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IOE academics shared their expertise at the Bloomsbury Festival in October through a series of talks, workshops, discovery days, and tours. The activities explored the science behind ‘humanness’ and kindness, as well as the history of student life at UCL.

Phil Meech for UCL.

What makes us human? What makes us kind?

Experts from the Department of Psychology and Human Development (PHD) presented quick-fire panel talks covering what it means to be human and be kind, in line with the theme of this year’s festival.

Some of the topics they discussed include:

• The science and importance of sleep,
• Neurodiversity and pathways to inclusion,
• Multilingual minds and the influence of language on empathy and cognitive development,
• An evolutionary explanation of how we became human, and,

• Is human cognition really a unique?

The Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE) also took part in a Discovery Day centred around science discovery for both adults and children.

The day’s activities included crafts, workshops and storytelling, as well as pop-up exhibitions and games with some of London’s leading scientists and researchers from UCL, Moorfields Eye Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

A pop-exhibition by CRAE showcased research on the human brain, particularly exploring the unique perceptual strengths of autistic people.

PHD experts also led an interactive workshop on dyslexia, giving participants a space to share their experiences of dyslexia and take part in activities measuring cognition.

The Bloomsbury Festival also featured the IOE-led Generation UCL exhibition, which included curatorial talks led by the exhibition’s curators.

The festival also included activities from other teams across UCL, including:

• UCL Engineering who presented a driving behaviour simulator and technology that simulates touch,
• UCL PEARL, who challenged visitors to create artistic responses challenging what it means to be human,
• The Corals exhibition at the Grant Museum,
• Equaleyes from the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and
• The Bloomsbury Festival New Wave Art Prize, from the Slade School of Fine Art.

Dr Michael Spence, UCL President and Provost and a patron of the festival recently said:

“The Bloomsbury Festival is a fantastic celebration of the worlds of theatre, music, literature, art and science. The festival is also a catalyst for bringing talented individuals and organisations in our community together to engage audiences from London and beyond.

“UCL has been a proud partner of the festival for many years and so I am delighted to have been invited to be its patron. As we approach our bicentenary in 2026, this year’s theme Human.Kind is particularly relevant as, in a divided world, the need to highlight what brings us together is more pressing than ever.”

This November, an interactive art exhibition from the Social Research Institute is spotlighting the Nkwihoreze project as part of the Being Human Festival*.

It celebrates the impact of art on wellbeing through the contributions of young people from Rwanda. It explores intergenerational family relationships, children’s mental health, and the strength of community.

The Nkwihoreze project exhibition is free and open from 7 – 16 November at the Metronome café in Morden, London.

Links

• More about the Bloomsbury Festival
• Generation UCL
• Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE)
• Department of Psychology of Human Development

*not a part of the Bloomsbury Festival.