Arts and Humanities Festival 2011

The Power of Stories will be the theme for this year's Arts and Humanities Festival when the School throws opens its doors to the public to showcase the diversity and impact of its research on society. From 24-29 October King's academics, artists, performers, theologians and politicians will debate how, where and why story-telling has shaped our world. In a week of exhibitions, free lectures, lively discussion, opera, music, dance and much more, King's shares its expertise to find if stories can ever offer a coherent view of the world. ' People make sense of human action by telling tales about what they've done or are going to do ,' says Jon Wilson, Senior Lecturer in British Imperial and South Asian History and organiser of King's Arts and Humanities Festival. ' From the Greek philosophers to conflict resolution now, politicians, managers and peace-makers, soldiers, scholars and saints all rely on stories to get things done. Stories strike a chord in a way dry arguments don't. ' Professor Jan Palmowski, Head of the School of Arts & Humanities, adds: 'As one of Britain's pre-eminent centres of research in the Arts and Humanities, King's is well positioned to host a week of events that pose some fascinating questions about the Power of Stories: how do we use them to make sense of our own culture, our history, and the economic and political events around us? And what forms of stories are there to help us make sense of past, present and future.