing & Health courses

Humanities x2

Psychology x2

Maths, Physics & Chemistry Week (NU STEM week)

School specific Taster Days x3

Description

We hosted our annual NUSTEM Experience Week where 55, Year 12 students from 20 local schools/colleges visited Northumbria for a week to experience what it would be like to study here. Each students' Week was focused towards Physics, Maths or Chemistry. This was a unique opportunity for students which is a stand-out on UCAS applications when applying for STEM subjects.

Throughout their week, the students took part in the following activities:

• Attended a first year university lecture of undergraduate programmes
• Interviewed an Academic researcher or Postgraduate student
• Designed, created and displayed a research poster based on a subject of their choice
• Visited laboratories, specialist facilities and a guided tour around campus
• Experienced student life at university

Description

Our NUSTEM team delivered six engaging lectures aimed at Y11 to Y13 students and their teachers. Each lecture wa focused on a different topic, and aimed to show how Physical Sciences and Mathematics matter and where they can lead. The lectures were mainly presented by staff at Northumbria University with some external guest speakers from industry.

For any questions, please contact Antonio Portas via email:antonio.portas@northumbria.ac.uk 

Date and time

The lecture takes place from 18:30-19:30 on 3rd October.

Description

Babel Lecture 2024: 'Original Pronunciation - The sound of Shakespeare' 

What did Shakespeare's accent - and that of his actors and audience - sound like? What can we learn from hearing and speaking his works in that accent? And with no recordings or transcriptions available to us, how do we know?