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14th Winter School “Public Humanities: Activism, Practice and Social Change”
27/01 – 29/01
14th Winter School of the Estonian Doctoral School of Arts and Humanities
Tallinn University
2-4 ECTS
In today’s rapidly evolving social landscape, the role of the humanities extends beyond academia to actively engage with pressing societal issues. Humanists are increasingly called to collaborate with diverse communities, addressing social inequities and activating their work through expanded media fields.
To address this need, a new field of scholarship, most commonly called “public humanities”, has developed over the last few decades. Public humanities refer to academic engagement that seeks to reimagine access to the capacity to create knowledge amongst a very broad set of publics, including communities historically marginalised. They encourage scholars to relate their work to the public, fostering collaboration across disciplines and enhancing understanding of complex topics. Public humanities also aim to bridge the gap between scholarly research and social engagement, bringing critical insights into the community to foster understanding and transformation.
In his recent book, The Public Humanities Turn (2024), American scholar Philip Lewis highlights universities’ unique role as catalysts for cultural and social change, especially amid the climate crisis. He emphasises the rise of the public humanities, linking their emergence to the evolution of higher education and the necessity for interdisciplinary, public-facing initiatives.
The 14th Winter School of the Estonian Doctoral School of Arts and Humanities (formerly Estonian Graduate School of Culture Studies and Arts) invites all participants to critically explore the topical questions related to public humanities, such as, but not limited to:
- What role can public humanities play in promoting civic engagement and social change?
- How can public humanities initiatives be more inclusive and representative of diverse communities and their histories?
- What strategies can be employed to effectively engage the public in meaningful dialogue about contemporary social and cultural issues?
- If and how can digital technologies be leveraged to enhance the accessibility and impact of public humanities?
- How might public humanities training prepare students for careers in the public and private spheres, careers that then might critically transform those spheres?
- Prof. Marco te Brömmelstroet (University of Amsterdam)
- Dr. Zoe Hope Bulaitis (University of Birmingham)
- Prof. Poul Holm (Trinity College Dublin)
- Prof. Stefan Collini (University of Cambridge)
- Prof. Helen Small (Universty of Oxford)
- Prof. Joanna Sofaer (University of Southampton)
- Prof. Marek Tamm (Tallinn University)
- Prof. Tauri Tuvikene (Tallinn University)
Plenary lecturers:
Programme directors:
Please registrate through the registration form on the Winter School website. Registration remains open until 15.01.2024.
Speakers, programme and other necessary information can be found on the Winter School website.
Coordinator: Eva Kruuse, eva.kruuse@tlu.ee
The event is organised by Tallinn University, a partner of the Estonian Doctoral School for Humanities and Arts
