Follow the Festival of Ideas on the road…

Thanks to the participation of three local community centres, Ideas in the Community brings the University of Cambridge’s Festival of Ideas right to residents’ doorsteps over three days in October.

If you’re looking to learn about Cambridgeshire's lost medieval gardens, enjoy an African drumming workshop or discover the science of food by tasting a gourmet global meal, then Ideas in the Community is for you.

Ideas in the Community will run alongside the University’s annual arts and humanities festival, Festival of Ideas, now in its third year. The mini festivals of learning in community centres are organised by the University of Cambridge’s Community Affairs team and the City Council’s Community Development Service. On offer will be a series of fun, free, hands-on activities and talks led by University academics and staff.

Cambridge community centres Brown's Field Youth and Community Centre, Ross Street Community Centre and Trumpington Pavilion are participating this year in these festivals of learning. The community centres will be offering various events leading up to and during the 12-day Festival of Ideas, with two specific objectives in mind: celebrating the arts, humanities and social sciences, and opening up the University to local communities.

The first event will be held on Saturday 9 October between 12noon and 4pm at Brown's Field Youth and Community Centre. The programme of activities includes:
 

12noon - Join the Medical Research Council’s nutritionist and chef as they cook up a three-course meal with an international flavour that is healthy, easy and affordable. Hear the science behind the food we eat and join in by having a taste! Followed by lunch.

2pm – Bert Vaux takes participants on a journey around the world as he tells all about the different varieties of 'world Englishes'.

3pm - Drumming workshop: discover African rhythms and learn this exciting drumming style with the University’s Faculty of Music.

For more information about this event, please contact Andrea Butler on: 01223 420309 or email: andrea.butler@cambridge.gov.uk.
Brown's Field Youth and Community Centre, located at 21a Green End Road in Cambridge, opened to the public in 2005 following a campaign by the local community for better facilities in the area. The multifunctional centre has developed a range of activities and programmes for families, children, young and older people.

The second event will take place on Tuesday 12 October between 7.30pm and 9.30pm at Ross Street Community Centre. The day’s events include:

7.30pm - Lost medieval gardens in Cambridgeshire. Gardens are the most common way in which men and women have marked the landscape in past centuries. The remains of lost gardens lie all around us. Sue Oosthuizen, Associate Director for Community Education and Outreach at the Institute of Continuing Education, will show how to identify them.

8.45pm – Journey through the past, present and future of transport in Cambridge with Tony Kirby. From the Edwardian heyday of the railways, to the motorway age and the guided bus way – what is the social, economic and environmental impact on the city of its ever-changing transport landscape?

For more information about this event, please contact Caroline Biggs on: 01223 471674 or email: caroline.biggs@cambridge.gov.uk.

Ross Street Community Centre, located on Ross Street in Cambridge, has been open for over 20 years. It is home to a variety of local groups including the Home from Home after-school club and can be booked for parties, as it includes kitchen facilities and meeting rooms.

The third and final event will be on Tuesday 26 October from 2pm to 4pm at Trumpington Pavilion, including the following activities:

2pm - Join the New Hall Art Collection for a workshop on rag rug making inspired by one of their artists, Louisa Creed. Using hessian, proddies and strips of material, have a go at making your own rag rug artwork in this simple yet wonderfully effective craft.

3pm – Listen to musicians from the University’s Faculty of Music as they perform old favourites and classic hits, and join in with the singing whether you are a choral singer or a shower singer!

For more information about this event, please contact Helen Christy on: 01223 847433 or email: helen.christy@cambridge.gov.uk.

Trumpington Pavilion, located on King George V Playing Field, Paget Road in Cambridge, opened its doors to local residents in November 2009. The new youth and community facility provides a multi-purpose venue for various events such as youth groups and activities, community events, cookery classes, parties, rehearsals, concerts, art and other exhibitions, sports activities, etc.

All Ideas in the Community events are free, including lunch or refreshments provided, and no pre-booking is required so drop-ins are most welcomed.

Emma Wenborn, organiser of Ideas in the Community, said: “This is the second year for Ideas in the Community. We want to bring ideas and fun events out into the community so everyone can be inspired by the arts, humanities and social sciences work at the University. We want everyone of all ages to come and get involved in the fun, free activities on offer.”

If you are interested in the Festival of Ideas but hoping to access its many events closer to home, consider dropping in to your local community centre. We hope to see you there!